a good target to turn into an asset. He just needed to find the best way to do that. Hopefully, whatever Caitlyn had discovered would help. "Thanks. I owe you one."
"I'll put it on your tab. Anything new with you?"
"Nope. A lot of nothing."
"Are you sure? You seem to have a fan club at the other end of the bar."
He grinned, as he took a quick glance at the three twenty-somethings eyeing him from the other end of the bar. Looking back at Caitlyn, he said, "They're influencers. They spend all their time taking photos of their food, their drinks, or themselves. And when they get bored, they flirt. They've been here every night this week."
"Maybe they're looking for rich boyfriends."
"I wouldn't doubt it. I thought I was going to have to bring out the defibrillator when they started smiling at one old guy last night. He looked like he'd won the lottery until his wife joined him and sent the girls packing."
"You must see a lot from your vantage point."
"I've seen a lot of bad dates, I'll say that."
"I'll bet. I hate dating, all those awkward first conversations—ugh."
"Agreed, but what's the alternative?"
"Stay single forever," she returned.
"I've considered that option," he said dryly. "I hate all the game play, which I know probably sounds ironic."
"A bit, but I know what you mean."
He straightened as he saw Sylvia coming in his direction. "Can I get you another drink?"
Awareness flashed in Caitlyn's gaze. "No, thanks." She took a twenty out of her purse. "Keep the change."
"Have a good night," he said, as she slid off the stool and walked away.
Sylvia was no longer looking in his direction as she engaged in conversation with Ray. They were certainly opposites in appearance as well as temperament. Sylvia had black hair, pale skin, and a sophisticated, brittle look. Ray looked like a linebacker with a square face, broad shoulders, and a stocky build. While Ray was friendly, warm, and had an easy laugh, Sylvia was intense, serious, and always on her guard.
Ray waved his hand around in the air as he spoke. Sylvia folded her arms across her chest as she listened. Finally, she gave a nod and walked away. Apparently, Ray had won that round.
Jax stiffened as Ray made his way over to the bar.
"Change of plans, Jax," Ray said. "I need you to work the chess tournament downstairs. Novak has car trouble, and he won't be here for another hour."
"No problem," he said lightly, not wanting to give away how excited he was to get into the inner sanctum.
"Just keep your mouth shut down there. The members prefer staffers to be seen and not heard. Sylvia is already on my ass about putting someone new in the room, but on tournament nights, we get a lot of older members who like to order in Russian, and I need someone who speaks the language."
"I'm your guy."
"I hope so. When Novak arrives, you can come back here." Ray called one of the waitresses over to the bar. "Shari, I need you to fill in for Jax for a few hours."
"Great," Shari said, slapping her tray on the bar. "I love to make drinks."
"And I live to make everyone happy," Ray said with a grin.
"Where are you off to?" Shari asked, as he stepped around the bar.
"I have to work the chess tournament. Novak has car trouble."
"Better you than me. I had to serve in there a couple of weeks ago. It was boring as hell."
He smiled. "I'm happy to go where I'm needed."
Leaving the bar, he walked through the lobby, and jogged down the stairs to the first floor, where the library was located. As he hit the hallway, he was surprised to see a pretty brunette snapping photographs of the framed pictures on the wall. As she moved away from the photos, she pointed her camera at the hallway, keeping it running as she moved down the corridor, apparently not caring that cameras were prohibited at the club.
The woman jumped as a waiter came around the corner. She dumped her camera into her bag, looking guilty as hell. The waiter ignored her, taking his tray of finger foods into the library.
"You were lucky that wasn't one of the managers," he said, as he walked toward her. "Cameras aren't allowed inside the club. The members value their privacy."
"I didn't realize," she replied, turning to face him.
He was startled by the beautiful, shimmering green of her eyes, the long black lashes, the quirky spatter of freckles