Closed for Kitta
I eased into the seat at the Penumbra bar. William, the bartender, was there to greet me within moments.
"Good evening, Mr. Trask," he said. "What can I get for you? The usual?"
I nodded. "Please." As a longtime patron, William knew my preferences like the back of his hand.
I took a sip of my scotch and smiled at the familiar warmth as it slid down my throat. I eased back against the high-backed barstool and cast my eyes up at flat-screen suspended over the bar. Red Sox were up 5-3 at the top of the seventh.
I'd been coming to the Penumbra off and on for the better part of two decades. My wife - God bless her - had long ago recognized that I would go insane if I wasn't permitted some regular "me time" to recharge my batteries. Consequently, tonight was left to me alone. Laura would handle our two boys while I pursued whatever I saw fit.
Tonight, I'd opted for Penumbra. I'd have a couple drinks at the bar while I watched the game before getting a table and having dinner.* Just what I needed to recharge the batteries.
Boston had fallen back to 5-4 in the eighth and I was midway into my second scotch when William set down a fresh drink in front of me. I raised a questioning eyebrow. "I appreciate the prompt service, but I'm not quite ready for a third."
William smiled softly and nodded his head towards my right. "Compliments of the lady."
I followed his gaze. About half a dozen seats away sat a stunningly beautiful woman. Hair so black it almost seemed blue tumbled down her back. Her skin had a light tan that seemed natural and her nose and cheekbones had a touch of the exotic. Eyes of dark blue gazed back at me over the rim of a martini glass. Full red lips smiled knowingly at me.
The woman wore a simple black dress that must have been tailored for her. While her frame ran towards the petite, her upper torso was dominated by a tremendous pair of breasts. They'd have been large on a woman my height and were positively enormous on her. Despite this top-heaviness, her frame narrowed to a tiny waist before flaring into some luscious hips. Her seated posture made her height difficult to judge, but I estimated I was easily several inches taller, even with the stiletto heels she was wearing.
I make my living in large part by being able to read the intentions and desires of the person I'm dealing with.* Whether it's better understanding my customers or gaining insight into my competition, the knowledge I glean about a person's appearance and behavior are why I get the big bucks. Also helpful in this moment was my decade plus marriage; Laura didn't have quite so impressive a set of curves - she is the mother of two, after all - but I'd had many a lecture about the challenges of being fashionable as a woman whose hourglass figure didn't comport with runway model standards.
With those elements combined, I could see that this woman's image was carefully crafted. Her dress fit well to suggest her curves, but did not emphasize them. The hint of cleavage at the top was just enough to catch the eye while still covering up enough to almost demure. I knew from my wife that this was a hard balance to strike for the busty woman; mist fashion options sought either to compress and conceal or to lift and display. That this woman found middle ground between the extremes was no accident.
That made her welcoming gesture all the more curious. Her attire suggested a thoughtful mind, so I assumed she had taken similar mental inventory of me. That would have to include the gold wedding band on my left hand. So if she knew I was married, why was she buying me a drink? I took a casual glance around the bar. I am was not the only man sitting alone and among those were others both younger and smoother than I who did not wear the obvious brand of a spouse. So why me?
Of course, perhaps that very oddity was just the right sort of bait for me. Something that sparked my curiosity was hard to ignore. I shrugged and yielded to temptation.
I stood up, picked up my scotch, and walked the couple dozen yards to where the woman sat. "Good evening," I began. "Thank you for the drink. My name is Jacob Trask and I would like very much to make your acquaintance."
I eased into the seat at the Penumbra bar. William, the bartender, was there to greet me within moments.
"Good evening, Mr. Trask," he said. "What can I get for you? The usual?"
I nodded. "Please." As a longtime patron, William knew my preferences like the back of his hand.
I took a sip of my scotch and smiled at the familiar warmth as it slid down my throat. I eased back against the high-backed barstool and cast my eyes up at flat-screen suspended over the bar. Red Sox were up 5-3 at the top of the seventh.
I'd been coming to the Penumbra off and on for the better part of two decades. My wife - God bless her - had long ago recognized that I would go insane if I wasn't permitted some regular "me time" to recharge my batteries. Consequently, tonight was left to me alone. Laura would handle our two boys while I pursued whatever I saw fit.
Tonight, I'd opted for Penumbra. I'd have a couple drinks at the bar while I watched the game before getting a table and having dinner.* Just what I needed to recharge the batteries.
Boston had fallen back to 5-4 in the eighth and I was midway into my second scotch when William set down a fresh drink in front of me. I raised a questioning eyebrow. "I appreciate the prompt service, but I'm not quite ready for a third."
William smiled softly and nodded his head towards my right. "Compliments of the lady."
I followed his gaze. About half a dozen seats away sat a stunningly beautiful woman. Hair so black it almost seemed blue tumbled down her back. Her skin had a light tan that seemed natural and her nose and cheekbones had a touch of the exotic. Eyes of dark blue gazed back at me over the rim of a martini glass. Full red lips smiled knowingly at me.
The woman wore a simple black dress that must have been tailored for her. While her frame ran towards the petite, her upper torso was dominated by a tremendous pair of breasts. They'd have been large on a woman my height and were positively enormous on her. Despite this top-heaviness, her frame narrowed to a tiny waist before flaring into some luscious hips. Her seated posture made her height difficult to judge, but I estimated I was easily several inches taller, even with the stiletto heels she was wearing.
I make my living in large part by being able to read the intentions and desires of the person I'm dealing with.* Whether it's better understanding my customers or gaining insight into my competition, the knowledge I glean about a person's appearance and behavior are why I get the big bucks. Also helpful in this moment was my decade plus marriage; Laura didn't have quite so impressive a set of curves - she is the mother of two, after all - but I'd had many a lecture about the challenges of being fashionable as a woman whose hourglass figure didn't comport with runway model standards.
With those elements combined, I could see that this woman's image was carefully crafted. Her dress fit well to suggest her curves, but did not emphasize them. The hint of cleavage at the top was just enough to catch the eye while still covering up enough to almost demure. I knew from my wife that this was a hard balance to strike for the busty woman; mist fashion options sought either to compress and conceal or to lift and display. That this woman found middle ground between the extremes was no accident.
That made her welcoming gesture all the more curious. Her attire suggested a thoughtful mind, so I assumed she had taken similar mental inventory of me. That would have to include the gold wedding band on my left hand. So if she knew I was married, why was she buying me a drink? I took a casual glance around the bar. I am was not the only man sitting alone and among those were others both younger and smoother than I who did not wear the obvious brand of a spouse. So why me?
Of course, perhaps that very oddity was just the right sort of bait for me. Something that sparked my curiosity was hard to ignore. I shrugged and yielded to temptation.
I stood up, picked up my scotch, and walked the couple dozen yards to where the woman sat. "Good evening," I began. "Thank you for the drink. My name is Jacob Trask and I would like very much to make your acquaintance."