Dino walked into the hotel lounge in need of some serious rest and relaxation. He had just finished a difficult negotiation that resulted in a rescue mission instead of a quiet exchange. He was getting too old to pull off rescue missions.
He made himself at home at the bar. He watched the barmaid approach and liked what he saw. He briefly thought that he could convince her to join him for a little harmless fun.
"What's your poison?" asked the auburn haired barmaid with a warm smile.
"Scotch, neat," Dino answered with a warm smile of his own.
"Queens, right?"
"Good call," Dino remarked, mildly surprised. He had been away from Queens for so long he thought his accent had mellowed. Apparently, it hadn't.
"I have a thing for accents," the barmaid explained. "Listening to people speak is like taking a trip around the world without leaving home."
"I see." Dino decided to try his hand at it. "You had to have left Scotland to end up in this dead end bar, right?"
"Yes," the barmaid replied. She held at a slim hand for him to shake. "By the way, I'm Kazlynh."
"Dino," he said, shaking her hand. "Kazlynh?"
"It's a nickname for Karen, but you can call me Kaz."
"So when do you get off, Kaz?"
"In about an hour. Why?" Kaz asked, curious.
"You want to go dancing?"
"Best offer I've had all day."
Dino smiled.
Dino took Kaz to a jazz club he knew about. They danced until dawn.