Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
“And…that’s when you learned how to pick pockets?” Penny asked.
“Yup.” He nodded. “Believe it or not, I was a cute kid—and really small for my age until I was around sixteen cycles, when I shot up. But back then, I was so little and adorable, nobody suspected me.” He made a face. “It’s different now, of course, since I’m not little or cute, but I think I can still pull it off.”
“Show me,” Penny said. The blue toga she was wearing had three pockets—one on each hip and a third over her right breast, just below where the toga tied. She broke her used flavor stick in half and put half of it into the right hip pocket of her toga, leaving the other half by her bowl. Then she arched her eyebrows at V’rex. “Well? Can you get it?”
He gave her a lazy grin.
“Sure, sweetheart—I can get it. I’ll even show you how I do it. Come on—stand up.”
Penny stood up from the table and the big Hybrid did the same.
“Okay, now,” he said, his deep voice taking on a lecturing tone as they stepped to one side of the table. “There are several ways to pick a pocket. To start with, pretend we’re strangers, walking past each other on a crowded street.”
“Okay.” Penny took a few steps back and walked towards him as V’rex walked towards her as well.
I don’t see how he’s going to manage though, she thought. Since my left side is towards him and the stick is in my right pocket.
Nevertheless, she walked straight towards the big Hybrid, pretending she was on a busy street and minding her own business.
V’rex was looking away as they met, as though he was distracted by something. His broad shoulder hit her left arm and he muttered,
“Scuse me,” and walked on past.
Penny turned around, frowning at him.
“Was that it? I don’t think—” Then she put her hand in her right pocket and found that the half flavor stick she’d put there was gone. “Hey!” she exclaimed.
V’rex grinned at her and held up the half stick.
“Gotcha, sweetheart.”
“How did you do that?” Penny demanded. “I didn’t feel a thing!”
“It’s called the bump and distract,” V’rex told her. “Watch…”
He brought her back to stand facing him and then pushed his shoulder into hers. At the same time, he reached his long arm around her body and this time Penny felt him touching her pocket—but only for an instant and only because he wanted her to, she was sure.
“See, you’re so focused on the feeling of my shoulder bumping into yours that you don’t notice my hand in your pocket,” V’rex explained. “Any pick worth his salt can do it. It’s even easier from behind. Here, put this back in your pocket,” he told her.
Penny did as he said, putting the half stick in her left hip pocket this time.
“Good, now pretend we’re on a crowded tram together,” V’rex instructed her. “I’m just another passenger, standing right behind you.”
He turned Penny around, his big hands on her shoulders, and then positioned himself right behind her. He was close, but not touching her, though Penny could feel the heat from his big body against her back. It made her stomach flutter, despite the fact that she knew she shouldn’t let herself be so attracted to the big, dangerous Hybrid.
“Uh…” She glanced over her shoulder. “I know you’re supposed to be inconspicuous and just another passenger, but I think I’d notice a seven-foot tall warrior standing behind me.”
“You got me there, sweetheart.” V’rex gave her a rueful grin. “I was a much more successful pick when I was little. Once I got my full growth, it was a lot harder to move through a crowd doing finger-work.” His face darkened. “Of course, by that time, I was into other things.”
“Other things?” Penny asked faintly. She wondered how he had gotten his start in the gang he’d been in. Had there been some kind of initiation? Maybe killing someone? Maybe chopping off their fingers…?
V’rex seemed to sense where her mind was going because he shook his head.
“Nothing you need to know about. C’mon and turn back around, I’m not done with the demonstration.”
Penny reluctantly turned back to face front, though her stomach was still fluttering uncertainly.
“Now like I said, this is a busy tram at rush hour,” V’rex rumbled behind her. “All of a sudden, it makes a quick stop and we all lurch forward.”
He demonstrated by leaning into her, his broad chest pressing briefly against her back.
“Sorry,” he muttered in her ear. “Damn transports. Brakes are all shot to the Seven Hells.”
He sounded so much like a regular passenger she might have encountered on any public transportation that Penny knew she would have been tempted to think nothing of such an encounter.
“Is that it? You did it?” she asked, turning her head to look at him. Once again, she hadn’t felt anything but his chest briefly touching her back.