The Confidence Game
Chapter 2
A/N: Hey guys so hereās Chapter 2, I hope you like it (let me know)!Ā Summary: Living in a world of cons and lies has its benefits and being taught the tricks of the trade by the incredibly talented and dangerous Gajeel Redfox certainly has its benefits. But what happens when romance threatens to bloom in this hopeless world? And how do you separate whatās real and what isnāt in this convincing game of deceit?Ā
Link to Chapter One Please support me if you liked it on KoFiĀ
Levy McGarden tried to suppress the shudder that was creeping up her spine as Ivan Dreyar put his lips to her fingers, clasping her hand in his at the foot of the grand staircase.Ā
She was accustomed to wealthy aristocrats but there was just something entirely unnerving about this man. Perhaps she was just out of practice, after all, it had been four long years since sheād been in the game.
āMay I say you look ravishing in silver Miss McGarden,ā Ivan purred, rousing her from her thoughts.
She looked up at him, smiling prettily, noticing a lack of warmth to his dark eyes despite his pleasant tone.
Ivan was not a young man but she wouldnāt have said he was old either. His well-trimmed dark, black beard told her he cared about his appearance, as well as the various golden jewellery he sported, including a white-gold, diamond encrusted watch that captured the light with every flick of his wrist. It must have been worth thousands.
āThank you Mr. Dreyar,ā she responded, allowing her more sultry smirk to slide into place, āyou look very handsome, I quite imagine I am now the envy of every woman here.ā
He laughed heartily, distracted for a moment, and Levy spotted a disturbance among the crowd. Disgruntled and dishevelled party-goers glared fiercely after the man who was barrelling through them, his path and intent clear.
Levy cursed under her breath, he never did have much control over his impulses.
āI really must get myself a drink of water, Iām suddenly not feeling so well,ā Levy declared, eager to prevent the inevitable disaster.
āOh my dear, allow one of my men to accompany you,ā Ivan offered, his tone laced with concern but his expression once again lacked conviction.
āNo honestly, that wonāt be necessary, I shanāt be a moment,ā she said, already turning away from him.
She headed for the second bar to the left of the one she had originally seen Gajeel Redfox at, and ordered herself a double vodka. A little stronger than what she was accustomed to, but if she was to make it through this encounter, she damn well needed it.
āOi,ā rumbled a voice behind her.
She ignored the fact that her heart had set to racing at that one, simple, enraging greeting.
After all this time? Seriously?
āOi, Levy,ā he started again, placing a hand roughly on her shoulder to turn her to face him.
āWho the hell do you think you are,ā she hissed at him, her rage barely contained.
āWell what the hell do you think youāre doing,ā he retorted, looking equally as angry.
āAfter all this time, after what you did, this is how youāre going to approach me!ā
That shut him up.
āI donāt have time for you to just barge into my life and mess it up again Gajeel!ā Levy accused, and much to her dismay, hurt seeped into her tone.
To Gajeelās merit, regret lined his young face, but it flickered over his features so quickly, if Levy had blinked, she surely would have missed it.
āLev..,ā he began and her heart annoyingly skipped a beat at the nickname, āI did what I had to.ā
Her eyebrows furrowed as the anger rose in her again, she reached for the glass of vodka and knocked it back, the liquid burning its way down her throat. She didnāt splutter but only because of sheer will. She couldnāt stand to see him smirk at her now.
āSir,ā she called out to the barman, āIāll have another please.ā
Gajeelās pierced eyebrow quirked, but he said nothing.
āThe fuck are you doing with that guy anyway,ā he asked, his tone pinched.
āIāll do what I want with whom I want, I donāt answer to you,ā she fired back.
This irritated him, she could almost see the flash of anger in his eyes.
āHeās dangerous you know.ā
āOh, but arenāt all the attractive men?ā
āIām serious. Quit playinā around.ā
āAnd Iām serious! My business is my own Gajeel. You made that clear once before, youād do well to remember it now.ā
His mouth thinned, and a shadow seemed to fall over him. He leaned in, brushing back an errant curl, and she felt his warm breath on her ear, āheās well known in the shady parts of town, just keep yer goddamn wits about ye Levy.ā
And then he was gone, melting back into the crowd, and she let go of the breath she hadnāt been aware she was holding. She watched him retreat, a mixture of emotions clashing within her until he turned around, raising a glass in her direction before downing the stolen vodka in one smooth gulp. She should have expected nothing more, after all; he had taught her everything she knew about the confidence game.
āMy dear, I do believe that gentlemen has stolen your drink,ā a voice came from behind her.
She turned to the source, discovering a small, older gentleman, and smiled emptily, her emotions having abandoned her from just one draining conversation with the man she had fallen head over heels with four years before.
āHere, allow me to buy you another...ā
Levy would never forget the night that would change her life forever. Having barely scraped by on the street for years, moving from orphanage to orphanage she fell into crime almost as a rite of passage. She found her innocent looks and sweet charm often allowed her to get around the most suspicious of people. She could charm anyone just long enough to steal a good watch or wallet and be on her way before they suspected a thing. That is of course, until the night in that dingy bar on the less sophisticated side of town.
It was a con she had almost perfected on gullible tourists and unsuspecting business men but she had always lacked true confidence. Always fearing the worst, it made her edgy and that guy had seen right through her. She still remembered the way his eyes, filled with fury, had paralysed her and then he had stepped in.
Of course the only natural thing to do was to go after the guy who had intervened, even after he had practically slammed the door in her face.
āHey!ā she had called after him, his large form already half way down the street.
He didnāt stop.
āSir!ā she called again, running after him now.
āIām no sir,ā he threw over his shoulder gruffly, raising a hand in a clear indication that he wanted to be left alone.
āJust wait,ā Levy tried again, reaching out to catch his arm.
Quick as a flash and certainly faster than her brain could comprehend, her wrist was gripped in his hand and his dark eyes were boring into her own soft, hazel-brown ones.
Her mouth formed a perfect little āoā and he sniggered at her.
āLeave me alone shortstuff.ā
āI-I just wanted to say thanks,ā she stammered, gradually regaining control of herself.
āDonāt mention it. Really. That was pathetic in there, give up the game kid or youāll land in worse than that shit-show.ā
Irritation sparked within her, āoh as if youād know,ā she accused, her eyes taking in the expensive looking black suit he was dressed in, he clearly hadnāt a notion of what it was like having to steal to get by and just how difficult it was.
āOh believe me,ā he smirked, holding his hand up and letting a necklace fall and dangle from his fingertips, her necklace, āI know.ā
Levy gaped in absolute shock, her hands flying to her neck feeling for the necklace he now held.
āH-Hey-ā
āYou might want this too,ā he said, a smirk playing at the side of his lips, as he handed her the black wallet she herself had just taken from the man in the bar only moments ago.
She hadnāt noticed a thing, and she couldnāt help being impressed despite his irksome arrogance.
āThis is what a professional looks like Shortstuff, dabblers get punched in their pretty faces. Or worse.ā
Levyās lips pursed at his thinly veiled insult at both her height and what she was capable of.
āIām not a ādabblerā you overconfident jerk, and if youāre so impressive, well then teach me.ā
She saw him struggle to hide his evident surprise at her demand, and blatant insult, and inwardly punched the air in triumph, delighted to take this guy down a peg or two.
āLook I aint kidding, Iāve been in this game a very long time. Itās not for the weak.ā
Her anger flared and she stepped toward him, glaring fiercely up at him, āI am not weak.ā
āBut you do leave yourself wide open,ā he said, this time tossing her bag back at her.
How the hell was he doing this!
The young man laughed at her reaction and Levy couldnāt help noticing how much softer it made his expression. This man seemed to be all hard edges and cold looks but Levy got the sense there was something much more to him. She blushed furiously as she realised he had stopped laughing and had noticed her blatant staring.
āWhatās your name?ā he asked, serious once more.
āLevy.ā
āWell Short-arse, the idea is to grab their attention, hold it and make them believe youāre really focused on them,ā he said, taking a step closer to her, and capturing her eyes with his. Levy absent-mindedly took a step back, wondering if this manās eyes could possibly have a hint of red to them.
āMark those with a blatant weakness. If theyāre lonely - then youāre the only woman in the world who could take away that feeling. Insecure? Give them security,ā he continued still advancing toward her, truly captivating in his intensity.
āBe confident. Get their trust and theyāre all yours.ā
Levyās back touched the cool concrete of the wall, shaking her from the almost trance like state she had been in. The man smirked at her and she glared back, frustrated at how her wits had abandoned her in the presence of this man who simply exuded confidence.
āSee you around Levy.ā
With that, he turned on his heel and strode away from her, leaving Levy all sorts of riled up and then he made it worse.
āOh, nearly forgot,ā he called back to her, spinning round, holding up a small blue purse, her goddamn purse!
She would have laughed if she hadnāt been so annoyed and humiliated, in three quick strides, she snatched it out of his hand.
āYou have some nerve-whatever your name is,ā she said pathetically, distress evident in her tone.
āI grew up on these streets, and I have always been taken advantage of by assholes like you,ā her voice wavered and a single tear slipped down her cheek.
The man looked completely taken aback and clearly uncomfortable as he avoided looking her in the eye.
āI, uh, I-,ā he stammered, scratching the back of his head, his expression pained.
Levy couldnāt help the smile that jumped to her lips, āor so they always thought.ā
Placing one hand on her hip, she held up the other, letting his watch dangle from her fingertips.
But to her surprise, the stranger smiled, his eyes glinting.
āNot bad kid. The nameās Gajeel, by the way.ā
