Chapter 9
9
When Doris introduced Magnus Larsson to the crew, Celeste disliked him immediately.
She could tell he came from money, though she couldn’t be sure how much. He just carried himself with an air of sophistication that she couldn’t trust. She later learned that his parents had died and left him a small fortune, which he spent on an American education. He earned his degrees like she had but hadn’t needed to steal to pay for them. Magnus stole because he felt like it.
And that was how he set himself apart from everyone else in the crew. Santiago was a bit of a loner because his father and older brother had been sent away for grand theft auto. Lawrence, a lifelong bachelor, was the last of his family and had partnered with Doris sometime in the seventies. Even young Beatrice, who grew up on Staten Island, had only her father and a mountain of debt from studying at Pace University. Magnus had experienced loss, but he never knew what going without looked like.
She held his privilege against him until she saw him work. When Magnus was on his game, he was a marvel to watch. Charm and finesse weren’t things he had to learn like Celeste had. They were simply ingrained in him. If Celeste was more honest with herself, she’d admit that she envied his savoir faire. Deep down, she knew how invaluable a thief like Magnus was to their little crew. People asked fewer questions when he was in their presence.
She hoped today would work like it had in the past. When they exited their car at the Fifth Avenue store, Celeste blew out a nervous breath as she looked up at the building.
“You’re fine,” Magnus said, sensing her energy.
“I know,” she said with a little more tart than was necessary.
On the sidewalk, while people were rushing around them, Magnus took her hand and brought it to his chest. “Hey...whatever is going on in your head, move it aside until we get back here. You can go back to hating me later.”
Celeste frowned as she stared at her hands pressed to his starched shirt. “I don’t hate you, Mags,” she said. Did he really believe that? Was she behaving as though she did? Yeesh...probably.
He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb and stared into her eyes. “You don’t have to be my friend. You just have to be my lover.”
The urge to clench her thighs and roll her eyes was strong but she resisted both with a darting glance at his mouth. “Just for today, right?”
“Of course,” he said, taking her by the back of her neck, his fingers smoothing against the fade at her nape. “Perhaps we should practice a kiss before going in?”
He was leaning toward her, very slowly and deliberately, as though they had all the time in the world to be dawdling out there on the busy sidewalk. “I know how to act, Mags,” she said in a low voice.
“But do you know how to feel?” he asked, glancing from her lips to her eyes. “Are you scared?”
Celeste rolled her eyes that time. “Boy, ain’t nobody scared of you.”
“Then kiss me now. Kiss me like I’m the man you’re meant to marry in the autumn. Our colors will be burgundy and gold. We’ll have potted mums at a barn reception somewhere upstate.”
She couldn’t help the bubble of laughter that tickled the back of her throat. He sounded ridiculous, but his imagination was a delightful distraction from the fear she felt. In truth, Celeste was scared. She was afraid of performing with him and afraid that she might not have control of this little test.
“There’s that laugh...” he murmured before pressing his lips to hers. It happened so slowly that she could have stopped him. She could have ducked her head and kept laughing at his corny attempt to be romantic. But she relaxed under his mouth for the second time in days. Aching for the familiarity just as much as the lust that tore through her body. She didn’t hate him, but she hated what Magnus Larsson did to her.
She matched his kiss, moving her lips against his, tasting him. He nipped at her and sighed with what sounded like...contentment? Her mind couldn’t shut up. Was he kissing her delicately because they needed to appear in love or was he enjoying himself? And what the hell was she doing?
Celeste pulled her head away, nearly out of breath. She scraped her nails along his shirt and felt his heart quicken. “I think I remember what it’s like to feel something with you,” she panted.
“Do you?” he breathed.
She nodded. “What are our names today?” she asked, giving herself some space. Magnus was always better at planning the theatrics.
He adjusted his collar before running his hands down the front of his shirt. “I settled with Joshua Matthews and Claire Adams for us,” he said with a cough.
“Eww,” she said as he took her hand and walked them to the entrance. “That feels like a Montauk wedding I don’t want to attend.”
“Yeah... Claire does sound like a bridezilla, doesn’t she?”
The good thing about Bergdorf was that the jewelry department was located on the first floor. No need to worry about a slow escalator or busy elevator in the event something went wrong. And Celeste would make sure that nothing went wrong. The Ball and Chain depended on an amorous act to distract the victim. She’d hang up whatever irritation she had for Magnus and pretend to love her fiancé.
It started with leaning into his hard body and wrapping her arm around his waist. He joined in by slinging an arm across her shoulders and whispering in her ear. “You smell delicious. Do you still wear Romance?”
“You remember my perfume?”
“I had an intimate relationship with it,” he replied coolly.
She ignored that. “There are two badges walking the first floor, our three o’clock and ten o’clock.”
He nodded.
As they made a leisurely path toward the jewelry department, Celeste prepared herself for the first person they’d interact with. A white woman with shoulder-length brown hair and dressed smartly in a light pink pantsuit smiled brightly at them.
“How are you doing today?” she asked in a well-practiced tone.
“Well, I’m hoping that you have an appointment for Joshua Matthews and his fiancée, Claire Adams,” Magnus said, looking lovingly into Celeste’s eyes rather than at the saleswoman. She had no choice but to return his amorous gaze, bite her lip and pretend to swoon.
“Of course, Mr. Matthews! My name is Janet and I’ll be helping you with this momentous occasion.” She immediately ushered them away from the regular foot traffic and deeper into her department. As far as Celeste could tell, Janet was the only person working the counter. “If you’ll just wait a moment, I can show you the items I’ve picked out according to the carat specifications and ring size you gave us. He explained you’d have an intimate engagement party and that you’d want to surprise your loved ones together .”
“Thank you for fitting us in for this,” she said.
Janet chuckled, retrieving three velvet cases from beneath the counter. “It’s not a problem. I just hope you’re pleased with the selection. Mr. Matthews was very specific.”
“He’s very rigorous when it comes to these things,” Celeste said, joining in the laughter. “Babe, I can’t believe you did all this.”
“Anything for my love,” he said, watching the store while Janet busied herself.
When the saleswoman opened the boxes, Celeste gasped. “Darling, what have you picked out for me?”
“Only the best,” he said, caressing her jaw with his fingertips.
Oh, boy... She arched up into his touch and almost melted from the warmth of it.
“How did you two meet?” Janet asked with that dreamy look that people get when they witness love. Celeste tried not to react with too much relief.
Magnus leaned his elbows against the counter. “We met in a medieval town just outside Rome. Viterbo. I got lost looking for a restaurant when I saw her at a little café near Palazzo dei Papi... She was just sitting there looking like a dream.” Magnus turned to her. “The sun was shining on your face as you wrote in your notebook, and you let your gelato melt in the heat. You said you were trying to capture the moment, but I was, too.”
Janet sighed while Celeste tried to hide her shock. For a moment, Magnus’s blue eyes softened while regarding her and she felt the lie he was feeding Janet. The best she could do was build on it. She turned to the saleswoman and laughed. “He came to my table, exhausted and sweating.”
“I can only imagine,” Janet said.
“He just needed a gallon of water and a spot in the shade.”
“You were my oasis,” Magnus said.
“And I didn’t think I’d fall in love with you,” she said in a breathless voice.
“I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else,” he whispered, taking her hands in his.
Her heart leaped up into her throat as her body warmed in his grasp. If they didn’t get to the stealing, she’d soon lose the plot and fall into the story too deeply. She giggled nervously to break the thick tension in the tiny room. “Well, Janet, I think it’s time to see what Josh picked out?”
To her surprise, Janet appeared to be close to tears. “Oh, of course! Excuse me. I just love hearing how couples meet. And in Italy of all places...it’s just so romantic.”
Celeste ran her fingers across the edge of the first box and sighed. “These are all so beautiful, babe... I don’t know how I could possibly pick one.”
“I’d love for you to stick to one for today,” he said with a chuckle.
Three cases of seven rings. Twenty-one rings for Janet to potentially lose track of. She rolled her eyes in feigned annoyance and spotted two domed security cameras above them. One above the cash register and the other positioned right above them. Janet was cautious, but Celeste was sneakier. She had learned this ring counter lift from Doris.
“I don’t want to go home!” screamed a nearby child. “I want to see the toys.”
The three of them looked upon the red-faced child who was gearing up for a massive tantrum. The boy’s mother also went red with embarrassment as people passed by. One security guard watched the boy intently. God bless the petulant child... Celeste quickly plucked a ring from the first box. A simple circle cut diamond affixed to a white gold band. It was probably the least expensive piece on the counter. “What do you think?” she asked Magnus.
He frowned. “It’s a little simple, don’t you think?” But he wove an arm around her back and tapped his finger a single time against her spine.
“Are you sure?” she asked, feeling for his tapping finger.
He nodded and pressed once more. It was his signal. One tap for yes, two taps for no. Magnus wanted her to take this ring. “Janet has picked out some lovely rings. Don’t get hung up on anything yet.”
“I don’t wanna gooooo!” the child cried, now sinking to the floor.
“Oliver, get up this instant,” his mother hissed.
Janet was already distracted. “Someone’s having a bad day...” she huffed as she faced them again. “Oh, yes, Ms. Adams. Please examine everything before deciding. You only get one chance at your perfect engagement ring.”
“I suppose you’re right,” she said, slipping the ring from her finger. Celeste placed it back in its spot and began the classic game of cups and balls. One by one, she tried on rings, making comments as she went. Magnus offered feedback, marveling over her hand and giving effusive comments. Meanwhile, Janet’s attention volleyed between young Oliver, who was now laid out in the middle of the floor, and Celeste’s hands.
“Would you like one of those?” Magnus asked, nodding toward the screaming kid.
“Not that one,” she joked. “But maybe...”
Truthfully, Celeste didn’t have any desire to have children. And while that wasn’t necessarily Oliver’s fault, he certainly solidified that choice. At forty-one, she was still living a life for herself.
“I hope our daughter has your beauty, intellect and humor.” Magnus planted a kiss on her forehead for every attribute. His finger was still on her back, giving her a double tap that meant “no.” She was relieved because, for a moment, he almost looked serious.
“If she has your charm, I don’t know what we’ll do with her,” she said, playing along.
“Oh, my God, he’s actually turning red,” Janet muttered as she stared at Oliver. “Is she going to do anything? Is this some kind of gentle parenting tactic from TikTok?”
Celeste was so thankful for the screaming child that she wanted to gather him up in her arms and kiss his little tear-streaked face. Janet hadn’t paid any mind to their little lover’s conversation, how many rings Celeste had tried on, or that the first ring had slipped into the hem of her turtleneck sleeve. The sharp diamond scratched against her wrist every time she extended her hand toward Magnus. On the last examination of a ten-carat emerald-and-diamond set sitting atop a platinum band, he pulled the piece from her sleeve and tucked it into the groove of his palm.
“My love, this is the one,” he announced as he slipped his hand into his blazer pocket. His other hand held hers tightly, stroking the giant gem on her ring finger. “Surely, you can see it.”
“I love it, but it’s a little flashy.”
Magnus closed the first two velvet boxes with a swift snap, to distract from the blank spot of the first case. She made sure to take one from the very edge to make it less noticeable. He pulled her close and whispered in her hair, outside of Janet’s notice, “I’d love to see you in this ring and nothing else, in my bed, tonight.”
Celeste gasped at his words and drew back sharply. He sounded serious!
“Janet,” Magnus said, presenting her hand. “I think we’ve found the one.”
What was he doing?
Celeste watched on in amazement as he whipped out a credit card and slapped it on the glass counter. Even more surprised that the name on it was Joshua Matthews. The saleswoman appeared more excited than she felt upon seeing one of their most expensive rings spoken for.
Celeste’s jaw dropped. This wasn’t how the cups and balls game worked. They were supposed to play until a distraction forced them to make a quick exit. Oliver was providing that distraction, so why on Earth was Magnus going through the act of paying for something?
Time seemed to speed up and slow down as her partner moved on without her. She accepted Janet’s congratulations and watched her put away the discarded rings. At some point Oliver was dragged away; his wailing receded into the distance while Celeste smiled and nodded at their saleswoman. The cabochon emerald-and-diamond ring, retailing at a hundred thousand dollars, was wrapped and bagged before she could understand what was happening.
She thanked Janet for her time and was walked out of Bergdorf Goodman in a loving embrace with her fiancé before she could signal some kind of “what the fuck are you doing?” When they made it to the sidewalk, beneath the waning sunlight, Celeste’s jaw was clenched in anger.
“What was that?” she asked as Magnus led her down Fifth Avenue. Their steps were fast, and his grip was tight.
“A little insurance never hurt anyone,” Magnus said when they crossed the street.
This is what she hadn’t missed about her thieving partner.
The lack of communication when they worked together.
The way she was on one page, and he was in a whole other book.