Madeline smirked, laughing softly. “You are correct, we hinted at least two or three different kinds of fun if I remember right. How about we start with a walking tour of New York City and see where that takes us? I have some ideas in mind of course, but we’ll have to see what kind of trouble we find along the way.” She winked, her green eyes sparkling for a moment before she slipped from the table and headed towards the door, figuring that he would follow behind quick enough.

As they stepped out into the cool night air, Madeline felt exhilarated. The night was young and here she had a cute guy tagging along with her, looking for adventure. She might never see the man again (which didn’t exactly worry her, to be fair) but for tonight they could enjoy each other’s company.

The hotel they were at was rather central, right around the Times Square area. Times Square itself was a popular area of New York, although she never really understood why. There were tons of shiny lights from the billboards that covered the buildings, but that was all really, yet it fascinated hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.

She turned her attention to Gavin, smiling mischievously. “So now you have to make some decisions. Mostly because I can’t know just what kind of adventure we should seek out unless I know just a bit about you. And since that would take more time then we have, we'll have a little fun with it. I give you options and guarantee you that either choice will be a fun time of some sort, and you pick. Sound fair?”

She waited until he agreed before she laid out the first choice. “North or south?” If they walked south they would walk through Herald Square, a busy shopping area where there would be plenty of stores to rob or pockets to pick and jewels to snatch. A good thief could unclasp bracelets and watches just as easily as they could lift a wallet from a pocket. If they walked north they would find Central Park. They could rob the homes of the rich and famous that lined the park, or walk through Hooverville if they felt like challenging themselves to some fights with other criminals.

Gavin had a decent buzz going, finally, after the drinks he'd had earlier and what he'd guzzled in this particular bar. Not enough to impair him, but the world now had a warmer glow- a slight, pleasant derangement of his perception. The woman sitting across from him was improving his perception as well. He'd met women as beautiful as Madeline, although not many, and he'd met women as willing to get their hands dirty as Madeline, although not many- but never at the same time. He barely listened to the details of what she was saying, instead simply following her green eyes and the word "trouble" out into the concrete jungle of New York.

He was listening to her intently, and checking her out even more intently, when she asked him "North or South?" Since he happened to be looking at Madeline's south when she looked back over her shoulder and asked him, he figured that was his lucky guess. Still, he thought for a bit before answering with a grin.

"I'll go with South. Not that I don't feel like taking a stroll North and wiping the floor with some bums, but I just couldn't justify going North. I'm from the North, and it sucks. Do you know what I'd do if I were with you back where I was born up north? I'd leave. But south? Beaches, drinks with little umbrellas, sunshine..."

God, the fun he could have with this girl on an island. They probably rob it of every cent, light the island on fire, and they might even wind up killing each other. But the sex they'd have before one of them pulled the trigger? Might be worth rolling the dice. For a moment, he was lost in a reverie

She was staring at him.

"-anyways, south. It would be my privilege to go south on you. With you. Anything in particular you're interested in, southwards? There's got to be a jewelry store around there where we can do some shopping, no?"

Madeline was used to having eyes on her, so when she caught Gavin checking out her rear end she didn’t really bat an eye. He seemed to give some thought to her question of north vs. south, although part of her wondered if that was just because he was on the intoxicated side and his brain was trying to keep up with her descriptions.

His reasoning for choosing south caused a real chuckle from her. “You need to be more creative then Mr. Gavin. When you say north I think of drinking red wine on a blanket in front of a roaring fireplace, while snow falls outside. Of course, the scenario you described is just as nice. After all, who doesn’t like drinks with little umbrellas?”

He was staring at her, although his mind seemed a million miles away. She stared back, raising an eyebrow slightly. What an interesting person she’d managed to find herself with tonight; easy on the eyes, a charmer and honestly amusing. When he snapped out of his thoughts and focused on her again, he stammered out some more things about going south and mentioned maybe visiting a jewelry store.

Madeline laughed again, nodding slightly at his question. “There are many. Big ones and small ones and everything in between. Just how adventurous do you want to be?” She linked her arm through his and led him in the direction of Harold Square. There would be plenty to choose from there, although at this time of night they would be catching the stores just as they closed, which would likely work in their favor. She'd also keep away from the busiest areas, which were more highly patrolled so the cops could keep up appearances to the tourists who visited. 

One of the reasons she pulled him closer was to keep their conversation private. After all, she'd never worked with the man before and she wasn't about to get herself arrested working with an amateur. While she didn't usually plan things in detail, she wanted to make sure they had some kind of idea of what they were doing before they did it. She whispered to him, the smile she kept on her face making them seem like nothing more than a lovely couple on a stroll.

"So what, we pick a store, sweet talk them into pulling out their best pieces and then district and swipe? Or did you have something different in mind?"

Gavin shrugged and the corner of his mouth turned up.

"I'm really a 'one size fits all' adventures kind of guy. More curious to see what sort of adventure you're going to choose, to be honest. I've got to tell you, Madeline, that most people can't keep up with me in that department."

He listened to her plan with interest.

"That sounds fine to me, if you want to distract and swipe. Would you prefer to be the distraction? Or the swiper?"

Gavin kept talking, taking her through his thought process.

"They seem to pretty careful about how much jewelry is out of the case at the same time, though. And you could smash the case, but that tends to draw attention..."

He reflected on how the two of them could best pull this off.

"Well, if I was planning something like this, I'd prefer them to just give me the stuff I want, without worrying about anyone being a hero."

He pursed his lips. Tara was more of a planner than he was when it came to logistics, but while he was a horrible administrator, Gavin was a natural tactician.

"If it were me? I'd steal a car. Stash it for the getaway. Pick a building with a back door- just in case. People tend to like beautiful women like yourself, Madeline. When's the last time you bought yourself a drink? When you were 16? Anyways, people tend to have a soft spot for beautiful young women. So I'd want you to "browse" through a couple stores, find a manager who takes a liking to you, but just be looking for a bit. Once you've found the manager you connect with the best, go back and do some real shopping and chatting. Feed them a sob story. Build a connection. Hang out for a half hour and look at every piece of jewelry in the place, you know? I'm sure you can be charming."

He grinned.

"Then I'll come in, lock the door, pull out a gun and threaten to blow your head off unless the manager fills up a few bags for me. You can beg them to comply, they probably don't want to see you get wacked right in front of them... and hey, I can even take you as a hostage when I leave. No one knows you were even involved."

Gavin shrugged.

"Hell, if you want to be the one with the gun, I'll even do the first part for you and you can be the bad guy. I just might not be quite as good at being a damsel in distress."

"But hey, that's just me shooting the breeze. We can always save that for a second date if you've got a good enough distraction in mind. Don't want to keep you out past your bedtime."

He winked at her as they continued to stroll along.

Madeline listened to his suggestions, smirking throughout some of his more challenging comments. They talked as they walked, the New York City streets buzzing around them, as busy as ever. She couldn’t help but chuckle as he talked about stealing a car; it made it obvious that he wasn’t from here. Still, she had to admit that the rest of his plan had some merit. She could charm the whiskers off a cat if given the chance, so she was sure she could con some lonely old man into shoving jewels into a bag to keep her from getting her head blown off.

“First off, I don’t have a bedtime, I’m grown. Secondly, if one of us isn’t going to be able to keep up with the other well…. I think you have us backward.” She gave him one of those looks that dared him to challenge her before flashing a stunning smile and winking.

“As for your plan, I like it. But you’re right, me holding you hostage just won’t have quite the same effect. Unless we find a pretty girl behind the counter who you can flatter into wanting to be your heroine.” She smirked, teasing as she held back a laugh. “But this is New York – you won’t get a quick getaway in a car. You’re likely to jump in it and get stuck in traffic two blocks away. We’re better off disappearing on foot for a few blocks, down some dark alley, and then jumping into a taxi or onto a trolley.”

As they came to the center of Harold Square, dominated by the five-story Macy’s that proudly boasted the title of the world’s largest department store, Madeline glanced around, trying to decide where to start. There would be a number of jewelry stores in this area and it would take time to find the best one. She decided that it would be best to avoid 34th street since it was central and would be the busiest of the streets around them. Instead, she started one some of the smaller side streets, wandering up and down, pretending to window shop while instead, she searched for the perfect target.

“If I don’t come out in the first five minutes, it means I’ve found the right spot. Judge how long you think you need and then come in and do your thing.”

She wasn’t quite sure what Gavin planned to do with himself when she would go inside and scope the place out. She would flirt with the men behind the counters, judge how willing they’d be to rush in and be her knight in shining armor, and then decide if it was work the risk. Just the thought made her want to roll her eyes – she stopped needing someone to rush in to protect her a long time ago. No, Madeline was more than capable of protecting herself, but these men didn’t need to know that.

After what seemed like hours of searching, but probably wasn’t more than maybe twenty minutes, she found the perfect target. It was a smaller store but still stocked with tons of shiny diamonds, rubies, emeralds and the like, shimmering in glass cases. There was only one employee, which was perfect. The man was just old enough that he was starting to feel his age but young enough that he still wanted to attract the attention of a woman like Madeline. She felt it as soon as she walked in – he was practically salivating over her. She instantly went to work, smiling and giggling, pointing out pieces that she liked. He was eager to pull them out, letting her model a ring here, a bracelet there. She would let her fingers graze his arm while she batted her eyelashes, keeping her voice at a soft tone so he would have to lean in a bit to really hear her.

She had the man, hook, line, and sinker. Now she just needed Gavin to bust in and wave his gun around and they could get away with thousands worth of jewels.

Gavin looked at the roads with an annoyed expression. Madeline was right; they'd barely make it a hundred feet before getting jammed up in a car. He nodded as they reached the first jewelry store; as Madeline entered, he leaned against the wall and scoped out the people on the sidewalk. No cops. No one suspicious. Just people.

Under his jacket, careful not to look down too much or turn to reveal it, he readied his gun. It was a Colt M1911 .45 ACP, a gun with some serious stopping power. He'd used a rifle for most of his life, but one couldn't easily stroll around a city with one. And after using a pistol for the last decade in Philadelphia, he quickly felt as comfortable with it as his old hunting rifle. 

Moving across the street, he entered a store and lifted decent sized brown paper bags. He was back outside the jewelry store in a moment.

He stayed outside, ready, watching the people and scanning for any signs of trouble. Noticing an old man standing by with a hankerchief sticking out of his pocket, Gavin stealthily swiped it, checked that it wasn't disgusting, and put it in his own pocket. When Madeline had been in one store for a while, Gavin decided it was time to make his move. Ducking into the alley, he emerged with the hankerchief covering the lower half of his face. A little old school, but sometimes the classics were best. 

Walking into the jewelry store, he immediately closed the doors behind him. By the time he'd stacked a couple chairs, with the top chair's leg sticking through the handles and preventing anyone from opening the door, people had noticed the strange man in the hankerchief. Turning quickly, he pulled out his gun and spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear him. His voice was a monstrous growl.

"Listen up, assholes, because this is fucking robbery. Now I don't want to kill anyone, but if any of you fucks do anything to tip off the police or refuse to do exactly what I say, I'm going to send one of you home in a body bag."

His eyes roved around the crowd and settled on Madeline, who had her hands over her mouth in apparent terror. Gavin thought she might have been covering a smile. Taking a few steps toward her, Gavin saw one of the men on the other side of the counter tense up and almost say something. 

Gavin grabbed Madeline by the wrist and pulled her, hard, toward him. He pointed his gun at her head as he spun her so they were both facing the manager, who he threw the bags at.

"You. Manager. You fill up these bags FAST or I'm going to spray this bitch's brains all over the ceiling. You do what I say, you save her life. You start dicking around, and she's dead."

And older manager was glaring at the one Madeline suggested, but the man she'd been talking to only looked at three things: Madeline, the gun, and all the jewelry he was fitting the bags with. 

Madeline didn’t look up when Gavin entered, she didn’t want to risk tipping off the store manager. Instead, she focused on the man in front of her, keeping his attention focused on her. It wasn’t until Gavin raised his voice and announced the robbery that she allowed herself to look over. She had to stop herself from laughing at his handkerchief. Even if it was smart to cover his face like that, it looked rather ridiculous. Instead, she forced herself to react in surprise, gasping in terror, taking the opportunity to cover her mouth in case a smile slipped up.

Gavin scanned the room before he walked towards them and she could tell the man she’d been talking to wanted to act tough. His body tensed, and he was ready to challenge Gavin but at that moment Gavin took her by her wrist, pulling her into his grasp. With a gun to her head, the man she’d been flirting with had no choice but to comply.

He didn’t want too, it was obvious. Gavin tossed some bags at him and he hesitated. But Madeline pleaded with him, letting a few tears slip from her eyes, and so he grudgingly started to fill the bags with jewels. While she was busy playing the poor hostage, she was also keeping her ears peeled for sirens or any sign that someone had triggered a silent alarm. So far, so good.

The man hurried to fill the bags, moving from glass case to glass case. He was moving too slowly, it made Madeline nervous. Gavin seemed to sense it too and he shouted at the man to hurry up. He kept the gun pressed against her temple, threatening again to blow her brains in, causing her to cry out. The man moved a bit faster until finally, he had nearly everything in the bags. Surely there was more, in the back, in the cash register, but they didn’t have enough time to be thorough and besides, this was more for fun than anything else.

“Give her the bags,” Gavin directed, motioning the man to hand them over. Madeline reached out for them, her hands shaking (she was supposed to be scared after all) and once her fingers closed around them, Gavin dragged her towards the door.

They could have looked for a back way out, but it wasn’t worth risking; the store owner could try and trap them in a back room somewhere. So, they would go out the way they came in and then make a run for it. Madeline new a few back alleys they could duck through, find a place to hide until the heat cooled. In fact, not that she gave it some thought, she knew the perfect place for them to go.

Gavin had blocked the door with chairs, so he directed one of the other scared customers to remove the chair. He had to keep the gun to her head to keep anyone from doing anything stupid, after all. When their path was finally free, Gavin pulled her outside. She continued to play the victim until they rounded the corner and then they both dropped the pretense.

“This way!” Madeline said, pulling Gavin further away from the busy Herald Square. The adrenaline was pumping, and they knew they had to get away as quick as they could, as the police had no doubt been alerted the moment they left the store. She hated running in heels, as most females do, but she was well practiced in it. “Come on, I know a place we can hide.”

She ducked down a dark alley and found the door she was looking for. A couple of quick knocks in a specific pattern and a whispered word was all it took. The door popped open and they were able to enter. The place was a small bar, simple and clean enough, a place for their kind of people to relax in safety. Madeline whispered to the guard at the door and he nodded, shutting the door behind them.

“We’ll be safe here for a bit. Once the cops have left the area we can get a car to take us anywhere else we want to go. In the meantime, we can drink and divide our spoils. No one here will bother us.”

She walked to a back corner booth, half hidden in shadows, and put the bags on the tables. "That was surprisingly flawless. I think we make a good team."

Inside the store, Gavin noticed Madeline covering her smile. In her defense, he did look like he'd just stepped out of a bad Western.

However, his initial plan for the night had involved getting lucky at the bar, not robbing a jewelry store. So whatever.

When they hit the open air, they were both running. Madeline's heels echoed against the concrete, and Gavin dropped back a little behind her- in case there was trouble. 

She certainly knew her city well, as a password let them into some sort of speakeasy. Gavin didn't entirely relax as he walked inside. Madeline didn't seem like the type to get him killed. Probably. But she definitely seemed like the type to have a bunch of guys here ready to stick him up and take his share of the loot.

They'd discussed predators before, wolves and tigers. In Gavin's experience, there were few creatures more treacherous than a criminal, beautiful woman. 

So as they walked to the back booth, Gavin was ready for anything. When no guns materialized, he slid into the booth next to Madeline and let his arm drape around her shoulder.

"So... want to see if we can find a favorite of yours in this bag, partner? Something you can wear to commemorate the occasion?"

Madeline could tell that Gavin was nervous even after they got to the speakeasy. She couldn’t blame him, she would be as well if the situation was reversed. She’d brought him into a back room of sorts and for all he knew she would have him beat up and take all the loot for herself.

But Madeline wasn’t that kind of person. No, she’d set out on an adventure with Gavin and she wouldn’t end it by having the man left in some dark alley. Besides, what kind of impression would that leave? Even though she only met his sister for a short time, Madeline had a feeling she wouldn’t want to deal with an angry Tara.

The man settled into the booth next to her and Madeline motioned to the man behind the bar to bring them something to drink; she wasn’t exactly picky as to what. As his arm draped around her, she started digging through the bags, letting some of their spoils spill out onto the table.

“Already ten steps ahead of you.”

There were all sorts of things in the bag – earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, all of it. There were pieces for men as well, a few bracelets and watches. Maybe Gavin would find something that suited him as well.

Madeline was no stranger to nice jewelry – Vernon had often bought her pieces as apologies after he’d hurt her. They got more extravagant over time, as the beatings had gotten worse. So, although it might be surprising to someone watching her, Madeline bypassed the biggest, gaudiest of pieces. She finally settled on a pear-shaped diamond and aquamarine pendant on a simple white gold chain.

She smiled as she turned it over in her fingers, watching the light bounce off the stones before she handed it over to him. “Care to help a lady out?” Turning her back to him, she swept her hair up, giving him easy access to clasp the necklace around her neck.

Gavin watched with interest as Madeline fished through the bag. Although the jewelry was magnificent, his eyes kept returning to her. He grinned as he clasped the chain on the first try. Lucky night.

Returning his arm to Madeline's shoulder, he began sifting through the jewelry with his other hand.

"Fair for me to pick any prize of my own from the table, yea?"

After he clasped the necklace, Madeline let her dark blonde hair fall back down around her shoulders and shifted her attention back to him. "Of course, you're entitled to half the stuff we got, maybe even a little more since you took the risk." Besides, Madeline didn't really need the cash. She was more interested in the fun of stealing the shit then what would happen with it afterward. 

The bartender came over a minute or so later, carrying two mostly clean glasses and a bottle of hard liquor. Madeline smiled at the man, motioning for him to leave it all on the table. He grunted slightly in greeting and did as she asked. She tossed him a small diamond ring as thanks, which he promptly pocketed before he turned and left them alone. 

"Why, did something in particular catch your eye?"

Gavin grinned, running his hand over his jaw as he pretended to think before leaning back and dismissing all the jewels in the world with a wave of his hand, even as his hand still held a couple pieces.

"None of this shit holds a candle to you. Suppose I was looking for another source of excitement this evening? I'd rather have a night with you than any of these rocks."

He held a particularly impressive ring of emeralds up before casually tossing it back in the bag with a wink.

"Curious if you're as fun in the sheets as you are in the streets. Besides, we need to lay low for a bit anyways. Might be a fun way to spend an hour. Or an evening. And a morning."

A blue topaz pendant nearly the same color as his eyes spun on his fingers for a moment before he deftly slipped it into his pocket. 

Madeline laughed softly at his statement – really, she should have seen that coming. Her fingers ran over a diamond bracelet on the table as she contemplated his words. Leaning forward, she grabbed the alcohol bottle that had been left on the table and poured herself a glass, taking a long sip before she turned back to him and smiled.

“As fun…. more fun….same difference right?” She winked before loading up the bags again and motioning for the exit. “Come on then, should be safe enough to travel now.”

Before they left, Madeline found some paper bags behind the bar that they could carry in a more discreet way, just to make sure the jewels were well hidden. Once outside, she hailed a cab as quick as she could – she didn’t want to risk being recognized by anyone who might have been in or around the store.

She had the driver take them to a charming hotel not too far from the one she had met him in; she wasn’t about to take him home after all. She valued her privacy and didn’t want to mix the two. She was more at ease once they left Harold Square; she knew the NYPD would put on more of a show then actually try and chase the robbers around the city, so once they were a decent enough distance from the store they were free and clear. 

They checked in under a fake name, of course, and no one bothered to question it. After all, from the outside, they made a rather handsome couple and no one who saw them would guess that the two had only met a few hours ago. Since New York was a city that never seemed to sleep, the hotel lobby was busy even at the odd hour that they arrived. The two didn’t seem to notice, however, getting their keys and heading upstairs to their room.

Madeline would be gone by the time Gavin awoke. It wasn’t personal – she never spent the night. A little mystery was better in life and besides, who was to say she’d even see him again? Maybe a part of her hoped that she would, which is why she left a little note next to the bag full of jewels she’d left behind for him.

Was I as fun as you hoped? Guess you’ll have to tell me the next time we have an adventure. I certainly wasn’t disappointed. Have a safe flight back to Philly.

Until next time,

Madeline

Gavin woke up and, as always, immediately reached for his gun under his pillow. When it wasn't there, he froze. It took him a few seconds of blinking and looking around the room before he situated himself. Remembering just how much fun he'd had the night before- and again in the early morning- he laced his fingers behind his head and grinned. 

What a gal.

He reached over and read the note twice, almost tucking it in his pocket before remembering he wasn't wearing a stitch. Instead, he flung the note in the vague direction of his pants across the room.

Leaning back, Gavin closed his eyes again. The sun wasn't too high in the sky yet, and this place was much better than his usual dump. Maybe it was time to get a real place. A nice place. 

He fell asleep smiling, visions of Madeline dancing in his head from the night before. He suspected they'd see each other again, somewhere down the road.