she exclaimed and gave the valet a warm hug. “I’m glad to see you’re back in town. How is your mother?”
Sean shifted, uncomfortable under Jethro’s stern regard, but the smile he turned on Lexi was full of warmth. “On her feet again. The knee surgery was just what she needed to get her pep back.”
“I’m glad to hear it. She’s too young to be sitting on the couch. You tell her I said hi.”
“I will. And I want to hear what’s going on with you.” Sean discreetly nodded in Jethro’s direction. “We’ll talk soon.”
“Yes, I’m off to view art.” She glanced his way, and Jethro absorbed the impact of her laughing eyes. “See you soon.” She bid her friend goodbye and made her way to his side.
He claimed her hand. “Do you know every valet in Las Vegas?”
“I know a lot. For all the tourists, Las Vegas is a small town. At least when it comes to the world of entertainers. Valeting is a common way to pick up extra money or pay the bills between jobs.”
“I see.”
“Is there a problem?”
“No.”
“Something’s bothering you,” she insisted. “Does it upset you that I stopped to speak to them? Because it would be rude to ignore the fact I know them.”
“It’s their job to provide discrete service and fade into the background. I’m sure they respect the dynamics of the job.”
“You’re saying it’s okay to be rude.”
“I’m saying, they’re working.”
“So you’re a snob.”
He sighed. “I’m not a snob. I just like getting where I’m going without a lot of meaningless chitchat.”
“It wasn’t meaningless.” She protested. “I was genuinely interested in how his mother was doing.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Then what is the point?” She easily kept stride with him as he led her toward the famous Caesar shopping mall.
“The point is it’s rude to be making a fuss over other men when you’re out with a man.”
“But we’re not on a date.” She reminded him with a tad more satisfaction than he cared for.
“We’re together. That’s what counts.”
“So it’s okay for me to be rude to them, but not to you?”
“Correct. No. Stop messing with me. You’re giving me a headache.”
She grinned, obviously pleased to be called on her teasing. “If you loosened up a bit, you wouldn’t get headaches.”
“Woman, you are a headache.”
“Ah, you say the nicest things. Oh, it’s the thunderstorm. I love this. Do we have time to watch?”
Without waiting for a response she skipped—yes, skipped—forward to perch on the stone bench of a fountain. He found himself following her, taking satisfaction in indulging her delight. She patted the space next to her inviting him to sit.
Suddenly an uncertain expression crossed her face and she popped to her feet. “Sorry—my oops. I know you want to get where you’re going.”
“Sit. Enjoy your show.” He sat. “And when we get to the showing, you can do something for me.”
“Ah.” She resumed her perch, her knee touching his, her gaze focused above on the changing skyscape of the indoor mall. The sunny day had darkened to gray clouds with flashes of lightning. “The job your dates perform for you.”
The comment annoyed him. So what if he wanted his companions to provide a service while they were with him. He paid good money for their company. And tipped well.
“You really are a pest. If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to.”
“Don’t be so touchy.” She bumped his shoulder. “Ah.” A gasp escaped her pretty lips when thunder boomed in the background adding audio to the overhead show. “I do love a good thunderstorm. I don’t get how all these people can walk by as if nothing is happening right over their heads.”
“Maybe they’ve seen it before. Or they’re caught up in the moment or the conversation. Or simply need to be somewhere.” Personally he couldn’t remember the last time he’d paused to notice the movement of the mock sky in the shopping mall. He had to admit it was pretty cool. It certainly added to the overall effect of a Roman city.
“What have you got?”
“I’m thinking this might be something to consider for Pinnacle for our next revamp. We could have simulated battle scenes.”
“Oh, and flames like the city is burning. With the postapocalyptic theme you could do all kinds of things with the skyscape, extreme sunsets and meteor storms, flash floods. You could even bring it down on the walls though that might compete with the casino action.”
“The tourists would love it. It would give them the sense of being in the game even more than the decor does now.”
He liked the creative way she thought. All tossed out so artlessly. Right. In his experience, nothing, not even ideas, were given away free. She wanted something.
He’d bet his life on it.
Above them, blue skies began to ease out the clouds and lightning. Lexi stood and smoothed her dress over her hips.
“It’s a great idea, but what I was actually asking is what would you like me to do for you at the party?”
PARTY? BLAST IT. In order to get his mind functioning again, Jethro dragged his gaze up to her face, not daring to linger on the intriguing hint of cleavage or her luscious lower lip.
She meant the showing. He’d almost lost his desire to attend the event tonight. But as owner of the gallery and the artist’s patron it would look bad if he didn’t at least put in an appearance. Plus, he believed in the man’s talent.
He and his friends made a great team evidenced by their huge success with Pinnacle. Yet the last few years, he’d felt compelled to prove he could succeed on his own. The gallery, like the restaurant, was his attempt at diversification.
“It’s nothing too difficult.” He stood, his hand going to the small of her back as he directed her along. “As a high-ranking officer at one of the premier entertainment conglomerates in the world, I get approached by a lot of people with ideas for the next best whatever. I’d like you to run interference for me.”
“I can see where that would get
