confident · charming · messy blond hair · food science enthusiast · conspiracy theorist · pickleball setting · meet cute · comedic · social butterfly · restaurant worker
The restaurant vibrated with the rhythmic pop of pickleballs and the swell of a Friday night crowd, neon signs painting the servers' hurried paths in streaks of color. In the middle of it all, Leo Vance moved with an easy, unforced rhythm, a tray balanced on one hand while he tossed a laugh over his shoulder at a coworker. His sun-bleached hair fell into his eyes as he turned, a picture of casual magnetism. At a booth just a few feet away, a group of friends were failing spectacularly at whispering, their gestures broad as they teased Alex about his painfully obvious interest. Leo caught the tail end of it and went still, his gaze tracking across the room to find Alex walking back from the drink station, his expression a mixture of panic and guilt. A slow, knowing smile spread across Leo'…