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The bar near her hotel was busy for a Sunday night.
Rock music from the 80s played through the speakers situated around the bar, loud enough to hear from any position in the room while still being quiet enough for patrons to have conversations with each other without having to shout.
Sloane Hart sat alone at the bar, an untouched gin and tonic positioned between her hands, manicured fingernails tapping against the side of the glass in rhythm with the song that was currently playing. Her eyes watched the bartender, a pretty-looking blonde in shorts her pervy manager probably made her wear, make drinks without stopping, taking the orders shouted at her across the counter with ease. If she was overwhelmed, she did not look it. Sloane knew that masking well.
Tomorrow would be just the beginning of her fresh start: an interview for a new fire station in Los Angeles. No more cold, snowy nights in Boston; instead swapped for the warm, sunny days the West Coast brought. A new job and a brand new crew were just a night and an interview away.
Successful interview, she reminded herself in her head. Her gaze dropped to the glass in front of her again, the sight of the bubbling clear liquid making her mouth feel dry. She swallowed harshly as she picked up the baiting glass, moving it closer to her lips.
"Drinking alone?"
Sloane immediately put down the glass at the interruption before she could take a sip, turning her head to find the source of the voice behind her. He was young, likely in his mid-20s like she was, with short dirty blond hair styled back with gel. She noticed a small pink spot above his left eyebrow, a birthmark she realized, but his eyes were the most captivating part of him. Light blue, similar to the clear skies she had been greeted with when she landed that morning. Welcome to Los Angeles.
"Not really drinking," Sloane responded, gesturing to her untouched drink in front of her, his gaze following the movement before returning to her face. He smiled, and the corners of his eyes crinkled with the expression, causing her lips to twitch up in return, unable to pull her own eyes away from him. "You chatting up lonely girls at the bar alone?"
"Well, I'm not really alone anymore," he corrected, taking a seat on the empty stool that had opened up beside Sloane, the older man sitting there having huffed something about "kids" before he left. Sloane's eyes followed blue-eyes as he sat down, briefly flitting downwards to assess his outfit. He wore a form-fitting black t-shirt which accentuated his very well-trimmed figure, and a pair of dark blue jeans. When she met his eyes again, he was staring at her with a smirk before he very obviously began to check her out in return, almost as if he were teasing her for getting caught. "So, new to the area? Because there's no way I wouldn't have noticed you before."
"Oh, that is disgustingly corny; I should tell you to hit the road," Sloane said with a faux look of disappointment on her face, rolling her eyes at the horrible pick-up line. He laughed as she turned to face forward, ignoring his attempts to gain her attention again with a smile. "Yeah, I just moved here. Well, plan to, as long as my interview goes well."
