Chapter 7
I raised an eyebrow at him, managing a faint smile. “And you look like someone who’s about to judge me for it.”
“Not at all,” he replied easily, his smile widening. “Sometimes wine’s the only good listener around.”
That earned a soft laugh from me, and I leaned back slightly, studying him. “What brings you here?”
“Same thing as everyone else, I imagine,” he said with a shrug. “A need to escape. Or maybe I just like overpriced drinks and dim lighting.”
I smirked. “Fair enough.”
He extended a hand toward me. “Ethan.”
“Ashley,” I replied, shaking his hand.
“So, Ashley,” he began, settling back against the counter, “what’s got you so lost in thought tonight? Or is that too forward of a question for someone you just met?”
I tilted my head, considering him. “It’s nothing, really,” I said after a moment. “Just… old memories resurfacing.”
He nodded, as if he understood exactly what I meant. “Funny how those have a way of creeping up on you when you least expect it.”
“Tell me about it,” I muttered, taking another sip of wine.
“Want to talk about it?” he asked, his voice gentle. “Sometimes it helps to unload on someone who doesn’t know the whole story.”
I hesitated.
Ethan seemed to sense my uncertainty and held up a hand. “No pressure,” he said with a disarming smile. “I’m perfectly fine just sitting here and enjoying the ambiance if that’s what you prefer.”
“Thanks,” I said, offering a small smile. “I guess I’m just not in the mood for a deep conversation tonight.”
“Fair enough,” he replied with a chuckle.“I’m not exactly the therapist type, anyway.”
I laughed. “So, what brings you to this corner of the world?” I asked, hoping to steer the conversation to safer ground.
“World–weary, as they say,” he replied with a smirk. “Or maybe just a little tired of the usual New York noise. Wine’s good for that, right? Or so they say.”
He lifted his own glass in a silent toast.
“Guess it depends on the company,” I replied, giving him a teasing smile.
“Touché,” he said with a slight laugh
“I don’t usually do this,” I admitted, swirling my glass of wine. “Sit at a bar and talk to random people, I mean.”
“Good thing I’m not that random, then,” Ethan said, his smile widening. “I’d like to think I’m somewhat interesting.”
“You’re definitely not the average bar guy,” I said. “Most people would’ve just left me to my thoughts, but here you are… entertaining me with conversation.”
He grinned. “I’m just trying to be a decent human being.”
“Well, you’re succeeding,” I said, amused. “I could use a little distraction right about now.”
Ethan leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. “In that case, how about this–what’s the worst date you’ve ever been on?”
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh, now we’re getting into the good stuff. Alright, alright. Worst date? Let me think…” I paused, recalling some truly awkward moments. “Okay, I went on this date once where the guy spent the entire time talking about his stamp collection. I mean, who does that? Halfway through, I started wondering if he was going to pull out a magnifying glass to examine the stamps. I had to make up an excuse to leave.”
Ethan burst out laughing, clearly not expecting that. “That’s… that’s amazing,” he said between chuckles. “I don’t even know how someone would think that’s an interesting topic for a date.”
“I know, right?” I said, rolling my eyes. “It was like being trapped in a never–ending episode of a documentary I didn’t ask for.”
1/2
Chapter 7
“God, that sounds painful,” he said, still laughing. “I guess I’ll have to up my game if we ever go on a date.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so you’re already planning one?”
Ethan smiled, unbothered by my teasing. “Well, I figure if we’re going to keep running into each other, we should at least know whether it’ll be a disaster or
not.”
1 laughed softly, taking a sip of my wine. “You’re not wrong. Could be fun.”
Ethan leaned back, the corners of his lips curving into a smile. “Definitely. But no stamp collecting, I promise.”
“Deal,” I said, smiling back. “And no magnifying glasses.”
“Got it,” he said, raising his glass to seal the imaginary pact.
The conversation flowed easily from there, ranging from random thoughts to more general topics. We talked about movies, music, and the quirks of New York -nothing too deep, nothing too heavy. Just… two people killing time, exchanging stories, and laughing over the absurdities of life.
Eventually, I checked the time, realizing how late it had gotten. “I should probably head out soon,” I said, standing up and grabbing my purse.
“Yeah, same,” Ethan said, following suit. He hesitated for a moment, then pulled out his phone. “Hey, I know we just met, but… if you ever need a drink buddy, buddy, or just want to keep the random conversations going, feel free to text me.”
I looked at the phone, then back at him. “I think I could use some more bad jokes,” I said with a grin.
Ethan grinned back, entering his number and handing the phone to me. “You’ve got it. Let’s make sure we get the worst ones next time.”
I saved his number, handing the phone back with a smile. “I’ll hold you to that.”
As I headed back to my room, the weight of my previous thoughts had already dissipated, leaving a quiet sense of relief in its place.
Chapter Comments
