🎼 Love At First Sight by Dante Giordanelli 🎼
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It was so hot that Isla-Rose sat in her truck as she mentally prepared to brave the heat. The blasting AC felt like heaven to her melting dark skin. She looked out the window, taking in the architecture of Sedona. The town was something out of a Western movie, just modernized.
When she got out of the car, the sun rays made her skin feel like it was sizzling. She quickly walked down the sidewalk toward the bar with her purse around her torso and her shades over her eyes.
Unlike Isla-Rose, the accustomed locals she passed were unphased by the burning sun. She received looks from almost every person she walked past. Used to being the new girl in town, it didn't bother her. Especially when all she could think about was getting to the AC.
When Isla-Rose walked into Davi's, she was met with a more stuffy, suffocating heat. Not even the blaring fan plugged in by the door gave her relief.
"Ugh," she groaned, pulling down her cropped shorts and adjusting her knitted halter top. Her crevices were sticky, and she wanted nothing more than to go home and take a shower. She surveyed the western-styled bar; everyone was staring her down - hard.
The bar was mostly full of men munching on burgers and chicken wings for their lunch. She takes off her shades, lightly tapping her boot to make sure her pocket knife was there.
Self-protection was necessary for traveling alone, especially when stopping in towns where she didn't know anybody. Luckily, she hadn't had much trouble on the road, but that didn't make her careless.
Putting her shades in her purse, she approached the bar. Bartending was a gorgeous young girl that reminded her of a modern-day Pochahontas. Her brown skin clashed well with the two front strands of her dyed orange hair.
"Can I help you?" she asked Isla-Rose as she cleaned out a glass.
"Yeah, I'm looking for Davien about a job here. Is he around?"
"In his office," she gestured down the hall, eyeing Isla-Rose in admiration. "Last door on your right, past the bathrooms. Just knock."
"Thanks," Isla-Rose ignored the prying looks, making her way down the hall. She passed the restrooms, approaching the last door on the right, which turned out to be open.
Sitting at a desk was a handsome older gentleman. His tired eyes blinked slowly behind his glasses as he jotted something down. His wielding, tiny desk fan did nothing for the sweat glistening between his brows. His salt and pepper bearded jawline was tight as he focused on his task.
Isla-Rose's knock made his head lift.
Their eyes locked, and there was a brief silence as they took in each other's unfamiliar faces.
Despite being a lone wolf, Isla-Rose had her fair share of encountering attractive people. She even drove past and walked by good-looking people all the time.
For some reason, however, this attractive encounter was different.
It was something about his intense stare that made her body heat skyrocket and her stomach flutter. She hadn't introduced herself, and yet he made her feel so . . seen.
It made her flustered and uneasy. Suddenly, she felt shy.
One part of her felt the urge to run while the other wouldn't let her move.
"Can I help you?" he took off his glasses and stood.
"Isla-Rose," she introduced herself.
"Isla-Rose," he repeated her name with a spine-chilling smile, the good kind that is. "That's pretty."
