Right Girl for the Job

Chapter 27

"Come along, dear." Phillip said, putting his hand on Javi's back and literally whisking her out of Jack's reach.

Javi smiled, trying not to think about how him touching her made her shiver and definitely not in a good way. Instead, she focused on the sights around her as he led her into the famous Monte Carlo casino.

It really was like an old movie- the giant casino looming over them looking like some impenetrable fortress. As they moved through the main doors, Javi had to bite her lip to keep from crying out at the opulence. She had come a long way from her tiny apartment in the city... from cleaning up in a flower shop and struggling to make the rent. Now she was in the front room of a casino that looked like a palace, of course the man guiding her was less than prince charming.

After a few more minutes, they were guided by two women towards a corridor with several doors, where she understood the private rooms were. As the doors were opened for them, Javi turned back to look for Jack who smile- maybe in a an effort to reassure her or maybe in an effort to tell her to continue with the plan but as they delved deeper into the room, she felt more and more like she'd stepped into an alternate dimension.

It seemed insane that a married man should let another man flirt with his wife so outrageously but as she stood, listening to a group of women speaking, she realized that was sort of a normal thing among the rich in Monaco.

She hadn't meant to get sucked into idle chatter with the women, and she could tell by the looks that Jack was giving her that she needed to get away but Phillip had deposited her there why he went to speak to another person, whom she understood was also pretty important.

"Well, Harold has already promised we'd try the dice tonight." One of the women said, and Javi smiled as was expected. It seemed it was like a competition among them to see who could get the men to pay for the most. They didn't even seem to mind when their own husbands flirted with other women outrageously.

It briefly passed through Javi's mind that she would never allow her husband to embarrass her that way, then it also passed through her mind that she didn't have a husband.

"Miguel is a handsome man." One of the women said, making Javi snap out of her thoughts back to the present conversation. She turned to the woman, a brunette in a short sequin dress- she was actually quite pretty, and as she looked over in Jack's direction she wondered if he would humor her tonight.

"He is." Javi said, taking a sip of the drink she'd been nursing for a while, "and he is very sweet too."

She turned to waive her fingers at Jack who smiled, wondering what the hell they were talking about that seemed to keep Javi so busy. She stood out, at least to him, like a sore thumb. Unlike the polished beauties in the room, Javi had the look of a woman who was still discovering the world- she did not seem experienced, she did not seem worldly, she seemed like evyerthing was new and still very much enjoyable.

He watched the way she held the glass, not quite aware that she should be holding it with her pinky extended, and they way she looked infinitely younger than everyone in the room. Of course the women around her were glamorous, refined and radiant in their own way- they had the allure of women who could find dark corners for midnight rendezvous... Javi's eyes and the curve of her lips practically screamed out that she had never made love before.

Jack looked away and took a sip of his drink. There was no way for him to know that- For all he knew Javi was an experienced woman and there was nothing wrong with that. She had definitely been quite aggressive the other day- damn it. He needed to stop it, he needed to stop thinking of those moments.

Instead, he turned towards Phillip who was now moving towards Javi, looking prepared to whisk her away.

"Have you ever tried your luck at European Roulette?" Phillip asked. Javi turned with a smile.