Page 5 of Rules Of Engagement: St. Louis
We stared at each other as the countdown commenced. “Going once, going twice…”
“Sure.”
“Forty thousand,” I called out.
The room fell silent. “Forty thousand going once... going twice... sold to Mr. Christian Valentine!”
Applause filled the ballroom, and Naomi leaned close to my ear. “That was completely insane.”
“Not when you’ll be mine that weekend.”
Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“I’m only half kidding.”
She shook her head, but I saw her fighting a smile.
The evening wound down, and I wasn’t ready for it to end. The thought of dropping Naomi off and returning to my empty penthouse didn’t delight me.
“Are you hungry?” I asked as we collected our coats.
“It’s past eleven, Christian.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
She considered me, her lips curving into a grin. “I could eat.”
“Good. I know a place.”
“This is your idea of a place?” Naomi asked as I pulled up in front of Bar Note, a late-night jazz club on the discreet side of town.
“Trust me.”
The interior was all exposed brick and intimate lighting, with a small stage where a trio played soft jazz. We grabbed a booth in the back corner, away from the main crowd.
“This is not what I expected,” she said, sliding into the booth.
“What did you expect?”
“Some pretentious restaurant with a wine list longer than my graduate thesis.”
A waitress approached, a woman in her forties with kind eyes and no patience for nonsense. “What can I get you two?”
“Whatever you recommend that goes well with good conversation,” I said.
“Two orders of the midnight pasta and a bottle of the Sangiovese,” she replied without hesitation.
When the waitress left, Naomi leaned back in the booth. “So this is where Christian Valentine comes to unwind?”
“Sometimes. When I need to relax away from everyone, my thoughts included.”
“And here I thought all entertainment lawyers lived on overpriced sushi and networking events.”
I grinned. “I’m a guy who likes food that’s prepared for the soul, the same with the company I keep.”
Her lips spread into a soft grin, and she nodded but kept her thoughts private. Our wine arrived, and Naomi took a sip.
“Can I ask you something?”
