“We should have this on the menu,” I said, awkwardly trying to steer the night back into safer territory. “So, why did you want to come here?”

“Bar B has the best reviews of all the local clubs. It’s a perfectly middle ground between the more seedy establishments and the luxury ones.”

“Don’t knock the seedy ones.”

I’d spent many an enjoyable night in the local dive bars and clubs. True, I was usually working. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy a drink or two and the music.

“I’m not. They all have their place. But this is more what I have in mind for our club. It invites everyone from all different backgrounds, but has a decent cover charge and can charge premium for drinks.”

I knew that was what Renzo had in mind as well. The more profitable a club was, the more money we could wash through it.

“Is this what you have in mind for the VIP section?” I asked, gesturing around at the barred-off area we were sitting in. There were six booths in total, most of which were occupied.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“There are too many tables. True VIPs—the kind who aren’t going to hesitate to drop ten grand in drinks for their friends—are going to want to feel like they’re getting something truly exclusive.”

That made a certain kind of sense, I guess.

“How many are you thinking? Four?”

“Three. The balcony isn’t that big, and we don’t want to have to turn away someone’s entourage because the other tables have put the area at its max.”

I didn’t expect him to have such in-depth answers right on the spot. It was kind of hot when a man was just… really knowledgeable about something. I mean, I’d once had a three-day fling with a guy who’d talked for an hour about the building of some cathedral in Europe somewhere. It wasn’t even the topic that got me; it had been his passion and confident expertise in the area.

And Soren, he was definitely passionate and proficient in the topic of clubs. Even if, outwardly, nothing about him suggested he was a club kind of guy.

“Why did you get into nightclubs?” I asked as Soren refilled my glass. He hadn’t even touched his own. “Were you a big club-goer when you were younger?”

“Not at all, no. Honestly, I was hungry to make a name for myself as quickly as possible. And, I won’t lie, as much money as possible. I had a little cash to invest. And my research said that while nightclubs—like restaurants—have a high failure rate, they also allow you to make a lot of money relatively quickly. Since new clubs bring in a lot of traffic right away.”

“Was your first club a success?”