He had to get the story straight in his mind. To make sure what he was going to tell her when she did call. As he was running it through in his head his cell phone rang. He pulled it out if his pocket he already knew who it was but still answered with a question "hello?

"Hi, Nate it's me."

As he heard her voice a smile spread across his face nothing he could do to stop it even if he wanted to which he didn't. He loved the sound of her voice.
"Oh Hi Soph."

"I tried your apartment first but you weren't there?" Sophie ask kind of wondering where he could be this late.

OK Nate said to himself just liked I practiced in my head. He could act natural as well as Sophie could well not really, not even half as well as the grifter when she was breaking the law, not when she was on stage and a that thought brought on another small smile.
"Oh I had to run to the store for a few things. I was out of eggs and coffee that I needed in the morning and getting a late night snack." Nate said hoping it didn't come out sounding like a lie. The grifter was very good at picking up on a lie even over the phone.

"Oh OK I wanted to talk a bit before heading to bed." She said a little hesitantly. She didn't buy what he was saying he probably ran out of his favorite alcohol but she let it slide for now. Because she just wanted to hear his voice. It was always hard on her to be doing a con in another city away from the team and Nate. It had been a long and exhausting day and she just need to relax before heading to bed and talking to Nate would help her do that. She could use his help figuring out this mark. She had a feeling about this one and her feelings have never let her down before.

Nate said "I am almost to my house can I call you back in a few Sophie?"

She tried not to sound disappointed that he couldn't talk to her now. She said "sure that's fine." Knowing him he would get to busy or start drinking and forget. She sighed she really needed to talk to him she'd rather see him but talking would be the next best thing.

"Thanks Soph it shouldn't be to long." In the background Sophie caught a women's giggle and say "thank you Nate your always such a gentlemen" then silence as the phone call was ended.

As he hung up he felt bad she had sounded down about him not being able to talk. But he had to finish getting his plan together.

Still in a state of shock she had to get her mind off of what she heard. So as Sophie waited to see if he would even bother calling her back. She went over the day she had. She had a suspicion this mark was playing with her. As a grifter she was use to working on the fly and changing things up as you go. Sophie also didn't like how touchy-feely that this mark was. It was like he was testing her and seeing how far she's let it go. Nothing really new but she never worked that way. It just wasn't her style. That's one of the reason she wanted to talk to Nate. Just saying his name in her head reminded her that he hadn't called back yet.

They really hadn't talked about their relationship or whatever they were in. Their friends with extras was OK in the beginning but she always knew she wanted more. She was worried it would scare Nate away. He wasn't ready for anything serious and she had no claim on him. He was free to meet or see other people. He was a good man and he deserved someone that would make him happy not bring him into a world that is a downward spiral of theft and doubt. "I'm rubbish at relationships anyway "Sophie said to herself. She would let him go she knew she had to. It would probably kill her inside. It's hard when you've loved someone and waited for 15 years. She should have known that if he couldn't figure it out by now she wasn't the one for him.

Her thoughts slipped back over the last few months. Nate had been acting different. Well he was always a bit different when it come to them. But over the passed two months he seemed to be drifting away from her. They still spent their nights together which was always wonderful. But in the daytime he seemed distracted not really listening to her and if she walked into a room he was in he jumped a bit. If he got a phone call he would step out of the room if she was there. Once she heard him say on the phone "Maggie that means a lot to me Thank you talk to you soon." The last part his voice faded away because he saw her passing by the office as he hung up his head went back down to read the files and didn't even look up at her as she looked in then continued on her way. Maybe Maggie was the best thing for him they both went through the same thing and understood what the lose of their son meant to each other. With Nate drinking less maybe they could have a chance again.

What was she thinking that Nate and her could ever work out. It had been great for awhile but they probably would have never made it in the long run. They were both to stubborn and set in their ways. Both liked to be in control and neither willing to give it up. The grifter realized she was crying when tears started falling on the hands in her lap. She must be more exhausted then she thought. It had been over a week since she saw Nate and his amazing blue eyes and out of control curls. She couldn't help to smile at the thought of his uncontrollable hair. Nate liked to be in control but couldn't control his own hair. Just few things she loved about him. Letting out a deep breathe she wiped off the tears and stood up.

An inner voice spoke inside her head "hey your Sophie Devereaux one of the worlds best grifter. Tears never did you any good. You'll be fine.! You'll move on! That's what you do! That's what you've always done!" She would do it if that's what Nate wanted, hard yes but wasn't her life always hard. Nothing new there. Fresh start as she said when they first split up. She had meant it but it felt great to get the team back together.

How she found herself on this team or any team for that matter she still didn't understand? She was thinking about all this as she was going through her routine of getting ready for bed. Yes, she had come along at first because it was great seeing Nate again and she couldn't forget their history together. For most of her life Sophie never counted on anyone but herself. She had learned the hard way on that little life lesson. Except now they weren't just a team but a family. They were all too independent and not trusting anyone but themselves at first. Sophie again smiled when thinking of her dysfunctional family. She loved them all. But they knew the team wouldn't last forever. "OK now enough self pity" she heard the voice in her head again.

About a half hour later she was all set to crawl into bed not looking forward to sleeping alone again but it looks like she might have to get use to it. She earned and needed a good night sleep but knew her brain and her heart wasn't going to let her rest. Turning off the light and walking over to the bed there was a knock at the door. Sophie stopped moving, her life as a grifter taught her to be very cautious. Her mind flashed to the mark they were about to bring down she wouldn't put it passed him to find out what hotel she was staying in. Another knock came as she stood there.

"Room service" said the voice on the other side of the door.

"Oh sorry I didn't order anything." She said in her southern accent she was using on her mark in case it was him. Sophie could try and keep up the con if needed. She had ordered a light dinner hours ago but nothing since then. She almost wished Eliot was here but he was working in a different part of the con.

" Come on you can handle yourself miss worlds best grifter we've been doing it for a long time as you told Nate during the con on the sleaze ball judge." There was that inner voice again. It was true. When did she start relying on other instead of herself? You never know when you'll be on your own again. It always happened. Usually she did the leaving though. "OK pull yourself together Sophie"she said in a whisper. She straighten her back and walked to the door.

"What was your name again?"The grifter questioned in her sweet southern drawl through the door if one thing she was always observant. She had seen his name and talked to him a bit when he delivered her food earlier, it was Peter and she had given him a large tip. Guaranteeing he would want to deliver anything going to her room again hoping for another big tip.

Through the door he answered "its Peter ma'am, a call came in ordering this for your room. Do you want me to bring it back?" He asked sounding disappointed.

Sophie figure he thought he was missing out on his big tip. So she opened the door slowly and cautiously and looked both ways down the hallway. Sensing that nothing was amiss she gave him a beautiful smile "Oh no you can bring it in."

Peter was smiling too as he rolled in the cart. Of course Sophie gave him an even bigger tip. Ensuring if anything else was ordered he would be the one bringing it.

She checked the hallway again as Peter left and she closed the door. Curiously she carefully checked what was on the room service cart. Champagne, gourmet cheese and crackers, strawberries and creme. Smiling again because they were all her favorites that only Nate knew about. There was a note on the cart. It read Hope this will help you relax you sounded stressed on the phone. It was signed Nate. Well he wasn't to busy with another women to set this up but to busy to call her back. She couldn't be mad though he was being thoughtful and for Nate that was a big thing. Letting her thoughts run away with her again she barely heard the knock at the door again.

It was Peter "oh miss this is Peter again I forgot one thing."