The night was warm, the air thick with the scent of whiskey and cigar smoke. Mark leaned against the bar, nursing his drink, his fingers tracing the rim of his glass absentmindedly. At twenty-three, he had the lean, hungry look of youth, but tonight, he wasn’t sure what he was searching for.

Then he saw him.

Across the room, seated in a leather booth, was a man who had to be in his sixties—silver-haired, broad-shouldered, with the kind of presence that made others take notice. His tailored suit fit like a second skin, hinting at a body that still carried strength beneath its age. But it wasn’t just that. It was the way his eyes lingered on Mark, the faintest smirk playing at the corner of his lips, as if he already knew what would happen next.

Mark swallowed hard. He wasn’t usually into older men, but something about this one made his pulse quicken.

The man beckoned him with a slow nod, and Mark, as if under a spell, moved toward him. As he reached the booth, the man extended a large, veined hand. “Name’s Victor.” His voice was low and smooth, like aged bourbon.

“Mark.”

Victor’s hand enveloped his in a firm shake, his grip lingering just a second longer than necessary. Mark felt heat crawl up his spine.

“You seem restless,” Victor mused, eyes dark with amusement.

Mark exhaled sharply, chuckling. “Yeah, maybe a little.”

Victor reached for his glass, his fingers long and strong as he took a slow sip of his drink. “I used to be like that, once. Always searching for something. Took me a long time to realize what I wanted.”

Mark’s throat felt dry. “And what’s that?”

Victor leaned in slightly, his cologne wrapping around Mark like a promise. “A man who knows when to surrender.”

Mark’s breath hitched. The confidence, the certainty in Victor’s tone—it sent a shiver of anticipation through him. He wasn’t sure if it was the whiskey or the way Victor’s deep voice curled around him like smoke, but he found himself nodding.

Victor’s smile widened. “Come with me.”

Mark hesitated for only a second before following him out the door and into the velvet darkness of the city, knowing his night was about to change in ways he’d never imagined.