Whiskey, Cigarretes And Mind Reading

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Summary: This is a short story, which I wrote some years ago for a course I took. The task stated “A short story in which the protagonist can read minds”. So, follow Jack’s third meeting with a beautiful woman whose mind he’s struggling to read.

Publish date: 01/04/2026

Words count: 1,010

Read time: ~ 6 minutes

This story is an original work by Lina Dimitrova and is protected by copyright.

“Mind your own thoughts, will you?” she said inside her head as she puffed the cigarette smoke.

It quickly went up and slowly spread above their heads, gently fondling the dimmed lights of the bar and disappearing into the nothingness. One could not complain of her smoking, for the entire premise was filled with the heavy aroma, slightly mixed with alcohol fumes and the sweat of middle aged men who had nothing better to do with their miserable lives.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jack said and smugly took a sip of his whiskey.

The liquid burnt his throat and he winced. Why did he bother once again? He was no drinker.

She smirked and leaned upon the bar. Her mysterious green eyes were piercing right through his soul like they knew more than they told. Could it be that she also read minds? This thought struck Jack and he looked away.

But if she could read minds, too, surely, she would have shown it somehow. After all, she would have learned on that particular evening the redness of her lipstick and her sweet perfume were secretly enchanting him. And the way her hair was held up with a few strands gently falling down at the sides of her face. Jack could read minds but somehow he just couldn’t read her.

“How do you do it?” she asked out loud while extinguishing her cigarette in the ashtray. “Your head, your own mind must be like a beehive! All noisy and all.”

Jack chuckled at her little comment. He couldn’t deny her high intelligence, but such silly conversation was always welcome when one wanted to forget the seriousness and monotony of everyday life.

“How do I do what?” Jack asked playfully.

“Come on, you teaser,” she replied raising her tone which made the bartender look in her direction. “You know what. How do you read minds?”

Jack could see the fascination in her eyes and the way her mouth was slightly open. Then, imperceptibly, the right edge lifted up in a slight curved smile. If she wasn’t so busy staring back into Jack’s eyes she would have noticed that the bartender was still staring at her. The elegance and simplicity of her red dress was the reason for many heads turning in her direction across the entire bar. Some in attraction, some wondering what a beautiful woman like her was doing in such a godforsaken dump, posing as a bar. However, she didn’t notice any of that. Who and what could possibly be more interesting than a man with the ability to read minds?

“What am I thinking about now?” she said inside her head again while smiling even wider.

“Not about your name,” Jack replied with a smirk. “You never think about your name,” he added and this time drank from his glass to reinforce his most likely to be lousy attempt to get more connected to her.

“Oh, is that so?” she replied as she took out another cigarette.

Her lips barely touched the filter and the bartender was already holding a lighter up. As if during the entire evening he had been waiting for this little opportunity. But she couldn’t care less. She lit her cigarette and blew the smoke in the bartender’s direction. He quietly coughed and walked away like a dog with its tail between its legs. He got the hint. Her eyes, however, never left Jack’s.

“Yes, that’s so,” he was insistent for he dared to drink yet another sip in hopes he looked at least somewhat manly. “It’s the third time we meet and I still don’t know your name.”

“But do you really need it?” she opposed him with a forthright question that he couldn’t have anticipated. “We meet for a little non-engaging chitter chatter to relief each other from the stressful life we’re constantly trapped in. I thought that was the deal,” she finished with an imperceptible smirk.

Jack was observing her very carefully. Her game was strong, her thoughts blank. How was she doing that? He had to win.

“Tell you what,” he decided to try another strategy. “Pick a random person from this bar and I’ll tell you what they’re thinking about. However, on one condition – you’ll tell me your name,” he smirked as he thought this time he won for he was very aware of her wonderment towards his unusual gift.

She smiled at his little challenge and her eyes ran through the entire bar. The scene was very typical – lonely or unhappily married men whose only pleasure in life remained to be the everyday drinking at a distant from their home bar. She frowned, nobody interesting.

“I guess that guy over there,” she said disappointed while looking back over her left shoulder. “He doesn’t seem to belong here. Young and neat. What’s his story?” she asked enthusiastically.

Jack cleared his throat and looked at the boy.

“I still can’t believe I failed my physics exam. I studied so hard and I was so prepared…”

Jack looked back at his lady companion. “He’s just failing his studies.”

“Oh no,” she said sounding entirely genuine. Perhaps not the answer she was expecting.

Jack cleared his throat as a hint. “I believe we had a deal.”

She looked at him with a foxy smile. “Renéé”

Jack looked away to take a deep breath. At last! Not even the smothering scent of cigarette smoke deeply penetrated into the walls of the bar could ruin this moment.

“Now, if you excuse me, I have to go,” suddenly she said and got up from her chair.

Jack stood up, as well, to show his mannerism. He was surprised by her sudden leaving. Also disappointed.

“Oh? So soon?” he tried to protest.

“I’m afraid so,” she replied softly and extinguished her cigarette.

They said goodbye to each other and she left for the door.

“But that’s not your real name, is it?” Jack said just before she got out of his reach.

“No,” she replied inside her head without even looking back.