The Broken with the Bittersweet

           
Bittersweet flavors swallowed over the course of minutes. Brown hair vaguely in his current vision as he hunched over the wooden bar and looked into another empty glass. "Another", he mumbled as the bartender was walking by him. Sudden bladder urges reprogrammed his mind to get up.

With one foot in front of the other, he was making his way towards the restrooms when a woman hopped off a bar stool and was right in his pathway. Trying to avoid the woman, he turned his body, but couldn't manage to miss bumping into the woman completely. Looking at the woman with her mouth gaping open, he expected to hear a shriek, but the sound never came. His eyes shifted down to her alcohol-soaked dress. As he laid eyes on what he had done, his eyes grew large and he began apologizing over and over. "I'll buy you a new one, I'm so sorry", he pleaded to the woman in front of him.

The woman shook it off as if it was nothing and sighed, "I'll be right back." She got up and headed in the direction of the restrooms, which had just been his once intended destination.

He sat down next to the spot in which she was sitting at shortly before and waited. Minutes after he heard the faint conversation of a woman behind him, "Only ten paper towels later and it's good as new... except the smell... and the stain." He turned around while still sitting on the bar stool and started apologizing once more.

"Enough", the woman barked, "Where's that drink?" She looked over at the man. He looked out of place, so she gave him a playful smirk.

"You heard the lady!", the man proclaimed.

The bartender came over and refilled her Gin and Tonic drink as the man slid the bartender some money.

"Thank you very much", the woman said as she turned and smiled at the man, who sat beside her, before taking a sip of her drink.

"It's the least I could do", the man replied as he began to get up off the bar stool. As he turned he felt a warm hand grab onto his arm. He turned around and saw the woman taking another sip of her drink as she finished swallowing her sip she stated, "There's nothing like good conversation while drinking." The man smiled and sat back down.

"I'm Rovena", the woman announced, as she held her hand out towards the man.

Upon hearing the lady's name, he responded, "Kian", as he reached his hand out as well.

They shook hands and Rovena began to drink again.

Kian flagged the bartender down again and ordered another Whiskey Ginger.

Rovena insisted, "So Kian, I've got a personal question for you."

"Shoot", Kian responded as he took a sip of his drink.

Rovena with no emotion asked, "What is your opinion on love?"

Almost choking on his drink, Kian took a moment.

Rovena begin lightly laughing and clarified, "I'm just curious on your opinion."

Kian redirecting the question asked, "Did you just get out of a relationship or something?"

"No, I'm just curious as to your thoughts", Rovena explained. "So, tell me", Rovena pushed for an answer, as she lightly bumped her shoulder into Kian's.

Kian took a large gulp and stated, "Love is a complex thing."

"No shit", Rovena laughingly jokingly. "Do you believe in it?", she asked with a more serious tone.

"Love?", Kian questioned.

"Yeah, do you believe in love?", she asked again.

"You could say so", Kian said as he had another sip, "but there's many types of love and so many different variables."