Magnetism [M40s/F30s][Part 1][Strangers to ?][Slow burn]

How many was this? Four, five? Did it really matter at this point? He placed the glass down on the bar, settling the ice and raising the attention of the bartender. A tap of his fingers on the smooth wood and another was on its way. His travels for business were mundane, lonely exercises of repetition. A flight in, straight to meetings, an Uber to the hotel, capped with a solitary dinner and drowning loneliness in far too many drinks to even pretend they were only a nightcap.

Different cities and offices; the same gray, almost autonomous routine. Life...not living.

Tonight the liquid therapy seemed to have less effect. His senses were certainly dulling but his mind still raced. Today, at least, the meetings and negotiations had left a large enough impression to keep the bliss of drunken fog at bay. An ironic smirk twitched to the corner of his lips. That was a lie.

His thoughts were of something far more specific than the topics and arguments; more accurately, someone from the day. She caught his attention effortlessly simply by entering the conference room.

She held his attention as her brash and unapologetic tone became the focus of all his ire and frustration.

Stubborn, insufferable, antagonistic...descriptions he had silently marked her with as the battle of words raged on in the squandered opportunities for progress in closing the deal. Each of his points countered with unreasonable rebuttal; assertiveness in the back and forth of point and counterpoint laced with increasing venom. Rarely had he been so confounded and he resented that she could. Despite his best efforts, unfortunately, his assessment of her didn't end there.

With each distracted brush of that errant locke of hair from her face he pondered it's softness. How would it feel draped against his palm? The rise and fall of her chest between indignant utterances, which forced the thread of her white blouse's top button to strain. Her graceful movements with each step, stalking invisible prey around the long table. Even the perfect fit of her slacks, cupping the bottom of her ass before falling away to loosely shroud the shape of her legs, his mind and body were polarized by her. He wanted to wrap a hand around her throat and drag her from this room, but wasn't sure exactly what for. His mind screamed to remind him she's a raging bitch; other parts growled that she needed to be tamed. He didn't want to think of her at all, but there was a pull.

Now, in this crowded hotel bar, those ruminations refuse to drown and another glass of relief is empty.

This time, the bartender was bringing something in addition to his next drink from the opposite end of the bar. Perhaps just a fresh napkin or maybe the tab if he'd had a few more than he remembered.

Getting cut off would fit with the rest of this trip for sure.

Glancing past the bartender another caught his gaze. Perched gingerly on a chair, her hair draped over one shoulder and the plunging open back of her dress accentuating her skin, only the heels she wore and a bit of her calves otherwise visible as she was turned away chatting. Something about her hinted at familiarity, the confidence of her posture, perhaps? Was he really so drawn to the vexing siren dominating his mind that he was seeing her in every woman now?

He didn't even pretend to engage as the bartender swapped his old glass for the next round and uttered "Lady at the other end of the bar wanted me to pass this on...lucky bastard." The words fell without much meaning even as he took the offering with a muttered "thanks".

Finally, the realization he had perhaps started to feel some effects of his 'night-cap' and curiosity pulled him back to investigate the stranger's offering. It was, indeed a napkin, crudely wrapped over something harder, something rectangular and flat.

He began to unfold it from the wrapping and a keycard clattered to the bar. Unexpected to say the least. He absently moved to lay the napkin aside but a pattern scrawled in dark ink on the underside refocused him on it. A note?

"I gave you a hard time today, but you almost seemed to like it. Join me upstairs and let me properly apologize, or maybe at least work through our frustrations?"

Confusion rippled through him and he raised his head to study the stranger playing whatever this game is.

Right on cue, she tossed a glance and the smallest of lip bites in his direction as she stood and turned to leave.

"Fuck me" he swore audibly, drawing a chuckle from the barkeep now cashing him out.

Definitely not the same ol', and maybe not a great idea, especially with this woman, but sometimes you just can't fight the magnetism.