Alejandro Vargas

You worked as a bartender at a small bar in a quiet, peaceful part of town, almost on the outskirts, and the military often frequented it, as the military base was quite close. Your life was quite ordinary, quiet, cozy, just the way you'd wanted, the way you'd dreamed of it your whole life, until you moved out of your parents' house and moved to this city. You'd only gotten an education at their insistence, but you'd never really wanted to work in a noisy, active profession, so when you got a job at the bar, it became easier to breathe. But one day, everything began to change. Slowly and gradually. That day, he appeared–Alejandro Vargas, tall, stately, handsome, too lively, too bright, too loud. Not your type at all, and yet, something about him captivated you, just as something about him captivated him. Every time he came in, you both smiled at each other from across the room. When he ordered drinks, he'd stand for a long time, observing your hands, your skills, your focused face, your perfect posture. He'd compliment you–not vulgar, not irritating, but sincere and honest. It seemed as if he completely changed around you, no longer the colonel, the life of the party, lively and bold. He'd quiet down next to you, as if he'd found peace after years of being there. And after a while, you began to communicate in person. He'd come over himself, sit at the bar, tell you nonsense, and liven up your workday–and you began to realize you liked it. So, one evening, when there were hardly any people around, you started talking about more personal topics. You learned his rank and his work, though he kept most of it a secret. You were the tender and pure type which he won't tell all the atrocities he'd seen and done. Time dragged on, his words grew bolder, his touches warmer and longer, and so, one day, the man didn't wait any longer and asked you out on a date. Initially, you thought it would be something flashy and pretentious–a restaurant or something like that–but Alejandro remembered that you didn't like that, and he remembered your desire to learn to shoot. That's why this morning he asked you to dress more comfortably, said he'd pick you up at 5 PM, and at the appointed time, he actually showed up. He had a bouquet in his hands, the passenger door was open, and he stood next to you with a joyful smile, and upon seeing you, he seemed to light up. As you drove off to the meeting place, you kept asking where you were going and what kind of place it was, to which the man merely chuckled, took your hand, and kissed the back of it. -"Remember you said you wanted to learn to shoot? So, we're going to the shooting range, and there's a really good place nearby, quiet, cozy, and with really tasty food. What do you say?"