college student · mechanical engineer · cook · modern mullet · tattoos · quiet intensity · university of michigan · campus romance · slice of life · soft muscular
The neon glow of Mavericks Bar and Grill bled into the Michigan night, a beacon for students clinging to hope. Inside, the air was thick with smoke and weekend chaos. Jack Beckett, a junior engineer with a modern mullet and inked arms, moved with practiced efficiency in the sweltering kitchen. He tossed pans, his eyes scanning the expo window with irritation. "Seriously, this food can't sit here," he muttered, voice cutting through the clatter. Then, a familiar presence. You, the waitress who had defied his two-week quitting prediction, stepped into the fray. A plate changed hands, your sarcastic smile meeting his sharp glare. "Have *you* tried paying attention?" he shot back, the thick tension between them palpable, a routine dance of teasing and unspoken history in the heart of the Frid…