To Become A Con Artist

Chapter Nine

I stared at the violet dress draped over my body with a laced hem, drop waist, and textured material. Long white pearls spilled over my neck and dangled over my torso.

"We'll take it!" Anne exclaimed, clapping her hands together and bouncing excitedly.

It'd been the fourth dress I tried on at Lord & Taylor today. I whipped around looking at her in shock.

"No we will not! Anne this dress costs more than rent for an entire month!" Anne nodded to the tailor who then proceeded to unbutton the back. "Anne!"

"Oh quiet. Leo left money for me a few days ago to take you shopping." I stepped out of the dress and my heart skipped a beat at the sheer mention of his name.

"Leo? Why did he do that?"

"To help you succeed." Anne admired her silhouette in the mirror, turning sideways then forward. "He just said to get you whatever you need for a con."

"Well, how much did he give you?"

"Now Claire" Anne smirked, "it would be gauche to tell you." I didn't know what gauche meant but I assumed it was something negative since she neglected to tell me.

"So where-where is he?" I had been wanting to ask of his whereabouts since the night I'd met everyone. I longed to see Leo but seemed to be the only person curious to know.

"Most likely conducting a con in Virginia or Kansas." Anne laughed at her statement but I saw no humor in it. What would he need to go so far for? I knew Anne had chosen two random states but what if he really was far. New York was fine! There were hundreds of gullible tourists to swindle.

"He's always vanishing. Sometimes for days and sometimes for weeks. Ah!" She held her hands out for the white dress box presented. "Your first real piece of attire."

I just stared at the box. This was mine. The moment I touched the box it would be mine. I'd never owned anything so expensive and beautiful! But I couldn't keep this at home. My mother would have a number of questions and eventually make me return it.

"Take it Claire. You can store it in the house." She winked as if she'd read my mind. I grinned and grabbed the box hugging it to my chest. I could already taste my new found freedom.

"Thank you Anne."

"No need to thank me." She said as she finished the transaction. She glanced at the clock. "Oh we have to go Claire! We have one last stop for today." She grabbed my arm and pulled me along before I could ask any questions.

My hair was long and light brown just like my mother's and grandmother's. It kept my neck warm in the winter and could be neatly tucked under a hat in the summer. It was beautiful and feminine and the exact opposite of Anne's. This went through my head as I sat in the barbershop seat, gripping it tight as a pair of glistening scissors sliced the brown strands and they fell to the linoleum floor.

I agreed to do it and felt confident until now when I thought about the reactions I would receive from everyone I knew. Only promiscuous girls bobbed their hair! I wasn't promiscuous!

"Almost done." Paulie, the barber, said snipping his scissors once more before styling my curls then stepping back to admire his work.

"Ready to see?" Anne asked, beaming.

"No, not at all."

"C'mon Claire it looks great!"

"No! I shouldn't have agreed! My mother is going to kill me. She really will!" I said in a heated tone, careless of all the attention I was receiving for my outburst. Paulie chuckled.