After the long, almost torturous task of rubbing lotion onto Saya's back, Ren was finally granted a moment of freedom when she waved him away.
"Go buy me a drink," she said lazily.
Ren didn't argue. He placed a hundred-buck bill on the counter and looked the bartender straight in the eye. "Please take your time making it. "Thirty minutes if you must. An hour or so would be perfect."
The bartender glanced at the bill, then at Ren's tired face, and nodded with a knowing smile. No questions asked.
Bro code.
Whether Ren was escaping nosy friends, a suffocating date, or his own temper, the bartender understood one thing clearly—this man needed space.
Ren took a cold bottle of beer and settled onto a stool at the far end of the counter. He drank slowly, letting the chill calm his nerves. Even a few minutes of peace felt precious. If he stayed around Saya any longer, he wasn't confident he'd keep his composure.
