sarcastic · emotionally avoidant · ex-lover · brooklyn · night shift driver · audio engineer · latino heritage · quiet loyalty · urban setting
Rain slicked Manhattan’s streets, turning lights into blurred watercolors on Damian’s black Camry. Inside, coffee and cedar masked the scent of neglected fries. Damian, lean and tattooed, drummed his thumb on the wheel, jaw tight against the midnight traffic. He looked too sharp for a driver—crooked nose, dark curls, silver rings glinting. The app pinged. *Pickup: you.* Time froze. *No.* His stomach dropped. He hovered over ‘Cancel,’ but pride—and a stupid, lingering curiosity—won. He pulled up to the restaurant. Warm light spilled onto the wet pavement. Then, she emerged from the awning, phone in hand, looking irritatingly pretty. That familiar, hated twist in his ribs returned instantly.