Page 24 of Jackpot Joker

My nose scrunches up. “You went to dinner with my brother?”

“Well, I’ve been reading this book with a best friend’s brother trope and thought I would test that out in real life.”

I vomit in my mouth a little. “That’s gross, Pen. You better be kidding.”

“What do you mean?” she asks, her voice taking on a teasing tone, granting me some relief. “Cody is such a catch.”

I bark out a laugh, and Penny joins me. My brother is the exact opposite of a catch. He’s a nice enough guy, but he lacks any ambition. He does the bare minimum at work, then goes home and plays video games all night. Though he has taken up grilling, and last year he bought a smoker. We had so much meat that summer, I considered going vegetarian the rest of the year.

The last date he went on, he picked her up and brought her back to my parents’ house. He asked our mom what she was cooking for dinner, then had his date sit beside him on the couch while he played some shooting game. Poor girl.

“I’m only teasing, Jaz. I would never go after Cody. Now, Paige, on the other hand…”

I laugh as I think about how my other childhood friend has never been shy about her infatuation with my brother. Unfortunately for her, he’s always seen her as more of a pest.

When the conversation grows stale between us, I ask the question I’ve wondered but dreaded to hear. “Did my parents have much to say?”

Penny sighs heavily, and I brace myself for her answer. “They’re just worried about you, Jaz. They want to make sure you can survive Sin City without falling into the pits of hell.”

“Surviving is about all I accomplished this week,” I complain again.

“Is it only that one client of yours that’s an issue?”

I consider her question. Dario Caruso is a lot, but he isn’t unmanageable. “He’s a lot of it, but no. It’s such a different vibe out here, you know?”

“I thought that’s what you wanted?”

Her question has me tangling my hair into a makeshift bun. “It was. It is. There are so many opportunities here that I didn’t get back home. I’m already learning new things, and I love the challenges I’ve already come up against.”

“Like handsome Italian men who drive you crazy?” she teases.

I snort. “But that’s the problem. When I was home, I worked in an office with my dad and brother. It didn’t matter that I was a woman because I was a Baker. The town knew me and knew I was competent regardless of how good I looked in a pair of heels.”

“Which is damn good,” she reassures, and I can’t help but smile knowingly. There is a reason I wear them.

“Here, though? I thought nobody would care who I am, and I could have a chance to prove what I’m capable of and be valued for my own merits. Unfortunately, when my boss looks at me, all he sees is a woman taking up space in a man’s world.”

Penny growls through the phone, and I have to cover my mouth not to laugh. Men give me the ick, for sure, but nobody dislikes them as much as she does. “That’s bullshit. You should report him for that.”

I sigh. “I’m afraid that will only make things more tense. I just need to give it more time and show them what I can do and what an asset I am to the firm. They’ll see it eventually.” I hope.

“You know,” Penny says in a voice that tells me I’m not going to like whatever it is she has to say, “I’m sure your dad would welcome you back with open arms if you wanted to move back home.”

I groan. “That’s not what I want, Pen, and you know it. As much as I miss you all, I want more than what my dad’s office can give me. Besides, Dad only has another year or two left in him, and then he will pass the business over to Cody.”

“What if he decided to hand it over to you?”

I consider what she says, knowing that even though Cody is older, he wouldn’t put up a fight if my dad decided to split the business between us. Ultimately, I know returning to my hometown is not what I want. I love the small town and familiarity, but this city has already grown on me. The street noise has taken some getting used to, but having somewhere to order takeout from at any hour of the night is a major perk.

“The answer is no, Pen. At least not now.” No, right now I want to stay in Las Vegas and prove to the people at Jorgensen & Munson that I am an absolute professional. I’ll just have to keep some distance between me and a certain client to help my case.

Chapter 12

Dario

Ipull up to the law firm for the second time this week, annoyed at the fact I didn’t get to see my beautiful, buxom blonde the last time. I put in another purchase request for a warehouse that suddenly became available, and the paperwork I needed to sign was ready a couple of days ago. Instead of having the pleasure of sitting across from Miss Baker and hoping to catch a glimpse of her perfect cleavage while she bent over the desk, the documents were waiting for me with the receptionist downstairs. When I asked to see my lawyer, I was informed she was in a meeting.

Today I called ahead, and when I asked to speak with the attorney in question directly, I was placed on hold and told she couldn’t come to the phone because she was in meetings all day. My gut tells me that Jasmine Baker is avoiding me and that simply won’t do.