Right Girl for the Job

Chapter 2

"Matteo- I thought you were taking the afternoon off." Viviana said, noting how Matteo had been on the phone from the moment they got home.

Matteo smiled.

"I am." He said simply.

Viviana leaned against the doorframe of his study, staring at him suspiciously.

"Well, you've spent almost all afternoon in here... on the phone." She said.

"There was a few things left... pending." He said.

"Okay. Well, Davide is asleep and I am going upstairs for a nap." She said with a grin. "join me?"

Matteo stared at Viviana- he wanted nothing more than to join her but...

"Excuse me, Mrs. Peroni. There's a delivery at the door." One of the housekeepers said, coming up behind Viviana.

"A delivery? What sort?" Viviana asked. She couldn't remember anything being ordered and it was rare for the staff not to sign off on something like that.

"Flowers- actually, they're for Mr. Peroni." The housekeeper said, obviously surprised to see him home at this hour.

Viviana tilted her head sideways.

"Okay, we'll be right there." She said, turning back to Matteo. "Why do I get the feeling this isn't just a romantic gesture I'm about to walk into?"

Matteo chuckled.

"let's go find out." He said playfully, walking past Viviana and out into the hall.

When they neared the kitchen, Viviana was aghast to see so many arrangements.

"Matteo- what is all this?" She asked in surprise.

"Just some flower to liven up the house." He said casually. Viviana stared at him a moment, suspicious.

"The young lady from the flower shop is in the front foyer- awaiting payment." The housekeeper said as the housemaids began to take the vases into different rooms.

"The young lady- let's go then. We can't keep her waiting." Viviana said, moving swiftly down the hall. She could hear Matteo coming up closely behind her.

Javiera stood in the large foyer, her apron folded in half around her hips and a notebook in her hand. When she found the house she had been immediately impressed, thinking she had been right about this man-he was rich. She knew houses like this existed... just not in real life. Now she stood, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail and her hands dirty from handling plants all days. She had never felt more out of place in her life.

"Hello!" Viviana called, making Javiera turn away from the large door.

"Hi." Javiera said with a tense smile. It was that woman! The one she'd spotted inside the car, albeit dressed a bit more normal, but still sensational anywhere.

"I'm Mrs. Peroni." Viviana said with a smile, extending her hand but Javiera shook her head, holding her hands up.

"Sorry, I'm filthy. Javi- Javi Garza." She said looking down at the receipt. "Order for Mr. Peroni."

"Yes, he's coming. Thank you for delivering on such short notice." Viviana said, taking the receipt and reading that the order had been placed that morning.

"No problem." Javi said nervously. She couldn't believe this was that man's wife. Well, she could actually. The woman was beautiful, graceful and poised... but still. She couldn't be any older than Javi and that man... Matteo Peroni. He must at least be 30. Although he was also very handsome... and intimidating.

Matteo watched from the hallway as Viviana spoke to the girl. He smiled- Viviana must know there was something going on but she also knew better than to ask.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Matteo said as he appeared. Javiera turned around and was startled. He was even better looking during the day.

"Matteo, this is Javi from Sandra's Flower shop." Viviana said, reading the name on the receipt before handing it to Matteo.

Matteo looked at Viviana who was smiling widely before taking the receipt and reaching into his pocket.

"I'm going to go take that nap. If you'll excuse me, Javi Garza, it was nice to meet you." Viviana said, turning to walk away.

"Likewise." Javi muttered, feeling like this delivery had already taken a turn for the bizarre. She knew it would be strange to come to this man's house but she had no idea just how much.

"Cash only." she muttered, involuntarily as Matteo looked in his wallet. Matteo looked up and then back, pulling out a few bills. Javi took a deep breath and stuffed the bills into a small bag before folding it back up and placing it in her apron. "And a signature here."

Matteo took the notepad she handed him and signed, waiting with a secret smile for her to say something. It was obvious she was nervous but she was doing her best to hide it.

"Thank you." He said, handing it back to her. "Anything else?"

Javi stared at him for a second, trying to keep her calm. She didn't want to loose her cool and ramble incoherently as she always did, instead she reached into her apron and counted to three.

"Yes, actually. I wanted to return this to you." Javiera said, holding the check out to him. Matteo looked down but did not take it.

"The check?" He asked. Javi nodded.

"Yes- I believe this is yours." She said. Matteo shook his head.

"No, that's yours. Compensation for damages." He said coolly.

"$10 grand for a bike? I don't think so." Javi said. "And I don't believe I have to say how rude that was."

"How was it rude?" He asked calmly. Javi stared at him.

"Writing me this joke of a check when your men destroyed my bicycle and almost killed me." Javi said in a low voice.

"From what I saw last night, they were far from killing you." He said. Javi couldn't believe it.

"Whatever. Take the check, maybe you had a good laugh but if you had no intention of paying for my bike, you should have just said so." She said angrily. Matteo still did not take it, instead he just raised his brow.

"What do you mean? I wouldn't have written you a check if I didn't want to pay for you bike." He said.

"You can't be serious." She said but Matteo did not flinch. "Oh my god... are you serious?"

Matteo started laughing, it was too much to bear.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. I wrote that check in all seriousness." He said. Javi stared at him in disbelief.

"I can't cash a check for $10 grand." she said, accusingly. Matteo sighed and nodded.

"That's true, but the money is yours. Just give me a bank account and routing number, you'll have it by tomorrow." He said.

"You can't just give me $10 thousand dollars!" she said angrily. Matteo was amused. It was rare that anyone spoke to him this way.

"I'm not just giving you $10 thousand dollars... I'm compensating you." He said. Javi tossed the check aside in her anger, her face growing slightly red.

"Are you crazy? What is your problem? It's a bike! It cost me $130 at Walmart! You can't compensate me $10 grand!" she said, her voice rising.

"Who said I was compensating you for just the bike?" He asked. Javi was still.

"What... what else would you be compensating me for?" She asked, confused. Matteo sighed.

"I'm afraid it's hard to explain. I want to hire you... to perform some very specific services for me." He began but Javi's hand came down against his cheek before he could continue.

"I'm no f*****g w***e!" She hissed before turning and walking towards the door. Matteo stared at her in shock for a few seconds before he burst out laughing.

Javi stopped, cold in her tracks... was he laughing at her?

"What's so funny?" She asked angrily, turning back towards him.

"You. I can't believe you really think I would try to pay you for that, when you just met my wife." Matteo said. Javi stared at him.

"Then what did you mean? And stop laughing or I'll be forced to wipe that smirk off your face." Javi said. Matteo suddenly grew serious.

"Really? I'd like to see you try." He said. Javi closed her eyes for a second, trying to calm down by counting backwards from 3... but it didn't work.

Matteo watched as Javi's eyes suddenly opened and for the first time he noticed just how blue they were. Then he noticed just how close she suddenly was to him- he almost didn't duck when she swung her fist.

"That was good."

Javi was surprised. She didn't know what had possessed her to swing but she certainly didn't expect to miss, or for this man to manage to pull her arm behind her back. Javi bit back a cry of pain.

"You're very fast." He said, humor in his voice.

"Let me go!" She cried.

"As you wish." He said, releasing her so unexpectedly that she stumbled as she moved away.

Javi turned around to face Matteo Peroni, her breath abated and her mind foggy.

"I should go." She said, picking up the notebook which had fallen out of her pocket.

"There's a warehouse, not far from here, off the docks." He said, making her turn to look at him surprised.

"So?" She asked, tucking the notebook into her pocket.

"So- Friday at 5pm. Be there and I'll explain to you what it is that I'm considering hiring you for." He said. Javi raised her brow.

"What makes you think I want you to hire me?" She said.

"How can you know if you want the job when you don't even know what it's about?" He asked.

"So tell me." She said but he shook his head.

"I would love to, on Friday. This, however; is my home and I try not to take business at home." He said. Javi stared at him for a second, still skeptical.

"Friday..." He said, beginning to walk away from her, "at the end of 4th street by the docks."

Javi turned quickly on her heel and practically ran from the house. She moved quickly, not looking back, jumped into the delivery truck and took off.

"What?" She said aloud to herself as she waited at a nearby red light.

"What was that?" She questioned. "Why would you try to punch him?"

Javi drove in silence, trying to figure out what had just happened and as she finally arrived at the shop, she wondered if she should tell Sandra what was going on.

Still- how could one explain what had just happened? No. She wouldn't tell Sandra, it would only make her worry. And she wouldn't be going to any warehouse on Friday. If Matteo Peroni actually expected her to show up, he was kidding himself.