The hotel bar was class personified; shiny brass features, sleek leather seats, soft, low lighting. I sipped my tequila soda, the condensation on it running down the length of the crystal whiskey glass, gently landing on my laptop keyboard.

The allure of the soft jazz music and enjoyable atmosphere had been too much to resist when I had returned, exhausted, from the end of a long day of conferencing with still yet more work to do. If I was working until midnight, it may as well be in a beautiful, soothing setting, with an ice cold drink in hand.

Stretching my arms above my head, I took a moment to drink in my surroundings, observing the other patrons covertly from my secluded booth in the corner. The bar was crowded, filled with excited travelers chatting over daiquiris and bored looking business men tapping away on their phones, glasses of whiskey reflecting the light of the chandelier overhead.

My gaze caught on a man at the far end of the bar; thick, sandy hair was perfectly tousled, a crisp white button down peaking out of his navy sports coat. Unlike the other bar patrons, he wasn’t absorbed in a conversation or a book or laptop. He simply sat, drink in hand, observing the space, as I myself did.

And then he turned to look at me.

I felt my mouth dry out.

Piercing green eyes bored into my own, pinning me to my seat. It felt as if I’d lost complete control over my limbs. A slight smirk turned one side of his mouth up, as if he knew exactly the kind of person I was with this one look.

After several long seconds he turned his attention to the bartender, and flagged him down. I took a sudden inhale, realizing that I had been holding my breath, and turned my attention back to my laptop. I stared intently at the screen, seeing nothing, trying to mentally stop the flush spreading to my cheeks.

“Hi there.” I tried to act as nonchalant as possible as the stranger suddenly appeared out of nowhere, sliding into the seat across from me. “I’m Jaime. Mind if I join you?”

Shutting the laptop, I waved a hand airily, indicating my feigned indifference. Up close he was even more stunning, his strong jaw line prominently on display, a faint smell of clean linen about him.

He leans in towards me, making my heart race. “Can I tell you something?”

I nod, absolutely losing any ability of speech.

“You’re magnetic. When I saw you from over there, I knew I had to come speak to you. It’s like I’ve known you all my life and only just remembered it.”

Stunned, I try to think of something, anything, to say in response, as the stranger flags the bartender for another round of drinks for us both.

He turned back to me, a cheeky smile on his face. “Working? In these conditions?”

I couldn’t help but return his smile. “I think you’re right,” I said, shutting my laptop. “Best to save it for the office.”

Jaime was charming, easy to talk to. The conversation - and the drinks - flowed. After a another generous gin and tonic arrived at the table, I excused myself to the ladies room, flushed from the alcohol and the attention of a good looking man.

Jaime, sitting alone at the table, pulled his phone out and fired off a quick text message, keeping a covert eye on the other bar patrons. Subtly, he reaches below the table and dislodges a small package taped to its underside. Without looking at it, he slips it into his pocket and returns to his phone, sending off another text message quickly. Within moments, it begins to ring in his hand.

“Talk to me Dex.”

“Great job on getting the first package, we were beginning to worry when it looked like that woman wasn’t moving anywhere anytime soon. The next one is in the third stall of the men’s room on the second floor; remove it and await further instructions in your room.”

“Roger.” Jaime hangs up without any further discussion, and looks almost wistfully at the half gone drink still sitting on the table. The woman really had been beautiful; in a different world, this may have been the start of something.

But it wasn’t. And he had a job to do.