Chapter 13: Date
*I love how I look. I’m a full woman and I’m strong, and I’m powerful and I’m beautiful at the same time. – Serena Williams*
Reese pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant that his sister, Gina, had set the blind date up at. It was an upscale steak house with valet parking and a cigar bar. And a cognac that he only carried at one of his bars.
He knew this because, unbeknownst to his sister, and most other people, he owned it.
Everyone knew about his clubs and bars. But under O.A R. Investments, he owned the Oar House, Pier and Beam and this place, Cognac. Under Reese Enterprises he owned his other properties and bars; Dean’s List which was in an old library, Constellation in the old planetarium and Open Air which was at the top of a high rise.
He loved old buildings and repurposing them. The architecture and detailing could be replicated, but it wasn’t the same. Sure Dean’s List no longer held the smell of old books, but the old shelves were still there. And Constellation had a working observatory.
He handed the keys for the Impala over to the man in the red jacket and took his key tag. Stepping into the entryway, he took a moment to admire the dark wood wainscoting and picture rail. The restaurant was housed in an old turn of the century mansion. The former library was now the Stogie Cigar Bar and the old parlor and drawing rooms were the bar.
The rest of the ground floor was restaurant with two private dining rooms upstairs. Offices and other things were on the top floor.
The kitchens were in the basement with a system of dumb waiters running to the other floors.
“Reese.” He told the maître de.
“Yes, sir. Your dinner guest is already at the table. If you would please follow me.”
He followed the man to the back dining room and a table overlooking the terrace. Reese held himself in check and did his best not to laugh, sitting at the table was his ex, Tru.
“Sir.” The man said pulling out the chair for Reese to sit down.
Tru looked up at him and burst out laughing.
“It’s fine.” Reese told the other man as he sat down. “It’s a blind date, and we actually know each other.”
“Very well, sir. Andrews will be with you shortly.” He gave a curt nod and walked away.
“Andrews?” Tru laughed quietly. “Do you think there’s two of them?”
“Maybe conjoined twins?” Reese suggested with a grin.
“Definitely.” She agreed.
Tru was a shapely woman who liked the term full-figure. Partially because it made her think that smaller women were only half or partial figure. She was wearing a dark emerald green sleeveless dress and a gray cardigan was on the back of her chair. Her hazel eyes were sparkling with amusement and her dark hair had the slightest tint of purple. She was, on the surface, the perfect woman for Reese.
They both enjoyed sports and muscle cars. Had both served in the military, she had been in the army as a mechanic. They both spent an ungodly amount of time at the gym. Thinking about everything that they had in common, Reese knew why Gina had set them up.
There was just one thing that kept them from being a perfect couple.
Their shared love of the fair sex.
Andrews was not a conjoined twin, he was simply an older man with salt and pepper hair. He wore the standard uniform of dark pants and bright white starched shirt. And a black tie with a gold tie tack that said Cognac. He took their orders and quietly disappeared.
“So, I guess you are still hiding in the closet?”
“I have the door open, and every so often I poke my head out. But with all these skeletons it’s getting a little crowded.” She smiled. “What about you? No great fluffy girl in your life?”
“Just Dean.”
“Mary’s girl?”
“Yeah. My other sister. How do you know Gina?”
“I’m one of her deputies. What about you? You ever get around to opening that restaurant of yours?” Tru asked as Andrews placed their salads on the table. “Thank you.”
“Anything else for either of you?” the waiter asked.
“No, thank you.” Tru smiled and Reese agreed.
“Actually,” Reese said after the man walked away, “I currently have three. Oar House and Pier and Beam.”
“I love Pier and Beam. Love the play on words too.”
“It’s on a Pier and we serve Beam.” He grinned.
“What’s the third one?”
With a mouthful of salad, motioned here with his fork.
“Cognac?” she hissed out. “You own this place?”
They spoke between bites, giving the other time to eat before expecting an answer. It was a comfortable conversation that came from being friends for a while.
“Shhhh. I’ve been a silent partner for years, but recently bought my partner out.”
“So what’s next?”
“You’ll love this. That crazy church on the outside of town.”
“The church of if you don’t agree with us you’re going to hell and by the way our leader just got a twelve-year-old girl pregnant because God said that the child would be second coming, that church?”
“That’s the one. Turning it into a club.”
“Got a name for it?”
Reese grinned and his eyes held mischief as he moved out of the way for the salad to be replaced with the surf and turf. Tru thanked the waiter as he placed her salmon and steamed vegetables in front of her.
At his look, she shrugged. “I’m dying to try the lava cake. Now what’s the name?”
“Riot. And I submitted to have the street name changed. The full name will officially be Riot at 628 Stonewall.”
She froze with a fork full of salmon halfway to her mouth before she started laughing. “You’re building a gay bar in an old anti-gay church.”
“Yup.” He said right before he took a bite of lobster.
They continued catching up over the rest of the meal. When Andrews returned to take their dessert order, Reese ordered two berry lava cakes a la carte. Two plates of lava cake loaded with berries and a puck of vanilla ice cream, drizzled with chocolate and raspberry sauces soon appeared.
“Oh my God.” Tru gushed around a mouthful of divine pleasure. “You should just change the name of this to orgasmic.”
Chuckling, Reese grinned at her. “I thought about opening a restaurant out on the Riot property. Maybe that’s what we’ll call it out there.”
At the end of the meal, Reese paid the tab and walked Tru out to the valet stand. His car was brought up first, but he waited until hers arrived.
“I had fun tonight.” Tru said honestly.
“Me too.” He placed a hand on the small of her back and walked her towards her car that just pulled up. The valet driver stepped out and Reese passed the man a folded bill. Hugging Tru before she got into her car he kissed her cheek. “I’ll always be here for you.”
“Thanks, Reese.”
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