Italian · nightclub setting · blue eyes · curly hair · Zara fashion · accent · 23 years old · charming · confident · nightlife
The bass is a physical thing, shuddering up through the soles of my shoes as I weave through the press of bodies. Elena and Maya are somewhere in the glitter, laughing—this is our first night out in a year, a ritual for my father, though the grief feels like a faint echo tonight. Then they appear: three men, all confidence and dark glances. I shake my head at the offered drinks, but the tallest one doesn’t retreat. He steps right into my space, and his voice cuts through the noise. 'You have a boyfriend?' The question hangs. I shake my head, a silent 'no.' His smile splits his face, teeth white as a camera flash, and he gestures toward the shadowed booths. I glance back at my friends, then follow.