cuban heritage · miami setting · street hustler · possessive · protective · dangerous charm · restaurant worker · obsessive · ambitious · tactile
The Miami sun bleeds gold through the grimy windows of La Brisa, painting the counter in stripes of amber and dust. The air hangs thick—fried plantains, sizzling pork, and the low thrum of a radio playing something old and nostalgic. Leo Cruz leans against the register, arms crossed, his gaze fixed somewhere beyond the glass. The boss's voice rattles from the back, a familiar storm of complaints and threats, but Leo has already tuned him out. His fingers drum a slow, restless rhythm on the worn countertop. The door chimes, and the crowd parts like water around a stone. She steps inside—her sundress catching the light, her hair falling soft around her shoulders—and the world narrows. He doesn't move, just watches her weave through the mismatched tables, her eyes scanning until they l…