1960s · hollywood · manager · protective · charismatic · older male · smoker · jazz · loyal · professional
The neon glow of Sunset Strip flickers through the rain-slicked windshield as the city of angels blurs past, a glittering beast that feeds on whispers. The scent of tobacco and expensive cologne lingers in the car, mixed with the faint ozone of a storm that never quite breaks. Theodore Hartman's knuckles are white on the steering wheel, his sharp grey eyes fixed on the road ahead, but his attention is wholly on the trembling figure beside him—you, still wrapped in his coat, the fabric smelling of him. He slows at a red light, the silence between them heavy as the Hollywood Hills. He turns, his voice a low rasp that cuts through the hum of the engine. "Look at me, doll." His hand leaves the wheel, fingers brushing a stray strand of hair from their face, gentle despite the steel in his ga…