Page 103

Beyond her desk, the club opens into one grand room. Deep plum walls rise toward a high ceiling covered in tiny lights. Curved velvet booths surround a long glowing bar, while private balconies look down from above. Fresh roses and green vines hang overhead.

The room is full but quiet. The booths sit far enough apart that you can’t hear the people around you. Near the bar, I recognize an actress from a show Grandma loves. The man beside her has appeared on the cover of every business magazine in the country. No one stares at either of them.

I guess that’s what people are really paying for here: the chance to disappear.

Eric leads me toward a booth at the far end, partly hidden by hanging greenery. Tom and Daniel are waiting for us.

Tom’s tie is loose, and his dark hair looks as though he’s pushed a hand through it more than once. He’s already smiling. Beside him, Daniel’s tie is perfectly straight. So is his posture.

Both men stand as we approach. I met them at the hospitality awards, but only long enough for Eric to introduce us.

“Rachel.” Tom’s smile widens as though he’s truly pleased to see me.

At the awards, I barely had time to look at either brother. Up close, Tom’s resemblance to Eric is clear. He has the same thick dark hair and strong features. But his warm eyes and easy smile make him seem far more approachable.

Daniel is just as handsome, though his leaner face and sharper features give him a colder edge. His calm stare makes me stand a little straighter when it settles on me.

He gives me a polite nod. “Good to see you again.”

We slide into the booth, with Eric and me opposite his brothers. Tom starts talking before the server reaches us.

“Has Chloe said anything about me?” Tom asks.

I glance at Eric, but he offers no help.

“Not much.”

Tom turns to his brothers, pleased. “She talks about me.”

“Not much,” Daniel says.

“Let him have it,” Eric replies.

Tom ignores them and leans closer to me. “What kind of men does she usually date?”

Chloe has made it clear that she wants Tom as a client, not a date. Like Eric, Tom seems to think her no is only the start of a negotiation. Maybe I can help her by convincing him they have nothing in common.

“She likes spiritual men.”

His brow furrows. “What does that mean?”

“Men who meditate and understand their feelings. She’s also very interested in astrology.”

“Astrology?”

“Birth charts. Compatibility. All of it.”

None of that is true. Chloe once left a date early because the man asked what time she was born.

“I can meditate,” Tom says.

Daniel laughs. “You can’t even sit still. You’ve changed position six times since they sat down.”

Tom goes perfectly still.

“Let it go,” Daniel says. “She doesn’t want you.”

Tom leans back and turns to him. “Are you really giving me advice about women?”