More questions instantly sprang to mind.
“Gentlemen, Ari DeMille.”
We shook hands. This time it didn’t bother me at all. Dane had helped to ease that phobia of mine.
He added, “And, of course, you know Ethan.”
“Yes, it’s nice to see you again. And to meet you all.” I gave a smile. “I’ll leave you to your business.”
“Thank you for lunch,” the sultan politely said.
“It’s my pleasure.”
I returned to the kitchen island, where I had paperwork and images spread across the countertop.
Dane and his associates disbanded in the early evening. I couldn’t begin to fathom what they’d spent an entire day discussing. Ethan stayed for dinner, which was Cornish game hens and steamed vegetables that Dane cooked.
I used the opportunity to grill Ethan.
“I understand you’re an economics professor.”
He nodded. “Recently retired from my tenure at Harvard.”
“Where you and Dane met?”
I heard Dane snicker behind me, from his station at the stove. Ethan and I sat on upholstered barstools at the island, which I’d cleared of my work. Dane knew what I was up to, obviously.
Ethan said, “Yes, Dane was a student of mine. A brilliant one, at that.”
“Were you involved in the hotel he built in Tahoe??
??
“No, he went solo on that one. I invested in the Vegas casino, though.”
“I imagine that was a substantial undertaking.”
“Dane has a gift. Excellent taste, an eye for luxury, and a good sense of what’s appealing architecturally.”
“Agreed,” I said. “And do the two of you share other interests, besides business and golf?”
With a grin—because Ethan apparently also discerned my tactic for trying to find out more about Dane—he told me, “We were each on rowing teams when we were students. Both rowed in the annual Harvard-Yale Regatta.”
“And won,” Dane murmured in my ear as he leaned in close. Then he crossed to the table to set out the dishes.
So there had to be some pictures floating around of the crew, right? Unless he’d conveniently excluded himself from photo opportunities. But, why?
I frowned.
Ethan nabbed my attention again. “He’s also an amateur pugilist—could have gone pro. Boxing’s not something I ever picked up.”
“Probably had your nose in a book instead,” Dane joked.
“More than likely.”
It was nice to hear them banter, to not see Dane quite so tense.
I asked more questions over dinner. Dane begrudgingly answered some of them; Ethan filled in most of the blanks. All surface stuff, really. Dane told me he’d selected Tahoe for his first hotel because he’d liked the lakeside location. Vegas had been more about making money on a flip, since it had been prime real estate on the Strip. The ultimate goal had always been the Lux. For him and his associates.