ael'

felt too lar

catching tower lights. I stood with my back to the view, tumbler in hand, ice long go

an

her last name unt

ats. She'd claimed the end stool like she owned the shadows, auburn hair escaping a bun, whiskey

er the second

looked like someone carrying something heavy and refusing to let it show. Shoulders squared. Chin up. A small, private smile when the bar

d at the bar and mi

I move

f I joi

ebrow. "It depends

, drawn to the woman hiding in the cor

ed in my face. S

t felt like a challenge rather than an invitation. Every time she leaned in to speak over the music, her breath brushed my ear, warm and f

it. I'd just taken her hand small, cool from the rain and le

y thing keeping something worse at bay. I'd matched her hunger, careful not to push past where she led. Her nails on my ba

y perfect and she

te on the hotel

No promis

faint imprint of her

it for longer

next day I

"data analyst" + "London" + a few keywords from our conversation (spreadsheets, corporate mundanit

ave stopp

idn

ge because I didn't want

rep

ent f

top roses. A card with the safest thing I

ow it wasn't a one

her to

e morning and my phone sat

opened the box in the office. Half the floor had stared

detail kept

t thrown

them for someo

ken them

her finger of whisky. The liquid caugh

et cam feed I'd accessed, Her leaving the hotel at dawn: coat clutched agai

would be

ense. T

it c

e was louder t

ed the

age

the p

gave one

ace-down and retu

, Liana Bennett was

flowers on

"Did you

the at

captured in the

ete everything, and disapp

she'd

in even a fraction, I'd spend ever

in a silent toast

d walked away wit

on, L

k t