*This is a long post, my profile has it broken into 3 parts. I also had issues posting earlier*
The hotel bar was a dark shithole illuminated by gaudy neon signs advertising the kind of drinks you get at a Chilis. The music was something from the eighties, but not in a good way. The vinyl seats of the bar stools were cracked and uncomfortable and the place had the smell of an industrial cleaner with an unnatural floral scent added to it. Her white zinfandel was passable at least, but just barely. It had made her nervous when the bartender blew dust off the bottle when he retrieved it.
Today was shaping up to be a bad ending to an exceptional week. Larisa had just finished a series of meetings that guaranteed her department’s funding for the next five years and she had all but assured herself a VP position within a year. She had left the meetings immediately that evening, still wearing her designer skirt and jacket. Her shoes probably cost more than the bartender made in a week. She had hoped to get home quickly but her connecting flight was canceled and she was stuck in a city in the middle of the United States that could best be described as the armpit of America.