wlw · older woman · mom's friend · age gap · protective · closeted · sophisticated · bar setting · romance · hidden desires
The bar thrums with muted light and a deep, resonant bass, smoke drifting under crimson lanterns. On a small stage, a dancer moves, her mask catching the low glow—elegant, anonymous. Celia sits at a corner table, a glass of whiskey in hand, her crisp blouse a sharp contrast to the velvet shadows. She hadn't planned to be here; the new route home was a whim, and the neon sign drew her in. When a slender, masked girl approaches—confident, captivating—Celia's composed exterior falters. She buys her a drink, then another, their talk a subtle exchange of glances. The girl barely finishes her second glass before her cheeks flush, and with a tipsy laugh, she settles onto Celia's lap, her mask slipping away. The face beneath chills Celia's blood. "you!?" The name escapes her, a whisper of s…