“I’ve never seen my brother worked up over a woman before, so it must take someone special to hold his attention like that.”
“Well, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You should.”
Smiling, I focus on the yellow legal pad. “So, head count. Any idea?” I ask.
“Probably close to one hundred and fifty.”
I hand Dante the tablet. “Why don’t you start making a list of names. I’m going to use the restroom and grab a water.” And collect my thoughts. “Would you like one?”
Dante shakes his head.
By the time I get back, he has a decent list, and I help him round it into something he feels his parents would be happy with. We include close family and friends, as well as some of his father’s colleagues, and by the time we’re finished, we’re sitting at two hundred guests.
“That’s too many.”
Dante starts crossing off names, and after a little while, he nods. “One hundred and twenty. That’s better.” He shakes his head in disbelief. “If you pull this party off without a hitch, we’re going to owe you a big-ass bonus.”
“I’ll take my bonus in the form of romance novels. Preferably eBooks so I can read them on my Kindle.”
“Done! Rex would love to do that.”
I laugh. These two have way too much fun throwing each other under the bus.
Opening the binder, I look at the capacity of different venues, and I’m able to rule out half based on size. Then I rule out another five based on price.
“What’s wrong with those?” Dante points to one. “My buddy owns this one.”
“Well, it’s way too expensive for what you need.”
Dante shakes his head. “Price isn’t an object, Shae.”
“To be honest, I really don’t think you need a venue at all because you’ve already got the perfect one.” To his questioning look I say, “Vault.”
His brows nearly hit his hairline. “Vault? But it’s a club.”
“You see a club; I see possibilities—lights, flowers, white tablecloths. It’s perfect, and once I decorate it, trust me, no one will be able to tell it’s a club. You can save your money on the venue and spend it elsewhere—gorgeous, fresh flowers, a nice jazz band.”
“We’d have to shut down for a night.”
Well, shit. “I didn’t think of that.”
He smiles. “I don’t mind shutting down for a night.”
“You don’t?”
He shakes his head.
“What about Rex? Do you think he’ll mind?” I ask.
“Mind what?” Rex asks, coming across the floor.
I didn’t even hear him walk back in.
I stand, handing him the guest list to look over. “I was just telling Dante that you guys should consider having the party at Vault. It would save money, and it’s the perfect size. Plus, you could open the bar up and bring in your own staff to work it.”
Rex looks at Dante. “I love it. What do you think?”