Overview

After a game-night out with teammates, Rio discovers that Hallie is secretly bartending at the crowded Chicago bar they’re at. A tense confrontation exposes Hallie’s financial struggles and Rio’s protective instincts, shifting their dynamic from anger to fragile empathy and rekindled attraction. By closing, Rio waits to see Hallie home, gives her his shirt, and silently drives her as she falls asleep, signaling a deepening reconnection.

Full Summary

Rio joins Zanders and Stevie at a loud bar to celebrate a rookie’s first NHL goal, distracted by Hallie not replying to his pregame text. A teammate tries to set Rio up with Kylie, but Rio declines, intent on leaving early. When the rookie raves about a stunning bartender, Hallie appears to take orders, revealing her second job and catching sight of Rio seated beside Kylie, which clearly unsettles her.

Awkwardness settles as Hallie insists on serving the table because the team has an open tab. Rio refuses a drink and quickly follows Hallie to the bar, demanding to know why she is working there. Their exchange escalates when Rio clumsily offers financial help, and Hallie sharply reveals she is broke, working nights after full days at the design firm to make ends meet. She rebuffs the idea of handouts and emphasizes how different their lives have become.

When a coworker, Carson, touches Hallie and calls her “Hal,” Rio bristles, nearly starting a fight. Hallie drags Rio outside, where he gives her his flannel against the cold and tries again to offer help by suggesting reduced rent through Wren’s brother, which she rejects. Hallie outlines her reality—five bar shifts weekly on top of the design firm, renting a spare room, and struggling to afford food—then ends the confrontation to return to work.

Before reentering, Rio quietly insists Carson shouldn’t call Hallie “Hal,” claiming he still knows her best. Their chemistry flares—Hallie notes she’s not his, while Rio teases that she looks good in his shirt—before she heads back in, flipping him off playfully as the tension softens.

Rio stays until close, keeps an eye on Hallie without interfering, and ensures a generous tip is left. Outside, he sees Carson walk Hallie out; after Carson leaves, Rio offers to follow her home. When Hallie’s old car won’t start, Rio wordlessly brings her into his truck to drive her. The ride is quiet but intimate: he puts on music, she relaxes, and eventually falls asleep.

Instead of exiting for home, Rio gets back on the expressway to keep driving while she sleeps, accepting that he won’t sleep anyway and choosing to give Hallie rest, underscoring his protective care and their renewed closeness.

Who Appears

• Rio DeLuca — NHL player and protagonist; conflicted over Hallie, protective at the bar, offers help, drives her home while she sleeps.
• Hallie Hart — interior designer and Rio’s ex; secretly bartending to make ends meet, rejects financial help, shows pride and vulnerability, leaves with Rio’s flannel.
• Zanders (Zee) — Rio’s teammate and captain; attends with Stevie, supports Rio in avoiding the setup.
• Stevie — Zanders’s wife; friendly with Hallie, defends Rio from being pushed into a setup.
• Thompson — Rio’s teammate; tries to set Rio up with Kylie to free up his own date.
• Kylie — Thompson’s date’s friend; briefly seated with Rio, perceptive, later connects with the rookie.
• The rookie — new teammate who scored his first goal; drunk, nearly asks Hallie out, later leaves with Kylie.
• Carson — bartender coworker (new); touches Hallie and calls her “Hal,” provoking Rio; later walks Hallie out, revealed to have a boyfriend.