What Crooks Love

Transient Bliss

Lupin finds solace in people he has helped in the past. But how long will it last?

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"You know Arsène, I have to admit you were probably the last person I was expecting to call me first thing in the morning."

Lupin himself would never have expected to be sitting in a Parisian cafe enjoying a cup of coffee with none other than his former acquaintance, Sandy Fishburne.

The truth was, the woman hadn't even crossed Lupin's mind in several years. But he noticed an advertisement for one of her shows after he escaped prison and thought his compatriot would make for a good start. After all, when in Rome...

The thief had little trouble digging up her number and to his surprise, he found that she had kept her promise of remembering him after she made it big.

Thus, soon enough Lupin found himself sitting across the beautiful dark skinned blonde, just like he used to all those nights he had come to see her perform when she was just starting out. She always looked so glamorous these days, and her grace was still intact.

"Sorry for not seeing you sooner Sandy dearest, but as you can imagine I've been quite busy. Not to mention I haven't been to Paris in years. After all, I didn't think a star like you would make time for a two-bit thief such as myself," he grinned. She smiled but did not appear particularly convinced.

"I love your dress by the way! With all this stardom surrounding you it's nice to see you like this," he added. Back then she usually wore elegant dresses but that morning she had gone for a casual teal sundress. Lupin cherished the thought that she felt comfortable enough to meet him after all this time, and on such short notice.

"I see you haven't lost your edge when it comes to flirting," she teased, making Lupin smile in return as both of them took a sip out of their cups. But suddenly her smile disappeared as she gazed straight into his eyes. "Unfortunately you haven't lost your edge when it comes to lying either. You have become quite the celebrity yourself! I was following that Lupin Game quite closely. Rooting for you throughout of course! Though you did have me worried for a second there."

"Yeah, that was quite a pickle wasn't it? But you know me, I love a challenge!" he said nervously as he realized Sandy would have seen him in the French airport when the Lupin Game had first started.

"You know I was hoping we would keep in touch more often, that one day I would spot you in one of my New York shows. Then, when I saw you were in France again I was hoping you would take me out for a drink. I know we are not dating anymore but we are still friends, no?"

Lupin realized that he could have called her on several occasions while he was in France. 'But then again you weren't trying to keep your ass from falling apart back then were you? You only interact with others when you need them. You selfish fuck.'

"Of course we are! Look, it's just that..." Lupin tried to ease the tension, but he knew that Sandy was right. And by extension, Yata was too. He only cared about others when he had something to gain. Just like he had been taught when he was a child. Just like she used all those innocent women to get to him. Perhaps he was his mother's son after all...

'No,' he thought. 'Stop this self deprecating bullshit already! You're here to prove to the witch that you are NOT what she wanted you to be! Act like it then goddammit!'

A faint smile appeared on his face as he looked straight into Sandy's blue eyes, catching her by surprise and making her brush ever so slightly.

"I've never been great when it comes to keeping in touch with my friends. For years I've been telling myself that I am avoiding them in order to protect them. But recent events made me realize that the only thing I was ever trying to protect was myself. After all, attachments are practically death sentences in my line of work."