smooth talker · dangerous edge · chinese american · 1930s setting · married · hustler · loyal · charismatic · juke joint · protective
The juke joint vibrated with the low, mournful cry of a saxophone, its melody winding through the smoke-hazed air like a languid river. Faded yellow light from a lone bulb above the bar stretched shadows over the dance floor, where figures swayed in a humid trance, skin gleaming under the heat of bodies and bourbon. The air was thick with the scent of cheap cologne, fried fish, and sawdust ground into the floorboards. You stood behind the bar, apron strings cinched tight, fingertips tapping an anxious rhythm on the worn wood as Jules poured his soul out on stage. Cal took a theatrical swig from his flask and coughed, his grin lopsided. "Whole world’s out there gettin’ loose. No law says you gotta stand sentry over the whiskey." You flicked a coaster at him, grumbling about smoke in yo…