For the rest of the car ride, we didn't say anything else to each other. I focused on the road and tried to navigate how to make it through this goddam city while Tyler just watched out the window. He seemed just as lost in thought as I was.
Finally, at around seven, we made it to Tyler's hotel. It took at least three wrong turns and a hundred curses at the GPS before we pulled up, and by then I almost joined him on the curb. But, I had a father to say 'hi' to and a stepmother to meet, per mom's request, so I resisted. We agreed to meet later that afternoon for the first round of illegal activities before I pulled away from the hotel and somehow found my way to the condo.
In the upper east side, it seemed most people hired town cars as transportation. For the few that actually owned cars, there was a private parking lot underneath the building that a valet drove my piece of shit to. I could only imagine how my ten year-old car looked next to Lambo's and Ferrari's.
Upon entering the lobby, I almost barfed on the marble tiles. Hanging from the high ceiling was a chandelier almost as big as my bathroom, each crystal shining bright and casting light on the white walls surrounding it. There were potted plants scattered in various corners of the elegant room as well as Roman statues and expensive sofas. It looked like a palace. A very expensive, over-the-top palace.
The doorman greeted me with a warm smile as he reached for my suitcase. "Good morning, madam, may I take your bags?"
"No, I'm good."
Despite my protests, the skinny man continued to reach for it. He kept smiling at me with twinkling eyes until I begrudgingly loosened my grip. I followed him to the elevator and he pushed the button for the top floor. Of course my mother's sperm donor was in the penthouse.
When the door opened to the condo, I took my suitcase and shooed the man away. I know I should have tipped him, but since I pretty much had to fight him for control of my bag I decided that I didn't have to.
"Honey, you made it!" I recognized the voice of the man walking towards me but that was where the recognition ended. His previously brown shaggy hair had been styled and dyed to a darker shade, making him look younger than his fifty years. Add to that limited wrinkles, a cashmere sweater, pressed pants, and sparkling eyes and I didn't even know who this man was.
"Hi, Roger." I hadn't called him 'dad' since he left my mom five years ago. For a new family. Without warning. Without contact, till this past year.
"How was the drive? I'm glad you left so early. You probably missed a lot of traffic."
"Yeah probably."
Without waiting for permission, Roger pulled me in for a hug, his frame barely bigger than my own. I stood still and just let it happen, keeping my arms to my side and waiting patiently to get my personal bubble back. Do it for mom, Aly. Be nice so he stops bothering her.
"How are you? It's been so long." He asked me as he stepped back.
"And who's fault is that?" I muttered, keeping my eyes averted.
"I don't expect forgiveness. All I want is a second chance." Then, as if it were an afterthought, "I'm sorry."
Before I could respond, a woman joined us in the foyer. Oh, and did I mention that this place was even more over the top than the lobby? Chandeliers, expensive paintings, elegant trimming, you name it. This is just proof that guys can be gold diggers, too.
Speaking of over the top, that's exactly what this woman was. Her hair was blonde and styled perfectly into a neat bun, her eyes blue with thick glued-on eyelashes. She was wearing a white sweater, also cashmere, and jeans that probably cost more than Tyler makes in a year.
"Hi sweetie, it's so nice to meet you!" Her smile was friendly enough, but she also hugged me. Yay, more physical contact.
"You too." I tried to make myself sound friendly, but I failed. Actually, I really didn't try that hard.
"You'll have to tell me all about your school. Your program sounds amazing!"
"Sorry, what's your name again?"
"Alison." Roger glared at me, so I shot him a sweet smile. Being nice was going to be harder than I thought.
"Oh, don't worry sweetheart. It's Daphne."
"Nice to meet you. Mind if I go to my room? I have some stuff to put away."
"Of course! Here, I'll show you."
Daphne led me through the open concept seven hundred square foot living room until we got to the guest bedroom, which was only slightly less fancy than the rest of the place. At least the decorations in here were a little more subtle without a huge crystal monstrosity dangling from the ceiling.
As soon as she left me alone, I sprawled out on the queen size bed and closed my eyes.
It was going to be a long weekend.
******
Tyler called me at one o'clock, waking me up from the nap that I didn't mean to take. I sat up from the bed and answered his call, hopeful to have an excuse to leave this place.
"The streets are pretty busy right now. Wanna make a round?" He offered.
"Anything to get out of here." I quickly went through my suitcase, searching for something better to wear than yoga pants and a thick sweater. Settling for black jeans, boots, and a faux leather jacket, I grabbed my scarf and purse before walking out. Muttering some excuse to Roger as I passed him in the foyer, I was on my way.
One of the greatest things about New York City is the atmosphere. I know a lot of people say that but that's because it's true. There's just a certain energy that you can feel, everyone is doing something and is usually in a rush to do it. Whether it be calling a cab, heading to work, or seeing a show, they all just seem so active all the time.
Getting down to business, I realized that this energy was perfect for a pickpocket. Everyone would be too concerned with getting to where they were going to be bothered by someone bumping into them. It was going to be a piece of cake.
I saw Tyler standing outside of the hotel before he saw me. I felt my heart speed up and my vision narrow as my eyes locked on him, on his winter cap covering up his hair, his clean shaven face, his dark blue jacket and jeans that hung just right. Even though this was the most innocent outfit I had seen him in, it was still one of the hottest. I got rid of the blush creeping up on my face before I snuck up next to him, a smile stuck on my face.
It might have been my imagination, but I think his eyes lit up when he saw me. "Ready for this?"
I nodded. I had never been more ready for anything in my life.
For the next couple hours, we developed a routine. I would bump into someone as Tyler swiped their wallet. I then talked to them and apologized, but this time, people barely even stuck around for that. Most would just shoot me an aggravated look and continue on their way. Sometimes, we changed it up and I would ask them for directions, stopping them in the middle of the sidewalk while the crowd walked around them, Tyler being one of them.
Though it was generally easier to steal on the streets of Manhattan, it was also harder to spot good targets. People were more vigilant with their stuff and had more awareness when it came to watching out for thieves. Tyler and I were careful in picking out our targets, scoping out the location of the wallet before making our move. Sometimes it was easy to tell. Other times, I had to bump into them first to know where it was. Then, I would signal to Tyler and he would do a bump from the back while I stayed and talked to them.
Whenever we had three wallets in our possession, we would figure out a way to dump them. One time it was in a bathroom trash can, hidden under paper towels. Another time we went into McDonald's, ate some food, then discreetly put the wallets in our to go bag before placing it in the trash. Tyler also told me later that he would sometimes just slip a wallet into a trashcan outside while we were walking along the busy streets.
I had suggested just throwing them back onto the sidewalk, but Tyler didn't want our victims' credit cards to get stolen.
It was around dinner time that we finally called it a day. We had swiped about ten wallets and an unknown amount of cash, a number we wouldn't find out until we got into Tyler's hotel room. Sitting amongst a pile of bills, we sat on his king size bed to count it all.
"Almost six hundred. Not bad for just one day." Tyler had a satisfied smile on his face as he held up the wads of cash.
"And you were worried." I teased as I threw some ones at him. He chuckled as he tried to dodge the flying money, his smile growing wider.
"Hey, how was I supposed to know you were so good at this?"
"There's nothing I'm not good at it." I reminded him. "You're not so bad yourself."
"What can I say? I've got skilled fingers." He teased, holding them up and wiggling them suggestively.
"Hell yeah, you do." I teased, my mind thinking about something else entirely. We were both sitting on the bed, eyes growing darker as we gazed at each other.
"Have you ever had sex on a pile of money before?" I asked Tyler, my voice low. I started crawling towards him, my tank top giving him a clear view down my shirt. With my hair falling in my face, I slowly made my way over to him on all fours, my eyes never leaving his.
"Never." Tyler stayed where he was, waiting patiently for me as I crawled into his lap. Him, sitting with his legs outstretched in front of him, his strong arms behind him to support his weight. Me, legs spread, knees on either side of his hips, my pelvic region rubbing on his lap.
"Me neither." I murmured as I kissed him, my body grinding on his slowly, sensually. My hot breath mixed with his as my hands caressed his soft shaven face. I savored every moment our tongues touched, every breath and moan, every movement. It was the first time we'd done anything slow, and it somehow felt even better. I was painfully aware of every touch, every languid caress as we reveled in each other's bodies. There was no anger, just raw passion.
And despite how scary that was, neither of us had the power to stop it.
Personally I think money is gross, but I just couldn't resist putting a scene like this in here since they're all about stealing money. It just seemed so fitting.
Thanks for your votes and comments! I love reading them all <3