Chapter Six
Emma stood by the rails of dresses, searching through the patterns and colours with deep concentration. Rosalind stretched her arms a few steps behind, watching the blond as she shopped. In all honesty, the young Morgan didn't quite know what to do.
"So, um...you like shopping then?" She commented awkwardly, approaching her side.
Emma laughed slightly. "Ah, yeah, I guess I do. Buying new things...it relaxes me."
"I've never been good in shops. I have bad luck in them. I always end up breaking something..."
"Is that why you're standing so far away from the racks?"
"Exactly why. I don't want to knock the next four aisles to the floor and get us both kicked out of this place for good." Rosalind paused for a moment, "How did you and Sean get involved with Dad and Uncle Mickey? I've only seen some of your work so I can't offer that much of an opinion, but you must be good to be associated with Mickey Bricks and Three-Socks Morgan, even more so Albert Stroller."
"It was through Albert actually. He'd been training Sean and I up, took us under his wing. He told us about a mark, which turned out to be Mickey. Told them about a mark that turned out to be us and, well...here we are..."
Rosalind laughed, impressed. "He's a smart, old sod isn't he?"
"You sound exactly like your Dad."
She rose an eyebrow. "I'll take that as a compliment then, should I?"
"Oh definitely." Emma laughed, "Come on, we have three suits and two dresses to buy before the next hour is up."
"Sounds like fun." Rosalind muttered, cautiously eyeing the golden clothes racks that surrounded her, not moving.
Emma laughed in amusement, reaching over to grasp the young woman's hand and tug her into the colourful abyss of dresses and other designer clothes for women. "Come on, Rosie. I'll make sure the mean, evil clothes don't hurt you. I promise."
"Fine, but if I get us permanently banned from this place, be it on your head."
"It will forever weight on my conscience. Now, how do you feel about animal print?"
"I hate it."
"Good. Then I know the prefect dress for you."
Rosalind raised an eyebrow. "You figured that out with one question?"
"Of course. I already told you – I like to shop."
"Your name is Harry Lister. You're nearly eight years older than me. Classic bad boy routine – most importantly you like to take risks. Oh, and you work as Darren Peters' bodyguard." Rosalind listed off all the information she could remember, "The rest we can make up as we go along."
"Um, okay. We met through your Dad when you were seventeen, were in a relationship by the time you were eighteen. I have anger management problems – which would explain the arguments and make me seem like a better bodyguard."
"Yeah, because you don't exactly have that 'built like a brick shit house' look about you." Rosalind smirked, squeezing his upper arm as if to prove a point, "Maybe your expertise is Karate or something."
"We could have one of the guests get too close to Ash and I could demonstrate my brilliant moves." Sean suggested, grinning.
"Maybe. It certainly would annoy Cern." She smiled at the thought.
"You really don't like him, do you?"
"No, not much. He's a good looking guy, it's just his personality that let him down."
Sean shrugged. "Just a small problem then." he joked.
"Yeah, he'd be fine if he didn't open his mouth." Rosalind giggled, before coughing and struggling to keep a straight face. For some reason, she kept imaging James Cern with a zip for a mouth. "We have to be serious now. This is important...think couple stuff..."
Sean cleared his throat. "Yes, couple stuff..."
The two dissolved into laughter and giggles, somehow unable to help themselves. They fell back into the sofa they were sitting on and struggled to smother the chuckles. Rosalind's face was already pink from her failed attempt to calm down. They had to be serious about what was happening because one mistake could cost them the entire con.
"No...no. We have to be serious about this." She took in a deep breath and let it out again. Sean, a moment after, copied. "Right. One of the things we have to do is be able to act like a couple. Are you comfortable with that?"
"Comfortable? With acting like a couple? With you?" Sean repeated, "Oh yeah, of course. No problem. It should be fun..."
Rosalind raised an eyebrow. "Fun?"
Sean flushed. "Yes, fun. Very fun, enjoyable even."
She smiled softly, watching him closely with wide eyes. Eyes, he realised, were a strange ocean blue colour. "It should be fun. Messing with people is a fun activity on any day, even better when that person is such a dick."
"Definitely. Couldn't happen to a better person." He commented, "Would you be...comfortable?"
Rosalind leant closer, smirking, eyes sparkling playfully. Sean swallowed instinctively. "I can't be certain but I can say I'm looking forward to the experience."
'What is she doing?' His lips twitched upward. "Do you really?"
Rosalind hummed in answer, shifting forward in her place until her legs brushed his own. She leant forward, her lips brushing his ear. "Does it look like I'm kidding?"
He smirked. If she was going to play, so was he. His hand grasped her hips tightly and tugged her roughly onto his lap. She fell into place willingly, her hands coming to rest around his neck as a way to keep balance. One of his hands rose to her head, interlocking with her brown curls, and moved her head away from the side of his head so she faced him in a brutal way.
He arched an eyebrow. "Did I pass your test?"
Rosalind smirked widely, her fingers brushing the thin hair at the back of his neck. "With flying colours, believe it or not. I don't think we'll have any problems convincing Cern that we're a couple. Not after that performance."
He simpered at her smugly. "Impress you, did I?"
"Don't act so modest. It's a character flaw." Rosalind scolded, smirking with amusement.
There was a pregnant pause between the two of them, where neither moved or spoke, just watched each other. Somewhere in the distance, a car back fired and broke the silence. Sean cleared his throat nervously and Rosalind glanced away.
"I should go ask my Dad if he needs any help." She rationalised in a low voice, carefully climbing off the older man's lap and onto her bare feet. She straightened her top uneasily, and ran a hand through her hair, ruffling the back into a messy mass.
Sean sniffed, brushing his nose. "Yup, of course."
"Work on your 'bad boy' attitude. It's important for the, ah, con..."
"Yeah, I will. You just, ah, keep acting innocent..."
Rosalind smiled gingerly. "Shouldn't be too hard...I'll just..." she gestured behind her.
"Yes, ah, I'll talk to you later..."
She hummed in response.
Rosalind knocked hesitantly on her Father's bedroom door, peering through the small gap. He looked up at the noise, his phone to his ear, and waved her in smiling. She quietly shut the door behind her and made her way over to the bed.
"Ah, yeah, that should be enough. About six at the usual place…alright, good, thanks." Ash ended the call, snapping his phone closed and glanced at Rosalind out of the corner of his eye, "Hey Rosie…something wrong?"
She smiled gently. "Nothing – just wanted to see if wanted any help."
"Alright…you can attach this motherboard to the back of this." He passed her over the circuit board and the metal casing, "I don't have small enough fingers to get it properly."
"No problem." Quietly, she went to work, spreading the wires out across the front to leave enough from for the superglue to be added. She bit her bottom lip as she concentrated, using her free hand to screw open the tube.
"Is something bothering you, 'cause I can tell that something's wrong – remember, I'm not a mark, I'm your Dad." Ash told his daughter firmly, turning so he faced her properly, "Tell me, and you dare think of lying…it isn't to do with Sean is it?"
Rosalind's cheeks dusted a light pink, as she shook her head. "No, it's nothing like that…I just realised we haven't spent much time together since I've arrived, what with the Score and all. It just doesn't seem right after so long…"
"Is that it?" Ash raised an eyebrow, "You're just…upset that we haven't spent much time together? Are you sure?"
Rosalind hummed, her eyes firmly focused on screwing the cap on the superglue. Carefully, she pressed the electronic system into the metal casing. She held it there for a few seconds, just to be sure, before letting go. "It's stupid really…It's just it's been over a decade since I left England and we haven't had much contact thanks to her and I missed you…"
Ash put his arm around her, one hand grasping her own. "I missed you too darling. How about this: after we finish with this mark, we'll go out somewhere, just the two of us."
Rosalind's smile widened and she hugged her Father back. "Yeah Dad…I'd like that…"
