Right Girl for the Job

Chapter 4

Javi had been working up the courage all day to talk to Sandra.

After the fuss she always made about borrowing money or even accepting pay advances, it now seemed strange to have to bite her tongue and ask Sandra to borrow money. And it wasn't just a little bit of cash or an advance... it was $2,500!

To Javi, it seemed like an exorbitant amount of money... then she also had to ask the very embarrassing favor of letting her stay with her until she could get a new apartment.

There was several times through the day that Javi almost asked... but every time she changed her mind and started rambling about completely random and unimportant things.

Now here she was, 4pm again and she still hadn't worked out the courage to talk to her about it. Before she knew it, she was out front with Sandra as she locked the door.

"I'm so glad it's Friday." Sandra said with a smile. "I love Fridays." Javi smiled.

"I know, me too." She said nervously.

"So, what do you plan to do this weekend? Let me guess... read, workout?" Sandra said, teasing Javi.

"You know me so well." Javi said, trying to sound normal.

"I don't suppose I'll convince you to join me for a movie?" Sandra asked.

"Sorry, after the bike, I'm sort of short." Javi said. "Actually- that's something I wanted to talk to you about. Sandra..."

"Oh my god, Javi- Isn't that your new bike?" Sandra yelled as two men used a pair of bolt cutters to remove Javi's bike lock.

"Oh god." Javi said, running towards the men. "Hey! Hey!"

Javi watched as they loaded the bike up onto the back of a van. "hey!"

The men did not stop to look at her, instead they kept moving.

"That's my bike!" She called, running towards them but it was too late, they were already driving off.

"Oh my god, I'll call the police. Get the plates." Sandra said but Javi shook her head.

"There's no plates. No, no!" she shouted, staring at them in the distance.

"Isn't there a cop somewhere?" Sandra asked. Javi looked around, trying to figure out what to do.

"I need a taxi!" Javi said, trying to flag one down.

"What for?" sandra asked, looking at her in surprise.

"I'm following them." Javi replied, trying again but the taxi did not stop.

"You're crazy. You can't do that! Those men could hurt you!" Sandra yelled but Javi wasn't listening, she was crossing the street.

"Phil! Phil!" Javi yelled as she ran into the corner bakery. Phil was boy only a couple of years younger than her who drove the motorcycle parked out front.

"Hey! Javi, what can I do for you?" He asked, coming into the front room from the back.

"I need to borrow your motorcycle... now." She said, making him stare at her blankly.

"Okay- what for?" He asked but Javi insisted.

"Please, it's urgent. I'll explain later." She said, looking out the window and still seeing the van a few blocks away. Phil was quiet and still but after a few seconds he disappeared into the back room, returning with a set of keys in his hand.

"Please be careful." He said, but Javi had already yanked them out of his hand and was heading out the door.

Sandra couldn't believe what she was seeing as Javi hopped on the motorcycle and sped away.

"She's going to get herself killed." She muttered, overwhelmed. On the one hand, she was genuinely scare for her friend but on the other hand, she had not idea that Javi could ride a motorcycle.

----

Javi followed the van at a distance for a little over a half hour. She was so focused on not loosing them that she didn't really notice where she was heading, or that she was in a part of the city she didn't recognize at all.

After a while she couldn't see the van at all and she began to worry that she had lost it.

"Shit." She said, pulling over and trying to get a sense of direction... that's when she spotted the van in the distance, pulling into a warehouse.

For a second Javi only watched and then the switch in her head went on and she drove towards them.

"Motherfucker." She said as she practically jumped off the motorcycle and ran into the warehouse.

She spotted the van immediately but she was no longer interested, instead she continued to move forward, determined and wouldn't you know? There stood Matteo Peroni, talking to the two men.

"You motherfucker!" She called, ready to charge at him but the two men blocked her.

"It's okay, move. It's fine." Matteo said, grinning at Javi.

"You piece of s**t, it's not fine. You stole my bike!" She said angrily. Matteo sighed.

"I know, I'm sorry. It was the only way to make sure you came." He said. Javi stared at him wide eyed and mouth open.

"Who are you?" He asked after a few seconds. Javi just stared.

"Are you freaking kidding me? Who am I? Who are you? You seriously just stole my bike to get me here!" She said. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Excuse me? You're the one that chased two strange and very large men in a dark van across town for a bike." He said. Javi stared at him for a second and then nodded.

"Okay, yes. That was crazy... but that doesn't excuse you." She said. Matteo nodded.

"You're right, it doesn't." He said. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? Oh, great. That makes it all better. Excuse me, I'm leaving. I'm going to figure out how to take my bike on that motorcycle and You are going to leave me alone. Stop reaching out to me." She said, "unless you want me to get a restraining order."

Javi turned on her heel and began to walk away.

"Who says the cops would listen?" He said. Javiera was still.

"Javi- why don't you calm down and come talk to me? Okay. I promise, we aren't going to hurt you." Matteo said. Javi turned to face Matteo, her face questioning but resolute.

"Okay. Say whatever you have to say and then I can be on my way." She said.

"I didn't realize that you could ride a motorcycle." He said.

"Of course not, you don't know me." She said. To be honest, Javi had only driven a motorcycle once before but she was a natural.

"Like that thing you did on the bike the other night- that takes a lot of strength and agility." He said, beginning to pace.

"I like to work out." She said.

"But you're way too good for someone who just likes to work out." He said.

"I like to work out a lot." She said.

"And you're fast- like the other day at my home." He said.

"Is there a point to all this?" She asked after a bit.

"How much do you work out?" He asked.

"Really?" She asked.

"Come on." He insisted. Javi shrugged and let out a sigh.

"I don't know. I run in the mornings, and I bike after work." She said. Matteo raised a brow.

"That's all?" He asked skeptically.

Javi sighed.

"Before my morning run, I lift weights and before bed I do cardio." She said. Matteo smiled.

"That's impressive, you spend most of your day working out then. What about the weekends?" He asked.

"I don't know, the same? Sometimes I get a mid day in... why are you asking me all this? I'm not the only person who likes to exercise." She said.

"No, you're not but you're fast. Most people are clumsy to a certain point, but not you and to be honest, My men weren't sure that you were following them for most of the drive here." He said.

"So?" Javi asked.

"They notice everything, it's their job." Matteo said.

"Okay, so you're impressed by my fitness and whatever? You said something about a job before." She replied, taking a step towards him.

"There is a job available but I'm afraid there's still a few tests you would need to pass." He said calmly.

"Tests? What type of job is this?" She asked.

"It's the type of job that requires all the things you seem to be good at." Matteo said. Javi stared at him suspiciously.

"Like?" She asked.

"Quick both physically and mentally, strong, agile, and above all, discreet." Matteo said. Javi raised her brow.

"How do you know I'm discreet?" She asked.

"You certainly keep to yourself. You never go out, never been married and I know that you spend most of your time alone." Matteo said. "You don't share anything."

"I don't like anyone in my business and I don't stick my nose where it doesn't belong." She said huffily.

"Exactly." Matteo said with a smile. Javi stared at him for a second, intrigued.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"I'm the man who is offering you the chance to change your life. Doesn't it bother you, Javi? To go to work every morning to a dead end job where you spend all day arranging flowers so you can go home with a joke of a pay check?" He asked. Javi didn't respond.

"I know that you want more- more than life ever gave you the opportunity for. You want adventure and you want to be a part of something important." He said.

Javi looked down- she knew there had been something missing but she had never been quite able to put her finger on it.

"Let's say I decide to do this... It's a big IF mind you, but what would I be doing?" Javi asked. Matteo smiled.

"Alfonsino, Gerardo, outside." Matteo said. The two men standing with Matteo quickly moved out without a word.

"Sorry, but what comes next are details of extreme confidentiality." He said. "You do understand about confidentiality and loyalty?"

Javi rolled her eyes.

"I'm not stupid." She said.

"That's not what I'm asking." He said. Javi was quiet.

"I do." She said quietly.

"Good, good. I hope you don't take this the wrong way, I'm not used to working with women but in my experience, most don't understand those two concepts." Matteo said.

"I suppose I should be offended but if I'm honest I would say you are right." Javi said. "What type of work is this? You don't work with women? What do you do?"

Matteo was quiet, feeling for the right words.

"What I need is someone who will be available at a moment's notice, who can and will be willing to complete certain jobs for me, without asking questions, and who will demonstrate extreme loyalty." He said.

"What type of missions?" She asked, growing weary.

"That I can't say until you have passed the test and you accept. It's also the type of job you can never quit- you'd be in it until it's time to retire." Matteo said.

"That sounds like a lot to expect from me." Javi said. Matteo reached into his pocket and took out a piece of paper.

Javi stared, not moving, unwilling to take it.

"Come on, I promise it's not a check." He said.

Javi sighed, taking the paper and looking at it cautiously.

"This job requires a lot from you, but I assure you I pay well for it." He said.

"Holy shit." She said, staring at the paper. "You're joking? This is the salary?" She turned to look at Matteo who shook his head.

"No- that's a per diem." He said.

"Per job?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes and there will be two or three in the year. Payment is always half first and half after." He said. Javi felt dizzy, this was more money than most people made in a year and she was able to make two or three times this?

"This is... No." Javi said suddenly. Matteo raised his brow.

"You don't like it? It's a starting point Javi, we can renegotiate depending on the job and with time." He said.

"I don't know you Matteo Peroni, I don't know what kind of business you do but it can't be anything good. A job you won't tell me about upfront? Absolute secrecy? In it for life? With those skills? The next thing I know I'll need to carry a gun!" She said.

"Several, can you shoot?" He asked seriously. Javi suddenly grew nervous, realizing there was a lot more danger here than she expected.

"Whatever this is, it's no good. No. I don't want to be involved in any of this." Javi said, turning on her heel suddenly and running.

Matteo was still- he heard the motorcycle take off and sighed.

It would take some more convincing.

"Do you want us to go get her?" Alfonsino asked. Matteo shook his head.

"No- but get me the Cristie brothers, now." Matteo said.