own half of your business."
Joy couldn't believe it. Nessie could be my boss?
"Ya dreaming, sweetheart."
"Or you wait in here for Mr. Jenkins."
Jim laughed. "I'm not scared of you."
"Mr. Jenkins is ready for you," called out Nessie. She stepped back, pulling Joy with her.
"Where is the mole?" Footsteps thudded on the concrete floor.
"I didn't mean it. I'll take the money," said Jim to Nessie.
"Too late." Nessie looked at him. "You had appropriate time to accept the offer. You made your choice clear."
"A man can change his mind."
"There you are, old chap," said Mr. Jenkins. "We have some talking to do." His men grabbed Jim before he could run away.
"No, no, I've got your money," said Jim as he struggled against being held. "That bitch took it from me."
"That bitch is my daughter," said Mr. Jenkins as he folded his arms over his chest.
Joy gasped. Daughter?
"Sorry, I … I … I didn't mean …"
"Take him away. I don't want my daughter to witness this." The men dragged Jim away.
"Please go easy on him Father," said Nessie.
"After the threats he gave you, I will make sure he gets what he deserves."
"And you will sort out the paperwork tonight."
"Your mother isn't going to like this."
"I can afford to do it myself. Besides, mother doesn't know that you've been gambling again or the sort of people you've been keeping company with. It's not what you want to be talked about right before the election." Nessie smiled sweetly at her father.
Mr. Jenkins groaned. "Don't go doing anything else until I've sorted this out." He strode off.
Joy stared after him. Her mouth open wide. "What … was … how?"
Nessie laughed and dropped the wrecking bar on the ground. "Close your mouth or you'll end up catching flies."
"Was that really your father?"
"Yes. With his help, I can afford to buy this Mecha Circus thanks to me putting a bet on Sally winning and you actually winning." She put her hands on her hips. "I can't believe you thought about losing. Do you know how much money I would've lost?"
Joy took a deep breath. "I'm glad I didn't lose then."
"So am I. Now thanks to you, I have my own money."
"Really?" Joy didn't want to get excited too soon. She'd already crashed from the elation of winning and didn't want a second crash within a few hours.
"Yes. For certain."
"Oi. Get outta here," Joy grumbled to the lackeys hanging around. They didn't stay to be asked twice and hurried away.
Joy stepped in close to Nessie and looked into her brown eyes. They were like the perfect pools of rich oil. She ran her hands up the bare skin of Nessie's arms, feeling her skin come alive with bumps.
"Thank you." Joy leaned in and softly kissed Nessie, finally getting a full taste of her salty pomegranate flavour. She pulled Nessie into her and felt her relax into the embrace.
"Excuse me," a boy stammered.
Joy glared over at the boy, ready to give him one angry lecture for the interruption.
The boy looked down to the ground. "Mr. Jenkins … I mean, your father wants to speak to you, Nessie."
"Tell him I'm coming," said Nessie.
The boy hurried away.
"Can't you stay?" asked Joy. Now the fight was over, her debt gone, she had a chance to get to know Nessie some more. The Mecha outfit would probably be leaving tomorrow. She wanted more time with Nessie.
"I'm a businesswoman now," said Nessie, stepping away. "Don't worry. You'll see me again."
"Promise?"
"Yes." Nessie's eyelashes fluttered, transferring the same movement to Joy's heart. "But I don't need to promise."
"But you'll be gone soon."
Nessie put her finger on Joy's lips. Joy's pulse thundered.
"I've got paperwork to sort out. If all goes well, we leave tomorrow," said Nessie.
Joy moved Nessie's finger away from her lips. "We? Tomorra?"
Nessie smiled. Patted down her dress. "I'm coming out on the circuit. It's part of the deal with my father."
"You're sure?"
"I've never been more sure." Nessie smiled.
"Good. I look forward to seeing you later," said Joy.
"Me
Joy couldn't believe it. Nessie could be my boss?
"Ya dreaming, sweetheart."
"Or you wait in here for Mr. Jenkins."
Jim laughed. "I'm not scared of you."
"Mr. Jenkins is ready for you," called out Nessie. She stepped back, pulling Joy with her.
"Where is the mole?" Footsteps thudded on the concrete floor.
"I didn't mean it. I'll take the money," said Jim to Nessie.
"Too late." Nessie looked at him. "You had appropriate time to accept the offer. You made your choice clear."
"A man can change his mind."
"There you are, old chap," said Mr. Jenkins. "We have some talking to do." His men grabbed Jim before he could run away.
"No, no, I've got your money," said Jim as he struggled against being held. "That bitch took it from me."
"That bitch is my daughter," said Mr. Jenkins as he folded his arms over his chest.
Joy gasped. Daughter?
"Sorry, I … I … I didn't mean …"
"Take him away. I don't want my daughter to witness this." The men dragged Jim away.
"Please go easy on him Father," said Nessie.
"After the threats he gave you, I will make sure he gets what he deserves."
"And you will sort out the paperwork tonight."
"Your mother isn't going to like this."
"I can afford to do it myself. Besides, mother doesn't know that you've been gambling again or the sort of people you've been keeping company with. It's not what you want to be talked about right before the election." Nessie smiled sweetly at her father.
Mr. Jenkins groaned. "Don't go doing anything else until I've sorted this out." He strode off.
Joy stared after him. Her mouth open wide. "What … was … how?"
Nessie laughed and dropped the wrecking bar on the ground. "Close your mouth or you'll end up catching flies."
"Was that really your father?"
"Yes. With his help, I can afford to buy this Mecha Circus thanks to me putting a bet on Sally winning and you actually winning." She put her hands on her hips. "I can't believe you thought about losing. Do you know how much money I would've lost?"
Joy took a deep breath. "I'm glad I didn't lose then."
"So am I. Now thanks to you, I have my own money."
"Really?" Joy didn't want to get excited too soon. She'd already crashed from the elation of winning and didn't want a second crash within a few hours.
"Yes. For certain."
"Oi. Get outta here," Joy grumbled to the lackeys hanging around. They didn't stay to be asked twice and hurried away.
Joy stepped in close to Nessie and looked into her brown eyes. They were like the perfect pools of rich oil. She ran her hands up the bare skin of Nessie's arms, feeling her skin come alive with bumps.
"Thank you." Joy leaned in and softly kissed Nessie, finally getting a full taste of her salty pomegranate flavour. She pulled Nessie into her and felt her relax into the embrace.
"Excuse me," a boy stammered.
Joy glared over at the boy, ready to give him one angry lecture for the interruption.
The boy looked down to the ground. "Mr. Jenkins … I mean, your father wants to speak to you, Nessie."
"Tell him I'm coming," said Nessie.
The boy hurried away.
"Can't you stay?" asked Joy. Now the fight was over, her debt gone, she had a chance to get to know Nessie some more. The Mecha outfit would probably be leaving tomorrow. She wanted more time with Nessie.
"I'm a businesswoman now," said Nessie, stepping away. "Don't worry. You'll see me again."
"Promise?"
"Yes." Nessie's eyelashes fluttered, transferring the same movement to Joy's heart. "But I don't need to promise."
"But you'll be gone soon."
Nessie put her finger on Joy's lips. Joy's pulse thundered.
"I've got paperwork to sort out. If all goes well, we leave tomorrow," said Nessie.
Joy moved Nessie's finger away from her lips. "We? Tomorra?"
Nessie smiled. Patted down her dress. "I'm coming out on the circuit. It's part of the deal with my father."
"You're sure?"
"I've never been more sure." Nessie smiled.
"Good. I look forward to seeing you later," said Joy.
"Me
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