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"Are you here for the speed dating?"
Lydia looks up from the surface of the bar counter, which she's been staring at for the last five minutes. She glances back over her shoulder at the dining room behind her. The space is filled with tables, most of which have two people sitting at them. There's a man standing at the front of the room, holding a timer in his hand, ready to announce that five minutes is almost up.
"I'm supposed to be," Lydia replies, turning back to the woman who has just sat down on the next stool. "I lost a bet and my friend made me come, but ten minutes was more than enough for me."
"I couldn't agree more," the other woman says, dimples popping into her cheeks as she smiles. "But at least we get a free drink." She shows her drink ticket to the bored looking bartender and orders a Long Island iced tea. Once it arrives, she twists back to face Lydia, crossing her legs. They're long and pale, bare underneath a knee-length black dress.
"My friend dragged me along too," the woman says, pointing across the room at someone with short, dark hair, whose back is towards them. "They just went through a break-up, so I said I'd humor them, but this whole thing isn't really for me."
"I'm sure they'll still appreciate the support," Lydia says with a shrug. The woman's dimples reappear and after she takes a sip of her drink, she extends her hand. Her fingernails are short and painted metallic silver.
"I'm Allison."
"Lydia," she replies, taking Allison's hand briefly. It's not as soft as she expects; there's a hard ridge of callous on her palm, which only makes Lydia curious. In only two minutes, Allison has intrigued her more than any of the other faces in the crowd, so she twists on her stool to face her properly.
"When you're done with your freebie, could I buy you a drink?"
"I'd like that," Allison replies with a grin bright enough to light the entire room.