The Ferrari Milan was driving had just been delivered. “Nice motor,” Jessie said as they sped through the streets of Las Vegas.
“It goes well. I've always loved Italian cars. They're so stylish,” he said as he glanced down at her equally stylish legs. He began to get thoughts he really didn't want to have given her vulnerable frame of mind. But she was so hot, he couldn't help it. What if she was really your girlfriend, not just a pretend? he asked himself.
When they pulled up outside the Linden Health and Fitness Spa, he got out and opened her door. He scolded himself for looking at her legs when her skirt rode up slightly as she got out of the low-slung vehicle. He knew his grandmother, the woman he respected more than any other, would have clipped his ear for being so lurid. He remembered what she always used to say: “When in private you can look where she will allow you, but in public you should never look at any part of a woman's anatomy other than her face.”
“Thanks. This is just what I needed,” Jessie said when they went inside the luxury spa.
“I want you to take full advantage of the facilities. It's all on me. Relax and pamper yourself. Swim, sun yourself, get a massage, whatever. Meet me in the bar afterward.”
Two hours later Jessie walked into the bar an altogether different person. Gone was the glum look she'd had in the morning, replaced by a glow.
“Feeling better?” Milan asked.
“Much. The masseur here has the best hands,” she said. “What have you been doing?”
“I went for a swim and did some weights. Then I got lazy and read the newspaper here.”
He ordered two large orange juices and took her to a table in the corner that overlooked the swimming pool.
“What made you go out with him?” Milan asked, referring to Dritan.
“He bowled me over. He didn't stop showering me with gifts. I saw how rich he was and how much he wanted me and gave in to him.”
“Ah, rich always works, doesn't it?” he observed.
She laughed. “Women like men with money. And why not? Life is hard enough without being poor.”
“Sure. So I guess you eventually found out what an asshole he was?”
She took a sip of her orange juice and looked at an old man as he dived into the pool. “The first time he hit me, I thought I deserved it. I was bitchy to him. But then it became more regular. I tried to break up with him, but he wouldn't listen.”
“Well, he'll have to now, won't he?” Milan said confidently.
“Yes. Thanks. Without your help, I don't know who I'd turn to.”
“Don't you have any family?”
“No. My parents are dead, and I'm an only child. I was brought up in LA and came to Las Vegas after college because I love the casino world.”
“You and me both. It's amazing. It's not real. It's like a world parallel to the one most people live in. Look at all the characters that frequent casinos. You wouldn't find so many different types in any other establishment.”
“Do you gamble?” she asked.
“No. Don't gamble, don't drink. I was a boxer in college, so I had to be fit.”
“Of course,” she said. “You don't mind helping me, do you?” she asked, changing the subject.
“No. It's an honor to be able to help such a beautiful woman,” he said. “Sorry that was indiscreet,” he added.
“No. I liked it. I like being called beautiful, especially by you.”
“Sure you do. After all, you're my girlfriend aren't you?” he joked. “Seriously though, you should stay at my house, out of his way for a while. It's big enough.”
*****
When Milan's car pulled up outside his house, Jessie realized that it was indeed big enough. It was surrounded by a high wall, the gate guarded by security. Inside the wall, the driveway wound its way around a huge tree on a well-manicured piece of grass, stopping outside the front door. It was a stone house with six bedrooms, three bathrooms, a pool, a tennis court, and a kitchen the likes of which Jessie had never seen.
“You were right. It's enormous,” she said when they stopped.
“I'm only twenty-two, and I've already got a house most sixty-year-olds can’t afford. It's all down to my father. Most of his money comes from crime, but I want to take the family on the straight and narrow when he's gone. I don't sleep too well when I think about how my bed was bought with the money of some junkie college kid.”
“That's very moral of you,” she said.
He took her bag and opened the front door. “It's a big house for one person. It's nice you're here to keep me company,” he said. “The only other people who ever come here are the cook, Betty, and the cleaner, Flossie.”
“An army of women to look after you. You're a lucky man.”
“Wait until you've tasted Betty's beef.”