Hana shuffled into the bar. Her heavy work bag hung off her shoulder with her blazer folded in the crook of her arm. She felt tired, and the feeling of a headache knocking on her temple didn't help her mood. She still wanted a quick drink and snack before going home though. She glanced over the crowded bar, 'of course,' she thought, frustrated.

She eyed a group of women leaving the bar and sped over to her usual seat. When she dropped into the chair she elbowed the drink that was next to her. The man to her right sucked his teeth because his sleeve had gotten wet from the spilled drink. He turned around glaring at her. ‘Ugh why today?’ She groaned to herself. 

“Hey!” He barked. She peeked and made the mistake of locking eyes with him. It was too late but she dragged her eyes back to her hands to pretend they hadn't.

Hana pictured his unforgiving glare and turned, dispirited. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”

He cut her off. “It’s okay, no harm no foul.” Hana peered at him, confused by his drastic mood change.

“Okay.. yeah, sorry..” She turned back in her seat and waved over the bartender to order her food.

“Wait, you don’t have to worry about it, but at least buy me another drink.” Uninterested, she asked the bartender to make him another one of what he was drinking before. Then pulled her phone out of her work bag to avoid any more conversation.

After a while, the bartender came back with her food, and his new drink. She readied herself to dig into her usual grub, but once again, the guy interrupted her. “So what’s your name?”

‘I thought he said it was okay.’ Hana smiled at him and hoped her internal grimace wasn’t present on her face. She nodded and stuffed her mouth with food. “Mmm…cmanmt malk meating.” -Can’t talk, eating.

‘Take the hint.’ She thought.

“That’s okay, you look good while eating,” he put his elbow on the bar and leaned in closer. “Can I have your number?” She almost choked on her food and grabbed her water, in surprise. She coughed and wheezed as she choked her food down. 

“Are you alright?” He looked at her like she'd grown another head.

‘Are you okay?’ She thought to herself as she nodded. She looked down at her rumpled clothes, that mirrored her tiredness, and then at his still full glass. ‘How much has he had to drink, no way he’s flirting with me? I mean I’m flattered but…’ She peeked at him again. ‘He’s not my type.’

He wore an unflattering teal animal print suit, and had a long bang he would sometimes whip out of his face. What was underneath bang was worse, he had bushy unkempt eyebrows that he raised at her in a suggestive way. You could tell he tried to groom one at some point by it's length being shorter than the other one, but he gave up. The monstrosities were cousins, not even sisters.

‘He's definitely not retirement beach partner material,' she thought. Hana went back to eating her food and slipped into her retirement fantasy.

While sunbathing on a beach, a man with a face shielded by the sun walked over. He was a tall, six-pack having man, with sweat glistened tan skin. He wore loose swim trunks that unfortunately hung onto his toned waist. When he got closer he bent down and handed her one of the two drinks he was carrying. ‘Here’s your drink, my sweet-sugar-honey-baby-darling…’

“So do you come here often?” The ugly bar goer ripped her from her fantasy. He was still trying- at Hana’s displeasure, to keep the conversation going. 

She called the bartender by name to refresh her glass of water. “No,” she said.

“You took a while to answer, I like a woman who plays hard to get.”

“I’d like to finish my meal, please.”

He continued unfazed by her polite rejection. “Am I bothering you?”

Her inward cringe was palpable, “I’m okay. I would like to enjoy my meal though.”

“You know, “ he continued, “I like your eyes, they remind me of gold coins.”

‘Yeah, he’s definitely drunk. Gold coins?' She snickered to herself. 'What’s next, I have a million dollar smile?'

He tapped her wrist. “What’s funny? Let me in on the joke, honey.”

This time she let her cringe surface and moved her arm away. “Nothing, uh nothing, I guess.” She shook her head, at a loss for words.

He snuck his hand on the back of her chair. But Hana, who was leaning over and rushing to finish her food, refused to acknowledge him. 

“Hey,” another regular walked up beside her. He placed his hands on the back of Hana’s chair, causing the man to snake his hand away before their hands touched. The newcomer put his back to the bar guy, blocking off the annoying bar guy’s view of Hana.

He grumbled, ”you could’ve just said you had a boyfriend,” and went back to chatting with his group of friends.

She rolled her eyes, but let out a sigh of relief. “Hey Nate.” The seat to her left was vacant so she moved over one seat so he could take her previous one. His interruption was a bright star in an otherwise dark day.

Her headache started to lose its grip and etched away as he sat down beside her. After ordering his drink he looked over at her ragged appearance. “You look like you had a long day.”

‘Why did he have to open his mouth?’

“And you look…” She looked over at his well groomed, clean shaven face. Next was his shaggy but somehow neat haircut that framed his defined cheekbones. She cursed his cheeky smile that revealed his singular dimple. “Like…someone who…wants a drink.” She used her last bit of sanity to resist slapping her forehead.

“Yeah, I was looking forward to this,” he motioned between them with the drink the bartender handed him. Hana sipped at her water, unfazed by the sparkly player.

‘Get it together! This isn't your first time talking to him. Mantra! Everything he says is a pick up! Think of the trouble tongue-tangoing this natural player would cause!'

Despite her inner dialogue Hana felt like she could feel rays of gorgeous flicking off her from him. She felt like shading her eyes so she wasn't blinded by his, devastating for Hana, handsome good looks. 

“You sound happy with yourself, big win at the office?”

“Yup, we closed a major deal and I’m looking at a fat bonus in my next paycheck.”

‘I hate that big head of his, but he seems to understand my love of money.’

Hana put her elbow on the bar in thought, resting her head in her hand. She imagined herself throwing a wad of money in the air from an overflowing money pool.

“I’m happy for you,” she started. A short- shorter than Hana- beautiful woman stepped between them. She'd been giggling with a group of her friends, while Hana was being pestered before. Hana dodged as she whipped her long hair back from her breast and introduced herself to Nate.

‘That lasted long,’ Hana thought to herself. ‘I should've gotten used to it by now, I guess. I wanted a quick snack anyway.’ She got up from her seat. ‘Though I would’ve liked a drink, but I guess I can stop by the store on my way home to get a six pack.’

She rubbed at her temple. ‘Jeez. Why is my headache coming back?’

Hana looked over the woman’s shoulder and mimed, "I’ll see you next time. Then gathered her belongings, paid, and walked away from the bar."

As she was leaving, someone from a group of friends, who were also leaving the bar, held the door open for her.

She glanced at him, caught sight of the teal suit, and rushed off throwing a thank you over her shoulder.