Page 20 of Sin City Lights

“Yeah, the one where they all jump up, dance flash-mob style, and then yank off their shirts and pants.”

Devon laughed.“You know these guys are real pilots.”

“This is Las Vegas. You suspect everyone of being fake until they prove otherwise.”

He gestured with his chin toward an older, stern-looking man sporting four gold bars on his black epaulets.“What role would Captain over there have in the flash mob?”

“Choreographer.”

He chuckled.

“You said this place was new.”

“Grand opening was last month. My buddy saw the need for a place for pilots to unwind and relax, with better food and service than airports and FBOs. This one’s the prototype, so to speak.”

“There will be more?”

“He’s going international. If this takes off.”

She groaned.“I can’t believe you said that.”

“Come on, that was a good pun.”

“There’s no such thing as a good pun.”

A waiter in uniform approached, dressed like a flight attendant, a gold-labeled champagne bottle in his hands.

“Your Veuve Clicquot, sir,” he announced.

“I took the liberty of ordering this for us in advance,” Devon explained.

“Hmm.” Eve’s brow furrowed. He’d never ordered champagne before.

Throughout the dinner, Eve sensed something was off with Devon but couldn’t figure out what it could be.

“So,” he began over a shared crème brûlée. He cleared his throat, fingering the neck of a teaspoon.

She looked at him questioningly.

He tapped the amber burnt-sugar crust, and it shattered. Spooning some shards, along with sinfully velvety cream, he offered it to her. She parted her lips and allowed him to feed her the sweet vanilla dessert.

“Mmm. This should be illegal.”

His pupils dilated as he slid the spoon out of her mouth.“Happy March twenty-second,” he said.

He waited a beat, his head tilting to the side, and she had an uncomfortable feeling that he expected her to know what that date meant.

She searched her brain but couldn’t come up with a thing. She gave him a blank stare.

He cleared his throat.“You don’t remember, do you?”

She detected a trace of hurt behind that charming smile of his. “I’m sure I will if you refresh my memory.”

“Today is the day we met.”

Oh.Oh…

“Has it been a year already?”

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