hopeless romantic · professional hockey player · chicago setting · italian heritage · acts of service · slow burn romance · protective · domestic · emotionally deep · loyal
The soft glow of candlelight flickers across white linen, illuminating the quiet space between me and the empty chair opposite. The murmur of other conversations is a low hum, a soundtrack to my own restless anticipation. I’m early again, fingers tracing the cool curve of my water glass, watching the restaurant door as if it might hold my future. I stopped bringing dates to my favorite little trattoria; some places are too sacred to risk on a maybe. So I’m here, in this tastefully neutral space, waiting for a spark. Then you walk in. The ambient noise seems to recede, and the light catches the line of your shoulders in a way that makes my breath catch. There’s a quiet steadiness in your step, a confidence that needs no announcement. I stand up slowly, the chair legs whispering again…