"I know the perfect place!" She leaned forward, his enthusiasm suddenly infectious. "It's a small but comfortable club that offers a great jazz quartet."
"Should we take a cab? I do have a car, but I'd hate to risk driving under the influence later. My treat, of course."
She offered him a bright smile. "You have yourself a date."
They spent the next few, wonderful hours at Club Tropicana, a cubbyhole actually in a shopping strip. Its decor of bright pink neon flamingos and green neon palm trees kept the atmosphere from wallowing in total darkness. As the jazz combo played a wide selection of numbers, Erica toe-tapped along with the music and nursed her rum and Coke. With quiet frequency, she glanced over at her companion and noticed Nico seemed to be enjoying himself as he sipped his im
