Haha, I know this feeling >.>. It is a lovely start, though :D.

I think you've definitely started well with Jenni -- you might want to (since you're brainstorming for plot type things) develop the plot with directly thinking "how is Jenni involved in this, is she involved in the smuggling or only aware of it? What are her feelings about it? What're her motivations for joining the circus?" -- I usually find that if I poke the characters often enough they will themselves create plot threads/plot points from how the complicate and overlap. Because, yeah, I could see how she could turn into just a conduit for introducing Natasha to Barney, and that'd be sad :).

I really do like the sort of morally grey atmosphere you have going at Carson's so far -- they are mostly people with shady pasts, but they are friendly and accepting to their own and not that suspicious of Natasha. Bad guys are people too -- and people who do bad things are not always bad guys :).

... haha, that was like 500 more words than you needed. BUT SAFE TO SAY, I am intrigued.