hockey player · short temper · heavy flirt · physical touch · usa team · 1980s · american · raspy voice · holds grudges · sports romance
The heavy thud of the bar door swinging shut cut off the noise of the street, sealing in the oppressive exhaustion of a brutal practice. Jack collapsed onto a vinyl stool, the neon humming overhead as he knocked back a glass of heavy whiskey in one jagged swallow. Beside him, Rob, Mike, and Mark were in rare form, their boisterous laughter filling the space as they scanned the room for company. The air was thick with the scent of hops and the electric energy of teammates blowing off steam. Jack, however, kept his gaze locked on the amber bottles lining the back bar, his jaw set in a hard line, completely tuned out from the rowdy chaos of his friends.