“Not exactly. She didn’t say yes either. She’s fiercely independent,” Talan explained. He launched into the story of their meeting and subsequent encounters.
Lachlan listened and then said, “She sounds feisty. You need that.”
“She’s the only person besides you that doesn’t hold anything back when they talk to me. She’s better looking than you though, thankfully,” Talan said, laughing. Lachlan said nothing further, but gave him the finger in answer.
By the time they finished the walk-through of the building, it was almost midnight. Neither of them had managed a meal prior to the tour of the new location. Talan was hungry, and instead of begging off like he normally did, he decided he’d go out with Lachlan.
After a quick stop back at the hotel, they wandered down Ocean Boulevard. Eventually they stumbled onto a small cart that served both Cuban sandwiches and Type-O. When Lachlan ordered both a sandwich and a pint, he decided what the hell...it had been years since he’d had a sandwich. Who knows? Maybe they had improved. While they waited for the order, Lachlan stared at him as if he had sprouted another head.
Finally he said, “What? I haven’t had a sandwich in years. I thought I’d try it.”
A smug grin on his face, Lachlan said, “I don’t know why you stopped eating. That’s one of the best things about being one of the Transfigured. I can eat whatever I like and I’ll never get fat.”
Talan shrugged and said, “I started to lose my taste for food a few hundred years ago. In the 1960s, I finally just gave up on it. Except for Scotch. I doubt I’ll ever give up on Scotch.”
“I’d be worried if you did, my friend,” Lachlan said as they waited for their order.
Moments later, they settled down on a park bench and ate. To his surprise, the sandwich was rather enjoyable. The ham had been salty, the pork rich and moist. The pickles and crispy bread had added texture and tang. Perhaps he’d have to start eating again.
Once they had finished their meals and the sandwiches, they continued to wander down Ocean Avenue until Lachlan finally said, “Now I have a taste for Scotch.”
They went into the first bar they could find that wasn’t blasting music so loud it could be heard outside. They ended up at a relatively empty cigar bar. After purchasing a decent cigar, out of curiosity, Talan ordered the Balvenie 12 Year that Lilly had suggested the other night.
Lachlan laughed for a moment and then asked, “Are you in financial trouble, Tal? I can spot you some decent Scotch.”
“One of the bartenders suggested it the other night. I’m seeing if they were correct,” Talan answered as he waited.
“Swill,” Lachlan commented. “It had to have been Lilly. Only a woman would recommend that crap.”
Talan merely raised an eyebrow and said, “She started with Glenmorangie Signet and Macallan 21 Year. She started talking about flavor notes. I was curious how much knowledge she had, so I asked her what she would have recommended if I didn’t own the casino.”
Lachlan laughed and asked, “Balvenie 12 Year and what else?”
“Laphroaig Triple Wood. She told me it was more smoky. It didn’t sound like anything I’d enjoy. This is supposed to have notes of sweet vanilla, though.”
While Lachlan sipped his drink, Talan sniffed at his. It smelled a bit more astringent than he normally liked. He supposed that was what you got when you drank a fifteen-dollar glass of Scotch. He took a tentative sip and his eyebrows raised. Lilly was right. It wasn’t half bad. He savored the slow burn of the liquor as it slid down his throat. He really needed to move her out of that shitty bar. She was far too talented to be buried away serving whatever was on tap.
Lachlan asked, “So?”
In answer Talan passed him the glass. He sniffed it hesitantly and said, “Smells like lighter fluid.”
“Taste it,” Talan offered. “It’s actually pretty decent.”
When Lachlan sipped at the Scotch, he looked even more hesitant. His eyebrows rose as he swallowed. “Not bad. I don’t hate it.”
Talan took the proffered glass back, then relaxed against the leather wingback chair as he thought of her. It had been five days since he’d seen her. He was glad his business was almost done. He had been to Seattle first, spending three days of negotiations with SATI, the Society for the Advancement of Transfigured Individuals, then a night lost to travel.
He was glad Lachlan had been able to meet him down here. The build-out for the new casino was over budget and behind schedule. Between Talan’s business sense and Lachlan’s law background, they’d likely be able to make sense of what the construction company was doing. In his phone conversations, he couldn’t tell if it was just the construction firm screwing up or whether they were being taken for a ride. Now that they’d both seen it, there would be a conference call in the morning with the project manager. He looked at Lachlan, considered his drink, and asked, “So do you think they’re taking advantage or just screwing up?”
“I don’t know,” he said, his accent even more well-pronounced than usual. “Doesn’t matter, really. The contract is ironclad. They’re not getting another dime from us until the building is done. It only hurts them to drag their feet.”
After they finished their drinks, they headed back to the hotel. Talan bid Lachlan farewell in the hallway and stepped into his suite. He peeled out of his dress clothes and got straight into the shower. Next time he came here, he’d be better off packing shorts.
****
By the time Talan got home the next night, he was wiped out. It had been a long few days between the negotiations and fixing the issues in Miami. He was more than ready for a rest. Not tonight, though. One of the bartenders at one of the clubs on premises had been caught selling drugs to an undercover police officer. He needed to speak with his bar manager and figure out what he knew. Then he needed to talk to his PR people internally to make sure the casino’s reputation wasn’t tarnished.
He wanted to see Lilly, but there hadn’t been any damned time tonight. Her shift was over now. It would have to wait another night, he supposed. Picking up his pace, he cut through the cash office on the way to the nightclub and stopped short as someone rounded the corner and ran directly into him. He looked down to see the object of his thoughts standing before him.