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usual way.
    But things were about to change in the most unexpected of ways. And it was all thanks to my best friend’s ability to convince me to have a drink.
    ‘Come on, Emma,’ Casey said, as we left the diner, sauntering in the slowest of manner down the sidewalk, ‘Just one drink won’t do any harm.’
    ‘I’m not so sure anymore…’
    ‘What do you mean? You’ll be fine.’
    ‘I’m not worried about me, I’m worried about you. I don’t want you taking one shot of whisky and declaring to the world who I am.’
    ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Casey laughed. ‘I promise I won’t.’
    ‘Fine…’ I sighed, ‘ One.’
    We moved up the sidewalk, finding the place a few doors down. It was a cosy, warm-looking place called The Woodsman, a fitting name for a local pub in a town right next to a logging community. From within we heard voices and laughter, and all of a sudden I felt a little more at ease.
    ‘It looks pretty cool, let’s check it out,’ Casey said, pushing the door open and going inside as I followed her in. And she was actually right.
    We were in a spacious, cosy area, filled with warm, orange light and patrons drinking at tables in groups. On the far side of the room was a bar that covered the whole wall, the back end lined with all manner of drinks and bottles. And on top of it all, nobody gave either of us a second glance.
    Casey and I smiled at each other, pleasantly surprised by how warm and greeting the place was as we headed over to the bar. We were greeted by a friendly, middle-aged greying bartender, who slung a towel over his shoulder as he turned to smile at us.
    ‘Evening, ladies, what can I get for you?’
    ‘One drink,’ I said to Casey, ‘You decide.’
    ‘You’re gonna regret saying that,’ she winked at me, brushing her hair over her ear before turning to the bartender. ‘We’ll take two double Johnnie Walker Black’s. Neat.’
    ‘Coming up!’
    I bit my lip at the sound of her words, watching as the bartender pulled some glasses out of nowhere and snatched up the bottle from behind the counter.
    ‘Are you kidding me?’ I said, ‘I’d like to be able to walk back on my own feet, y’know?’
    ‘Shut up and drink,’ she laughed, sweeping up her glass the moment the liquid had finished filling it. I smiled at her, eyeing my glass on the counter as the bartender took the bottle away. I picked it up, watching Casey raise her glass and I bringing up to meet hers with a smile…
    And the way I remember it, that was when everything seemed to slow down tenfold.
    As our glasses chinked together I looked over her shoulder, further down the bar. I had seen a couple of people leaning against the bartop, but I hadn’t care to notice them.
    Until now, that is.
    Because, even though there was no reason on Earth that I should have noticed him, I couldn’t help but finding myself staring infallibly into a pair of dark, piercing eyes, belonging to the rugged face of a man who I only half caught. But our gaze was unmistakable, our faces flat and unjudging. There was nothing in that moment, no emotions or feelings to analyse. It was just a look.
    And it changed everything.
    Things returned to normal all of a sudden, I bringing the glass to my mouth and taking a deep breath as I downed the fiery liquid, feeling it’s hotness sear my throat as I dropped the glass back down on the table.
    ‘Woo!’ Casey shrieked, squinting and shaking her head as I clenched my eyes shut, coughing lightly. ‘What did you think of that?’
    ‘But I didn’t say anything. I was too busy looking over at the guy further up the bar, leaning against it, and talking to somebody else. He wasn’t looking at me anymore – heck, I could hardly even see him. But for some reason I couldn’t keep myself from looking over at his chiselled face, raw and rugged beneath the stubble that crowded around his jawline.
    ‘Emma?’ Casey said, looking at me and then over her shoulder at the two guys.
    She promptly