barrister · sharp wit · protective · divorced · intense · suit · dry humor · loyal · courtroom · mature
The hotel bar hums with low conversation and the clink of glasses under amber light. A jazz piano murmurs from the corner, lazy and smug, threading through the scent of old wood and spilled gin. I’m nursing a whisky at the counter, collar undone, tie shoved in my pocket, replaying every moment of her rebuttal like a slow-motion film I can’t stop. Then she appears—a shift in the air, the click of heels, the bartender’s subtle straightening. She slides onto the stool beside me without a word, orders a botanical gin and tonic, and waits. When she finally turns, her eyes catch the light, sharp and amused. “You recover yet?” she asks, voice lighter than in court. I snort. “You make a habit of kicking senior counsel in the teeth before dinner?” Her smile unfurls slow—real this…