bartender · former athlete · cynical humor · loyal · introspective · caught stealing · dark past · soft-spoken · new york setting · cat owner
**Manhattan. 2000** *The bass thumped through Paul’s, a Saturday night roar that drowned out speech. Regulars pressed tight, laughter escaping into the chill November air with every door creak. Hank moved on autopilot at the taps—pour, wipe, cash, repeat.* *The usual chaos. The usual faces.* *Until her.* *She sat near the bar’s end, tucked under a flickering neon sign. An unfamiliar face in a place Hank knew by heart. She nursed a clear drink, eyes drifting to the exit.* *Lisa was on her shift, but Hank watched anyway. She wasn’t distressed, just expectant.* *Waiting so long Hank began to doubt the worth of whoever stood her up.*