The Con Man
Chapter Two: Mozzie's Secret
The rest of the day was spent watching movies, from time to time Mozzie would come in watch about 15mins of the movie & than leave. It was obvious to her that he really did not want her here. But she wasn’t going to leave now, no matter how he felt about her presence. After the 5th movie he turned to her & said, ‘Are you hungry now’ ‘Yea, I could go for something to eat’, she said. He got up & she followed behind him. The kitchen in this place was so beautiful. Something you only saw in the movies. She watched as he got into the fridge. There was a radio sitting on the counter she flipped it on ‘What About Now’ by Daughtry came on. She looked at him with a smile on her face. ‘I had a mix made for you. Thought some music would help make your stay here a little bit easier.’ ‘Thanks, I love it’, she said. The music played on as she helped him with dinner, when they were done fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy,& corn sat on the table. Neal ran out to ask Mozzie if he was hungry. He came back, alone. ‘He not hungry’, asked Andi. ‘No’, said Neal. She got up from her seat & got a plate out of the cabinet; she made a plate & went outside. She found him sitting in a chair on the beach. ‘Even though you don’t want me here, I still don’t want you to starve’, she said handing the plate to him. She turned & started to walk away. ‘Thank you’, he said. ‘Your welcome’, she said. She went back inside & sat back down at the table. ‘Everything okay’, asked Neal. ‘Perfect’, she said. They ate in silence & after they had all three ate until they were full she did the dishes. The first mix CD was over & she quickly grabbed another to put into the CD player. ‘I love you this big’ was playing when Neal joined her back in the kitchen. After putting the last dish away she turned to look at him, ‘What now?’ ‘What do you want to do?’ ‘I wouldn’t mind going for a swim’, she said. She went to the room she assumed was hers because her bags were there, she had packed a bathing suit figuring that they would be somewhere tropical. She put it on & grabbed her beach towel.
She felt a chill as she stepped out into the cool tropical breeze. Mozzie was back in his chair & saw Neal in the water. She walked up next to Mozzie, he looked up at her ‘You going in’, she asked. ‘No, I don’t swim. Have fun’, he said. It almost sounded sincere she thought as she dropped her towel next to him. She ran in without thinking, she stood for a moment & than went under the water. She came up right next to him. ‘Cold’, he said. ‘Just a little’, she said laughing. They swam for about an hour & than she decided to go back inside. She took a warm bath & than met him back out in the main room. ‘You okay’, he asked with a smile on his face. ‘Yea I’m fine’, she said punching him in the shoulder ‘Ouch’ he said. ‘You wimp’ before she knew it he was chasing her through the house. ‘Neal!’ she yelled at him but it was too late he had picked her up. ‘Put me down’, she said. ‘What’s the magic word’, he said. ‘Now’, she said with a grin on her face. ‘Nope don’t think so’ he said back to her. ‘Neal, I’m serious, put me down’ he could hear the fear in her voice, but he knew it was a fake. Finally she looked at him & said ‘Pretty please’ ‘Oh so it’s pretty please now’ ‘Neal George Caffrey!’ she yelled at him. He set her down. She stuck her tongue out at him & he grabbed her & they hugged. He breathed in her scent; she had always smelled so good to him. They pulled back & she looked at him, he kissed her cheek & than twirled her around until he was holding her, arms wrapped around her & she was looking outside. He sighed & she said ‘You okay’. ‘Yea fine, you ready’, he asked. She turned herself around & looked at him, ‘Ready for what’, she asked. ‘Were going out’, he said. She looked at herself, she was wearing her pj’s, & she was obviously not ready. ‘Going out’, she said with confusion in her voice. ‘Yea, what, you thought we would hide here forever’ ‘Um yea pretty much thought that was the plan’ ‘Nope, there’s a club in town, I thought we might go to’ ‘Is it safe’, she asked. ‘Yea, Mozzie and I’ve been there a few times since we got here’, said Neal. ‘Let me get out of these pajamas’ she ran from him back into her room & went through her suit case. She had nothing club appropriate, he came right in behind her, looking back at him she said ‘I have nothing to wear that would be fitting for a club Neal’. ‘That’s fine’, he replied. He went over to the closet & opened it up. She looked in amazement of all the clothes. ‘For me’, she said. ‘Yep, pick something out. I’ll be outside’ he disappeared & she went straight to the closet. After 20mins she finally settled on a pair of black pants with a belt, a white shirt with a black over coat. She slipped on her low top black & white Chuck Taylors. She made it outside to find him holding the door to the cab open. She got in & he got in the back. ‘Let’s go Moz’, he said. Mozzie was already in the front seat wearing a driver’s hat. She figured that’s why she didn’t recognized him this morning. They pulled up to the club just 30mins later. She figured this was the closest town to where they were. She was too busy looking at Neal to try to look at any street signs or town signs. He pulled her out of the cab & she heard him tell Mozzie to come get them at 3. She looked at her watch not realizing that it was almost 10:30 at night. She wasn’t sure she could stay out that long, but for him, she would try anything.
The bouncer let them in with no problem. She knew than that he had been here before. She wondered why Mozzie hadn’t come in with them. She figured he didn’t want to be near her unless he had too. She hoped she could gain back his trust. With Mozzie that was hard, but she had to try. She knew at one point he had trusted her, they had been friends, but now she felt like she was nothing but a nuisance in his presence. Neal ordered them drinks & they found a booth to sit in. The music was so loud, but she was just happy to be there with him. They finished their drinks & than hit the dance floor. He even went up & requested her favorite song ‘Red Camaro’ by Rascal Flatts. The whole room was moving along to the song, she danced alone, but he wasn’t far away, he watched her every move. When the song was over she ran into his arms. ‘I love that song!’ she said to him. ‘I know’ he said. Without even thinking or realizing they were in a room full of people she kissed him. She had wanted to do that from the first time she saw him this morning. They pulled apart & he pulled her to the booth. They kissed for what seemed like forever. A waitress broke their concentration, ‘Can I refill ya’, she asked. Neal looked up at her. ‘No were fine here, thanks’ he said. Than he turned back to her & started kissing her. They stopped long enough to dance some more. Before she knew it 3:00 had come. She was completely exhausted from the night by the time she reached the bed. It had been a fun night, she wished she could live like this forever, but she knew eventually she would have to go back to her original plan. She fell asleep with him reading a poem to her. The next morning when she woke up she was alone in the big bed. She was so sure he would be there. She looked over to the clock it was almost 11:30, she couldn’t believe he had let her sleep for so long. She got up rubbed the sleep from her eyes & shuffled her way out into the main house. ‘Neal’, she said out loud. She went into the kitchen where she found a note Andi, had Mozzie take me into town to get a few things. Be back soon, love you, Neal. She left the note on the counter & made herself something to eat. After she was done eating she went to take a shower & got ready for the day. She went through her bag & fished out her favorite book. Lying out in the sun she began to read. A half hour later she heard footsteps in the house. She got up & went into the house, no one in the main room; it was than that she heard noises in the kitchen. She ran in with a smile on her face ‘Neal’, she said. The little woman turned to look at her ‘Sorry miss’ said the woman. ‘That’s okay. Can I help you with something’, said Andi. ‘I’m the house keeper, my name is Rose’, she said. ‘It’s nice to meet you Rose. My name is Andi. Neal didn’t say he had hired a house keeper’ ‘It’s nice to meet you Miss Andi. Mr. Mozzie hired me not Mr. Neal’, said Rose. It was than that Andi realized Mozzie had already known Neal would go with him, in that moment she hated Mozzie. ‘Okay, well they had to go into town. Neal left me a message, said he would be back soon.’ ‘Okay, I’m going to start my work now.’ ‘Okay, sorry. I’ll be outside reading my book, if you need anything please let me know’ ‘Thank you’, said the woman. Andi left the woman to do her work, as soon as she stepped back into the main room the front door came open & in walked Neal. ‘Hi babe’, he said. She smiled at him & walked towards him. She kissed him & said ‘Hi.’ ‘You’re in a good mood’ he said. ‘Why wouldn’t I be? Where’s Mozzie’, she asked. ‘Outside getting the bags, why’, he asked. ‘Just wondering, I’ll go see if he needs help. Be right back’, she said. She went outside & found Mozzie taking bags out of the trunk. ‘Need some help’, she asked. ‘No, I got it’ ‘Okay well if you need any help maybe I can go inside and ask Rose to help you’ He set the bags down on the ground & closed the trunk. ‘Yea I met the house keeper. Very interesting woman’, said Andi. ‘If your going to make me feel guilty your wasting your breath’ ‘How could you Mozzie’, said Andi with fear & disappointment in her voice. ‘Because, we both know eventually the feds would find a reason to put him away’ ‘The longer he stays here the worse it’s going to be for him when he does go back’ ‘Don’t you get it Andi? He’s not going back’, said Mozzie. ‘Yea because you’ve got him convinced that if he goes back they’ll put the cuffs on and throw him back in prison. You know that’s not true. You know Peter would work with the FBI, he would make sure Neal wouldn’t spend anytime inside’, said Andi. ‘I’m glad you’re so trusting of the suit.’ ‘Mozzie, I understand how you feel’ ‘No you don’t! Don’t act like you understand’, said Mozzie cutting her off. ‘Okay so maybe I don’t understand, but you can’t live like this. Aren’t you tired of always being on the run’, she said. ‘Don’t you think I want what you two have, someone to love and be with, to have a normal life. But that’s just not in the cards for people like Neal and me’ ‘That’s a cop out Mozzie and you know it! You can have all of that; just stop trying to up other people. Stop running!’ she yelled at him. It was than that Neal came outside. ‘What’s all the yelling about’, he said. ‘Your girlfriend is trying to make me feel guilty for hiring Rose’ ‘Oh no, your not gonna turn this on me’, said Andi. ‘What are you talking about’, asked Neal. ‘Neal, he hired Rose’, said Andi. ‘I don’t understand’, said Neal. ‘He hired her before you all came down here. He knew you would run with him. It’s his fault you ran in the first place’, said Andi. ‘No it’s not, it’s the feds and you know it Neal’, said Mozzie. Andi could tell he was obviously torn. ‘Fine than, don’t listen to me. Just go ask Rose who hired her’, with that she walked away. ‘Neal, you know I wouldn’t get you in trouble’, said Mozzie. ‘I know, I know it’s not your fault. This is all on Kramer, she’s just mad’, said Neal looking back at the house. Neal helped Mozzie with the bags & than went to find Andi. She was sitting on the bed, her hands in her head; she looked up at him when he came in. ‘I’m sorry Neal’ ‘No it’s okay. I’m not mad at you. You shouldn’t be mad at Mozzie. He means well.’ ‘I know, I just, I’m trying to make sense of all this’, she said. ‘There’s nothing to make sense of Andi. Just be here with me, okay? That’s all I want’, he wiped a tear from her cheek & kissed her.
She felt a chill as she stepped out into the cool tropical breeze. Mozzie was back in his chair & saw Neal in the water. She walked up next to Mozzie, he looked up at her ‘You going in’, she asked. ‘No, I don’t swim. Have fun’, he said. It almost sounded sincere she thought as she dropped her towel next to him. She ran in without thinking, she stood for a moment & than went under the water. She came up right next to him. ‘Cold’, he said. ‘Just a little’, she said laughing. They swam for about an hour & than she decided to go back inside. She took a warm bath & than met him back out in the main room. ‘You okay’, he asked with a smile on his face. ‘Yea I’m fine’, she said punching him in the shoulder ‘Ouch’ he said. ‘You wimp’ before she knew it he was chasing her through the house. ‘Neal!’ she yelled at him but it was too late he had picked her up. ‘Put me down’, she said. ‘What’s the magic word’, he said. ‘Now’, she said with a grin on her face. ‘Nope don’t think so’ he said back to her. ‘Neal, I’m serious, put me down’ he could hear the fear in her voice, but he knew it was a fake. Finally she looked at him & said ‘Pretty please’ ‘Oh so it’s pretty please now’ ‘Neal George Caffrey!’ she yelled at him. He set her down. She stuck her tongue out at him & he grabbed her & they hugged. He breathed in her scent; she had always smelled so good to him. They pulled back & she looked at him, he kissed her cheek & than twirled her around until he was holding her, arms wrapped around her & she was looking outside. He sighed & she said ‘You okay’. ‘Yea fine, you ready’, he asked. She turned herself around & looked at him, ‘Ready for what’, she asked. ‘Were going out’, he said. She looked at herself, she was wearing her pj’s, & she was obviously not ready. ‘Going out’, she said with confusion in her voice. ‘Yea, what, you thought we would hide here forever’ ‘Um yea pretty much thought that was the plan’ ‘Nope, there’s a club in town, I thought we might go to’ ‘Is it safe’, she asked. ‘Yea, Mozzie and I’ve been there a few times since we got here’, said Neal. ‘Let me get out of these pajamas’ she ran from him back into her room & went through her suit case. She had nothing club appropriate, he came right in behind her, looking back at him she said ‘I have nothing to wear that would be fitting for a club Neal’. ‘That’s fine’, he replied. He went over to the closet & opened it up. She looked in amazement of all the clothes. ‘For me’, she said. ‘Yep, pick something out. I’ll be outside’ he disappeared & she went straight to the closet. After 20mins she finally settled on a pair of black pants with a belt, a white shirt with a black over coat. She slipped on her low top black & white Chuck Taylors. She made it outside to find him holding the door to the cab open. She got in & he got in the back. ‘Let’s go Moz’, he said. Mozzie was already in the front seat wearing a driver’s hat. She figured that’s why she didn’t recognized him this morning. They pulled up to the club just 30mins later. She figured this was the closest town to where they were. She was too busy looking at Neal to try to look at any street signs or town signs. He pulled her out of the cab & she heard him tell Mozzie to come get them at 3. She looked at her watch not realizing that it was almost 10:30 at night. She wasn’t sure she could stay out that long, but for him, she would try anything.
The bouncer let them in with no problem. She knew than that he had been here before. She wondered why Mozzie hadn’t come in with them. She figured he didn’t want to be near her unless he had too. She hoped she could gain back his trust. With Mozzie that was hard, but she had to try. She knew at one point he had trusted her, they had been friends, but now she felt like she was nothing but a nuisance in his presence. Neal ordered them drinks & they found a booth to sit in. The music was so loud, but she was just happy to be there with him. They finished their drinks & than hit the dance floor. He even went up & requested her favorite song ‘Red Camaro’ by Rascal Flatts. The whole room was moving along to the song, she danced alone, but he wasn’t far away, he watched her every move. When the song was over she ran into his arms. ‘I love that song!’ she said to him. ‘I know’ he said. Without even thinking or realizing they were in a room full of people she kissed him. She had wanted to do that from the first time she saw him this morning. They pulled apart & he pulled her to the booth. They kissed for what seemed like forever. A waitress broke their concentration, ‘Can I refill ya’, she asked. Neal looked up at her. ‘No were fine here, thanks’ he said. Than he turned back to her & started kissing her. They stopped long enough to dance some more. Before she knew it 3:00 had come. She was completely exhausted from the night by the time she reached the bed. It had been a fun night, she wished she could live like this forever, but she knew eventually she would have to go back to her original plan. She fell asleep with him reading a poem to her. The next morning when she woke up she was alone in the big bed. She was so sure he would be there. She looked over to the clock it was almost 11:30, she couldn’t believe he had let her sleep for so long. She got up rubbed the sleep from her eyes & shuffled her way out into the main house. ‘Neal’, she said out loud. She went into the kitchen where she found a note Andi, had Mozzie take me into town to get a few things. Be back soon, love you, Neal. She left the note on the counter & made herself something to eat. After she was done eating she went to take a shower & got ready for the day. She went through her bag & fished out her favorite book. Lying out in the sun she began to read. A half hour later she heard footsteps in the house. She got up & went into the house, no one in the main room; it was than that she heard noises in the kitchen. She ran in with a smile on her face ‘Neal’, she said. The little woman turned to look at her ‘Sorry miss’ said the woman. ‘That’s okay. Can I help you with something’, said Andi. ‘I’m the house keeper, my name is Rose’, she said. ‘It’s nice to meet you Rose. My name is Andi. Neal didn’t say he had hired a house keeper’ ‘It’s nice to meet you Miss Andi. Mr. Mozzie hired me not Mr. Neal’, said Rose. It was than that Andi realized Mozzie had already known Neal would go with him, in that moment she hated Mozzie. ‘Okay, well they had to go into town. Neal left me a message, said he would be back soon.’ ‘Okay, I’m going to start my work now.’ ‘Okay, sorry. I’ll be outside reading my book, if you need anything please let me know’ ‘Thank you’, said the woman. Andi left the woman to do her work, as soon as she stepped back into the main room the front door came open & in walked Neal. ‘Hi babe’, he said. She smiled at him & walked towards him. She kissed him & said ‘Hi.’ ‘You’re in a good mood’ he said. ‘Why wouldn’t I be? Where’s Mozzie’, she asked. ‘Outside getting the bags, why’, he asked. ‘Just wondering, I’ll go see if he needs help. Be right back’, she said. She went outside & found Mozzie taking bags out of the trunk. ‘Need some help’, she asked. ‘No, I got it’ ‘Okay well if you need any help maybe I can go inside and ask Rose to help you’ He set the bags down on the ground & closed the trunk. ‘Yea I met the house keeper. Very interesting woman’, said Andi. ‘If your going to make me feel guilty your wasting your breath’ ‘How could you Mozzie’, said Andi with fear & disappointment in her voice. ‘Because, we both know eventually the feds would find a reason to put him away’ ‘The longer he stays here the worse it’s going to be for him when he does go back’ ‘Don’t you get it Andi? He’s not going back’, said Mozzie. ‘Yea because you’ve got him convinced that if he goes back they’ll put the cuffs on and throw him back in prison. You know that’s not true. You know Peter would work with the FBI, he would make sure Neal wouldn’t spend anytime inside’, said Andi. ‘I’m glad you’re so trusting of the suit.’ ‘Mozzie, I understand how you feel’ ‘No you don’t! Don’t act like you understand’, said Mozzie cutting her off. ‘Okay so maybe I don’t understand, but you can’t live like this. Aren’t you tired of always being on the run’, she said. ‘Don’t you think I want what you two have, someone to love and be with, to have a normal life. But that’s just not in the cards for people like Neal and me’ ‘That’s a cop out Mozzie and you know it! You can have all of that; just stop trying to up other people. Stop running!’ she yelled at him. It was than that Neal came outside. ‘What’s all the yelling about’, he said. ‘Your girlfriend is trying to make me feel guilty for hiring Rose’ ‘Oh no, your not gonna turn this on me’, said Andi. ‘What are you talking about’, asked Neal. ‘Neal, he hired Rose’, said Andi. ‘I don’t understand’, said Neal. ‘He hired her before you all came down here. He knew you would run with him. It’s his fault you ran in the first place’, said Andi. ‘No it’s not, it’s the feds and you know it Neal’, said Mozzie. Andi could tell he was obviously torn. ‘Fine than, don’t listen to me. Just go ask Rose who hired her’, with that she walked away. ‘Neal, you know I wouldn’t get you in trouble’, said Mozzie. ‘I know, I know it’s not your fault. This is all on Kramer, she’s just mad’, said Neal looking back at the house. Neal helped Mozzie with the bags & than went to find Andi. She was sitting on the bed, her hands in her head; she looked up at him when he came in. ‘I’m sorry Neal’ ‘No it’s okay. I’m not mad at you. You shouldn’t be mad at Mozzie. He means well.’ ‘I know, I just, I’m trying to make sense of all this’, she said. ‘There’s nothing to make sense of Andi. Just be here with me, okay? That’s all I want’, he wiped a tear from her cheek & kissed her.