I laughed. "I guess I should've considered that."
"So, tell me about the Roarkes."
"My Uncle Daniel married Brianna Roarke. She's not with the Rourke company. She decided to go out on her own, and like me and Sam, she owns a few clubs. Her brother Devin has expanded the Rourke restaurants and clubs. I haven't been to the one here in Las Vegas and figured now was a good time to check it out."
She studied me for a minute. "You're close with your family, aren’t you?"
It almost sounded like she was surprised. I knew there were lots of families that had dysfunction and chaos, but it was hard to believe that my family was the only one that for the most part got along well. My Uncle Daniel and Brianna were happy. My Uncle Zach and his family were happy too. But I’d once overheard my dad and uncles talk about their father, who sounded like a miserable fuck. I wasn’t sad that I never got to meet him.
"Yeah, I guess we are. My brother and I are twins, so we're definitely close. I have a younger sister who is great. And our parents are happily married. It’s all pretty boring, actually." This time, I studied her. "I get the feeling it's not the same for you."
She shrugged and looked out the window. I was about to change the subject because I didn't want anything to sour the mood of our date, but then she said, "I'm close to my brother too. We’re not twins. It’s been more like me and him against the world. Or in our case, against our dad. Our mom took off, so I suppose I should give my dad some credit for sticking around, but he's not a great person."
I reached over, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. "Well, as far as I can tell, his daughter is a great person."
She gave me that lovely smile again.
We arrived at the Roarke, and although it was difficult for most people to get reservations, one of the perks of coming from an affluent family, particularly one who knew Devin Rourke personally, I was able to get one. It wasn’t just any table, either. I imagined it had to be the best table in the place. Like the Roarke restaurant in New York, this one was high on the top floor of a skyscraper. The difference was that this one rotated, giving us a 360-degree view of Las Vegas.
Of course, nothing beat the view of the woman who sat across from me. Yep. If I were like my brother and prone to falling in love, this woman could quite possibly be the one I’d tumble for.
CHAPTERFOUR
Amelia
It was laughably nuts how nervous I was for my evening with Max. I felt like I was in high school, finally landing a date with the most popular guy. When I left my townhome to meet him, practically every dress I owned was lying on my bed after having tried them all on to find the best one. Ultimately, I decided on the teal dress, which wasn't necessarily as sexy as some of my other dresses, but the color looked great on me, and while it wasn't snug, the cut did accentuate my assets. Not wanting to deal with traffic or parking, I decided to get a rideshare to Max's hotel. Whether I left later that night, or hopefully the next morning, I'd be able to order another ride home.
When Max exited the elevator and made his way toward me, his gaze scanned my body. The smile on his face told me that I'd chosen the right dress. He wore the typical suit a man on a date might wear, dark gray slacks and a crisp white shirt, but he wore them very well. He looked like he’d stepped out of an ad in a men’s magazine.
When he said we were going to the Roarke, on the one hand, I wasn't surprised since I knew his connection to the family, and yet on the other hand, I hadn't expected that he would go all out for dinner. It was likely to cost several hundred dollars by the time we were done. Of course, to someone like him, the money was a drop in the bucket. My father was rich, but not the kind of rich that Max was. My business did very well. I expected to finish the year in the high six figures. But I also had quite a bit of overhead. I'd been supporting myself from the time I graduated from high school because my father never gave anyone anything without wanting something in return, and I didn't always like or trust the price my father wanted me to pay when I asked him for money. All that to say, having dinner at the Roarke wasn't on my radar in my modest life.
When we were seated at the table, the only thing that was able to take my eyes off Max was the view. I grew up in Las Vegas, so I knew it well and was rarely impressed anymore. But I had to admit, the slowly rotating restaurant with the three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of Las Vegas was spectacular. I made a mental note to create a savings pot to come to the Roarke for breakfast or lunch so I could see the view when it was light out.
The only thing that could make this dinner dour would be having to talk about my family, so I was glad when Max dropped the subject in the car on the ride over.
"Shall I order a bottle of wine? Do you prefer white or red?" he asked.
"Either, or both, is good for me."
He flashed me a grin. "Both? You can drink an entire bottle of wine on your own?"
"I imagine I could, but it might also put me to sleep." There was no way I would fall asleep before having him touch me again.
"We can't have that." He winked.
When our server arrived, Max ordered a bottle of red wine, which a quick look at the wine list said was over $800. My father had ordered some expensive bottles of wine before, but I'm pretty sure none of them were $800.
"So, how did the hunt for your Golden Age of Hollywood club go today?" I asked once the server brought back the wine and poured us each a glass.
"Not bad. I walked away with two possibilities. One of them I really like, but it has a dismal history for businesses."
"Really? Where is it located?"
"I was told it was one of the first clubs in the city, way back during the Bugsy Siegel days."
"You mean the Desert Oasis.” The building looked like a wreck, but it was famous for being old and cursed.
He nodded. “I think that's what it was called."