I'm writing the story backwards since originally I didn't plan on writing more with the same characters. This is how it all started for Laini and J-P. Thanks for your feedback!
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Laini turned slowly, looking around the wine bar. It was filled with couples and small groups of friends. Being dressed up and going to a fundraiser was not her thing. In fact, it was almost the opposite of her thing. Her friend Sarah had talked her into it with the promise of drinks, art and a good cause. She was tired from work and wanted to be at the gym, or at home, but instead she was alone dressed up, and at a bar waiting for Sarah who was running late. There were a few signs up promoting the proceeds from the evening were going to support an arts program for education.
"May as well," she thought to herself as she sat down at the bar and ordered a glass of Pinot Noir, "it's for the children." She crossed her long legs on the stool and tried to relax for the first time that day. At 6'2", Laini had legs to spare and the black dress she wore did nothing to hide them. When the bartender placed her glass of wine in front of her, she handed him her credit card, "Can you keep that open? It might be a long night if my friend doesn't show up soon."
He waved her off, "No need, the older gentleman at the end of the bar just bought it for you."
"Really?" Laini lifted the drink and turned slowly to the corner of the bar. This could go either way and part of her dreaded what she would see.
She was not expecting to see a tall, older, gray-haired man in a suit smiling at her. She smiled, lifted her drink as if in toast, nodded her head and turned back to the bartender.
"Is he coming over here? Tell me he isn't..." She asked him.
The bartender was still laughing when Laini felt a hand on her left arm.
"Excuse me for being forward, but your legs, they're amazing... How tall are you?"
Laini subtly tried to move her arm as if to shake off the older man's hand and smiled somewhat cooly, "I'm 6'2"," she said politely, "Thank you for the drink."
She cringed inside as he whistled softly. She thought him whisper something about what he wished he could do with her legs, but she wasn't sure. She glanced down at his wedding ring and up to his gray head of hair. She was about to ask about his wife when she was interrupted.
"Laini!" Sarah walked up quickly. "Chardonnay, please!" She called to the bartender before giving Laini a hug hello. Sarah was nothing if not efficient. "I'm so sorry I'm late. There was a problem with the cab, so I had to get an Uber ride, and you know how traffic is. I should have just started with them in the first place...Have you been here long?"
Laini laughed at her friend, "I'm fine. This gentleman just bought me a drink and I was just answering his questions about my height."
"Oh, were they original questions?" Sarah turned to the older man, "I hope they were original questions and you weren't just telling her how tall she is."
"I didn't tell her, I asked her," he said genially. "I don't think we've met though, I'm David Corres."
"I'm Sarah, and this is Laini. Laini loves it when people tell her she's tall," Sarah said as if confiding in him. "It's also her favorite question, so if you didn't tell her she's tall, hopefully you asked her how tall she is. Or, if she knew she was tall, that's always my favorite question she gets." At 5'5", Sarah carried herself with loud, efficient confidence.
David laughed, "Well, I've asked her tall she is, but I didn't tell her she's tall. I also didn't get a chance to tell her she's beautiful, but I'm sure she hears that one just as often. 6'2' with red hair? No, that's definitely a unique combination."
Laini interrupted them, "I'm sitting right here, I can hear you, both of you." She looked pointedly at Sarah and handed her the Chardonnay the bartender had just sat down.
"Thank you for the drink, David, it was a pleasure meeting you." Laini turned to her friend, "Sarah, I wanted to check out the photographs since we're here. Who knows, maybe there's something we like, it is for a good cause."
"You should definitely go look at the photos, John-Pierre is a true genius with his camera. He donated everything you see here," David said. He looked from one of the women to the other, catching the Sarah's wedding ring, he smiled at Laini. "Actually, John-Pierre was supposed to be here tonight, but something came up so I came in his place."
The women laughed and excused themselves from David. They wandered into the other room of the bar where the exhibit had been set up. There was some background on the fundraiser and the importance. This is LA, just about everyone has their cause, but at least this one Laini could get behind.
They walked around the room slowly, taking in the photos one at a time. Some were a riot of color and movement, of life caught in motion. Others felt silent and still, as if the eye behind the camera had a lifetime to spend waiting for the right moment.
