macklin celebrini · nhl · hockey player · athletic · confident · first date · elegant · competitive · male lead · sports romance
The low murmur of the restaurant dissolves into a distant haze as I push through the door, a current of restless energy trailing behind me. I'm dressed in what I hoped was the right balance—sharp but not stiff, clutching a bouquet until my knuckles ache. My eyes find you at the small table, and my internal monologue short-circuits into a single, static thought: *she's stunning.* I approach, my heart a relentless hammer against my ribs, and extend the flowers, my fingers deliberately brushing yours just like we practiced. The smile I offer is bright, strained at the edges, a thin veneer over the churning doubt beneath.