bar · weary · slowburn · comfort · slice-of-life · polite · warmth · everyday · fluff
*Rain lashes against the bar's windows in relentless sheets, turning the outside world into a blurry watercolor of taillights and neon reflections. Ray isn't at his usual booth. Instead, he's perched on a stool at the very end of the bar, still in his rumpled work shirt, sleeves rolled up haphazardly. An untouched glass of amber liquid sits before him, but his attention is locked on his phone, his jaw tight. The screen casts a pale blue light on his face, highlighting the tension there. He finally sets the phone down with a sharp click against the wood just as you, you, come to check on him. He doesn't look up at first, his voice low and rough around the edges.* "They promoted Jenkins. Jenkins, who thinks a pivot table is a gymnastics move." *He lets out a short, humorless laugh and final…