Kenneth looked up and cocked his head to the side, “Brian, I didn’t really need you to stay and watch the cleaners work. Why didn’t you just leave?”

  Brian shrugged, “I thought there might have been something you wanted me to do.”

  Kenneth shook his head, “No, not that I can think of.” He nodded toward the elevator at the far side of the room. “Go on, get out of here, enjoy the night. Have some fun for a change. That’s an order Brian. You’ve been a bit up tight lately.”

  Brian glowered at his Head of House but didn’t say anything. Instead, he simply walked to the elevator, summoned it, and disappeared as the doors closed behind him.

  Kenneth watched him go. Brian had been in a mood tonight. Maybe it was just tonight? He would have to ask Brian if everything was alright between him and Rachel.

  Speaking of. He checked his watch and stood up, throwing his jacket over his shoulder. He stopped and looked at himself. Goddammit! That loser had gotten blood on his suit. Well, he would have to burn these clothes, that stain would never come out. As it was, he was running a bit late.

  Oh well. He rushed to the elevator and summoned it. He took it up to his apartment and went into the bedroom. He stripped quickly and jumped into the shower. Five minutes later he was drying himself and shaving. He redressed quickly and keyed a message on his phone to Michael, his driver.

  Michael was waiting next to his Jaguar with the door open. Since Kenneth had taken over as Head of House Dukart he had kept Michael on full time. Michael had gotten a bit of a raise and was able to hire a manager for his contracting business, to oversee the night time operations and sometimes covering his early morning shifts if Kenneth kept him particularly late into early morning hours before sunrise.

  Kenneth slid into his car and let Michael close the door behind him. Michael got behind the wheel and Kenneth told him simply, “The Cobalt Club.”

  Michael didn’t say anything but drove out of the parking garage smoothly and out onto the downtown roads. It wouldn’t take long to get there. From the House Dukart Tower in downtown L.A. everything was within thirty minutes, unlike when he lived out in the suburbs. Those drives had been a nightmare. Kenneth let Michael drive him.

  He wondered what she would be wearing? He wondered if she would have accepted his suggestions. The fashion that he had hinted at would have been perfect for her tall and elegant frame. The poise that she carried herself with was something that he was finding harder and harder to not obsess over. He really wanted to go faster. But soon enough Michael was pulling up to the valet parking in front of the Cobalt Club.

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  Kenneth got out of the car and inhaled the warm night city air. He smiled a bit as he walked in through the VIP entrance with no problems, glancing down the long line of potential customers waiting to be let inside.

  The Cobalt club was something of an oddity in downtown LA. It was part dance club, part restaurant, part old school night club. The place was separated into five sections that each branched off from the main hub foyer. Which is where Kenneth found himself presently.

  Looking down the various wings of the club he couldn’t help but feel like Dante or Theseus. Which path would one take? Which level of hell would you find yourself at? Where would the minotaur be hiding? Would it be the Trance psychedelic wing of the club? The elegant high rolling dinner and dance section? Would it be the dance club section, or the speak easy inspired quiet lounge section? So many choices, but he chose the dinner and dance section, there was no other destination in his mind.

  The Cobalt club was able to have these different varieties of club experiences for its patrons because of the state-of-the-art sound proofing and the way the building itself was built. All the sound from each section was forced back in on itself because of the way the speakers and the walls were shaped. It really was a marvel of architecture. Of course, The Romans had taken advantage of this same technology and sound characteristics long before this country existed.

  He walked off to his right and entered the diffused white light of the dinner lounge atmosphere of the dinner and night club portion of the Cobalt Club. He was stopped by the host and confirmed his reservation and identity. He had no patience for things like this, but sacrifices had to be made.

  He was led to his table and was happy to see that Nova had already sat herself. She was draped in a beautiful blue dinner gown that shimmered like water. It was both eye catching and yet subdued. A rich garment that hung perfectly from her slender shoulders, that was anything but gaudy.

  He sat down opposite from the woman. Her long black hair hung down in soft curls that was a waterfall onto her back, held in place by a seashell comb giving just another touch to the very aqua motif that the woman wore exceptionally well. Her hand held her head in a statuesque pose that couldn’t have been more appropriate if it was carved on a Roman statue. Her dark brown eyes gazed at him and her lips, touched with just the right pop and hue of red, smiled warmly up at him as he walked up to the table. Taking her offered hand he gently kissed the darkly tanned skin before sitting down.

  “Were you waiting long?” Kenneth asked as he took up the menu and glanced at the drink selection.

  Nova simply smiled, “not at all. I know you’re busy. I only arrived about fifteen, twenty minutes ago.”

  Kenneth nodded and waved over a waiter, “The lady and I will have the 1980 Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva Tempranillo.” He absently folded the menu and handed it to the waiter. His full attention had never really left the woman in front of him. She gazed at the stage and the white alabaster music stands. The soft blue lighting around the raised dais gave the place the feel of being in or around water. If Kenneth didn’t know any better, he would have sworn that she had dressed to match the décor of the club itself.

  Nova let her gaze softly slide around the room until her eyes rested on Kenneth. She hadn’t noticed until her eyes met his steel grey ones, that he had been looking at her and her alone. She allowed a perfect smile to crease her lips. “What are you looking at?”