Free Company Ink by Samantha Anne

in for dinner. Do you live around here?”
    She took a breath before replying, “No, not at all. I was, um … I am meeting someone.”
    “Oh.” He nodded, feigning ignorance. “I’m guessing they’ll be here any minute then?”
    “Actually,” she sniffed, standing, “I think I’ve been stood up. So I think I might just … ”
    He held out a hand to stop her from grabbing her purse. “Wait, would you maybe ... ? Do you think you might want to have a drink?”
    Violet froze, obviously surprised by his abrupt invitation. Ben, frankly, was about as stunned by his offer as she looked. But he couldn’t leave her there by herself—the disappointment on her face and the embarrassment in her eyes knocked him for a loop. Compared to the strong cake-queen persona she always had on display for him at work, this current vulnerability took him by surprise, and his heart immediately went out to her.
One drink can’t hurt. Maybe I can send her home with a smile.
    “I mean,” he continued, “before you go, of course. Come on, I owe you one.”
    “That’s really nice of you, Ben,” she answered cautiously. “But I think I’ll just … ”
    Ben stepped around her and pulled her chair out slightly, gesturing toward it. “Come on, just one. At least let me ease my conscience.”
    Violet heaved a sigh and took the chair he offered, scooting with its movement as he tucked her back into the table.
    “What are you drinking?” he asked as he took the seat across from her.
    She folded her hands in her lap. “The house Merlot.”
    “That’s a heavy red for the summertime,” he remarked. “You like big wines, I take it?”
    She nodded. “I’m not much of a connoisseur, obviously. But I like my wine to have a punch, I guess. The Chardonnays and the Pinot Grigios just aren’t my thing.”
    Ben smiled. “I can respect that.”
    He called the waitress over and ordered another Scotch for himself and a glass of Merlot for her. Violet gave him an impressed look, a teasing grin stretching across her face.
    “Talk about heavy drinks for the summertime. I’d be sweating like an animal if I had what you’re drinking.”
    Slightly offended, he frowned. Was she putting the walls back up? “I wasn’t judging your choice of wine, was I?”
    “No, and I wasn’t either … I was just … I was just saying.” Violet dropped her head with a small, embarrassed smile.
    “So, Violet”—he was careful to use her full name as she had corrected him so many times before—“do you live
anywhere
near here?”
    She shook her head. “Washington Heights. Well, I’m right at the border. I was just down here meeting someone for dinner.”
    “Ah, the dummy who stood you up.”
    She bit her lip nervously and nodded. “Yeah, that guy. It’s fine, though. He won’t get another shot now.”
    The hard anger in her voice as she dismissed her potential suitor made Ben cringe a little, and he laughed in spite of himself. “Wow, remind me not to get you angry.”
    Violet tilted her head to one side, finally looking good-natured. “You already did, remember?”
    “You got me there, Violet.” Ben slumped in defeat, and she let out a peal of delighted laughter.
    “Call me Vi.”
    Their eyes locked, and a warm stretch of silence extended between them as the server placed their drinks in front of them. Once again, it may as well have been day one. Glad that he hadn’t decided to call it an early night, Ben found his appetite—among other things—returning. And, if he were being honest with himself, Violet was certainly a great alternative to an early, whiskey-sodden bedtime.

Six
    Three hours, dinner, and quite a few drinks later, Violet was surprised to have learned as much about him as she had in this short span of time. They’d traded life stories over truly scrumptious dim sum and a shared plate of lo mein. Their check sat unattended on the table between them. She drained her umpteenth glass and licked her lips while she studied him.