Daniel Ocean adjusted his cream suit as he watched his mark from across the street. He checked his watch and decided that was enough recon for today. He didn't want to be late to his dinner with his wife.
Tess didn't mind if he did small jobs. As long as it didn't need a crew and the take wasn't over $5,000 she let him have his fun during the day. In the afternoons he would come home baring flowers or something sparkly by way of apology and then they would go out to dinner, and drink wine that was older than Daniel looked. Some nights after dinner they would catch a show, or return home and make love.
It was the life that Tess had always wanted. But she knew it was killing Danny inside. He needed to be in the middle of some con or heist to be alive. That's why let him steal but lately it hadn't seemed to be enough.
They were out again tonight, but only for dinner. Tess had to get up early for an opening.
"Why don't you go out and see Rusty?" She glanced over the top of her wine to see her husband's reaction.
Daniel stopped mid-chew and then started again, "I tried that before remember? Besides I hear these days he's got himself a wife."
"I meant for a job," casually she set her glass down on the table and smiled at him softly.
"No," he looked angry and cut another piece of his steak off and put it in his mouth.
"Danny…"she trailed off looking worried.
"I said no Tess," he set down his knife and fork down hard on his plate making a loud clattering noise. Shoving away from the table he bunched up his napkin and threw it down over his dish, and headed to the front door.
"Daniel!" Tess rose as well catching up to him just outside the restaurant. "Daniel, what's wrong?"
"Tess every time I do another job, it takes me away from you. I don't want to-"
She laid her hand on his arm and turned him so he was facing her, "I know about you and Rusty."
He stared at her for a moment before walking on.
"You left him. What was he supposed to do?"
Daniel stopped walking and stormed back to her, "He could have married Isabel."
"He did."
"Tess…"
She reached across a void, that, until a few minutes, she hadn't been aware of and laid a hand on his arm, "He could have married Isabel instead of running to you?"
Ocean would have rather been having a conversation with Benedict than here in this moment, talking to his wife about his ex-lover. A male lover that apparently he still held a flame for even though they were both married.
Tess gave him a long defeated look much like the ones she had given him while trying to explain to him she was with someone else, "Does he know?"
Daniel stuffed his hands into the pockets of his slacks. He looked out over the street sleek with rain and watched a parade of lights, from pale dirty yellow, to blinding bright white, to greenish yellow slid along on the avenue next to their sources.
"You need to tell him," she let her hand travel down the length of his arm, catching around his elbow.
He looked down at her, flashing his most charming smile, "Tess you know what they say about con-men?"
Daniel had told her before but she let him speak.
"We stay sharp or we get sloppy, but we don't change," he took a hand out and ran it along her jaw smiling wistfully, "We don't change at all."