Thirty-Five
‘OK, well, I think we’ve probably bothered that woman enough tonight,’ Nancy said. ‘Anything else is going to start to look weird. We need someone new to lift the keys from.’
‘OK, how about him?’ Ari nodded towards an older male waiter making his way through the crowd, balancing a tray of empty glasses with impressive ease.
Nancy considered him, eyes sharp. ‘Could be.’
Nancy straightened her dress, adjusting her posture into something more effortless, more natural. ‘Fine. Who’s trying this one?’
Ari’s grin widened. ‘Distraction and opportunity. You charm; I lift. Or do you want to swap?’
Nancy was surprised. ‘You think we can do this together?’
‘I don’t know why we tried it any other way,’ Ari said.
Nancy tried not to notice anything else you could read into that statement. ‘Alright. But let’s not overcomplicate things. You’re the thief, I’m the diversion.’
Ari clapped her hands together. ‘Great. I’m getting a taste for theft.’ She paused. ‘How do I know when the moment’s right?’
Nancy thought it over. ‘When I mention the bride, go in for the kill.’
They drifted through the crowd, slipping into their roles as if it were second nature. Nancy made her way toward the waiter. Ari, meanwhile, moved in the opposite direction, looping around.
Nancy smoothed her dress, already moving toward the older waiter. She knew her in—what every hard-working staff member wanted to hear. And she should know.
‘Excuse me,’ Nancy said, catching the waiter’s attention. ‘I just wanted to say what an incredible job you and the staff are doing tonight. The whole thing is running so smoothly. Must be a nightmare keeping everything on track.’
The man blinked in pleasant surprise. ‘Oh well, thank you, miss. We do try our best. A wedding like this has a lot of moving parts, but it helps when the guests are cooperative.’
‘Oh, of course,’ Nancy said smoothly. ‘And I have to imagine you’ve seen your fair share of weddings working here. Must be a fascinating job.’
The waiter smiled, loosening slightly under the unexpected conversation. ‘Oh, I’ve seen three generations of the Cavanaugh’s get married under this roof.’
‘Wow,’ Nancy said, trying to look interested. ‘We were just saying how well everything seems to be handled. I mean, the bride must be thrilled—’
Ari didn’t need to hear the rest. That was her cue. As Nancy kept the conversation flowing, Ari shifted subtly closer, letting the noise of the room mask her movements. The waiter’s keyring hung just slightly loose from his pocket, attached to a belt loop but within reach.
Nancy watched as Ari let her fingers brush against the cool metal carefully, now a little practised from her first two aborted attempts. A quick flick, a shift of pressure, and the weight of the keys dropped easily into her palm. She curled her fingers around them, tucking them smoothly into the fold of her dress before stepping back.
Nancy shot her the smallest glance, just a flick of her lashes, and Ari answered with the tiniest quirk of her lips. Done.
‘Well, I won’t keep you,’ Nancy said to their victim, her tone gracious. ‘Just wanted to pass along our compliments.’
‘Much appreciated,’ the waiter said, giving her a polite nod before returning to his duties.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Ari tilted her head toward Nancy. ‘Smooth,’ she murmured. ‘You really kept his attention.’
‘I’m a chauffeur.’ Nancy arched an eyebrow. ‘Half the job is talking to people.’
Ari grinned, twirling the keys once between her fingers before tucking them safely away. ‘I thought you were more the strong, silent type.’
‘Depends on who’s in the back. You’re not one for banal bullshitting, so I don’t give it to you.’
Ari smiled. ‘That was a compliment. I think?’
Nancy nodded. ‘It was. Take it.’ Another one of those moments happened. Nancy cleared her throat. ‘What now?’
Ari leaned in slightly, letting her voice drop just for effect. ‘I take what’s mine, of course.’
Nancy didn’t know if they were talking about the keys or something else entirely. But she didn’t ask. Neither of them would. Not yet. She gave a soft laugh, feeling the heat in her cheeks. ‘Let’s just hope it was worth the trouble.’
Ari tapped the keys against her palm and said, ‘Shall we?’
Nancy raised an eyebrow. ‘But… We said during dinner.’
Ari looked around her, assessing. ‘It’s the right moment,’ Ari appealed. ‘You can be the lookout this time. Guard the door. This can be over in five minutes.’ She sighed, her large, dark eyes pleading. ‘I want this to be over with so we can… So I can move on.’
Nancy knew what the plan was. But she also knew Ari wasn’t much for following it. And it was so very hard to say no to her. Growing harder by the second.