A Jewel Among Thieves

Chapter 10: Touch

Rezo moved away, but more slowly than he had before. At least, that's what Safia thought. She watched him through her eyelashes as he went back to the table. He jumped up on it and grabbed his mug, taking a long swig from it as he crossed his legs and leaned forward. Only then did he look back at her.

She met his gaze, with only a little flicker away, like she really was having difficulty looking at him but was forcing herself to do so. "So," she said, trying to bring the conversation back for a short time so he relaxed before she tried another attack. "Do you typically get free rein on a job?"

"More often now that some people have heard of me. When I started out most didn't, since I was unknown. I had a leg up in that my brother and father vouched for me, but that's not enough for some. Nowadays, some people ask for me by name, and know I do my best work unfettered. Sometime I even reject jobs if they're unwilling to give me my freedom while working."

Safia nodded. "I can understand. That's part of the reason I don't run with a Pack. I don't like others telling me what to do, especially when I'm working. If they don't trust me to do my job, they shouldn't hire me."

Rezo smiled. "I may have used similar wording once when rejecting a job. I was a bit more polite, given their standing, but the gist was the same."

"That's the good thing about being on my side of things. No one expects thieves to have manners, so when we're rude, they just dismiss us."

"It doesn't bother you? Being dismissed because of your profession?"

She shrugged and took another deep draught of her wine before she replied. "Sometimes. But most of the really bad nose-in-the-air types won't deal directly with me and go through their underlings. I'm good at reminding myself that I want their money and that they need my skills. That helps."

He frowned and looked down into his mug. After a moment, he drained it and poured himself another cup which he held up. "To being professional, even when others aren't."

Safia couldn't help the wry smile that pulled at her lips. "I can drink to that." She raised her own mug and took a long sip.

The wine was definitely doing its job and Safia felt warm and a bit more relaxed. She'd have to keep an eye on how much she was drinking, but so far she hadn't had enough to impair her yet. It would help if she could eat something as well, but wasn't going to push her luck by asking Rezo. Maybe later, if she needed out from under his watchful eyes.

Which were still on her. Mindful of that, Safia used the move that had gotten to her last lover. With her free hand, she pushed her hair back from the front on one side and then ran her fingers through it, like she was trying to comb it. Zeroun had always said that little display of her neck and shoulders was sexier than most the girls he saw. Of course, he had been prone to flattery, but she still hoped it would have some effect on Rezo.

He shifted slightly in his seat, but didn't react other than to take another drink from his cup. Safia inwardly wrinkled her nose. Failure then. Zeroun's favourite had been when she tied her hair up, but unfortunately she didn't have anything she could do that with.

"Just so you know, I can explain away one bottle of wine, but not two, so don't expect a bottomless cup of the stuff. Though you being drunk would definitely make me worry less about you escaping." There was a hint of mockery in Rezo's words

Safia mock pouted. "You're sending me away for life and you're being stingy with the wine? How is that fair?"

He put his cup down and crossed his arms over his chest. "It won't be for life. Not unless you've killed someone while thieving."

Now she raised her eyebrows. "Oh, it might not be, but I imagine ten or twenty years is the least I'll receive, if the judge is feeling lenient. Then there's the hard labour inside the gaol and the possibility of being sent out as on a colony ship. Leaving Perdim means leaving everything I've ever known. I don't want that. Especially not for the howling wilderness they keep trying to pass off as wonderful. I've been around the docks and heard the stories, especially about what it's like for women out there. No, thank you."

Rezo grimaced. "I'd forgotten that colony ships have been leaving again. They stopped that for a decade after the incident with the pirates. You're pretty well informed about the law for someone who insists on breaking it."

Safia crossed her arms over her chest, spilling a few drops of wine as she did so, not that she cared. "I like to know what could happen to me if I'm caught. It keeps me sharp and lets me prepare for the worst, not that I actually expected to get caught. But all of us on this side know people who've gone through the courts. I had a friend sent away on a colony ship earlier this year. We-" She cut herself off. Rezo didn't need to hear about their failed rescue attempt and she didn't want to talk about something that was still so fresh.

Movement drew her attention back to Rezo, who slipped off the table and closed some of the distance between them. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made light of that."

She sniffed, but as he seemed sincere, decided to let him off the hook. "If you're really sorry," she said, tossing her hair. "You can always just let me out."

That got her a chuckle. "You're persistent, I'll give you that."

Safia smiled slyly and moved closer to the bars, not quite leaning against them. "I'm a professional and I have a vested interest in seeing if you'll let me out. Wouldn't you?"

"Oh," he said, taking another few steps towards her. "I think I might give in when I recognized I'd been beaten by a superior player."

"Well, when a superior player appears, I may give that a try."

"You're very stubborn, you know that?"

She grinned up at him, only just now realizing he was in front of the bars. "Did you expect any different, Master Rezo?"

He leaned in close and Safia shifted forward, already anticipating his next words. Instead, she found herself pulled up and against the bars, Rezo's lips pressed against hers.