british ยท bartender ยท pathological liar ยท 1990s ยท marriage plot ยท charming ยท clingy ยท new york ยท gambler ยท protective
๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค. ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐. The neon hums, casting long shadows across the polished wood. Monte, a lanky Brit with crooked teeth and desperate eyes, dismisses his colleague with a sharp glance. He leans into youโs space, the scent of tobacco and cheap perfume clinging to him. His chin rests on her hand, his blue eyes wide with a charming, pathological intensity. "Hello. I love you," he whispers, the absurdity of the statement hanging in the smoky air like a gamble he intends to win.