A/N: Hey guys! Welcome to my new series How We Could Have Met 3! This chapter is cross-posted on the previous series How We Could Have Met 2 for transition purposes. I hope you like it!
Percy Jackson is ditching his own event. Rachel is probably going to bite his head off for it later, but he can't bear spending another moment in this stuffy room.
It's always the same, so…stagnant and boring. So he smiles at a few people, narrowly avoids Margaret Grace's bejeweled hand, and slips out the side door.
There's a reason he drives himself to these things. So he has a "getaway car" as Rachel likes to call it. But he really can't stand stuffy rich people.
He slides a hand down the leather of his steering wheel as he pulls to a stop at the red light. Money has always made sense to him, it's something he understands well. The feel of crisp bills have always spelled out potential. But these people, they don't do anything with their money except cling to it until it gets wrinkled.
He wouldn't be where he is without action. Moving money, keeping it fresh, is what had risen him to the top. So events like these, with people like Margaret Grace (and her expensive old jewelry that doesn't do anything but sit on her neck), bore him so much.
Percy, of course, has a respect for the finer things in life too, as he notes getting out of his Porsche. But his is tasteful, a few jewels, a fair amount of art, well—
A frown graces his face as he steps into his private elevator. His prized Monet had been stolen a few years back, much to his chagrin. It had been so clean—no alarms, nothing on cameras, that chances of getting it back are practically nonexistent.
But, he credits, as he steps out of the elevator into his penthouse suite, it had been so clean that he could, in a weird way, respect the crime. But that was years ago, and he has a Picasso now to make up for it.
His spacious living room is lit more by the floor to ceiling windows than the dim security lights. The view, however, never gets old. Shrugging off his suit jacket, he lays it on a chair as he walks up to the windows.
The city that never sleeps glitters before him and he lets out a content sigh, glad to be back home. Glad to have some space. His decanter is calling him, so he steps towards it with purpose.
But just as he's about to pick it up, a soft sound echoes down the hall. He freezes, listening intently.
Silence.
He must have heard wrong. Frowning a little, he pours out some whiskey.
The place is silent save for the sound of the whiskey hitting the glass, but he can't get rid of the feeling that something is off.
Leaving the glass where it is, he backs away from the decanter and towards the safe hidden behind the faux fireplace. The gun in his hand makes him feel a bit better, even though he's probably just being paranoid.
But that feeling…
Giving in to it, he slowly inches down the hall and flicks on the light.
Brightness blinds him for a second but ultimately reveals that there's nothing there. He lowers the gun. He's just being paranoid.
Letting out a sigh, he moves to turn back towards his whiskey when a glint catches his eye. He turns back around quickly to locate the source, but he can't find it. The Picasso is on his left and he steps back to look at it.
It's the same, there's literally nothing wrong, and he has no idea why he's being so freaking paranoid about the whole thing.
The feeling is still nagging at him.
Just as he's about to turn away, he notices it. The painting is just a hair off center. It's been moved.
Senses on high alert, he raises the gun again.
"Hello?" he calls out.
Silence.
"I know you're there." He doesn't but it's one of those moments he just trusts his gut. Like how he knew he needed to sell off the Castellan stock.
More silence.
"Listen, there are only two ways out of here and both of them are behind me. So, I suggest you come out."
The silence is making him feel a little silly now. This all based of things he could just be imagining.
"The Picasso…is that what you're after?"
He needs to give it up, there's no one there. Sighing, he lowers his gun.
"I won't call security if you just come out now."
It's a dumb thing to say but given that he's most likely talking to thin air, why the fuck not.
He walks down the hall and into his room, flipping on the light. Nothing is out of place, it looks the same as when he left. But it doesn't stop him from checking his closet and bathroom for any sign of someone.
There is another bedroom and bathroom down the hall, he should check those too if he wants to be thorough about it, but the more he thinks about it, the more he's convinced he's just been making it all up.
Besides, Frank would have contacted him if something was off.
Dropping the gun on his nightstand, he loosens his tie to throw it on the bed. He needs to chill out.
Turning towards his mirror, he starts to unbutton his shirt, reveling the feel of the cold air hitting his chest. When did he get so warm?
He's halfway through when he notices something in the mirror that makes him freeze. The nightstand behind him.
The gun isn't there.
Adrenaline races through him as he finishes unbuttoning the last button and raises his hands up in surrender.
"Enjoying the view?" He calls out as he slowly turns around to face the seemingly empty room.
More silence.
"Okay," he continues. "You win. You get the Picasso, just tell me this…" he trails off. Not the time or place to be asking questions when he should be calling security, but he can't help himself.
"Just tell me if you're the one who stole the Monet a few years ago?"
Silence.
"If so, I'm a fan." He doesn't know what's compelling him to continue talking. "Seriously, I'm impressed. You've got talent…I'd like to meet you."
There's still no response. And if it wasn't for the missing gun, he'd believe no one was there.
A sound from the hall startles him. Running headfirst into it is a horrible idea, but that's exactly what he does.
The Picasso is gone. On the floor is his gun. He runs past it to the living room. There's no one there and everything looks exactly the same.
Well—his eyes drift towards his decanter where he'd left a glass of whiskey. It's empty now.
He walks up to it, noticing a scrap of white. It's a small piece of paper with black ink scribbled across it.
Thanks
Thanks for the drink, the art, the compliment? He's not sure what to make of it all. Whoever it was is long gone and he really should call security and notify them about the theft.
But the scrap piece of paper in his hand stops him. A slow smile overtakes his face.
-.-
Percy Jackson buys a Hirst very publicly, boasts about his security after not reporting the theft of his Picasso, plans an event that he doesn't go to and gives Frank the night off.
This is not how to deal with a robbery.
But something tells him to pour out two glasses of whiskey.
He sits there, facing the view, for a long time. It's probably a horrible position given his vulnerability but something about the way they'd left the gun makes him feel, strangely, safe.
The click of his elevator brings a thrill to his spine. He's never chased a high like this before.
"Do you like the view?" His words echo through the suite and he gestures towards the windows.
He's met with silence and his heart is beating too fast for him to continue like this. Slowly, he stands up and turns around.
A masked figure, dressed in all black, is standing there, barely discernible from the shadows. Taking a step forward, he nods towards the second whiskey glass sitting by the bar.
"Care for a drink.?"
They scoff.
"Alright, that's fine." He picks up his own glass. "Do you like my new Hirst?"
They both turned towards the painting in question, a single light illuminating where it's hung up on the wall.
"An invitation." Her voice is loud against all the silence.
He tries to mask his surprise. "An invitation you accepted."
She turns back towards him. "What do you want?"
He takes a sip of the whiskey. "You've successfully stolen two paintings from me. And if I hadn't come home early last time, they would have been completely undetected."
She crosses her arms and her silence rings out a clear I know.
"What I'm saying is, you're talented. I admire your work. I wanted to see the man—or rather, woman—behind it."
"And then what?"
He holds up his hands. "I assure you I'm not going to call the cops on you. I just want to know—" he pauses. "Why? Why me?"
She takes a step closer and he can make out her eyes watching his every move. He stands still and takes another sip as she stops by the bar, still a good six feet from the glass he left out.
"You're curious."
"About you, sure."
There's a pause as she tilts her head, almost like she's considering him.
"Someone paid me to."
Well, he should have expected that answer. He sets down his glass, a little disappointed in himself.
"Anyone I would know?" It's a joke mostly, since he doesn't really know what else to say.
But when he looks up, he can see her narrowed eyes despite their distance.
"What do you know?"
Clearly the answer he gave means something more than he knows. He holds up his hands in defense. "Nothing, truly. I meant it more as a joke."
She stays silent, still observing him, so he stands still and observes back. Not that there's anything to note. She's wearing all black and the mask hides everything about her head and face except her eyes. And she's too far away for him to make out any details about them.
This is getting interesting.
Finally, she sighs.
"Luke Castellan."
"What?"
He sets down the glass. He must have heard wrong.
There is no way a thief just told him that Luke Castellan had paid her to steal art from him. He has never hated the guy's guts more.
"What?" He says again when she doesn't respond. "Luke Castellan! Paid you! To steal my stuff?"
She just shrugs.
"How much?"
He can tell the question has surprised her. "What?"
He meets her eyes. "How much did he pay you?"
"Seven hundred thousand."
"I'll pay you nine."
"What?"
He lets out a slow breath, anger rising to the surface. The whole business with Luke had felt off from the very beginning and had ended as a complete disaster. He's not sorry for backing out when he did.
"Luke Castellan paid you seven hundred thousand, I'll pay you nine hundred thousand." He clarifies.
Leveling his gaze with her, he continues. "I want the paintings back. And," he looks towards his new Hirst, "interest."
"Interest?"
"He got his hands on a diamond recently, the 'Lighting Bolt' as they call it." He looks sharply at her. "I don't know how, he's a financial disaster. But I want it."
She's quiet, still standing by her place at the bar and he risks taking a step closer to her. She doesn't move.
"You hate him," she says when he takes another step, stopping him in his tracks.
"He tried to ruin me!"
"So you're going to ruin him?"
"An eye for an eye." He runs a hand through his hair. "But really, I'm just getting back what's mine."
She continues to study him. He doesn't dare move any closer.
"Make it a million."
"Done."
"I'll take the job."
He holds up a hand. "I have some conditions."
Her posture is instantly more guarded, but she stays still, waiting to hear what he has to say.
"What's your name?"
There's a pause.
"Anna."
"Can I…" he hesitates, "see you?"
He knows it's a dumb question as soon as it leaves his lips and she just stares at him for a few seconds in lieu of answering.
"I'll be in touch," she says instead, starting to back away.
"Do you have a phone number or something?" he calls after her. "How can I reach you?"
Stopping at the elevator, she looks back. "I know how to reach you."
And just like that she's gone, leaving him with a million-dollar hole in his wallet, a racing heart and an untouched glass of whiskey.
-.-
Two days and still no word from Anna. He's starting to get anxious. He hates not being in control of his own business deal, hates that she didn't leave him a phone number or any information at all.
His bigger fear, though, is that she isn't actually going to take the job but turn on him instead. Of all the risks he's taken, she's the biggest one.
Not that he can't handle Luke, he'd just rather not.
All this leaves him brooding over his coffee.
"Can I get you anything else, sir?" The waitress interrupts his thoughts, and he shakes his head.
"No thank you. I think I'm—"
His words cut off as he looks up at her. Blonde hair pulled up in a messy bun, with clear light grey eyes that are looking at him in question.
He gives in. "Well, what would you recommend?"
"Oh, um, how about a croissant? To go with the coffee?" She looks over at the almost-full cup.
"Sure, let's go with that," he agrees.
"Sure thing."
His thoughts return with the distraction gone. Reaching forward to take a sip, he realizes the coffee's gotten an unpleasant lukewarm. Serves him for not drinking it. What was he thinking, hiring an unknown thief?
He had been an absolute fool—
"Here you go!" The waitress is back with the croissant and he shoots her a quick smile and thanks.
But she lingers at the table.
He looks back up. "Is there anything you need?"
She bites her lip. "Um...sorry, it just um, looks like you're not okay?"
Does he actually look that bad? He's always prided himself with keeping his emotions checked in public places. It's a useful skill when you're playing big numbers with important people.
He waves it off. "No, I'm fine, just…waiting on somebody."
She hesitates again. "Oh…um, a girl?"
"Yes." But at the look on her face, he quickly adds. "I mean no, not like that."
Why did he feel the need to clarify? One pretty girl and—
She nods. "Oh, okay." And then promptly scurries away.
Was she?
The thing about being rich but not necessarily famous is that most people don't know who he is. He takes a bite of the croissant. He doubts the waitress knows who he is. Not that that matters, but sometimes he has to be careful. Some people like his money more than him.
But she seems sweet. Sweet enough to get his mind off of thief troubles, anyway. But he needs to get going, there's always business to attend to.
Scarfing down the rest of his croissant, he calls for the tab and makes sure he tips her well.
"Thank you," the waitress says when she returns with his card. But then she's blushing and turning away before he can say or do anything. Looking at her curiously, he reaches for his card and sees a note fall out.
A small smile overtakes his face as he scans the room to see if he can find her again. He can't, but he glances at the note one more time before pocketing it.
A phone number is scribbled in red pen followed by a name: Beth.
-.-
Another day and still no sign from Anna. He's starting to wonder if he had imagined it all. After all, what were the chances that the thief who stole from him would ever accept a deal?
Boredom doesn't suit him well, and maybe it's why he finds himself fiddling with Beth's number.
Hey
Five minutes later he gets a reply.
Hello? Who is this?
Right…how would she know? He's not usually this dumb, but with everything going on, it's being called into question.
You left me your number…
The next reply puts him on high alert.
Oh, right! Percy!
How does she know him? He'd never given his name, at least, he doesn't think so.
Sorry, I remember your name from your card
Just realized that sounded weird
He lets out a breath as a smile comes to his face. That makes sense. He really needs to stop being so paranoid about everything. But, he supposes, a thief stealing your Picasso will do that to you.
Haha, it's okay
He starts pacing the suite, waiting for a reply.
I wasn't expecting you to text me…
He frowns at the response.
Why not? You're nice (and pretty :)
He doesn't usually do this flirting thing—not like this, anyway. He's better in person, or so he likes to believe. Then again, he hasn't flirted in a while anyway since work tends to come first.
So are you :)
But how do you know I'm nice?
Interesting reply. He runs a hand through his hair and remembers the way she'd looked at him with concern.
You asked if I was okay, mean people don't do that
How do you know I'm nice?
A valid question since he doesn't think he was particularly anything in that first meeting. He wonders why she had given him her number.
His phone dings again, with an email this time. Ever since meeting Anna, he'd put some people on Luke watch. The email tells him Luke is going to Italy soon, which is wild, since based of off what Travis has dug up, Luke's financials are even worse than he thought. So where is the money coming from?
You tipped well
The response pulls him out of his emails.
Well, like I said, you're nice and pretty
And they've circled back to where they were. Is nothing in his life moving in any forward direction? He runs a frustrated hand through his hair.
Pretty enough to go on a date?
Scratch that. This, at least, seems to be moving forward.
You free tomorrow at seven?
It's a bit bold, but she asked for a date and he needs to get out of this place.
For you, yes
He smiles.
What kind of food do you like?
Better to ask than assume.
How do you feel about Italian?
He knows the perfect place.
Let me know where you pick you up
The smile hasn't left his face.
Let's meet there
It's a bit of a disappointing response but he understands. He texts her the address.
He might have trusted a thief and started a war of attrition on Luke Castellan, but at least he has a date.
-.-
"Wow…uh, this place is fancy…" Beth's voice causes him to turn around. She looks stunning in her modest black dress, her hair flowing down in curls. He doesn't normally get nervous for things, but some butterflies flare up at the sight.
"You look beautiful."
She stops scanning the restaurant to look at him properly, a smile overtaking her face. "Thanks, you look good too."
He opens the door, and they make their way inside, Beth looking around the place with slightly wide eyes. It's not the most expensive place, but evidently more than she's used to.
"So," he asks once they've settled down and ordered. "Why did you give me your number?"
It's something that's been on his mind. Sure, occasionally girls gave him their numbers, but usually under the excuse of business. She'd been bold enough to give it for the sake of shooting her shot.
She levels her gaze with him as she considers the question.
"I like risks."
A girl after his own heart. He can't stop the smile from forming on his face.
"And I'm a risk?"
Her eyes travel down his body, then to their surroundings.
"My friend looked you up…"
And the other shoe has dropped. He schools his face into something neutral and waits for her to continue.
"And I couldn't help but wonder." He really doesn't want to hear what she has to say.
"Is this a pity date?"
Not at all what he was expecting her to say.
"What? Of course not!"
Of course, right then is when their food arrives. But he can't let this slide.
"Beth," he starts, once the waiter leaves. "Why would you think that?"
She looks up at him with a curious look in her eyes.
"Well, I was just thinking why you would have asked me of all people…"
It's weird. She clearly has confidence, she gave him her number, she brought up the idea of a date, and even now she's keeping her composure. But her words are shy. It doesn't quite add up and he's so intrigued.
"I told you, because you asked if I was okay. The only other person who does that is my assistant Rachel. I appreciated it."
She smiles so sweetly it makes him smile too. Apparently, his answer had been a good one.
"How are you doing now? Did that person get back to you?" she asks, putting a forkful of pasta in her mouth.
His smile drops as he thinks about Anna and the fact that it's been four days of radio silence. He focuses on chewing his food.
"No…"
She reaches a hand across the table. Her touch is soft and sends shivers up his spine.
"I'm sorry. I'm sure you'll hear back soon."
"Doubt it," he shrugs. And he really is beginning to doubt it. "It was kind of a long shot."
She just nods, veering the conversation away since it's clear he doesn't want to talk about it. He's grateful because he really doesn't want to spend his date thinking about a thief.
They're wrapping up food when she brings it up again.
"Percy…"
"Yeah?" He's riding the high of the pretty great date he's having.
"That long shot you were talking about earlier..."
He nods. "Yeah, the risk I probably shouldn't have taken."
Beth shrugs, shooting him a smile. "What's life without a few risks though?"
He chuckles, shaking his head. If only she knew. "Only if it pays off."
She leans closer and he sits up, matching her action. "I think it is."
Somehow, he has a feeling she's talking about something else now. Leaning a little closer, enough to see the tint of pink from her lip gloss, he smiles. "Oh?"
But Beth just smirks and leans back. "I'll be right back."
He lets out a sigh as she walks away. This girl is driving him just a little wild. Getting out his phone, he scrolls through some notifications as he waits.
Note to future Percy, never check your emails on a date. His smile morphs into horror as he reads what Travis and Connor have dug up on Luke. There is so much dirt. Six feet under kind of dirt. And among it all, a fear courses through him at the thought of Anna. She's been working closely with someone so dangerous.
It doesn't occur to him that she could be just as dangerous.
"Ready to go?" Beth is back and he pockets his phone in an effort to focus on the beautiful girl by his side.
"You look troubled," she notes as they walk out of the restaurant.
"Just read a work email when I shouldn't have." He tries to wave it away. "Now tell me how you feel about gelato?"
She smiles. "Love it."
And he lets himself get caught up like the wind in her hair and leaves thoughts of both Luke and Anna behind.
-.-
He comes home the following night from work to find a figure standing by the window.
The grin from reading the text that Beth sent fades when he looks up. She points to the left.
And there, laid out on the sofa, are his Monet, Picasso, and a Richter.
"I didn't ask for the Richter," are the first words out of his mouth.
She turns around. Maybe the ease with how she gets into his suite should alarm him more than it does, but the adrenaline is pumping again. She's wearing the same all-black outfit from last time, the mask still covering her face, only her dark eyes showing.
"No, you wanted the only two paintings he took from you."
The mockery in her tone is evident and he realizes he pointed a big arrow at himself by only requesting those too.
"Smart."
She shakes her head as if she already knows that. To be fair, she probably does.
"Well," he continues, inspecting the paintings. "You did it."
Her silence speaks louder than words, so he walks over to the safe by the fireplace. Maybe having the cash on hand was somehow a sign that he really did believe she'd come back. Or maybe, it was stupidity. But she since she did deliver, it's probably alright.
He pulls out the nine hundred thousand and lays it on the bar counter for her to check. She waits till he's back by the paintings to move over and count the money.
He watches her gloved hands put the stack into a bag.
"We agreed one million." She says, pausing as she puts in the last stack, realizing he only gave her nine.
"You haven't gotten me the diamond."
She crosses her arms. "I got a Richter."
He shrugs. "I want the diamond."
"I thought you were all about fairness, an eye for an eye."
His gaze hardens. "I am. You don't know what he did to get that diamond, or any of the other things he has."
She stays silent and the information he's been keeping in finally spills out.
"Luke is the worst kind of human. Lying, cheating, scamming are bad, sure, but murder?" He turns to look at her. "Want to know what he's doing in Italy? Visiting a mob boss. Luke has had people killed in his quest to get what he wants. That diamond is going to be how he pays his debts."
"So." He cracks his knuckles. "I want that diamond."
Anna is frozen in place. Clearly, this is new information for her. She's silent for a while, processing what he's just said.
"Okay."
He's a little surprised that she's still in. But when he looks up, she's got a hard look in her eyes. It makes him think she wants to make Luke pay as much as he does. Then, she abruptly turns around and starts to head to the exit.
"Let me guess," he breaks the silence. "You'll be in touch?"
She doesn't respond as she disappears into the elevator.
-.-
She's silent for a week. Luke comes back to the states, doesn't report the stolen paintings (which makes sense, since they were stolen to begin with) and Percy waits with bated breath.
He sees Beth again, a nice outdoor lunch date, so at least he's got that going for him.
But he can't see her tonight, too preoccupied with his thoughts. He sends an apologetic no to her request to meet up. Tossing his phone onto his bed, he runs his hands over his face.
He's knee-deep in all this shit. And it's been seven, SEVEN, days and still no word from Anna!
The shower helps a little. He's pretty sure the theft of the paintings won't be traced back to him, so he's fine there. But now he's worried about Anna, how she's going to get the diamond off of someone like him.
He steps out of the shower, still preoccupied with his thoughts. Maybe he shouldn't have—
"I don't like to be put off."
The voice startles him so much, he almost drops his towel.
And there she is, still decked out in all black with the same mask over her face.
"Anna?"
His jaw drops as she reaches to pull the mask off her face. Braided blonde hair stumbles out.
"Beth?"
She sets her bag on the bed and stuff her mask in.
"Knew you'd piece it together eventually," she says, ruffling through her bag. "Get ready, we're going out."
He can't move. He's in utter shock at the woman standing in front of him. There's no fucking way that—
She takes a step closer to him. Sure enough, those clear light grey eyes are the same ones he's looked across over dinner and lunch and thought about through texts.
"What?" His brain finally catches up with what she said.
She smirks, eyes running down his body and he realizes he's still only in a towel. He feels the heat on his face, but the adrenaline is back.
"Get ready, we're going out."
And then she brushes past him into his bathroom. "Your best suit, Percy!" she yells after closing the door.
He stays frozen in place for a good minute before his body starts on autopilot, getting himself in a suit, with his mind running a mile a minute.
Beth and Anna are the same person. There's no way. But even as he starts to think about it, the similarities stack up. It also explains why Beth felt a little off to him.
Her duffle bag is still on his bed, but something keeps him away from it. He's not really sure he can bear to look in there now and find out the truth. It seems like everything has been lies.
The bathroom door opens, and she steps out wearing a gorgeous blue dress. With her hair pinned up, she looks nothing short of a Greek goddess. He can't really form words.
She looks at him appraisingly. "You clean up well."
Moving to her duffle back she pulls out a purse. "Alright, let's go."
"What?" He's finally got his words back. "Where are we going? And more importantly, who are you?"
She raises an eyebrow. "We're going to get you your diamond and I'm the person you hired to steal it. Can we go now?"
She doesn't wait, just walks out of his bedroom, heels clicking nicely against the floor of his suite. She looks too good for him to be upset, but he is. He got played. He's actually mad.
She notices his mood as they step into the elevator.
"You're not going to keep looking like that, are you? We're going to nice place, you need to lighten up."
He lets out a sharp breath as he turns to her. "Lighten up? Seriously? After what you did?"
How could she possibly act like none of this was a problem?
She turns to him sharply as the elevator doors open. "I'm doing what you hired me to do!"
"Oh, and going on dates with me is you doing what I hired you to do?" He angrily gets into his car, and sits there, fuming, as she gets in the passengers side.
She's quiet as she does so, it's the first time he sees her composure slip. "I don't normally…I don't do that. No one even knows what I look like."
"Then why?" Why him, why did she have to do it to him?
"I wanted to know what your deal was. I like to know my employers." It feels like there's something more behind that, but he's too upset to consider it.
"Oh, like how you know Luke?"
That effectively stops all conversation and the entire drive there is silent save for the GPS. Only when they pull up by the venue does she say something.
"I thought I did."
The words make him turn to her, but then a valet is opening the door and they have to be all bright smiles.
She loops a hand through his arm and her words replay in his mind. Clearly, he had hit a sore spot. "I'm sorry," he whispers as they walk through the double doors.
She squeezes his arm in reply.
The hall is packed with the same stuffy, boring people as always. This is an event he had planned on skipping, that's why he had sent Rachel in his stead.
Sure enough, there she is, walking over to him with a shocked look on her face. He doesn't blame her. He's usually driving away from these kinds of things, not to them.
"Percy! What are you doing here? I thought you—" she cuts herself off when she notices that he's not alone. "Oh, who's this?
"Anna."
"Beth."
"Annabeth," she says, holding out her hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too…" Rachel looks so confused and he knows he has a lot explaining to do but he just smiles it off.
"Yeah, sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I changed my mind."
She raises an eyebrow. "Clearly…well, you two have fun."
Rachel walks away, shooting him one last look that he ignores as he turns to the girl by his side.
"Annabeth?"
She smiles. "Told you you'd piece it together. Drink?"
Grabbing two champagne glasses off a waiter, she hands one to him, leaning even closer as she does.
"Two o'clock."
He accepts the glass and looks over. Sure enough, Luke is there, surrounded by a group of people.
But he's still reeling from the knowledge of her name. Annabeth. It's frustratingly beautiful, much like her. She's looking around the room, probably mapping it out, but he's too busy staring at her. He should be mad—he is mad—but there's something about her…
There always has been.
She finishes her glass and sets it down, turning to him with a smile. Next thing he knows, she's got her arms around her neck as she leans close to his ear. His hands automatically come up to her waist as he tries his best to ignore the shock that is running though his body.
"The diamond is on him, he's been paranoid ever since the art theft," she whispers into his ear. "Come get me in five."
And suddenly she's breaking away, drifting over to Luke.
He's forced to stand there as she walks up to him with a smile. She says something he can't make out but whatever it is, Luke's smiling back and pressing a kiss to her outstretched hand.
It makes Percy's blood boil.
They chat while he angrily sips on champagne, getting increasingly closer as they do. He wonders if it's been five minutes yet because he might just smash the glass.
He caves after four minutes, unable to tolerate it any longer.
"Babe! There you are, I was looking for you," he says loudly, walking up to them.
"Oh, Percy! Sorry! I was just talking to Luke, you know him, right?" Annabeth shoots him an innocent smile.
He grits his teeth as he forces a smile back. "Yeah…"
Luke, of course, looks all too pleased with the turn of events. "Oh, I know Percy! We're old pals."
"Really! That's awesome!" Annabeth smiles brightly.
Percy does everything in his power not to look at the douchebag's face. He hates this plan. He gets why it's happening, but he hates it.
"Right." Percy reaches to tug her closer to him. "Can we talk? Excuse us."
And with that he's pulling her towards the halls. He doesn't know why he looks back, because all there is to see is Luke's smirking face.
They move further down the hall. He sees a security guard about to get in their way.
"I was just talking!" Annabeth yells. "You didn't need to pull me away like that!"
"Just talking! You were all over him!"
Their yells overshadow the security guard who moves away to give them room to continue walking.
"I WAS NOT!"
They turn the corner and Annabeth immediately pulls out a small black jewelry box from her purse.
"You're just jealous!" she yells as she quickly opens it to reveal what he assumes is a fake diamond. In her other hand is the real one, in a red box, that she managed to pick pocket from Luke.
"Of course, I am!" he shouts back. "I don't want to see his hands all over you!"
His words cause her to freeze in her act of switching out the two diamonds. She looks up at him and they stand there for a second just staring at each other. Maybe that last bit was more than just acting.
Footsteps break them out of it and they just need a few more seconds. Just as the security guard turns the corner, he's got her pressed up against the wall.
"You're mine," he growls, leaning forward to meet her lips in a heated kiss.
He's only partly aware of the strangled sort of noise comes from their left and the footsteps that fade away, because kissing her is the highest adrenaline rush of them all.
But he should probably stop now. Channeling as much restraint as he can manage, he quickly backs up, trying to regain his breath. Annabeth looks a little dazed, but she finishes the switch. She hands him the real diamond in the black box and immediately runs back down the hall.
He stands there for another minute, feeling the weight of the box in his hand just trying to wrap his head around everything. He's normally much faster, he's been in even more stressful situations. But Annabeth…
Shaking his head, he quickly pockets the box and follows her, his heart still trying to recover from the kiss. When he reaches the main hall, she's back at Luke's side, smiling wide and standing close.
He makes his way to them, knowing that what's about to happen is humiliating. But then again, there's a diamond in his pocket and not in Luke's. The thought brings him just a little bit of comfort.
"I was just saying sorry to Luke," Annabeth says when she sees him approach.
"Let's go," he grits out, ignoring Luke's gloating face. Annabeth quietly moves to his side and his arm immediately comes to wrap up around her waist.
He shoots Luke one last glare as they walk away. Luke, in return, smirks.
They make their way to the other end of the hall where Rachel is, and he just knows Luke is watching them.
"Rachel, cancel all my appointments tomorrow." He says when they reach her. She looks up with wide eyes.
"Sure thing…"
Annabeth stays silent and Rachel awkwardly continues. "Is everything…okay?"
He could laugh.
"You're the second person to ask me that recently."
"Who was the first?"
"Some girl I don't know."
Annabeth turns sharply at the words and Rachel takes her leave. He knows she's going to send him a barrage of texts later about this whole situation and he has no idea how he's gonna deal with it.
"You're right, you don't know me," Annabeth mutters harshly, sipping on a champagne glass she's picked up.
"Oh, that's rich. You betray me and you're the one getting mad." He doesn't know why he's picking this fight. But the words don't have any bite to them. Something Annabeth picks up on right away.
Her grey eyes meet his. "Just doing my job."
"By hanging off of Luke," he mumbles. It's so dumb. It's dumb jealousy because he literally hired her to get the diamond off of him.
She rolls her eyes at his words, a small smile on her face.
"You wanted it."
"I'm regretting my decision."
Truly, he doesn't think the diamond is worth seeing Annabeth like that. The only solace is that Luke desperately needs this.
A curious look comes to her eyes as a slow smile overtakes her face. He doesn't like where this is going.
"Does it bother you that much?"
He frowns. "He's a horrible person."
Annabeth moves closer. "And you're the pinnacle of good?"
She's so close and the memory of their kiss is still so fresh in his head. She's teasing him. And oh, he could show her bad. Instead, though, he just smirks.
"You know," he changes the topic. "We'd be good together, don't you think? I mean, that acting…" He shoots her a wink, eyes involuntarily flicking to her lips.
She gives him a look, the smile still on her face. "I'd break your heart."
He raises an eyebrow. "What if I break yours?"
"Nobody breaks my heart."
With that she polishes off the last of the champagne and nods to the door. "Let's get out of here."
He complies, but her words leave him unsettled. It's like the cold thief is back and gone is the girl he's gotten to know. It sounds all too much like a door being shut in his face.
They're silent for the drive back too. This time, a different kind of tension filling up the space. And as much as he doesn't like it, he's not looking forward to the end of the drive.
Annabeth takes over his closet to change back into her all-black outfit, but she leaves the mask off this time. When she comes out, he's got the other hundred thousand waiting for her.
Once again, he watches her count it. But it's different this time. He knows those hands, the ones he's held on dates, those fingers wrapped around his neck. He knows that some of that money will go to buy her favorite dessert, gelato. He knows her.
"That's all good," she says as she puts the money in her bag. "Pleasure doing business with you."
And just like that, she's summed up everything with one word. Business.
Percy Jackson is a businessman and he's never hated the word more.
He wants to ask, ask if anything he had felt had been real. But her words from earlier prevent him from saying anything further.
Upon his silence, she starts to turn towards the exist.
"What," she interrupts her own departure. "What are you going to do with the diamond?"
Honestly, he doesn't know. Right now, all it's doing is burning a hole through his pocket.
When he still doesn't respond, she turns back and starts walking.
"Annabeth—"
Her footsteps stop, and he focuses on the view of the city. So many words flash through his mind, the most prominent ones being will I ever see you again?
But he can't bring himself to say that, so instead he nods to the one painting still on the sofa.
"Take the Richter."
Her eyes drift towards it before she looks back at him. He nods in confirmation to her unasked question. She walks over to the sofa and picks up the painting.
And then as silently as she came, the thief who stole his heart walks away.
-.-
It takes nine months for her to become the one that got away. And despite his resources, he can't even do anything about it.
No contact, no full name, the number she used as Beth is deactivated. And he's afraid to have someone look into her in case it gets her caught. So instead, he just helplessly watches the days go by.
Luke's downfall, at least, had been public and messy and ended in jail time for crimes an unnamed whistleblower had brought to light.
But even that doesn't make the weight of losing her any easier. He'd figured out what to do with the diamond, but it's still useless to him, the little black box haunting him with thoughts of what could have been.
He steps out of his elevator with a sigh. His suite had never felt so big and empty until recently. But the sight before him is more than just the view of the city.
There's a new painting on his wall.
His heart racing in a way it hasn't in months, he steps forward into the living room.
"An eye for an eye." Her voice carries through the room. She moves out of the shadows, the bar light illuminating those beautiful blonde curls. She's got a glass of his whiskey in front of her and she's messing with something in her hands.
She looks up to meet his eyes. "How about a heart for a heart?"
Shaking, he steps even closer, drinking in the fact that it's actually her.
And then he recognizes the little black box in her hands.
It takes nine months for her to be the one that came back.
"Annabeth—"
So many words run through his mind, none of them quite able to express how he feels about her. Given the way she stares back, he's pretty sure she's in the same boat.
So instead, he nods towards the little black jewelry box in her hands.
"Take the diamond."
THERE IS AN EPILOUGE TO THIS FIC! I've posted it separately as stolen he(art)
A/N: As I mentioned before, this chapter is a cross-posted on this one and How We Could Have Met 2! The next three chapters will also be cross-posted, but after that I'll only be continuing on this series! The cross-posting is just to help ease the transition.
This fic is written to celebrate six years since I wrote my first ever fanfic and posted it to this site. Thank you all for reading and supporting my work! I hope you continue to follow me on here with the 3rd iteration of the original series that started this all.
Please Review! I's love to hear your thoughts!
And as always, thanks for reading!
See ya! :)