I stare at the bottom of my glass, contemplating the ice cubes and the idea of ordering another gin and tonic. It’s hot, it’s still early, and I don’t want to go back to the hotel. Traveling for work is sometimes tiring, and the hotel room is always the same.
“Another one? ” asks the bartender. I nod without much conviction, but without resistance either. A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth when I think about how many gin and tonics the company would deem appropriate for their new speaker to drink alone, in public. I look up and suddenly face the darkest, most fascinating pair of eyes I’ve ever seen. A look so deep it seems to suck me into it. And I have seen darker than ebony, with curved eyelashes and very thick, very masculine eyebrows. I blink twice, embarrassed when I realize I was staring. Feeling my face burn and redden, the bottom of my glass feels like a safe place.
“Why did you stop looking? ”
Oh my God! I turn around there they are, the black eyes, accompanied by a neatly trimmed beard, framing a really handsome face. And what voice was that? A little hoarse, like someone who has just woken up.