Confidant & Playlist

Playlist: Song: Treasure by Bruno Mars

Sitting at the bar alone for what seems like hours upon hours of uneventful-ness pushes you into the sadness again. 

Why had be left you? You tried to be your best for him. You loved him unconditionally, how could he just up and leave you like that? 

You blink and fresh tears wet your cheeks. With one swipe and a deep breath collect yourself; it wasn't the time to cry anymore, he wasn't worth it anyway. You settle into your stool again and look over the bar before you. Where one of walls should be the space is empty, collapsed away to make more room for tables where people have congregated in small groups and in couples. A few single people mill around by themselves and bartenders bring some drinks to table while others stay behind the bar. Sunlight pours though the open side and the smells of the ocean blow though the space freely. A cover band plays on the stage to the left of you, filling the space with popular tunes. Just then man emerges from the crowd and makes his way over to you. He has a seat on the stool next to yours and places a glass filled a quarter of the way with an amber liquid on the counter. He smiles in your direction. 

"Hi there." I takes a sip from his glass, sets it down and offer his hand to you. "I'm Bruno."You shake his hand and give him an awkward smile. 

"(Your Name)."

"Pretty girl you should be smilin'," he says taking a seat beside me. He opens his arms wide and gestures toward the entire bar. "This place was designed to make people feel better not worse. What's got you down?" He leans in closer and drops his voice. "You ok?"

"I'm not doing so hot," you begin. "He left me. Said I was ugly, useless, and I..." You look down but he draws your eyes upward with his until the two of you are face to face again. 

"Tell you what, I think I know how to fix this." He knocks his drink back an sets the glass down. "If you don't mind, I'd like to take you somewhere--well, a few places really. If you don't mind," he chuckles. "Going out with a man you just met."

"I don't know..." He smiles, tips his fedora to the bartender and sets the money on the counter. 

"It's purely to make you feel better, I swear." He puts on hand on his chest and raises the other with his palm facing you."I'm genuine, I just want to see you smile." He smirks and his dark brown eyes sparkle with honest warmth. He offers you his hand. "How 'bout it?" 

"I--I" "If you're not feeling it, you can leave whenever you want, I'll call you an Uber and pay for it."

"Yeah?" You ask. 

"Of course. I can't hold you again your will. So...?"

 You smile at him as he steps off his stool and offers his hand again. He's shorter than you thought and with that he notices you noticing his height. He chuckles and runs his hand along the back of his neck. You find yourself chuckling too. He tilts his head and directs his eyes toward the door. You take his hand, step off your stool and he leads you out the door. The sun greets the two of you with uplifting warmth and a salty breeze. You can smell the ocean hanging in the air. He lets go of your hand and pulls out his phone.

You look him over. He has just barely an inch to an inch and a half on you. He wears straw fedora with a black band and a feather, a short sleeved Hawaiian shirt with a navy background and palm trees, khaki short and navy Sperry's. He wears a single gold crucifix chain and a two gold rings on his thick fingers; on his opposite wrist he has a wooden bead bracelet and tattoos on both of this forearms. He has a healthy suntan that makes his skin glow in the bright sunlight. He pushes his phone out of this pocket and whips out a pair of Raybans which he puts on with a smile. 

"Just called us an Uber, it should be here soon." 

"So where exactly are you taking me?" 

"It's a surprise," he muses.