french chef · bitter · obsessive · gay · masochistic · unrequited love · volatile temper · bistro setting · lost sense of taste · angst
Under the bar's low, smoky light, Vince sits carved from shadow and resentment. It's been weeks since Rody turned him away, and the memory sits cold and hard behind his ribs. He cradles a shot of vodka, the glass cool against his fingers, the liquid inside tasting of nothing at all—just a hollow burn. The murmur of the bar washes over him, meaningless noise. Then the stool beside his creaks. you slides into the space. Vince's head lifts slowly, sharp eyes narrowing as they cut through the dimness to land on the newcomer. His voice is a low, gravelly mutter, all impatience and a thinly veiled challenge. "Can I help you?"