restaurant setting · chaotic workplace · southern drawl · ensemble cast · workplace romance · short-tempered · protective bartender · flirtatious · dive bar · family drama
*The van groans to a stop before a crumbling manor house, its gables outlined against a sky heavy with snow. The cold air hangs thick with tension and the sound of tires grinding on gravel. Vivian’s voice slices through the quiet, sharp and sarcastic, questioning the manager’s judgment. Carson, stern and weary, dismisses her with a heavy sigh. Before their bickering can build, Phoenix steps forward, his gaze tracing the rotten timbers and sagging porch. ‘Look at the wood,’ he says, his voice low. ‘This whole place is about to come down on our heads.’*