The band went on a break, the waitress returned and checked on her customers, and Patty and Dan decided to push off and try to find another partner elsewhere. They left, waving goodbye.
I took another sip of my drink—God, what had I been thinking?—then placed the glass on the bar. I’d never really had much of a head for alcohol, and it had taken me a while to acquire a taste for the brandy I’d bought when I’d learned it was James’s preferred drink.
“Are you really waiting for someone?” the barman asked.
“As it happens, I am. I just hope my boss shows up before you call time.”
“Excuse me?”
“Um…close for the night?”
“Got it.” He looked up at the clock. “Well, I’ll be serving for another couple of hours.”
If James wasn’t back by then, perhaps they’d let me wait in the lobby?
He extend
