They settled onto a pair of barstools. The bartender, a burly man with a salt-and-pepper beard, approached with a friendly nod.
"What'll it be?" he asked, wiping down the bar in front of them.
Isabella leaned forward, her eyes scanning the rows of bottles behind the bar. "I'll have a gin and tonic, please. Extra lime."
Jackson hesitated, suddenly aware that he hadn't been to a bar in what felt like ages. "Uh, I'll have... a whiskey. Neat."
The bartender nodded and set about preparing their drinks.
Isabella turned to Jackson, smirking. "Whiskey, huh? Trying to impress me with your manly drink choice?"
He felt his cheeks flush slightly. "What? No, I just... I like whiskey."
"Sure you do," she teased, nudging him with her elbow. "I bet you're more of a fruity cocktail guy. Maybe someth
