It was a slow night.  I couldn’t make a dime.  I went to collect from the local butcher, but his wife needed that operation, and the kids have the measle-pox . . . I’m not even sure that’s a real disease . . . so, I couldn’t shake him down in good conscience.  I stopped by the local bodega to rob the till, I was getting so desperate.  But, the man behind the counter is still trying to pay for his wife and twenty-three children to come over to the United States.  How can I give a guy trying to achieve the American dream a hard time?  There was no way I could go back to the HQ tonight without some money for the boss.  There was a hooker, so I figured I could just rob her.  She can always make more money.  But, as it turns out, she’s just a sweet girl from Iowa trying to pay her way through medical school.

I passed a café and decided a cup of hot chocolate might make me feel a little better, and it was about to rain, so I turned around to walk inside.  I walked up to the counter to order my beverage when I reached into my wallet, and what I didn’t see scared me!  I had over a thousand dollars in my wallet, but no where near that much now.  I remembered having cash.  I didn’t give the hooker anything.  Then, I remembered that girl bumping into me.  She was a short blonde.  She had bumped into me, almost fell, and grabbed onto my coat for support.  There was no way she could have pulled out my wallet, taken the money, and given it back . . ., was there?  I paid the counter clerk for my drink and turned around to sit a table, and there she was, standing behind me holding the $905 she had taken from me.

“Hey, Lady, that’s mine!”

 She smiled at me and handed me the money back. 

“Hi, my name’s Aizlynn.Lombardi.  You look like you could probably use this back.”

 “Thank you, Aizlynn.  I think.”

 “Please, call me Miss Lombardi.  Now, buy me a cup of coffee.”

For some reason, I did.  She took her coffee and walked out of the café with her mug.  I begin to wonder if a coffee mug would be a good tribute for my boss.  Then I started thinking about it . . . if she can just give me my money back, she probably has a lot more where that came from.  So, I hurried out and followed her down the sidewalk.  The rain had started coming down a little harder.  I caught up with her near a dark alley, so I yelled.

“Get over here!  I’m going to mug you!”

 Aizlynn looked surprised.

 “Mug little ol’ me?  Well, okay.  Here’s my handbag.”

 I grabbed her handbag, and started pulling things out looking for her wallet.  I grabbed the cash and tried to pull out my wallet to put the money in.

 “Your hands seem full.  Let me hold some of that for you.”

 “Thank you, Miss Lombardi.  That’s kind of you.”

 “Wait, is that a bunch of singles?  I have a $20 I can give you.”

I made change with her.  She handed me a $5, then a $10, then found a $50, so she took three $20’s and four $5’s.  After a few moments of this, I put my wallet back in my pocket and handed her pilfered purse back.

“Now, remember, don’t tell the cops or there’ll be even more trouble!”

“Oh, no, of course not.  I would never do that!”

Aizlynn walks off humming a tune while I make my way to the HQ.  I finally arrive, soaking wet from the rain, and prepare to pay my tribute to my boss.  I open up my wallet and reach inside for the cash when I realize my wallet is empty except a little note.  It read, “Instead of mugging me, I just took $1,046 instead of beating the ever-living crap out of you!  I’m really shocked you didn’t notice, especially when I borrowed your pen to write this note.  My god!  You’re an idiot.  Thank you for the coffee.  – Aizlynn.”

Did you use the 'feeling teqnique' again?

for shame!

You should have let your hands linger...I do...all the time.

Winks at Aizlynn.

Listens to the man tell his tale in the streets, a big grin adorning her face. As he finished talking Aizlynn giggled quietly. When people started distracting him with conversation she slid in behind him and took $245 from his back pocket and walked away. Stopping only to smack Jin on the back of his head

Your hands have done no such thing.. She said in an irritated tone

Putting one hand on his aching head, Jin smiles. Turning his head to the others he chuckles.

She's just in denial.