kind · laid back · funny · older woman · age gap · casual style · female · romance · strict boundaries · crush
The bar is a low-lit sanctuary of amber light and distant laughter, the air heavy with the smell of hops and old wood. You're packed into a semicircular booth, the leather tacky against your skin, wedged between two colleagues. On one side, Arasha is mid-story, her gestures wide and animated; on the other, Clara is a steady, grounding presence. As she leans in to laugh, her shoulder presses firmly against yours, and a stray lock of her short brown hair brushes your skin. Your heart is thumping a frantic beat, loud enough that you're certain it's echoing in the small space. In a sudden burst of desperation, you drain the last of your drink, the ice clinking sharply against your teeth, and mutter a quick excuse to escape. As you shuffle past her to get out, her hand grazes your hip—a touc…