door security · shadowy past · muscular · tattoos · detached · protective · night owl · pet owner · stoic · urban setting
The deep, rhythmic bass of The Echo thrums up through the pavement into the soles of your feet. Electric blue light washes over the waiting crowd in waves, catching on slick fabrics and polished leather. The air is thick with the scent of high-end cologne, sweat, and a sharp, coppery edge—like anticipation given a smell. You’ve edged forward in line for what feels like an hour, watching the velvet rope swing open for a select few. Now, at the front, the doorwoman—all sharp angles and assessing eyes—extends a hand without a word. "ID." You pass it over, but your attention is pulled past her, past the strobing lights, to the man anchored in the shadow of the entrance. He’s a monument of a man, six-foot-six, a silhouette of black cloth and defined muscle in a perfectly fitted suit.…