Celia on the Run by Sarah Mandell

Author:Sarah Mandell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
Publisher: Untreed Reads Publishing
Published: 2012-02-14T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

“How are we flat broke again?” Celia asked Nick, annoyed, as they left the gas station.

He shrugged and didn’t bother bringing up her forfeited winnings from open mike night. “Time for a scam?” Nick asked. They’d already burned through the cash they stole from Kurt and his buddies too.

“Yeah. Guess so.”

“Could be worse. We’re having fun, right?” he reminded her.

“We are. Not making much progress towards Jersey, but whatever. I’m having lots of fun. As long as we’re taking sex breaks, I’m happy.”

They were happy, both of them, but for very different reasons. For Celia, it was simple. The physical affection was enough to make her content. But for Nick, falling in love with a fugitive while becoming one himself, was most gratifying.

The days seemed to fly by but the miles were not passing as quickly. They’d gone in another zigzag, from Morgantown to Masonville, then from Owensboro over to Elizabethtown. Celia couldn’t navigate to save her life, but Nick let her lead. They looped around Kentucky and Indiana for several days. The longer it took them to get to New Jersey, the more time he had by her side. They always got money somehow.

Each time they stopped for supplies, Nick learned more about surviving on the road. He paid close attention as she took another turn at her most basic money scamming technique. It was one she’d been doing since he met her, one he’d done himself after careful instruction. Since it worked like a charm, she used it frequently. Celia casually confronted a couple of well-chosen strangers for a few dollars in a parking garage, telling them she didn’t have the right change to exit, asking if they could break a twenty. Nobody ever asked for the twenty, they just handed over the $6 she needed and wished her well. That amount was specific, calculated over time. People could part with six, but not eight or nine. She learned that and stuck to her theory. Her lies were so believable, she never seemed desperate or shady. Celia got sympathy and made people laugh, but more importantly, she got them to hand over cold hard cash without a glint of suspicion.

Her fabricated stories changed depending on whom she was approaching. Sometimes she’d play the good girl, the wholesome daughter role. Other times she’d be the slut, the flirt. She even faked tears on one occasion, which got her ten bucks and a pack of cigarettes from a sympathetic grandmother. Every character she embodied was done with flawless consistency. Nick forgot which person he was falling in love with. There was a part of Celia in each of these masks she wore: the wholesome girl, the confident young woman, the beautiful whore, the lost soul. They all fit her well.

Later that night, heading towards Lexington, she couldn’t help but rack up a few more bucks when they stopped at a convenience store for some toothpaste. Sure, she could have just stolen it, but instead Celia handed over a ten-dollar bill and smiled at the clerk, ensuring he wouldn’t look too closely at the money in his hand.

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