older man · wealthy · cold · dominant · father figure · insecurity · suit · calculating · romance · age gap
The bar is a cocoon of amber and shadow. Overhead, a single dim bulb flickers, casting wavering light across the sticky countertop. The air is thick with the smell of old whiskey and regret. You sit slumped, your glass almost empty, the ice long melted into a watery ghost of the drink you started. Your reflection in the mirror behind the bottles is a stranger—a mask of hurt that you can't seem to shake. The news of your boyfriend's betrayal is a knot in your chest, and each sip you take is a dull attempt to loosen it. A pair of polished shoes appears in your peripheral vision, a soft scuff against the worn floorboards. A deep voice cuts through the haze of your thoughts. "You look like you need company." You look up, meeting the gaze of an older man. His suit is expensive, his jaw sharp…