The next evening around 7 I saw her again. She was sitting alone at her usual table. I immediately sent a text to my security chief to watch over the bar and lock up later, since I was taking the rest of the evening off. He texted back, “No problem, Boss.” I had plans for the woman with the red lips.
I stared at her from across the bar, but she didn’t seem to notice me. When I had my waitress send over a glass of our best white wine on the house, she finally looked over in my direction. She still didn’t make eye contact with me, as if nothing had happened between us, but did acknowledge me briefly by raising her glass in my general direction. Just as before, no one paid attention to her. Again, she was dressed in drab conservative clothing and her hair was pulled back upon her head in an
