Page 45 of Jackpot Joker

I continue to stare, and Todd snaps his fingers in my face. “Hello? Did you hear me? You gave your little boy toy what he wanted this weekend, and now he’s kicking you to the curb.”

My body stays frozen as I try to process Todd’s words, but my eyes track his movements as he walks closer to me. His fingers skate down my bare arm, and my own itch to slap them away. “I know it’s tough and you’re wondering what you’ll do with no job and no man, so I’ll make you an offer, okay?”

My eyes flick to his, but I remain glued in place as he leans in and washes his stale breath over me. “If you’re feeling empty and need someone to fill that fat cunt of yours, you can give me a call, and if I’m not busy, I can help you out.”

His words release the paralysis that’s had a hold over me, and I shove his body away. “You fucking pig!”

Todd backs out of my office with his hands raised, an evil smirk dancing across his lips. When he’s in the hall, his face changes as though he’s on Broadway, and he speaks loudly. “There’s no reason to speak that way with me, Miss Baker. That’s the type of language we don’t accept here at Jorgensen & Munson and could very well be the reason you are out of a job.”

I storm over, slamming the door in his face as he gives me another greasy grin. He can say whatever he wants about me. It doesn’t matter anymore. There’s no one in this firm I care enough about to worry over their opinion of me. But my mind starts thinking about the one person I met because of this job, whose opinion I have come to care about.

Are Todd’s words true? Did Dario ask Mr. Jorgensen to fire me from the firm? He didn’t seem angry about me kicking him out the other day, but maybe he’s really good at masking his emotions.

My mind races, but I somehow manage to finish packing my belongings. As I step onto the elevator, I realize I won’t have any more moments in them with Dario Caruso.

When I step out and hand my card over to Lindsay, whose sweet soul gives me a sympathetic smile, I realize I won’t have to ask her to ward him off for me any longer.

As I place my box in the trunk of my worn-down car, I realize I won’t ever feel the soft leather seats of Dario’s red Porsche again.

And somehow, all of those things hurt more than the fact that he may have gotten me fired.

Chapter 23

Dario

Whistling, I toss my keys to the kid at the valet. He eagerly hops in my vehicle and pulls it out of the parking area. I’m in a great mood today and hope he takes it for a little joy ride.

My smile grows as I step into the building where I get to tell my beautiful bull the good news. I stride past Lindsay’s desk, and instead of batting eyelashes, she’s glaring at me. Strange… but perhaps she’s going through something. I’ll send her flowers or lunch later. Perhaps both. Maybe Jasmine will want to join me in picking them out.

I hop on the elevator and press the button that will deliver me to my former attorney. When the doors open, it’s your typical Tuesday at a law firm, I suppose. Some people carry files as they make their way to the copy machine. Men in suits stand in the hallway acting like they’re conducting business, but they’re actually talking about the women they hooked up with and their golf handicaps. The smell of coffee lingers in the air, and it only adds to the permanent smile affixed to my face.

Where there’s coffee, there’s Jasmine.

I follow the smell down the corridor to her office, but it’s empty. I glance around, and something about it feels different. Shaking my head, I take off for where I’ll likely find her, but she’s absent from the break room, as well.

The two men I had a run-in with are standing there with Jasmine’s prick of a boss. They’re laughing about something, and I hear the word bitch muttered.

“Gentlemen,” I say, and I find joy in watching two of the three men put down their coffee mugs as their faces drain of color. “Have any of you seen Miss Baker?”

Gaping mouths and wide eyes answer me, along with one sinister laugh. “I’m afraid your girlfriend isn’t here,” Jasmine’s boss answers. Tom? Tim? Taj? Doesn’t matter.

My mind immediately begins to wonder where she could be if she isn’t at work. While I can tell Jasmine hasn’t exactly hit her stride at the office, I do know she’s passionate about her career, and very few things would stop her from coming in. “Is she sick?”

Her boss laughs again. Claude, maybe? “She isn’t here because she doesn’t work here anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

He glances over at the two men beside him and motions to me with his thumb. “Here I thought the Carusos were a smart bunch with all their millions.”

“Billions,” I correct him.

“Whatever," he sneers. "Your girl was fired.”

A warming sensation comes over me when I hear the words my girl, but then I stiffen as I recall the last word in his sentence. “Fired?”

“Fuck.” The man rolls his eyes. Rod? “I don’t know why you’re acting all surprised. You’re the one who wanted her canned.”

I stare at him, certain I heard him wrong. “I wanted no such thing.”