When Riley finished briefing Harley on the day's events, Harley found herself shaking her head.
"You don't even realize that you got the answer to someone else's prayers and you don't even appreciate it." Harley laughed.
Riley shrugged. "If it counts for anything, I felt my stomach churn when he winked at me."
Harley scoffed. "That ain't nothing but pure lust. You're not a sexual person, but Lil Riles down there doesn't know that."
Halfway repulsed by Harley's referring to her vagina as Lil Riles, Riley put the second round of her drink up to her lips and downed the rest. She looked around.
The bar was warm and personal. Conversation erupted from every square inch, some loud, some hushed. Waiters rose their trays carrying multiple dishes high above everyone's head on their way from the kitchen to the right table. There were singles, there were couples. And then there was him, whipping the pen out from behind his ear and holding the cap between his teeth as he signed multiple papers a hostess presented him with. All black clothing, cleanly shaven, slender build.
Vincenzo.
Riley didn't notify the growing-more-intoxicated-by-the-glass Harley of his presence in order to avoid any embarrassment in case the liquid courage hit her hard.
She watched Vincenzo from across the room adamantly. He placed his hand on one woman's shoulder in asking her party of five if everything was okay, two tap beers and some wings were delivered to a table of men, and he refilled around three drinks to tables closer to Riley and her friend.
Riley let a curtain of her hair fall in between her and the ever changing attention of her library interest. To take her focus off Vincenzo, she focused on getting Harley to her apartment with whom she shared with a girl named Sydney. After that, Riley would be home free for the next 48 hours.
Harley was a strong drunk. No stumbling or slurring whatsoever. But that didn't mean she was capable of navigating through Atlanta with alcohol pumping through her veins. Riley held her arm and Harley led the way through the sea of bodies.
"Have a nice night, ladies!"
Riley turned around with a smile to reciprocate the statement, but her words didn't make it past her throat.
Vincenzo offered a surprised smile and delivered one of his heart warming winks once more.
An Encounter.