The celebrated Las Vegas Strip isn't quite as impressive in daylight hours as it is at night, but by the time Pulse and Melisande reached it, the sun was setting and the lights were beginning to come on, revealing the splendor. Pulse drove slowly, letting her drink in the views of the Bellagio fountains, the Mirage volcano, and the gondoliers of the Venetian.
They pulled into the parking deck at the Paris Las Vegas, and from there, Pulse escorted Melisande to the restaurant on the main level, the Ah Sin. "Ah Sin? Is that a play on Sin City?" she asked. The maitre'd, however, quickly set them straight -- Ah Sin is an Asian restaurant, and the name is Cantonese for "always lucky."
They were seated at an intimate little table; the wine order was taken; and they actually had to make conversation for the first time. "So," Melisande began, swirling the water in her glass, "where are you from...originally?"