Walking home from the subway, Liz realized just how tired she was. It was sometime after 9:00 on a Thursday night. If she'd met any of her friends, they would already be toasted, and all she really wanted was a quiet, but strong drink. Cruising by a newsstand she picked up a Daily News, not something she usually read, but she felt in the mood for it tonight. Now the only thing to do was find a nice quiet bar in which to have that drink and read the paper.
Remembering what looked like a small hotel closer to the East River than to her apartment, she thought that might be the place to find exactly what she wanted. With a destination in mind, she quickened her pace, her low heels clicking briskly on the sidewalk. She cruised by her apartment, glancing up at the windows and remembering she had to do something about getting a new roommate. Katherine was moving out in a couple weeks and there was no way Liz, a junior associate at her law firm, could afford a place on her own.
Liz crossed the last street, recalling the place was in the middle of the block. She wasn't even sure it was a hotel it was so small, but there was a small brass plaque next to the door and it had a well-kept awning leading from the curb across the sidewalk and up the short flight of stairs to the front door. Liz had seen some very nice cars parked out front and she had even seen a diplomat plate or two while she was out on one of her early morning jogs by the river.
Liz climbed the stairs. "D'Orr," the brass plaque read. She was so close to a drink, or so she thought, that she could almost taste it. She took the last step, reached forward and opened the door.
She hadn't seen the man through the door. He was standing at something like a hostess stand, with a phone to his ear. He seemed just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. When he lowered the phone from his ear, Liz was a little taken aback at how good-looking he was. He spoke with a bit of a French accent.
"May I help you, mademoiselle?"
"I was just looking for a nice, quiet bar to have a drink in. Do you have a bar here?" Liz replied.
The man looked her over and met her eyes again with absolutely no sign of embarrassment. "We do. Through here and to the right. Enjoy."
Liz was a little put off by his blatant overview, but had there been a little more light she might have done the same thing. She laughed at herself and walked into the bar. It was small but exquisitely appointed. There were only six stools at the bar proper and a handful of tables. A couple of the tables were occupied but it was fairly dark and she couldn't make out the occupants. The only real light was by the bar, where no one was sitting. The bartender had just put down the phone and she turned to smile at Liz. She was stunned by the woman's beauty. Taller than Liz, who was no slouch at 5'10", she had dark hair and light blue eyes and could have been anywhere between 35 and 50 years of age.
"Good evening. I apologize for the holdup at the front door, but it's not often we get people off the street looking for a drink. We're generally not open to the public, and almost no one simply walks in. You look like you need a drink more than we need our privacy. What can I get for you?"
Liz placed her paper on the bar and pulled out one of the stools to sit down. She looked over the bottles and asked for a martini. "I'm sorry. I thought this was a hotel. I was just looking for a quiet place to get a drink and read the paper."
"Well, you've certainly found a quiet place, although I'm afraid the lighting in here is going to be a little hard to read by." They both laughed. "My name is Charlotte."
"I'm Liz." They shook hands and continued talking. Liz ordered another drink.
"So, is this a hotel?" Liz asked.
"Yesss," the women drew out, "but our guests seek as much privacy as they can find. We simply provide that. We do no advertising. Word of mouth only, and even then you can only get in if you have a reference. Do you live nearby?"
"I just live in the next block west, for the moment at least. My roommate's moving out in a couple weeks and I may have to move. It's my place, but I don't think I can afford it on my salary."
Now it was Charlotte's turn to look Liz over. Liz noticed and lowered her eyes with uncharacteristic shyness. She'd been gangly in high school and occasionally was still a little self-conscious about her body, even though she had nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, as she had aged she'd filled out in all the right places, and now in her late 20s she had a great body, which she usually kept hidden under her work clothes. She'd known her roommate since college, and even she had remarked at how great her body had gotten over the years. Still, as tall as she was, it wasn't often she ran into a man who was up to the perceived challenge of the taller woman. Now, that guy at the front, the host or bouncer or whatever he wasβ¦
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you," Charlotte said. "Drink on the house?"
Liz looked at her watch. It was after 11:00 and she had to get up early. She did feel considerably better than when she'd come in, though. "Can I take a rain check? I've got to be up awfully early in the morning."
"I enjoyed meeting you, Liz. Come back anytime you need a quiet drink."
"Thank you. I'd like that." Liz picked up her things and left the way she'd come in, passing by the man at the front.
"Good night," he said. "Will we be seeing you again?"