TWENTY - ALEJANDRO

When I got to the hotel's restaurant, the maitre d' told me that the table I wanted would be free in about half an hour, but he was sorry about it.

I gave him a smile and told him, "No problem." "I'll be there as soon as the bar opens."

The horseshoe-shaped hotel bar was sleek and modern, but not very interesting. The only thing that was even slightly interesting about it was a single person sitting on the other side.

Her hair was the first thing that caught my eye. It was longer than usual and a thick, shiny shade of rust. It fell over her shoulder in soft waves. Her cocktail dress was a beautiful shade of plum and draped around her in a way that reminded me of Grecian dresses. One hand played around with the stem of a wine glass that was still 3/4 full of what I thought was rosé. She drew something with the other hand in a small notebook that was open in front of her.

As I got closer to the bar, I took another look at both women's hands. No rings. So then. I may have just found the