𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐎𝐫 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 | 𝐉𝐨𝐞𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 - 𝐓𝐋𝐎𝐔

𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.

Maria and Ciri stood leaning against the bar discussing their plans for the next day while people danced along to the music in the centre of the room.

Tommy and Joel were to the other side of the room, also avoiding the dance floor and stuck to the sidelines with their drinks. Tommy was talking to Joel, though he realised that he was only talking at him while his older brother's attention was elsewhere. He followed Joel's gaze over to the bar.

"Hey." He lightly hit his arm to gain his attention back, if it had ever been on him in the first place.

Joel snapped out of his daze and looked back at his brother. "What?"

Tommy rolled his eyes. "I'm talking to you."

"Yeah, I'm listenin'." He nods, taking a sip of his drink.

His response earns a half scoff and half laugh as Tommy shakes his head. "You know you couldn't be more obvious if you tried."

"What're talkin' about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"I really don't."

"Ask her to dance."

"Who?"

"Ciri."

Joel now scoffs. "And why would I do that?"

"Because you're looking at her all lovey-dovey and I'm sure some beautiful slow song will come on next, so you can have your moment with her since I'm clearly nowhere near as interesting as she is right now."

"I am not. And not on your life will I ask her to dance."

"Now that's a bit harsh."

"Shut up."

Tommy chuckles and begins to walk away. "Alright, fine. I'm gonna go ask my woman to dance, since you won't ask yours."

The older man rolls his eyes.

Tommy manages to convince Maria to leave Ciri and join him for a dance as a slow song comes on like he'd predicted. Ciri now watches them walk out into the middle of the room with the rest of the couples from the bar, occasionally sipping her drink. She wasn't fond of this kind of socialising but Maria practically begged her to join them.

She wasn't left on her own for long as someone approached her. She turned her head to her left to see William walking towards her with a smile.

He was part of the power plant crew and he was nice enough. He was somewhere in his early forties, polite and average looking. She hadn't paid much attention to him, they'd only made small talk a couple of times while she was on watch at the plant but she'd caught him staring at her many times.

"Good evening, Witcher." He greets as he leans against the bar beside her.

"Evenin', William." She nods politely, returning to watching the dancing couples.

"You're lookin' mighty fine on this lovely night."

She refrained from rolling her eyes. "Thanks." She murmurs, taking a larger intake of her drink.

She could smell the alcohol on him from a mile off, so she could tell that it took a fair amount of drink for him to approach her and make such a comment as she judged from their previous encounters, despite their brevity.

"Tell me - did you really spend over a decade on your own?"

"Why? Is that hard to believe?"

"Nah, I'm just... extremely curious how a woman like you hadn't found a man to get hitched with in all that time and after meeting so many people."