“Are you fuckin’ serious right now?”
She held her hands out in a would I joke about this kind of gesture?
“For fuck’s sake, get the guys to change it,” I said, sighing deeply. “Can’t have Chuck screwing his mistress and her friend in strawberry Jell-O instead of cherry.”
Drea nodded and rushed back down the hallway.
Had I ever seen myself managing shit like bathtubs of Jell-O for a living? Hell no. But given the numbers Jeff had just gone over with me, I’d gladly spend years doing this. I’d known the club was doing well, but damn. The success of this place allowed me to save money for the one person who meant the most to me, and that was everything. It also meant I could afford to get some tailored suits and take Viv out for a fancy date this weekend, no costs spared. Wine and dine her and soak up a little more of the way she looked at me.
The way she makes me feel like I’m a better man than I am.
But what then? Take away the nice suit, and what was I?
I’d never tried to be anything other than exactly what I was, but if Viv knew the real me, she’d never look at me the same way again.
I pushed that thought away. No need to ruin a perfectly good date night with a beautiful woman. And if the thought of misleading her for another night pricked at my conscience, I ignored it.
Why?
Because I’m a selfish bastard.
Viv
MY HEART RACED AS I crossed my tiny living room to open the front door. When I swung it open, my pulse kicked up even harder. This time Kane didn’t look nervous. Confidence and desire swam in his dark gaze as it swept over me from head to toe and then back up again.
“Hey. You ready?”
I nodded, my purse already in hand. I’d been ready for a while now. Since last Friday night, actually.
After I locked up, Kane took my hand and led me down the stone stairs to the Town Car.
“You look nice,” he said, opening my door.
I’d gone more casual tonight, choosing dark skinny jeans, tall brown boots and a forest green blouse. He wore dark brown pants and an off-white dress shirt with the top button undone.
“You, too,” I said, sliding onto the leather seat.
“Hi, Len,” I said to Kane’s driver. “How’s it going?”
“Good.” He met my eyes in the rearview mirror and grinned.
Kane slid into his seat and closed the door.
“To Calypso, boss?” Len asked.
“Yep.”
I turned to Kane, frowning. “No. Are you serious? That place is super expensive. And I’m wearing jeans.”
“You look great.”
I couldn’t hold back my cringe. “We don’t need to go to a place like that. I’m happy with pizza.”
“We’ll get pizza next time.”
“But—”
“Viv.” His brows sank down in an ominous glare. “I had to jump through hoops to get this reservation. We’re goin’ to Calypso and we’re gonna eat the fuck out of all that fancy food.”
“Okay. Thank you. I don’t know how you pulled it off. One of the partners at my firm has been trying to get in there for a couple months now and it’s always booked solid.”
He shrugged.
“What were the hoops?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
“Well . . . you know we’ll cater to just about any desire in our Sky Suites at the club.”
I turned to face him. “Sky Suites? Like the room we had dinner in?”
“Yeah. All the upstairs rooms are called Sky Suites. Some are smaller, some are huge. We rent them by the hour but most people want them for a whole night.”
A few seconds passed and I arched my brows expectantly. “And?”
“And the owner of Calypso now has a suite for next weekend.”
“For . . . ?”
Kane smiled cryptically. “I never ask clients that. The less I know, the better.”
“Something tells me you know your fair share.”
“Can’t help it sometimes. Makes me feel really fuckin’ boring to find out what some people are into.”