Chapter Ten
"So how exactly is this supposed to work?" Haley asked.
"What do you mean?" Nathan replied.
"Your plan. You still haven't told me what it is and we both know how tight the security system is," Haley explained in hushed tones. "Are you sure your plan is going to work?"
"Let's just say that I'm depending on the natural human reaction. Come this way." Nathan led her towards the area that had been roped off. "Wait here a minute," he told her. Then, he jumped over the rope as he had done the previous day, while she patiently waited guard. A minute later he was back. "Okay, let's go."
"What were you doing back there?"
"Just checking on tonight's accommodation." He stopped in front of the Venus and Haley stood next to him. "Okay, the closing bell will ring in a minute. We'll wait here till then."
Haley nodded.
"You know, she really does look like you…" Nathan observed
"Oh, stop that."
Soon, the bell rang and people around them began to move. "Go get your bag from the counter, and come back here," Nathan instructed.
Haley gave her token to the lady at the counter and took her bag. Then she returned to where Nathan was standing. "Now what?"
"Now we watch the natural human reaction."
Haley watched as Nathan placed a museum guide onto the mantelpiece, so that it was in the path of the worker who was collecting paper and putting it into his bag. Nathan then reached into the pocket of his jacket, took out a bunch of coins and placed it inside the guide.
As soon as the man picked the guide up, all the coins fell to the ground. He bent down to pick them off the floor, and the three people near to him, including the guard in the room, also bent down to help.
While they were thus distracted Nathan pulled Haley in the opposite direction from the exit and took her behind the rope. He then opened the door to the small cupboard he had just unlocked and ushered her inside. He followed her in and closed the door behind them. "We have to be very quiet until the museum is shut and everyone had left," Nathan whispered. He turned around and collided with Haley. The room hadn't looked so small when only he was inside it.
Haley's eyes grew wide as she realized how cramped they were inside this cupboard. Her entire body was now pressed up against Nathan's, and she couldn't help but feel embarrassed at their closeness. "I didn't realize the accommodation would be quite so…small."
"Well," Nathan shrugged, "it's the height of the tourist season, darling; everywhere else is fully booked. This was the best I could do."
Haley cringed at the way he said 'darling'. It was like he was mocking her or something. She started to move, but Nathan's hands came up to her shoulders to stop her. She was about to question him, but then heard the sound of a person outside the door.
Nathan and Haley both stayed absolutely still while the guard moved around outside the door. As soon as he was gone, Haley let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. She looked up at Nathan and whispered, "Now what do we do?"
"We wait."
A/N: I know, this is a short update, but the action is just about to begin, so hang in there!