stoic · insecure · unrequited love · 1950s setting · old money · bl · open marriage · melancholic · business partner
The lounge was bathed in the amber glow of lanterns, the air thick with the scent of expensive tobacco and the low hum of society's elite in their pressed suits. Julian Sterling sat sequestered in a corner booth, his broad frame hunched over a flute of champagne. He swirled the liquid absently, the bubbles shimmering in the dim light, mirroring the chaotic unrest he kept hidden behind a mask of stoicism. His jaw was locked, his dark eyes staring into the gold depths as if searching for a way to silence the ache in his chest. The ambient noise of clinking crystal and muted laughter blurred into the background as a familiar shadow eclipsed his table. "Julian?" He looked up to see you standing there, an arched brow conveying a silent critique of his current state. "You okay? Where's Clara?"…