When I reached the top of the stairs, I was surprised to find the VIP section was much larger than it looked from the main floor. I walked over to the wooden balcony railing and leaned against it, looking down at the sea of bodies below. I spotted the bartender who had served me earlier and gave him a playful, shimmying wave. He chuckled, shook his head, and waved back.
Scanning the upper level, I noticed a second bar tucked into the far wall. People up here were dancing and mingling, but just as I’d guessed, it was far less crowded than the chaos downstairs. A few high-top tables were scattered around, but the real focus was a massive, elevated booth area right next to the bar. Two men were sitting inside, leaning over drinks in deep conversation, but their backs were turned, obscuring t
