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“I know a place.” Tom grins then pushes to his feet, and I follow him out of my office to the elevators at the end of the hall.
“Your car will be waiting, Mr. English,” my secretary calls from behind me.
Peering over my shoulder, I give her a nod. “Thanks, Mary. See you on Monday. Have a fun weekend with those grandkids of yours.”
Fifteen minutes later, my car pulls up outside a bar I don’t recognize. I glance at Tom and he smiles. “I bought it last month. It was time to do something different. I’m bored, man, and you know what I do when I get bored.”
Yeah, I do. He spends money—lots of it.
I survey the exterior of the building from the sidewalk. The name is splashed across the wall in a big, neon-blue script: The Aquarium. It’s clean, in a good area, and there is a line of people already gathered out in front. We, of course, skip it, walking straight through the doors without a backward glance at the people waiting in the heat of the night.
“Interesting name for a bar,” I murmur as we walk along a darkened corridor toward a set of heavy, blue velvet curtains.
Tom’s grin widens. “It’ll make sense in a minute.”
A hostess greets us as we approach the curtains, the muffled sound of the music seeping through just slightly.
“Mr. English, so good to see you again. I’ll have your booth prepared immediately. Will there be anyone else joining this party tonight, sir?” the woman croons.
“No, thank you, Mira. Only my cousin Sam and myself this evening.”
Mira nods and presses a button on a small headset I didn’t even notice she was wearing, murmuring something then smiling brightly at Tom again. “Would you like me to escort you through tonight, Mr. English?”
The corner of Tom’s mouth hooks in a smirk as he shakes his head slightly. “I think we can manage. Thank you, Mira.”
Without another word, she tugs one of the heavy curtains aside to allow us entry. Tom gestures for me to go first, and as I step over the threshold, I’m taken aback by the scene around me. Now the name makes perfect sense.
“Amazing, right?” Tom says, clasping a hand over my shoulder. And all I can do is nod.
“Jesus Christ!”I just about yell as a shark swims right over my fucking head. A shark. Like a real, live, man-eating shark.
“I know.” He chuckles. “See why I had to buy this place? I’ve never seen anything like it.” Then he gives my back a shove, moving me forward through a glass tunnel.
“It’s a literal aquarium,” I say in wonderment.
“Yep, and a bar. What could be more relaxing than admiring fish while you drink?”
True enough, I suppose. I have a fish tank built into the wall at my office and two at home. It helps me decompress, watching their sleek bodies glide through the water so effortlessly.
We emerge from the tunnel into a huge open dome, fish of all shapes, sizes, and colors surrounding us. A square bar is situated in the middle of the area, also made from glass. As we get closer, I squint at the flecks of gold flickering through the clear panels. “Are they goldfish?”
Tom simply nods, remaining silent as I take in the space around me. A mezzanine encircles the entire dome, sectioned into six parts hidden behind more heavy blue curtains. “What’s up there?” I ask, gesturing with my chin.
“Private booths,” he says, pride emanating from him as he strides toward a set of stairs.
I take in the view as we reach the top. The main floor is broken into three distinct areas. One for lounging, filled with couches, large floor cushions, and armchairs. The second seems to be for dining. And the third is more like an actual bar with high-top tables encircled by stools.
Tom opens the curtain, letting me through first then closing it behind him.
Just as I take a seat on a sleek, dark-purple sofa facing the ginormous tank we’re sitting inside, a petite redhead appears with an antipasto tray in hand. She places it on the small table in front of the sofa before turning to Tom. “What would you like to drink tonight, sir?”
Tom eyes me, and I shrug, then he orders for both of us. “Two whiskeys, neat. And keep them coming.”
She gives a slight dip of her chin then vanishes through the curtain again.
“So, what do you think?”
“It’s incredible. I kind of wish I’d found it first. I’d have doubled your offer just so I could have it for myself.”
