He rolled the glass between his fingertips. The ice clinked against its sides.
He sat, thinking of the look on Annie's face when she gave him one last chance. It was that moment when he'd decided he was done. He'd already been burned by Mossad. There was nothing left for him there.
He took a drink and set his glass back down, the ice louder now that the glass was empty.
He watched the door, willing her to walk through. She had always been able to see right through him before. Did she not hear him when he swore on his son's life? Sooner or later she'd remember his words and she would know.
"Can I get you another, sir?" He flicked his eyes to look at the bartender. She was tall, slim, with long brown hair and warm brown eyes. He could have easily charmed her and taken her back to her place, but all he could think of was Annie.
"Yes. Thank you," he said while putting on his most winning smile. She returned a moment later with his drink.
What was he going to do now, he wondered to himself. Should he go home to Israel or stay in Washington for a while longer? Maybe he could repair some of the damage he'd caused. She would probably never be able to trust him again, not that he deserved her trust.
He should probably go home to Israel. He needed to see his family. He needed to tell his ex-wife that he was done and that he could be around more often... Maybe be a little better father to his son. She would see right through him too and know it was a woman that had changed everything. It was ironic that he wouldn't leave Mossad for the mother of his child but instead leave because he'd hurt another spy... An American woman at that... Someone who was so headstrong and stubborn he could hardly stand it at times.
He finished his drink quicker than the last one and nodded to the pretty bartender. She smiled and poured him another glass. He thanked her politely when she set the glass on the napkin in front of him.
"Maybe she's just running late."
Startled, he looked up into the woman's brown eyes. "Hard for someone to be running late when I didn't invite anyone in the first place," he said not taking his eyes off of her. Her eyes were a similar color to Annie's but not quite the same.
"Oh, I'm sorry." A pink blush spread across her cheeks. "You've been watching the door like you expected someone. I guess I just thought..."
"More like hoped," he shrugged. He took a drink and she gave a half smile, probably pitying him for his lonely night.
He thought about calling her but stopped himself before dialing her number. Calling her now, tonight, would only make things worse. His betrayal was too raw.
He sighed and set his empty glass back on the bar mentally counting the number of drinks he'd finished. The bartender reached for the glass and asked if she could get him anything else. He shook his head and she returned a moment later with his credit card and receipt. He signed it in his own name, an action he deliberately made. Langley would know he was still in country and they would have their eyes on him.
The bartender returned to collect his signature. "I hope the next time you come to the Parchment you find who you're looking for," she said with a half smile.
"Thank you," was all he could manage to say.
As he slid from the barstool he made the decision. He would stay in DC for a while. He might not be able to have her trust again, but he could at make sure she knew that he was done and out of the spy game. That hurting her had been the last straw. Maybe she'd be willing to call him a friend again.
Outside the bar he stopped and leaned against the building. The alcohol had affected him more than he'd expected. Getting caught driving while in his current condition in a country that was currently not too fond of him was probably not a good idea.
He couldn't go back to the apartment, at least not tonight. He didn't want to chance running into her there. Luckily, he knew a guy at a nearby hotel. He would get a room under his own name and wait a few days. He would try to talk to her then. If he was lucky, he would be able to pick up some of the broken pieces.
After that? Who knew? It was time to see where the river would take him.