Chapter 18
Technically, It’s Not Stealing If We Plan On Giving It Back
For the first time, I was a complete nervous wreck as we drove toward the museum. I never had been for galas before.
But then I was never going just to steal something either.
Max held my hand in the middle of the backseat as Dad drove with Brielle in the passenger seat next to him. I saw Dad glance back a few times. I thought he was going to say something to us, but all I saw him do was smile.
Let’s just say I found it a little strange.
But then again, maybe he was happy that I found someone who made me happy, just like he found that someone in Brielle. Maybe he thought that, since I didn’t have a normal upbringing, that I would never find someone like that for me.
I guess I did.
Max squeezed my hand and I looked over at him. He smiled at me and I smiled back automatically.
It didn’t seem like long before we were pulling up to the front of the museum. There was a dark blue carpet going up the front steps and toward the doors. Dozens of people in evening gowns and tuxes were walking up and being greeted by people who worked for the museum.
“Are we ready?” Dad asked, pausing with his hand on the handle.
“Let’s go,” I said.
Dad and Max got out first and walked around the car to open mine and Brielle’s doors. Max took my hand again as Dad gave the valet the keys and we started up the steps.
Every few moments, we were stop by some older couples so they could talk to us. It seemed like it took us twice as long to get to the top as it did for everyone else. But when we finally got to the doors, my heart sank.
“Metal detectors,” I whispered to Brielle hurriedly. “How am I supposed to explain the flash drive in my clutch? They’re going to know something’s up!”
“No, they won’t,” she said. “The coating around the metal deflects any detectors. Do you really think I’d give you something that wouldn’t?”
I sighed in relief as we neared security. I couldn’t help but stare at my clutch as it slid through the little metal detector, which was kind of like the one you’d find at the airport. I held my breath as I watched the man behind the screen watch it until it came out the other side. He didn’t do a thing, though.
I grabbed my clutch and stepped up beside Max. I was the one to take his hand this time and he looked a little surprised when I did.
“You okay?” he asked.
I nodded slowly, moving closer to him until I was pressed against his side. Just being near him made me feel better and calmer.
“Yeah, I am,” I said, looking up at him. “Now.”
He smiled and leaned forward to gently kiss my forehead. I closed my eyes at the feeling.
And then remembered that Dad and Brielle were in front of us.
They were watching the two of us, both smiling slightly.
“Are you okay?” Dad asked.
I nodded as I swallowed hard. Well, that was embarrassing. “Yeah.”
“Well, well, well,” a voice said from behind Dad and Brielle. “It’s a delight to see the Landon trio plus one again.”
Dad and Brielle both turned and there was Edmund with a woman on his arm and the same guys who were with him at Elizabeth’s manor in England behind them.
“Edmund,” Dad said. I could hear the tightness in his voice. “I didn’t realize that you’d been invited to this gala.”
Edmund grinned. “Last minute donation,” he said. “How about you?”
“Same,” Dad lied.
Edmund’s eyes narrowed just the slightest as he looked back at me and Max. “Marvelous,” he said. His eyes moved back to Dad and Brielle. “Then we’ll be seeing you at dinner.”
He turned away then with his date and his two goons, not even waiting for a reply.
And I had a feeling that something was going to be happening tonight with him.
The gala went as any other gala did. There were a few hours to talk with everyone and go around the exhibit before they led us all back down to the first floor where they were serving dinner. There was a string quartet playing while waiters in suits and white gloves brought us each course.
Edmund and his people were seated on the other side of the room from us, but I could still feel his eyes on our table every few minutes. I had to try my hardest not to just look over and glare at him.
Once dinner was over, everyone just sat at their tables talking with each other. The music continued and a few couples started dancing.
I was looking around the room until I saw Dad lean over to Max and say something quietly to him. Before I knew it, Max was standing up and had his hand held out to me.
“Want to dance?” he asked.
I quickly looked over at Brielle. She mouthed something to me, but I couldn’t tell what it was.
Flash drive, she mouthed again.
Oh.
So this was how it was going to start.
I nodded slightly toward her so that she would be able to know that I knew what she said. Slipping it out of my clutch, I made sure that I didn’t have anyone watching as I put it in a place that I knew it would be safe.
My bra.
I stood up and took Max’s hand as he led me to the dance floor. The music changed into a slower tempo and he pulled me close, leaning his cheek against my temple.
“Do you have the flash drive?” he asked.
Huh. Maybe I was sneakier putting it in my bra than I thought if he didn’t even see me put it there.
“It’s in the best place to keep something when you don’t have a purse or something else,” I said, laughing softly. “My bra.”
Max leaned away from me, grinning, as he looked down at my chest. “That’s where you put it?” he asked, and then leaned forward, acting like he was trying to look down the top of my dress.
I smacked his arm, laughing again. “Stop that, you perv,” I said.
He smiled again and leaned his forehead against mine. My heart started pounding.
“So did my dad get you to get me out here?” I asked, looking him straight in the eyes.
“Yeah, apparently I’m supposed to whisk you away once this song is over and we’re heading upstairs for some ‘private time,’” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.
I snorted. Nice. Very ladylike, Callie. “Who says we have to wait until the song’s over?” I asked.
His grin broadened. “We don’t, if you don’t want to. We could sneak away right now and start this,” he said.
I had to laugh. If anyone was listening in, they would totally be taking our conversation the wrong way. But then again, wasn’t that why we were doing this?
“Then let’s go now,” I said, pulling away from him.
“Really?” he asked, eyebrows raised.
I leaned up on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek, right beside his mouth. How I became so bold, I have no clue. “Yeah, let’s go.”
Max grabbed my hand and proceeded to pull me toward the stairs that led up to the second floor.
No one would be up in the exhibit and security was too busy keeping tabs on everyone down at dinner. Hopefully, the flash drive Brielle gave me did everything it was supposed to.
The hallway on the second floor leading to the lab where the Aztec coins were was dark. I stayed close behind Max as we walked toward the doorway of the room.
“Do you know what to do?” Max asked as we stopped in front of the screen on the wall.
I nodded as I hit the small button on the side of the screen that made it pop out. I felt around the sides to find the USB port. “I’m good,” I said once I found it.
I pulled the flash drive from my bra and removed the cap. I could see Max grinning from beside me.
“Keep an eye on the cameras,” I said, plugging it in. The screen turned black and green letters appeared on it saying DOWNLOADING. “When the red light goes off…”
“It’s off,” Max said.
Sure enough, when I turned around, there wasn’t a red light showing on the cameras anymore. I looked back at the screen just as it read COMPLETE and the lock on the door clicked.
“We’re in,” I said, smiling, and unplugged the flash drive, pushing the screen back into place.
Max and I quickly went inside the lab, shutting the door behind us just in case anyone came. Brielle told me that the cameras should have been frozen for a few minutes, which gave us just enough time to get in and out.
We walked toward the table where the coins were, the same place they were earlier when we saw them.
“Here,” Max said, digging for something in his pocket. It was the same kind of little case that we had the Spanish Fleet coin in. “We’re supposed to put it in here to keep it safe.”
“Got it,” I said.
He then pulled something from the inside pocket of his jacket. It was gloves.
I raised an eyebrow. “What else do you have in your pockets?” I asked.
Max rolled his eyes. “We couldn’t have just used theirs,” he said, and then grinned. “That would be considered stealing.”
It was my turn to roll my eyes. “Of course, it would,” I said. “And besides, it’s technically not considered stealing since we’re planning on giving it back.”
I watched as he put the gloves on, handing me the little case. I opened it as he slowly reached into the solution and slowly pulled out one of the gleaming coins. Holding the little case up, Max placed the coin in it and I closed the lid, securing it. He then pulled off the gloves, putting them back in his inside suit pocket, and took it from me to put in his pocket again.
We both looked at each other before we started smiling.
“Well, that was easier than expected,” he said.
“Yeah, it was,” I said, sighing in relief.
“So are you ready to go back downstairs before anyone misses us too much?”
I smiled, looping my arm through his.
We stepped out of the lab and immediately looked up toward the camera that was pointed toward the door. The red light still hadn’t come back on so we easily snuck past again.
Right as we walked past the doors to the IMAX Theater, we started hearing a couple of sets of footsteps coming our way. Both of us froze, which probably wasn’t the best thing to do in this situation. My heart started pounding as they got closer and I looked up at Max.
But before I could open my mouth to whisper something, he wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into the little alcove that the theater doors made. My hands gripped the sleeves of his jacket since he spun me around so fast. I didn’t have a moment to even register what was happening when his other hand went to my face, caressing my cheek, before he leaned down…
And kissed me.
***Soooooooo...
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