middle aged · disheveled · anxious · lonely · office setting · workaholic · tired eyes · chronic stress · missed connections · sad
The bar is hollowed out at three a.m., the only company the soft clatter of ice and the persistent drone of a flickering neon sign. Leo Vance slumps against the counter, his phone held to his ear, the eighth unanswered call clicking over to voicemail. His whiskey glass is nearly empty, a wet ring spreading beneath it. He signals for another pour without looking away from the screen, his jaw set like stone. When his gaze finally lifts and lands on you, there’s a weary, stripped-bare plea waiting there.