The dive was dark, all dives everywhere were. Wasn't that part of the handbook? Low lighting, bad background music, sagging barstools- this place had each in spades. Funnily enough when she'd told him to meet her here, this is exactly the sort of place she'd imagined. She could feel the bar tender watching her sidelong. She didn't much care though, she lazily swirled the contents of her nearly empty glass in ever widening, ever slower circles.

It was odd, with one ear she could hear the muted conversations of the other patrons, while the other listened to the sounds of deafening explosions and imploding armature. She sighed deeply and allowed a small drop of regret to bead along her lashes before she flicked it away a second later. Done was done, and she certainly wasn't sorry. Well she was, but not about that. There, at the end, she'd felt a bit sorry for herself. A perfectly normal human reaction, and perfectly acceptable given the circumstances she allowed with a huff.

She leaned against the booze soaked bar, closed her eyes for moment, and listened with both ears, hoping against hope that she wouldn't hear his voice.

"Rough day, honey?" the bar tender asked, and she could see the shadow slide in front of her.

She smirked. "You don't know the half of it." She liked this gal, she reminded her of someone. Someone she liked.

"Need to unload?" How kind, she was at least willing to work for her tip.

"No thanks," she sighed, finally opening her eyes. Nope, he hadn't arrived yet, at least she couldn't hear him if he had.

She picked up the glass she'd been nursing and swirled the contents into her mouth. Shaking her head against the quick kick that accompanied the alcohol.

"Another?" the woman asked, the bottle hovering over her glass.

"Yeah," she nodded. "While I wait."

"Oh? You expecting someone?" There was a small knowing smile on her face. Yep, definitely reminded her of a friend.

She nodded as the woman poured.

"Pretty thing like you, hope he doesn't keep you waiting long."

Shepard waited till the bar tender had turned away, and murmured to herself. "Oh, I don't know. I wouldn't mind it if he made me wait a lifetime."