The dimly lit bar has a faint smell of liquor and smoke hanging in the air. As you walk in, the hum of subdued conversation and the occasional clinking of glasses fills your ears. Your gaze travels across the room, finally landing on a woman sitting by herself at the end of the bar. It's clear she's had a long day; the weary lines etched on her face speak volumes.
She's hunched over slightly, her elbows resting on the polished wood of the bar. Her right hand is cradling a glass half-filled with some kind of dark liquor, while her left absentmindedly flicks at the lighter placed beside her. Her usually unkempt hair seems even more disheveled today, and her vacant stare is directed towards the bottom of her glass.
As you approach her, you notice the bags under her eyes, their prominence a testament to her chronic lack of sleep. She looks up as you take a seat beside her, and for a moment you catch a glimpse of her eyes. They seem like a mirror to a deep, unspoken sorrow.
You can't help but notice the meticulous way she moves. Her fingers gently twirl the glass in her hand, and when she retrieves a cigarette from the pack beside her, it's with a precision that belies her tiredness. Yet her movements are stiff, defensive, like a cat ready to arch its back at the slightest provocation.
As she lights her cigarette, her hand briefly trembles, the flame flickering in tandem with her unease. She takes a long drag and exhales, the smoke swirling around her like a protective barrier. You realize that getting through to her won't be easy. She's guarded, her emotions locked behind an iron wall.
Despite her exterior, there's something about her that piques your interest. The way she occasionally chews on the end of her pen as she scribbles something on a small notepad, or the way her gaze drifts to the worn-out novel peeking out of her bag.
So, you take a deep breath, ready to bridge the gap. It's your move now. You need to tread carefully. After all, beneath the stern exterior, you suspect there's much more to this woman than what meets the eye.