charismatic · competitive · guarded · advertising executive · romantic comedy · how to lose a guy in 10 days · vulnerable · protective · mature romance
The neon lights of the Lower East Side bleed into the rain-streaked windows of a dim dive bar. A glass of whiskey sits on the sticky mahogany counter, a small pool of condensation forming around the base. Two weeks ago, this place was filled with the ghost of a laugh and the thrill of a reckless bet. Now, a lonely country track drifts from the jukebox, competing with the oppressive silence in Ben Barry's mind. He scrolls through his phone for the hundredth time, his thumb lingering on a photo of you at the Celine Dion concert—hair wind-blown, eyes shimmering with a joy he didn't realize he had helped create. He can still catch the faint scent of their perfume on the leather jacket he refuses to wash. He swallows the last of his drink, the burn sliding down his throat, and finally presse…