"Okay, what do you want me to do?" you ask.
Ezra smiles. "Have dinner with me."
You raise your eyebrows in disbelief. "That's it?"
"Ah...there is one more thing," he says. "If you insist on committing this crime, I ask that you give me a percentage of your prize."
"A percentage?!" you exclaim. "Why would I give you anything?"
"To prevent your journey to the penitentiary, of course."
You eye Ezra suspiciously. "How much of a percentage?"
"I ask only 48% of the earnings," he replies.
"48%?! And just what are you going to do that would make you deserve that much?"
"I shall keep the others away from the bank, thereby allowing you to execute the job with no interference."
You contemplate his offer. Can I really trust him? you wonder. You decide it wouldn't hurt to enlist his help.
"All right, but you're only getting 30%."
"I object..." he begins to say.
"It's 30% or nothing," you interrupt.
Ezra smiles, flashing a gold tooth. "You drive a hard bargain. For a schoolteacher," he adds jokingly.
You nod. You're no longer thinking about this man's plan to cover up your true identity. Rather, you're thinking about how marvelously green his eyes are, and how he has the most mischievous yet adorable grin. You shake these thoughts out of your head. What am I doing? I'm here for a job, not a romance.
"I will be waiting for outside the hotel at six o'clock sharp," Ezra says.
"What for?" you ask, pulled back to reality.
"Dinner, of course," he answers with that grin of his. He starts to walk away, but turns around to say, "Oh, and wear a dress. You are much more attractive when you're not wearing men's apparel."
The nerve of that guy, you think. But when he turns back and walks across the street, you smile to yourself. He's certainly very charming.
*****