Once Glenn left, Dante came down to the first floor, intending to get a stronger drink. He caught sight of a familiar raven-haired girl resting on the counter near his usual spot, and when he looked at the bartender, she gave him a wry smile, as if asking him to deal with the problem. Heaving a sigh, he walked over, ordered, and sat down.
"I'll have some bourbon."
The moment he spoke, the raven-haired girl jumped up, startled despite his calm tone. Confusion colored her face as she turned to look his way, then came the red to replace it.
"B-boss!?" Bella stuttered the word, which only added to her embarrassment.
"Hey."
Lissa returned with his drink, then immediately retreated. He guessed that she was trying to give them some space, but that seemed to up the pressure on her friend. Dante grabbed his glass and took a sip, letting the silence linger between them. He understood that it was up to him to start the conversation, and so he went with a simple question to break the ice.
