Right Girl for the Job

Chapter 25

"I hope you'll understand that when a lady says No, it definitely means No." Javi said as she twisted the boy's arm back and he knelt in pain.

"arrêter son!" The boy began to scream between cries of pain as a conveniently loud procession began to move through the streets muffling his cries.

"I would stay back if I were you or I'll break his arm." Javi said without looking at the other two boys who had moved. One of them stopped but the other took a step forward and now there was a crack.

"Fucking bitch!" The boy cried as tears streamed down his face and both other boys were now paralyzed in fear. Javi gave him a shoved and then looked towards the two boys.

"Now- my husband and I are going back to our holiday." Javi said, dusting her hands off. "There are three scenarios- you go home and never approach us again and we don't hurt you. You try again, I break you legs, we get the police. Or the third, you go home and approach me if you see me again- Then I make you cry. Which will it be?"

There was no reply.

"That's what I thought. If you will excuse me, enjoy the rest of your day." Javi said with a smile, moving towards where Jack stood watching the procession.

"Not bad." Jack said, placing the hat on Javi's head. "Shall we?"

Javi looked at his extended hand and smiled, adjusting her hat on her head, "okay."

The boys stared after them as they moved away- they could expect that messing with that man could be trouble- he was big, not just tall but very large. They certainly had not expected such a small woman to be so tough. As they watched them integrate themselves into the crowd, perhaps the most jarring thing about it all was watching her stop to buy gelato as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

----

"Leave it to you to find trouble." Jack said when they were back in the room. His voice was low and slightly scathing- why did it feel like he was always looking to pick a fight with her?

Javi sighed and looked in the mirror, playing with the hat and frowning.

"It got dirty." She said, taking it off and dusting it. "Damn it."

"It suits you." He said with a smile, looking at her through the mirror. She looked at him for a second, before pulling it off, her hair standing up as she did, causing him to stifle a laugh.

"The sun was certainly starting to get to me." She said, tossing it aside and walking over to an arm chair.

"The sun can be pretty strong around these parts." Jack said. "and you're very fair. You should wear sunblock.

Javi didn't respond, instead she looked at her arms and legs which had picked up a nice bronze over the last few weeks but then she pictured Dee- the exotically olive skinned woman with the boisterous dark hair.

"So... Dee is certainly pretty." Javi said casually, "although I didn't realize you were into older women."

Jack smiled.

"She's talkative, energetic and very feminine... And an excellent hostess. We always have a nice time." He said elusively. Javi wondered if he was purposely teasing her or if he was just plain coy.

"If you wanted some alone time, you could have said so and I would have stayed in with a headache." Javi said with a smile.

"I actually didn't expect her to be here, she is usually in Nice during the summer or sometimes with her family in Malta." He said, walking towards the restroom and taking off his shirt.