Under New Ownership

The handsome woman's face betrayed little emotion as she calmly listened to Valentino's request, or requests rather, her eyes narrowing slightly at his mention of an 'organization' he was representing. Her hawk like features taking in the charming financial advisor considering, "I may have what you are looking for, though the rates may be considerable --- this is Miami --- and 'extras' are at additional costs as deemed appropriate by the date."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, her body language drifting towards cold, "We've made it clear to the Russki we're not interested in any partnerships at this time."

Softening her tone, Joline offered Valentino a small polite smile, "Now. I'm sure a man such as yourself has exacting tastes. What exactly did you have in mind?"

---

Valentino raises his hand in appreciation.

"Bene. I would have said exactly the same to the Russki! Please don't give me a final answer now. Have a think and talk about it. My family have a rather different Modus Operandi based on mutual benefit, and I believe that in your business you may find some support beneficial, if only to keep the Russki away. Should it help your decision, I will offer you my personal services at a family rate!"

Moving on to a more pleasant topic, Valentino adds..

"I will not be requiring any extras, but charm and intelligent conversation are a must, a more than passable dress sense, and if she would turn a few heads that would be all to the good. Oh, and appreciation of the culinary arts."

He grins fiendishly.

"If I hadn't spoiled this meeting with thoughts of Russians, I might have had the courage to ask you! Still, I doubt your husband would approve."

Whatever thoughts Joline may have had on the reveal that Valentino was not involved with the Russians were hidden behind the woman's impeccably made up face. Instead cracking a smile at the executive's obvious attempt at meaningless flattery, while knowing the comment was made in jest it clearly was appreciated.

"Most of our girls are comfortable in the exclusive type environment you describe --- and we do have mature women available if that is your preference.

"To turn heads --- were you thinking someone more exotic?"

"I would like to leave the choice in your hands, if I may, Jolene. Whoever you think I would enjoy an evening with most, not to mention enjoy my company most!"

He winks.

"We all have to earn money, but if we can we should enjoy doing it!"

Of course, this is also a test of the lady's judgement, he thought. One must know one's customers, and one's employees.

The woman smiled - almost shyly - at the man's continued flirtatious attention, "I believe I have the perfect candidate in mind --- and speaking of earning, we have yet to discuss rates.

"It will be $600 for the evening. Paid in cash --- of which $400 must be paid up front to me, now. The remainder to your date upon meeting up."

She arched an eyebrow with a knowing smirk, "Needless to say you will be responsible for your date's expenses for the evening --- meal, drinks, transportation --- and as I mentioned. Any extras are at the purview of the escort," her tone seeming more practiced than actual concern over Valentino's ability to comply.

"That will all be quite in order."

Valentino responds, pulling out his wallet and extracting the required sum from a small wad of notes.

"If you would be so kind to ask the lady in question to meet me at Mercato Della Pescheria at eight thirty? There will be a table for two reserved in the name of Licario, should she arrive earlier than I."

The sharp features of Joline's face softened, eyes widening slightly in surprise and recognition of one of South Beach's upscale establishments.

"Of course," she exclaimed and accepting the down payment, her eyes drifting towards the financier appraising, "I can say this truthfully --- it has been a real pleasure. Please. Enjoy your evening."

Standing, she straightened her skirt and offered to escort the young Italian out with a motion of her hand towards the door.

Mercato Della Pescheria - Miami Beach, FL

Perhaps as could be predicted, Valentino's date arrived ten to fifteen minutes late, allowing the young financier to order drinks and have them brought to the table before sighting the host approaching. The confident woman at his side, slits in both sides of her dress revealing designer heels and long sexy legs attached to alluring hips that swayed as she walked. Her dress was tasteful, showing off her shape without giving away too much below a face with make up that accented her exotic heritage ...

Valentino thanked his hostess, his face also showing his pleasure. The discussion had not been a resounding success, but it had certainly ended on a positive note, and for that he was thankful. The next days would show if the tree would bear fruit.

He returned, therefore, to his flat in a light-hearted mood, and stood for a while before his wardrobe, contemplating his selection of evening-wear. Not that the average man on the street would notice the difference to what he wore during the day, he supposed. He rarely appeared in anything but a suit, and had not possessed a pair of jeans....well....ever....

With an impulse, Valentino reached for a printed shirt in mid-blue satin with a depiction of lotus flowers in the appropriate colour. A nicely cut single-breasted linen suit followed, in a darker blue and a pair of Taft Prince Double Monk Straps. He pocketed a suitable tie to add later in the evening, as he made his way downstairs.

He arrived at the restaurant about five minutes early, and had time to order himself an espresso and a bottle of sparkling water as he waited for his companion to arrive. When she did, he was glad he had time to recover himself as she crossed the room with Alfredo, for Jolene had kept her end of the bargain. If she wasn't a head turner, he didn't know who was.

As she approached the table, he was all smiles, offering her the traditional kiss on each cheek as he moved to pull out her seat for her..

"Many thanks for joining me at such short notice!"

He offers, returning to his own chair.

"I am Valentino. Very pleased to meet you!"

If his words didn't suffice to make her feel welcome, the typical gestures of the native Italian should serve as reinforcement.

The young woman offered the impeccably dressed executive a polite smile, offering her cheek with practiced ease, lowering herself softly into the offered chair, saying all the appropriate things while appearing every bit of a woman on a first date. "Elaheh," she offered a bit guarded - wise Valentino supposed for one in her profession - as she began to peruse the drink menu with the occasional smile in his direction, immune it seemed for the time being to his charm.

---

Realizing that this lady stood somewhat above the crowd and was not impressed by empty flourishes - no doubt she was used to them - Valentino sat back in his chair and endeavoured to do what he had been planning to do this evening. Enjoy himself!

After he had arranged for her to receive more reading matter in the form of the menu and specials list, he leant back and relaxed. He had checked the specials board on entering, and already knew his choice of both food and drink, unless Elaheh was interested in sharing a lobster, of course.

It might have been polite to pretend to study the menu, of course, but.....

Elaheh relaxed a bit as Valentino sat back in his chair, content it seemed to enjoy himself and the company, ordering a Mez-Cato - one of the house specials - and looked over the dinner menu, her eyes drifting over the edge to meet her charming and polite host who seemed to already know his choices.

"Perhaps you could offer a recommendation?" she finally offered feigning shyness.

"I assume also that you were provided the the --- who should we say stipulations for the evening?" the young woman added, dropping the volume of her voice so that Valentino struggled to hear.

"And what may I ask are your expectations of me for the evening?"

---

Valentino leans forward to whisper back.

"My expectations? I have none. I would like to enjoy an evening meal and a trip to an exclusive casino with an interesting and atttractive lady. If you do not find my company enjoyable, then you may leave at any time, and will be paid in full."

"If you decide to stay, I will see that you arrive home safely, and then I will return home myself. Until then, treat me as a new acquaintance, friend or business colleague as you wish."

He leans back again, relaxes again, and laughs.

"Recommendations? Well, if you care to share, I would recommend the lobster. I was intending to begin with the octopus. Still, you can't really go far wrong with seafood here."

He leans back in again.

"The steak and pasta are more than respectable, but not really their speciality."

He waves down a hovering waiter, and orders a bottle of La Scolca, one of his favourites. A full-flavoured white, more suited as an accompaniment to food than as a refreshing drink. He also asks Elaheh for her choice of sparkling or still mineral water, and orders a bottle.

Her dark eyes widened slightly, before narrowing behind a smile that appeared both pleasantly surprised and seemingly pleased - leaving the financier to guess his candid and reasonable expectations a breath of fresh air to the young lady who undoubtedly got her fair share of deviants.

"At your pleasure," she said with a slight nod of her head in agreement with his dinner selections. Her smile became more genuine as she placed the menu down, eyes a bit appraising as she politely selected the still mineral water over sparkling.

Her voice lowered once again, "Thank you for the offer but if I don't accompany my date to his or her home then I must insist on taking my own ride share --- You seem like a really nice gentlemen and all but you can never be to careful."

"I shall let you rethink that offer when you have met my driver. If it makes you more comfortable, I can ask her to deliver me home first."

"Well then, let us get at it!"

Valentino orders the octopus, a chopped salad to go with it, and the lobster to follow. Once the waiter has departed, he turns his attention back to his companion.

"So, the name Elaheh seems to indicate the Middle East! Might I ask where you are from?"

He shows genuine interest in her background, asks about her current career (presuming that this was a side affair) and is honest enough to reveal his own, without too many of the sordid details. After all, the name Licario was not a common one, and it was not hard to place amongst the world of......well....crime.

Then, he just followed the conversation where it lead, teasing out information on her hobbies and interests, as well as drawing out her opinions on his own.

Elaheh's eyes widened slightly in surprise, nodding slowly as her mouth pulled up into a slight smirk in indication that she was pleasantly impressed before admitting that the name was Middle Eastern - Persian in fact - and while Valentino could guess that the name was probably not her real one his genuineness coupled with his sophisticated world-wise persona seemed to put the young woman at ease. While still extremely guarded in providing much in the way of her personal details she was finally able to reach a comfort level with the charming financier to disclose that she had been born in Northern Iraq before her family fled persecution at the hands of the then current regime - she was very young at the time and had been raised in the US.

Her interests ran the gambit, typical of young ladies her age living in Miami she loved designer fashion, the beach - recalling unkindly the rocky desert of the land of her birth - and surprisingly MMA. She had no career aspirations. Originally getting into her current vocation in the hopes of earning and saving enough for college before becoming attached to the glitz and glamour it exposed her too. Though if she were to return to school it would be in the technology or medical field.

---

Valentino showed pleased surprise as Elaheh mentioned MMA, despite not being interested in the least in performing martial arts personally - unless you counted fencing, of course. He had actually been thinking of requesting from Jolene a girl who could take care of herself, but had left it in the end. As honest as he had been with his story, he hadn't wanted to link up his various activities. There was no benefit in giving the Russki more information than he had to if they happened to be listening in somewhere.

Valentino really did the enjoy the meal with Elaheh, and encouraged her to try out the desserts, although he personally stuck to his espresso. Well, he went for an Espresso Coretto as a bit of a celebration.

When the time was ripe, he messaged Sweet Mama for a ride, and ordered the check.

As per his stated aim Valentino made every effort to enjoy his self, keeping the conversation interesting without prying and encouraging Elaheh to experience what the renown South Beach establishment had to offer. Her somewhat guarded demeanor gradually began to relax, so much so that it was clear that the young lady too was enjoying herself, holding the cool, impeccably dressed financial trader by the arm and laughing with her head leaning on his shoulder as they exited to the Italian's waiting car.

Not unusual when it was expected that his evening activities may extend late into the evening hours, Sweet Mama had sent her nephew. He was well versed in his role as driver and what was expected of him, polite, and responsible - at least when performing his duties as Valentino's driver - though his Auntie confided quite often in her employer that she had concerns over the crowd he hung with and appreciated that Valentino didn't mind having the youth as driver on occasion as it was a lesson in responsibility and money well earned. It was not the young boy's first time driving for the financier and his date, opting for a nice pair of slacks and dark button down shirt in an attempt to be as professional as a young 17 year old could be.

"Wha happenin dey? {What's happening}" the dark skinned youth said by way of greeting, his beaded breads shaking with the accompanying nod. Ensuring the pair were settled he expertly maneuvered the vehicle into the traffic flow, looking into the rear view mirror he addressed Valentino, "Tanty ax dat {Auntie asked that} I give you this --- said you bruh drop it off". Casually an envelope was slipped between the two front seats, the youths eyes drifting occasionally to take in his other passenger before quickly flicking away - Valentino had requested that his date turn heads. "Oh gosh Gyul! {girl} Dat {that} dress dan-dan {sharp looking}, It take yuh {you look good wearing it}," the young man finally worked up the nerve to say. Elaheh while maybe unsure of the meaning, knew a compliment when she heard one and thanked the youth with a smile.

Miami Tower - Miami, FL

Ernesto and Fabio had come through, the envelope had contained an invitation and brief work up of the casino and it's proprietor - that on the latter unfortunately was not much more than a picture and confirmation that he never was far from his private security. Whether from a firm or hired direct it was unclear, most likely it took the hours he spent at the spa and dinner for the pair to secure an invitation and as per their agreement were probably inside mingling with the crowd should circumstances turn heated. Adeptly the nephew pulled up to the entrance to the brightly and colorfully lit high rise that had become widely recognized as a Magic City landmark, and expensive piece of real estate - indicative perhaps of the potential earnings the casino could provide.

---

Once he had checked out the folder, and its limited contents, Valentino turned back to his two companions, gently probing the young man for information on how he is doing, and whether he was still at school or engaged in some type of employment, but without getting too personal, considering they were not alone.

He also doesn't let Elaheh feel ignored, keeping up the friendly banter. In addition, he asks her if she has much casino experience, as he would like her to lead on the gambling side. He promises her a bonus out of any winnings if she is successful.

Everything discussed, and a basic plan of action formed in his head, he makes his way towards the elevator. He considered asking Sweet Mama's nephew to hang around in case they needed to leave fast, but decided against it. He had no intention of causing trouble, and he didn't want to put Elaleh in any danger anyway. Besides, he had backup.

Miami Tower - Miami, FL

Expertly pocketing the card key - that he knew must be the 'invitation' to the casino - and briefly scanning the write-up hastily scrawled in his brother's hand, Valentino continued to engage the vehicle's two other occupants. The young driver keeping the conversation light - with the occasional glance at the Italian born executive's attractive date - elaborating little on his school and work life. Elaheh for her part admitted having little exposure to casinos, though once it became clear the prominent Miami landmark was their destination confessed having attended clients there before. Well versed in what was expected of him when driving Valentino on an evening among company Jaden quickly exited the car and moved to open the door for Elaheh and extended a hand to politely help her from the car, catching the financier's eye he nodded, "Leh we {let me} know jus' now {in a little while} when yuh wanna pick up"

The well dressed, dark skinned youth then returned to the drivers seat and was merging back into traffic before Valentino could take his date's toned arm in his and turn his attention to the high rise, brightly light building before him and it's expansive glass curtained wall entrance. There was an armed security guard at a desk upon entry, but the old(ish) man barely looked up to return Elaheh's warm smile and pleasant wave. Seemingly more familiar with the gaming club then initially letting on, the young Persian woman deftly snatched the key card from the financial manger's hand, her slender well manicured hands placing it upon the reader with an alluring smile. The small laugh enticing as the doors slowly closed and the elevator began to ascend.

As one would expect of an access card to the penthouse levels the elevator rapidly climbed the structures massive height, the exclusivity and affluence required to afford the lease meaning a direct trip and as the chime sounded their destination the polished doors opened to a crowded yet elegant room. The massive floor to ceiling windows afforded an impressive view of the city and bay, the standard furnishings one would expect from a residence replaced with tables offering all manner of high stakes card games, craps tables, and even a roulette wheel in the sunken area of what must have been the penthouse's living area. There was an elegant bar, where scantily - yet elegant - serving girls were calling out orders to a pair of vested bartenders, and conveniently located in the elevator 'lobby' a cashier's table.