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Bruno showed his card, which the new bouncer once again scanned before stepping aside. He climbed the few steps to the raised platform and bypassed two other sections before he saw his sister, Monica.
Tall and slender with a russet-brown complexion and her Afro hair cut short in a buzz cut, tonight she wore platform heels and a mini-dress as colorful as her big personality.
With her ever-present phone in hand, she was apparently in the middle of a live stream, her back to the floor below as she gave the people watching a view of what they were missing. Monica was a social media influencer with millions of followers and used her platform to help her fiancé promote NV Lounge. She had also convinced several family members to help with the publicity.
One night, Ignacio had stopped in with his entourage and several actor friends. He signed autographs, took photos, and danced with a few of the ladies. Tonight, their brother-in-law, Damon was supposed to come by. A former Atlanta Brave, he retired from playing baseball years ago.
The minute Monica saw Bruno, her chestnut eyes brightened and the grin on her face widened.
“That’s all for now. Get your asses down here. Tah-tah, bitches.” She threw up the peace sign and ended the live stream.
Rushing over, she threw her arms around Bruno’s neck. “Thank you for coming!”
Bruno hugged his sister tight. “I promised you I would.”
He’d long ago stopped placing the word “step” in front of words related to his family. Their bond wasn’t defined by genetics, but by the many moments of laughter, tears, and shared experiences over the years. Blood could not have made their connection and love any deeper.
“Where is Andre?” he asked.
“He had an emergency in the kitchen,” Monica replied. “One of the ovens malfunctioned or something? I’m not really sure about the details, but he rushed in there to see what was wrong and figure out how to fix the problem.”
Bruno nodded. He’d been there. Equipment failure was an unfortunate part of running a kitchen. “Let him know if he needs my help, I’m here.”
“Will do.” Monica fired off a text and then looped her arm through her brother’s. “You should have seen this place before the renovations. Debris everywhere and boarded-up windows. A mess! Look at it now. What do you think?” Her gaze swept the crowd.
“It’s not really my scene, but I’m impressed.”
“You’d probably enjoy the top floor better. That’s where the restaurant is, encased in glass and quieter. There’s a staircase and elevator in the back that takes you up there. See the catwalk?” She pointed above them. “It connects the restaurant and the offices, although you can get to the offices from stairs in the front right corner, but you can’t see them from here.”
“What’s down there?” Bruno pointed to an area to the right of the bars where curtains were connected to the high ceiling by wires. Several of the curtains were closed.
“A way to give people privacy. VIP without being VIP, which might be a problem. The other night, one of the servers interrupted a couple having sex in there.”
Monica shook her head and Bruno chuckled.
“Have you been here every night?”
“No, but almost. With the publicity and advertising, the crowd gets bigger every week.”
“There’s a line outside,” Bruno remarked.
“I know, isn’t it amazing! That started last week. I’m so proud of Andre.”
The DJ’s voice carried over the thumping music. “Okay, ladies and gentlemen, we have a treat for you tonight. Former Atlanta Braves baseball player Damon Foster is in the building. Make some noise!”
Cries of excitement went up from the crowd as they turned this way and that in search of Damon. He threw a hand up and waved, and the minute people saw where he was, they crowded around him.
Audra, Bruno’s other sister and Damon’s wife, was right beside him. She extricated herself from the crush of fans and made her way toward the VIP section.
She turned surprised eyes on her brother. “You got Bruno to come here?” she asked Monica.
The lifestyle blogger and stay-at-home mom was petite and thick, a striking contrast to Monica’s model-like physique. She and Damon had gone through a rough patch a while back, but their marriage was back on track. They recently adopted a little boy and little girl to expand their family of five to a family of seven.
He chuckled at her dig. “This is an energetic crowd, and I’m impressed.”
“Can I get you something to drink?” asked a server, holding a round tray.
“What’s one of the signature drinks here?” Audra asked.
