Chapter 28 The Stranger

• This could usually be determined by the guests who gradually, albeit sparsely, arrived and populated the bar as the night progressed. But to Jade's amazement, it looked as if she would be alone that evening. She looked back at the bartender, but he was still ignoring her, nor did he seem in any way irritated by the lack of other customers.
• Jade reaches the bottom of her glass. She swirled the bright red cherries around for a while, watching them tumble from side to side, before determinedly lifting the jar to her lips one last time, sliding the cherries into her mouth all at once. She closed her eyes with relish and tasted the alcohol-soaked sweetness, a little disappointed that the evening promised to be so uninteresting. Surely it would be best if she put the money for the drink on the table and headed home before she wasted any more time. Jade sighed softly and opened her eyes again. At that moment she gave a start, she hadn't heard the door open and another guest enter the room. She would have expected even less that he would build up directly in front of her and also look into her eyes. Her shock increased as she became aware of the apparition in front of her that was staring at her so openly.
• The man was tall, broad-shouldered, and wore his hair long and open.