3. (this one marries to "A Glimpse" from the 100 word series)

I didn't like having to go into work tonight. As bar manager, sometimes I simply take one for the team. Kevin had called in sick, I could not find a replacement, so I dressed quickly and went in. I didn't really have time to change properly, so I ended up in a black bra underneath my white blouse, and I spent some of the evening hoping it did not show through.

Usually for work, I pulled my hair out of my face; it could be unruly and curly. But, I didn't remember to grab a hair clip, so I spent the evening pushing the long strands behind my ears.

I was surprised Mike Logan was in tonight. I did not think he came by on Thursdays. I served him more than a few drinks tonight, so he was pretty drunk when I signaled last call. I could feel him looking at me, I felt a bit self-conscious about the whole black bra thing and I wondered if he was looking at me because he could see the edge through the opening of my shirt.


4.

The whole running into someone out of context is always weird. I cannot believe that I ran into Mike Logan on the street. I was coming out of the coffee shop, drinking a large cup of hot tea. The tea felt good, today was terribly cold. He was leaning against a large, square, dark car, talking with another tall detective. They both wore their badges on their lapels, making me think they were on shift.

"Jessa." He had said my name, surprising me a bit. He never really had occasion to call me by name in the bar. He looked as surprised to see me as I felt about seeing him. The other detective took an interest in me, cocking his head to one side as he studied me. I am pretty positive he was trying to figure out how I knew Mike Logan.

"Detective." I had said. I never really called him Mike, even though sometimes he asked me to.

"Keep warm, Jessa." He said to me. Looking back, I wonder what he meant by that. Maybe he was making fun of the way I was coveting how great the warm cup of hot tea felt in my bare hands. Or, maybe it was that my cheeks were probably flushed by the cold winter day. Or, maybe he was just making fun of the fact that I often said that to him.