Gary hovered.

He checked his phone. He pretended to study the dartboard. He adjusted his jacket twice, which achieved nothing except making him look nervous.

Up close — or closer — she was even more intimidating. Relaxed posture. Easy smile. The quiet confidence of someone who didn’t bluff their way through life and probably flossed regularly.

Gary touched his jaw without thinking and winced.

Right. Strategy. Open with a joke? Mention the tooth immediately? Pretend he wasn’t one bad decision away from becoming a medical anecdote?

He shifted his weight. Took a breath. Immediately regretted breathing through his mouth and stopped again.

She glanced up and caught him staring.

Time froze.

Gary’s brain emptied itself completely. Then, committed beyond retreat and powered entirely by momentum, he nodded at her.

She raised an eyebrow, amused.

Not offended. Not alarmed. Amused.

Well. That was happening now.

Gary swallowed carefully and stepped forward, heart hammering, tooth throbbing, optimism doing most of the heavy lifting.

Own it and approach her → Page 17

Bottle it and retreat into the crowd → Page 21