“So…carjacking, huh?”
Neal’s hands wrapped around the cup of coffee that he’d just ordered, and he’d nodded to the waitress and waited until she was out of sight -and more importantly: out of hearing distance- to place the remark. It was a blatantly cliché conversation starter, but it was also something he was very curious about; the blonde sitting across the table from him looked like a respectable woman to him, rather than a thief, and he honestly wondered what it was that had gotten her into thievery, especially since carjacking was no small crime—and he had to admit, she’d been quite apt at it.
For him, it had been a necessity at first. Being abandoned by his father, forced to live on the streets in a world that took him a long time to get used to—he really didn’t have a choice there. But as he became more and more skilled, especially with all that he had learned during his time in Neverland, he took on greater challenges than just petty thievery. By the time he reached adult status, his new life and identity were one big lie, but he was comfortable with it. At least it was better than the alternative of acknowledging his ties to Rumplestiltskin.
“What gotcha into that?”
Whereas his expression had showed the slightest hint of mischief at the first question, it morphed into something more serious with the second one. Something more genuine, at least. He was prepared to spin her a tale about his own life, should she ask for information in return, and he could truthfully say that he had been abandoned by his parents. He really didn’t mind telling her at least a large part of the truth, so long as she gave him information about herself in return. Because truth be told, he was rather intrigued by her.
