Chapter 1: Introduction
A drizzle of rain curled around Sophia's face as she stepped out of the cafe and into the street. The city seemed abandoned, save for the shrill chatter of pigeons, and the distant hum of traffic. Her gaze drifted to the nearby bar, pressing against the foggy window like a longing prisoner. She glanced down at the phone clutched in her hand, but there were no messages, no reason to stay home.
With a sigh, she pushed open the door and entered the dimly lit bar.
A symphony of whispered conversations and clinking glasses embraced her, as her heels clicked against the polished mahogany floor. A few heads turned as she passed, their gazes lingering on her red dress for a moment too long. It was nothing she hadn't grown accustomed to, but the attention was still unnerving.
She took a seat at the bar, and the middle-aged bartender greeted her with a warm smile. "What can I get for you tonight?" His eyes swept over her frame, as if able to discern her desires.
The bartender poured a scotch on the rocks, placing it before her as if it was a small piece of art he was presenting to the world. She took a sip, her eyes never straying from the stranger who had caught her gaze earlier. He moved closer, the bar stool creaking beneath him as he settled next to her.
A sharp intake of breath escaped her lips, his proximity exhilarating. "Seat taken?" he asked, his voice a deep rumble that made itself at home in her chest.