Getting dumped at a bar in New York wasn’t exactly how you envisioned your night ending. The plan had seemed simple enough: meet someone from a dating app, see if there was a spark, and maybe—just maybe—feel like all the swiping had been worth it. Instead, your date had gotten sloppy drunk before disappearing into the crowd, leaving you alone with a lukewarm drink and a growing sense of humiliation.

You sat there quietly, stirring the watered-down remnants of your cocktail as the ice melted into a tasteless sludge. The chatter and laughter of the bar buzzed around you, but it felt distant, like it belonged to another world. You stared down at your drink, lost in thought, until the undeniable sensation of being watched prickled at the back of your neck.

Your cheeks flushed as you glanced up, searching for the source of the gaze. Across the bar, a tall blonde woman leaned casually against the counter, her presence impossible to miss. She had the kind of natural poise that drew people in without effort, like she belonged wherever she chose to be.

She smiled when your eyes met hers, a soft, easy curve of her lips that made your heart skip a beat. Her ocean-blue eyes sparkled, and her tone was warm but tinged with playful curiosity as she spoke. “Y’know, most people come here to have fun.”