Second Rate Chances

  Chance nodded and glanced at the book on Thomas’s lap; he was nearly done with it. The news wasn’t too shocking to Chance. There really wasn’t anything worth stealing in this building, so nothing ever really happened. Their “employment” here was really just a show for the employees of the various companies that had offices here. Big brother liked to have a log of when certain people came and left and the workers liked feeling as if they were protected twenty-four seven, even if the feeling was an illusion. Given a real break-in, there was little Chance and his coworkers could do to protect anybody. But, as Chance knew better than anyone, illusion was usually enough to ease the populace’s mind.

  Smiling, Chance pointed at Joseph. “You tell the rookie that?”

  Thomas grunted and shook his head at the youth’s unending diligence. “No point. That one never stays still for long.” He glanced over at Chance. “Give him another decade, though, and he’ll realize what this job is really about.”

  Shaking his head, Thomas went back to his book. Chance smiled, glad that Thomas was off in a couple of hours. Yeah, he knew his job was a façade. Thomas had it all figured out. Chance didn’t need someone that clued in to be watching his every move.

  Clapping his shoulder, Chance got up and walked over to Joseph. The man saluted him when he was in front of him. Chance stopped himself from rolling his eyes. “Hey, Joseph.”

  “Afternoon, sir.”

  The man stood at rigid attention and Chance inwardly smiled. So sculptable. “Call me Colton, Joseph. Remember?”

  The man nodded, his lips compressing. He obviously didn’t want to address the higher-ups so informally. Chance wanted to sigh. Joseph really should have joined the military instead of joining the private sector.

  After trying to share a moment of small talk with Joseph, who looked edgy at the delay in his duties, Chance gave up and ordered the man to check the bathrooms for any sign of a disturbance. The task brightened Joseph’s face considerably. Shaking his head at the over-eager guard, Chance glanced out the front windows to the bank. Surprisingly, Makayla was at the door, holding it open for a stooping, elderly woman. Chance smiled and tilted his head as he watched her.

  She had the world’s brightest smile, and the world’s softest lips. Her hair gleamed in a shaft of sunlight and nerves tangled Chance’s stomach. He knew from experience that that hair was as soft as silk. She kept it board straight, but Chance had seen a slight curl to it when he had woken up by her side. He’d preferred the wild softness to the rigid strictness she usually maintained.

  As Makayla waved at the old woman, Chance inhaled a deep breath. He could feel his heart pumping faster, his breath stuttering some. It was uncomfortable. It was wonderful. Whether she was aware of it or not, Makayla Lewis was turning his world upside down. His eyes skimmed the long, tight skirt she was wearing and his mind rewound to their lunch date a little while ago. He’d unintentionally opened up to her. Well, not really, but he’d given her an honest response…one that he hadn’t intended to give. She’d asked about his family. He’d hadn’t been expecting that. He’d been expecting her to ask about his past, his criminal behavior. He’d had the car-jacking story all ready to go. But then, she’d gone and asked about his family. He hadn’t been ready to talk about it. That story…just wasn’t ready to come out yet.

  Turning away from her customer, Makayla glanced at the window he was standing in. Chance knew she wouldn’t be able to see him, not with the angle of the sun and the tint embedded in the glass. He smiled, enjoying the slight frown on her face. Was the frown for him? Because she knew she was falling for him? He knew she wouldn’t like that fact very much, but he also knew she was. Tiny glances, small jealousies, the way she’d attacked him on their first date…kissing her the next morning.

  Chance’s body started to respond to the memory of that moment. It had been quite clear that Makayla hadn’t had a man’s attentions in a long while. He’d barely stoked her and she’d nearly exploded. It had taken a great amount of restraint on Chance’s part to not take the heated moment to the edge. He’d wanted her. He’d wanted to take her…but it was too soon. She’d regret it, and turn her back on him. Her suggestion of keeping the relationship causal was actually quite perfect. It would make his job of gaining her trust so much simpler.

  Chance sighed and turned away from the window. The feel of her lips on his blazed in his body. The sound of her voice echoed in his ears. “You don’t think you’re hurting anybody, but you are. If you take something that’s not yours, no matter how small, it affects…someone. You hurt…someone.”

  Chance involuntarily thought of all the people he’d hurt over the years…there were a lot. He tried to never dwell on it, it was just part of the job, but Makayla had touched a sore spot when she’d called him out. Chance hurt people, deceived them…duped them. That was who he was, who he’d always be. And, having had it happen to him recently, he knew exactly how much being used by someone hurt.

  “I want to believe in you, Chance…but I don’t trust you.”

  You shouldn’t, he thought, the voice in his mind rough with emotion. I’m not trustworthy. You should run Makayla…before it’s too late…

  Chapter 6

  Living the Con

  Not too long after Thomas left for the evening, when Chance was alone to supervise the rookie, Makayla left her work. A security guard walked out with her, but after a brief goodbye, left her alone to finish up the closing procedures. The temperament of the “living” security was just as outdated as the equipment. That’s what years of nothing bad happening does to people, makes them complacent.

  Sending Joseph on a meaningless sweep of the upper floors, Chance watched her leave. Looking up and down the sidewalk, she seemed to be taking note of people who were watching her. Interesting reaction. That must be her police training—take note of your surroundings. Too bad she hadn’t thought to scope out the neighbors. She might have caught on to the fact that Chance had been watching her for a while before making his move at the theaters.

  But people generally felt safe, and doing reconnaissance in the buildings surrounding where you spent a lot of time was usually overkill. Usually. In Chance’s line of work, he counted on people not being quite as thorough as they should be.

  Tucking her long, honey locks behind her ear, she twisted back to the door and firmly locked it. Watching her face in the pink-orange light cast by the street lamps, Chance could tell that she wasn’t entirely comfortable with doing the manager’s job for him. The man was clearly “phoning it in.” Chance had watched him slip out the doors nearly two hours ago.

  After Makayla finished with the door, she turned towards him. Chance smiled at the beautiful woman. For just moment, he imagined her walking into his building, throwing her arms around him, and placing those incredibly soft lips on his. He saw it so clearly, he almost began to believe it would happen. He tried to picture that life…him being an actual hard-working security guard, her dropping by to spend some time with him. Chance pictured her bringing over a plate of brownies, for him and the rest of the guards on duty. He imagined her leaning up to kiss him goodbye, making every other male in the vicinity green with envy. He pictured heading out to her place once he finally got off work. Walking through her door…waking her up if she’d fallen asleep…

  His heart was beating harder as the real-life Makayla started walking across the street, coming towards him. Chance made a move towards the doors. He put his hand on the bar across the thick glass in preparation to open it. He could end this charade right now. He could convince her that he really was Colton Burke, a simple, Oklahoma boy who was wrestling with inner demons, demons she could help tame with love and patience. He could live in his picture-perfect home, have barbeques with his cookie-cutter neighbors…drive a Volvo. And he could keep his promise to Makayla. He could stop. He could make her believe in him. He could believe in himself.

  Makayla stepped onto the sidewalk in front of his door. The wind blew a strand of hair over
her light eyes and she quickly brushed it away, a soft smile on her face. Chance paused with his hand on the door.

  How long could he keep up that kind of life? He’d already tried and failed. How long before the tedium set in…and he made a foolish mistake? How long before he crushed Makayla? He removed his hand from the door and watched Makayla pass right in front of him. If he was just going to hurt her anyway…he may as well get paid for it. And paid handsomely.

  Hating his own thoughts, Chance returned his attention to the bank. That was his focus, not the girl. She was a means to an end, albeit, a pleasant one. But the girl didn’t matter, the girl never mattered. Chance had “loved” dozens of them—old and young, thin and large, sweet and bitter. It didn’t matter. Only the payoff mattered. Live the con, don’t let the con live you. More sage words that his father had bestowed upon him.

  Sniffing back the tight, burning sensation in his chest, Chance was aware of Joseph’s return long before the man announced it. “Anything happening at the bank?” the youth asked.

  Chance turned from the front door. “Nope, quiet and closed up.”

  Joseph visibly relaxed. “Good. It’s sort of our responsibility to keep an eye on that place.” He shrugged, his smooth features set in a slight frown. “I’d hate for anything to happen on our watch.”

  Chance suppressed a smile, leaving his face rigid and serious. “Don’t you worry, nothing will happen while we’re on duty.” No…Chance would be off work when something did happen. Although, he’d have to make sure the robbery happened once Joseph was off as well. Wouldn’t want the diligent boy to actually see anything.

  When Chance and Joseph’s swing shifts were over, the night crew came in. To Chance, the pair always seemed a little…morose. Graveyards weren’t easy hours for anybody, especially when nothing ever happened. Chance had popped in for a visit on a couple of occasions, just to test them. Hands pressed to the glass, he’d found them in a near daze—staring blankly at the windows or computer monitors…he’d even caught one of them napping.

  Their lazy attitude was just what Chance needed, and he encouraged the behavior—changing out the hard, swivel chair to a plush, reclining chair, setting the light music in the background to soft jazz. Anything to dull the senses. Anything to help them not notice the theft across the street.

  Chance faked a yawn as he clapped one of the two new guards on the back. “Have a good nap, err…night.” He smiled conspiratorially. “I know I did.” The guards grinned at each other. One sat down in the comfy chair and leaned back, putting his feet up. Chance figured he’d be a fixture in that chair all evening. Joseph frowned at the lackadaisical air that the two who were now in charge possessed, but Chance pushed him out the door. Normally he’d agree with Joseph, but for Chance’s purposes, lackadaisical was good.

  “Come on, Joey, I’ll buy you a beer.” Chance clapped him on the back as he turned the music up just a little higher. Joseph started to protest at the environment he was leaving behind, but finally succumbed to Chance’s prodding.

  “Oh…okay…just one though.”

  Chance gave him a wide smile, like he’d never consider getting his coworker drunk and sending him out into the night. Actually, the thought had occurred to Chance on several occasions. Much like Makayla, Joseph was wound way too tight. It would do the man good to let it all hang loose for a night. It would please Chance to no end if Joseph got ripped, started a rousing bar fight, and headed home for the evening with a female companion on each arm. Live it up a little. But, no, he knew straight-laced Johnny really would stop at one. Then he’d probably wait twenty minutes before driving home…just to make sure he could.

  Walking down the street a block or two, they found a bar that seemed reputable enough, or so Joseph said. Chance only smiled and opened the door for him. He rolled his eyes as Joseph passed him, though. Once Joseph was inside, Chance popped his head in the door. “I have to make a phone call. Order me a beer?”

  Looking trim and proper in his security guard outfit, Joseph nodded. Chance let the door close and sighed. The next hour and a half was going to be the longest hour and a half in history. All part of the job, though. Keep your friends close, etc, etc.

  Pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, Chance smiled as he thought of his girl. Well, maybe she wasn’t really his girl, but it gave him a warm sort of peace to think of her that way. And Colton, the persona trying to win her affections, would think of her that way, so Chance let himself.

  Chance entered in her number, then brought the phone to his ear. He counted the rings as he walked to the edge of the sidewalk. Last night, she’d picked it up between the fifth and sixth ring. If she picked it up sooner tonight, Chance would consider that a good sign…it would mean the vulnerability he’d shown her at lunch was starting to work. Chance held his breath on the third ring. His stomach started twisting with a nervous, elated feeling.

  The ring cut off midway through. “Hello?”

  A groggy voice answered him and Chance smirked as he exhaled. Was she intentionally sounding sleepy, or had he genuinely woken her up? He had a feeling Makayla acted nonchalant around him on purpose. Guarded was an understatement. “Hey…I’m sorry, did I wake you up?” He made his voice as concerned as he could genuinely make it.

  She yawned. “Yeah…it’s okay, though.”

  Ah, the old, ‘I wasn’t waiting up for you…but I’m glad you called’ bit. She had waited up for him. Perfect.

  “Oh, well, I don’t want to keep you up too late, I just wanted to thank you again for this afternoon. I had a great time.”

  Chance smiled, reliving it. Yes, if there was one bright point that he’d take away from this job, it was getting to know Makayla. The butterflies started swarming in his stomach again, moving to his chest.

  Makayla giggled…it was school-girlish, and beautiful. Chance’s chest tightened. “I had a great time too, Chance.” She sighed on the end, then coughed, like she was trying to cover the happy sound.

  Chance smiled wider. “When can I see you again? I could come over tonight?” He let his voice come out a little husky. He knew she’d say no, he wanted her to say no—it was much too soon for sex—but he wanted her to think about it. Think about him.

  She made a strangled sort of noise and Chance pictured her biting her lip, frustrated and wanting to say yes. What she did say though, was completely predictable. Chance could have said it right along with her. “Chance…we’re keeping it casual, remember? Casual doesn’t include late night rendezvous.”

  Shaking his head, Chance murmured, “Hey, I just meant I could tuck you in…like the other night. My intentions were pure. Yours however…”

  Chance laughed, deep and seductive. It took her a second, but she eventually laughed with him. “Right, I’m sure your thoughts were completely pure when you threw out that suggestion.”

  He sighed, the tightness in his chest blossoming into something warm…and painful. “I didn’t mean anything sordid by it…I just want to see you again.” Chance frowned. That was a true statement…he really did want to see her again. He just wanted to look at her, and have her look back at him. He wanted her to see him…really see him. That thought made the feeling in his chest fall, made the butterflies in his stomach turn to ice. God, he could not afford to fall for her.

  Makayla didn’t catch any of his internal wrestling. With a sound that seemed full of wondrous possibilities, she whispered, “I want to see you, too.” After that, she sighed in a way that matched the ice filling Chance. “And I’m an idiot for feeling that way so soon.”

  Chance grinned, some of the frigidness within him melting. If she only knew how much longer than her Chance had been at this. What seemed like a quick romance to her was actually weeks of planning and preparation for him. “Yeah, well…I guess we’re both idiots then.” Her content sigh met his ear and he again asked, “So? When can I see you? Tomorrow? Same time, same place?”

  He bit his lip, hoping she said yes. He needed an excuse to be
in the bank. He needed to scope out the manager’s office, the surveillance room, even the employee’s break room. Any information he could get beforehand, would only make his job easier.

  Makayla exhaled; it came out like defeat. “Yeah…okay. A lunch date sounds…causal, I guess.”

  Chance chuckled. As lightly as he could, he told her, “I’ll see you tomorrow then. Goodnight, Makayla.” He tried to wrap warmth around the words, tried to comfort her, seduce her…give her a peek into what a relationship with him could be like, if she only gave him a chance.

  In a tone that nearly matched his own, she whispered, “Goodnight, Chance.”

  Chance blinked, feeling himself being comforted, seduced. Seeing again in his mind what a life with her could be like…

  Irritated, he shook his head and disconnected his phone. His father would be furious if he knew about his conflicted emotions…that was, if he were still around. If he still cared. If he’d ever cared.

  Sighing, Chance rolled his eyes and headed back to the bar for his evening of sheer boredom with Joseph. He suddenly welcomed the monotony. Anything was preferable to thinking about that man for the umpteenth time today. Someday, when he was strong enough, Chance vowed to never think about him again. He hoped that day came soon.