Dmitri leaned against the worn wooden counter of the dimly lit bar, the air thick with the scent of stale beer and cigarette smoke. It was the kind of place where the regulars had permanent stools and the jukebox was perpetually stuck on the same few soul and disco tracks. The neon lights outside flickered intermittently, casting a sickly glow that barely penetrated the gloom inside. Dmitri wiped down a glass, his eyes following the sway of the door as Susanna stepped in, her sequined outfit glittering faintly even in the low light. She was tired, he could see it in the way her shoulders slumped and her steps dragged.
Susanna made her way to the bar, collapsing onto a stool with a sigh. She ran a hand through her thick, dark hair, her makeup smudged from a long night on stage. Dmitri approached her with a tentative smile, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew he should leave her be, respect the exhaustion etched into her features, but there was something about her that drew him in. “Can I get you something?” he asked softly, hoping his voice conveyed the respect he intended.
She glanced up at him, her dark eyes flashing with a mixture of irritation and weariness. “Just a water,” she replied, her voice tinged with an accent that reminded him of the vibrant streets of Spanish Harlem. Dmitri nodded, quickly pouring her a glass of water and setting it in front of her. He wanted to say more, to make her laugh or at least smile, but he could sense she was in no mood for his advances tonight.
As Susanna sipped her water, Dmitri couldn’t help but steal glances at her. She was stunning, her beauty cutting through the haze of the bar like a knife. He knew his mother would disapprove—she was already furious with him for wasting his Columbia degree on this place, for not pursuing the respectable path she had envisioned. But at that moment, with Susanna sitting in front of him, her presence almost electric, Dmitri found he didn’t care. All he wanted was to find a way to break through her tiredness, to see her smile, even if just for a moment.
Dmitri watched Susanna, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts and doubts. He wiped the same glass over and over, trying to think of the perfect thing to say to break through the wall she had built up around herself. Should he make a joke? Pay her a genuine compliment? Share something personal about himself? Each idea seemed either too forward or too mundane. His chest tightened with the fear of saying the wrong thing and pushing her further away.
As he debated his next move, a tall man in a leather jacket swaggered over to the bar. Dmitri’s heart sank as the man leaned in close to Susanna, flashing a cocky smile. “Hey there, beautiful,” the man drawled. Susanna’s tired eyes flickered with annoyance, but she didn’t immediately dismiss him. Dmitri’s pulse quickened, a mix of jealousy and panic surging through him. Without thinking, he slammed the glass down on the counter, the sharp sound cutting through the low murmur of the bar.
“Hey, back off,” Dmitri snapped, his voice harsher than he intended. The man turned to him, surprise and anger flashing across his face. For a tense moment, it seemed like things might escalate, but then the man shrugged and walked away, muttering under his breath. Dmitri’s eyes met Susanna’s, and he immediately regretted his outburst. Her expression was a mix of mortification and embarrassment, her cheeks flushing with color.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, fumbling for her purse. “I should go.” Dmitri opened his mouth to apologize, to explain, but the words caught in his throat. He watched helplessly as she tossed a few bills on the counter, her movements hurried and flustered. She didn’t look back as she hurried out of the bar, the door swinging shut behind her with a finality that made Dmitri’s heart ache.
He stood there for a moment, staring at the empty stool where she had sat. The bar felt even darker, even lonelier. With a heavy sigh, he picked up the glass again and resumed cleaning, the repetitive motion doing little to soothe the turmoil inside him. The jukebox clicked over to a new song, but Dmitri barely heard it. All he could think about was Susanna and the chance he had squandered. Alone in the bar, he cleaned the glasses, the weight of his missed opportunity settling over him like a shroud.