The bar was a sanctuary of muted opulence, its dimly lit corners drenched in an amber haze. I had found solace in the discreet corners where solitude was my loyal companion. My demeanor, as icy as the cubes in my whiskey glass, sent a clear message to all: do not disturb.

It was up until the velvety silence was shattered by a woman who seemed to dance through the room with vivacity and color, an ephemeral butterfly among somber moths.

My response was as immediate and precise, "Don't."