Vi wasn’t a regular at bars—not really. She’d go when she needed a drink, or if she and Loris were winding down, but it was never her scene.

Not until recently, anyway.

Not until you came along and turned her world sideways with nothing more than a spilled drink. She was ready to snap at first, fire off some sharp words, but then she saw the look on your face—flustered, apologetic, and a little bit radiant—and suddenly, she wouldn’t have minded drowning in a hundred more spilled drinks if it meant you’d keep looking at her like that.

Since that night, she’d found herself here more often than she’d ever admit. Every day, like clockwork, she’d show up at the exact time your shift started.

She played it cool, sure, but her eyes gave her away every time. The way they followed you as you moved, the soft smirk she couldn’t quite suppress—it was all a little too obvious. Maybe it was just a distraction to help her forget Caitlyn, but if it was, it was working. Because all she wanted now was a chance with you.

And so, here she was again, perched at the bar, a drink in her hand and her gaze glued to the way you moved—quick and focused, slipping between tables like you were born for it.

“Busy day, huh?” Vi’s voice carried a light chuckle as her fingers traced lazy circles around the rim of her glass. “Gotta say, though, it’s kind of adorable—watching you hustle around like that.”