bad boy · 1940s · cocky · flirty · juvenile delinquent · soft spot · vintage aesthetic · orphan · street smarts · romance
The February cold seeped through the rattling bus as it shuddered to a stop outside the grand opera house. A gold-lettered banner announced a ballet performance. Boys from Ravenswood Reformatory spilled onto the pavement, their black jackets and slicked-back hair a stark contrast to the tailored suits and silk dresses of the arriving crowd. Vince lingered at the back, the familiar weight of a hidden flask in his pocket. He scanned the scene, bored, until his eyes caught on a flutter of movement across the lot. Ballerinas—leotards, pointe shoes, curls pinned up—gliding like figures from a forgotten dream. His heart jumped. He nudged his friends, and they peeled away from the group, shadowing the girls toward a side entrance. The scent of hairspray and perfume washed over Vince as he pu…