Bar Rainbow was the hottest queer venue in Seoul, yet until tonight, Roseanne had never set foot inside.
Although she was confident in her identity, she had other things to consider. She didn't like going to bars and clubs by herself, but whenever she floated the idea of a night out at Bar Rainbow to her friends, none of them were interested in going. And there was the fact that the bar had been one of her sister Jennie's frequent haunts in her single days. While those days were behind her, she and her girlfriend Jisoo probably still came here on date nights, and Roseanne wasn't ready to have 'that' conversation with her sister yet. The only reason she felt comfortable coming here tonight was because she'd overheard Jennie lamenting to Jisoo that she needed to get up early tomorrow when they'd run into each other in the elevator that morning.
Roseanne didn't regret taking the leap and coming here by herself tonight. From the dance floor packed with people, to the busy bar tittering with conversation and laughter, to the risqué music videos playing on a large projector—the energy was electric. And there were women as far as the eye could see.
A few had said hi to Roseanne. None of them had been serious about striking up conversations, let alone flirting, but she still appreciated the attention. It beat sitting alone at the bar with her Coke Zero and making trite conversation with the drag queen bartender who was a hit with everyone who ordered from her.
And it beat thinking about Lisa. That was why she was here, wasn't it? To take her mind off Lisa, preferably by finding another woman to distract her? But Roseanne wasn't interested in anyone here.
No one in the entire bar held a candle to Lisa.
Roseanne sighed. She'd put in so much effort to sneak out, all so she could have some fun without her bodyguard lurking over her shoulder. Yet Lisa was all she could think about.
Yet again, her infuriatingly sexy bodyguard was ruining her fun. And Lisa wasn't even here!
"Aren't you a standout in the crowd?" A woman in a shiny shift dress with short, light blonde hair appeared from the shadows. She looked much older than Roseanne, although how much older was hard to tell in the dark of the bar. Ladies' night didn't discriminate when it came to age. And given that there were so few gay bars left in the city—at least according to Jennie—women of all ages flocked to whatever venues allowed them to meet others like them.
The older woman passed some cash to the bartender, exchanging it for a fancy red cocktail with a lemon wedge on the rim. Roseanne was immediately jealous that she hadn't asked the bartender for the same thing this woman had. Let's not push my luck. While Roseanne could drink alcohol, it usually wasn't worth the havoc it wreaked on her blood sugar levels. The Coke Zero was as crazy as she was willing to get tonight.
The woman turned back to Roseanne. "That hair of yours is to die for. And what a cute dress."
"Thank you." It was the flirty purple dress she'd bought on her shopping trip. Given the reaction it had garnered in Lisa, Roseanne figured it was perfect for a night out. Her bodyguard had practically started drooling right there in the changing rooms. She'd been five seconds from ripping the dress off Roseanne's body before that sales assistant came along and ruined everything.
Ugh. Why am I thinking about Lisa again?
The woman stirred her drink lazily. "Are you here alone?"
For a moment, Roseanne heard Lisa's voice warning her to be wary of strangers approaching her in case they had sinister intentions. Then, the more likely alternative occurred to her. The woman wanted to know whether Roseanne was 'available.'
