Night on the Town

Eleni

We walk out of Louie’s shop, and I blink in the summer sun. Everything that happened in the tiny jewelry shop starts to feel like a dream.

“What now?” I ask. “Can we finally go home and deal with whatever makes you keep checking your phone?”

Abruptly, I realize he hasn’t looked at his phone since we stepped into Aurora’s. But I’d be surprised if Louie had ever heard of Wi-Fi, much less spent his mornings texting prospective clients.

“Yes and no.” Dante smiles. “I’m done with my phone, because everything is arranged, but we’re not going home.”

I scowl at him. My feet are starting to hurt. Maybe I need to build up stamina before I invite Gianna on one of these. I’ve watched a few of her shows now, and it seems like stamina is the one thing a pole dancer needs in spades.

“We are going to stay the night in the city at a five-star hotel,” Dante says.

* * *

A short walk, a conversation with a very snooty concierge, and a strangely tense elevator ride later, I stride into a suite near