Gin and Tonic and a Wooden Box

A man walks into a bar and sees a woman sitting at the counter. She’s wearing a white dress and has a drink in front of her. The man walks up to the woman and asks her what she’s drinking. She looks at him and says, “I’m drinking a gin and tonic.”

“Are you sure that’s what you want to drink.”

The woman looks at the man and says, “I’m sure.”

The man sits down next to the woman and orders a gin and tonic. The bartender brings the drink and the man takes a sip. The man looks at the woman and says, “I’m Alessandro Barrico.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know who that is.”

“I’m a writer. I write stories.”

“Oh, I see. What kind of stories do you write?”

“I write stories about people and their lives. I try to capture the human experience in my stories.”

“That sounds interesting. I’m sure your stories are very good.”

The man and the woman continue to talk and drink their gin and tonics. They talk about their lives and their interests. They laugh and have a good time. After a while, they both finish their drinks and the man gets up to leave.

He walks up to the bar and asks for the bill. He plans to invite the woman. The bartender says that the woman has already paid for their drinks. The man is surprised, he cannot recall the moment when the woman had the opportunity to arrange that. He did not go out to the bathroom, nor did he see her leave the table.

The bartender says that the woman asked him to give the man a box. The man thanks the bartender and opens the box. He finds a small wooden carving of a woman inside. The figure has large eyes which are slightly sunken in, a long nose and full lips. Her hair is styled in a bun with two small braids framing her face. She is wearing a dress with a low neckline and a short skirt.

The wooden figure has a slightly sinister expression on her face, as if she knows something that you don’t. She seems to be looking right at you, almost as if she’s daring you to figure her out. There’s something about her that’s both alluring and repulsive, something that makes you want to stare at her and unravel her mystery, even though you know you probably shouldn’t.

The carving is incredibly detailed, and it is clear that a great deal of time and effort went into making it. He looks back at the table where the woman was sitting a minute ago, but she is gone now. He walks back to their table and looks around. She’s nowhere to be found. He wonders if she’s in the bathroom. He hesitates for a moment, then decides to go after her. He goes to the bathroom, but she’s not there.

He comes back out, a little bit relieved and a little bit disappointed. He looks around the room one last time, then goes to the door and leaves.