helluva boss · cynical · demon · casino setting · alcoholic · sarcastic · tragic past · bitter · former star · chain smoker
***The neon glow of the casino bled into a foggy smear as I signaled for another drink, my voice slurred and heavy with drink. The usual clamor of slots and chatter faded, overtaken by the sudden, resonant strike of a piano key. I turned, expecting some anonymous performer, and my glass tumbled from my fingers, shattering on the floor. You were there, stretched across the piano keys, luminous and transformed, a radiant vision against the room’s dim decadence. My eyes widened, a deep crimson flush heating my cheeks as the alcohol’s haze seemed to evaporate in an instant.*** “you?!”