“Come here. I know you’re my boss and hugs are probably not professional, but I’ll take that risk.”
They embraced. Alex held her at arm’s length. “It’s nice to see a friendly face from home.”
“You too.” Marissa nodded toward the spot where Wade and Patterson disappeared. “What happened?”
“Just another rag reporter. Only Wade has a grudge against this one. They have history. Apparently, he used to hassle Liam when he owned the place as well. He’s the sort of dirt bag who likes to invent stories.”
“Nice.”
“You got settled okay?”
“You bet. I’ve already been here for an hour, double-checking some measurements.”
“Of course you have. You look good, by the way. Life’s treating you well?”
“Oh, you know. Life’s busy.”
“It’s hard creating trends everywhere you go, isn’t it?”
Marissa rolled her eyes. “Yeah. I’m such a style icon.”
Despite the self-deprecating tone in Marissa’s voice, she spoke the truth. In New York, she was regarded as a trendsetter in the design business. She had been the creative genius behind Champagne and Liberty, Alex’s two New York clubs, and had been overwhelmed with contracts since.
“I’m lucky I was able to lure you away.”
“Alex, you gave me a chance when no one else would. The Queen of England could ask me to give Buckingham Palace a makeover and I’d drop her for you.”
He gave her a look.
“Okay. Maybe I would just reschedule her.” She landed a soft punch on his arm. “I’ve been thinking about you. How have you been coping?”
“I cope. That’s all that matters.”
“Stoic as ever.”
“You know me.”
“Yes, I do.” She sighed and waved toward the entrance to Decadence. “Let’s go inside.”
“You bet.” Alex didn’t want any hassles today. This was a big day for Vice, a day to initiate change.
Granted, he’d already made a few changes.
His renovation team had been working day and night to transform Liam’s former home into a suitable abode for Alex. The office no longer held any trace of its former lavishness. Some might call it plain, spartan even.
To Alex, it was perfect. When a room was free of clutter, he could think better, breathe deeper.
Every time he detected a whiff of the fading fresh paint, he smelled satisfaction. The walls were now a calming dove grey. The heavy light fixtures had been replaced with pot lights in the ceiling. All of Liam’s plush pieces of furniture had been removed and donated to local charities. A basic desk area had been set up in the corner overlooking the Strip. To the right of the desk lay a casual seating area with minimalist furniture. Several green plants transformed the space into a mini-oasis.
As for the private area that housed his bedroom, that had been scaled back as well. As much as he appreciated the luxury of Liam’s built-in gas fireplace along the bed footboard, he didn’t imagine he’d have much use for it in the Las Vegas heat. Alex had heard through one of his team members that a women’s shelter was looking for financial assistance so they could begin some much-needed renovations. After making a donation, he’d asked if they might like the fireplace and they’d happily accepted it. It would bring some cozy ambience to a place that held so little cheer.
Things were coming together.
It was now time to embark on his first major project. Liam had planned to open Decadence, a piano bar, but he’d never gotten around to it. The site remained the one vacant piece of real estate in the hotel complex.
Marissa would help him change all that.
He opened the door for her and they walked into the empty bar. “Now that you’ve seen it in person, what do you think?”
