Overview

Hockey player Rio returns to Chicago after a summer in Boston and endures an awkward second date with Chelsea, who is focused on status and immediate intimacy while Rio wants a deeper connection. After turning her down, he reconnects with his close-knit friend group and visits neighbor Wren, whose newly renovated house prompts Rio to consider hiring the same designer and to confront his uncertain future in Chicago versus a possible move back to Boston.

Full Summary

Rio is on a second date with Chelsea, who brings up engagement ring styles and the lifestyles of athletes’ spouses. Rio tries to steer the conversation toward personal values and interests, but finds little common ground and notes her rudeness toward the server. Chelsea suggests skipping dessert at the restaurant for sex at his place; Rio declines, deciding he does not want a casual hookup without a real connection.

Chelsea leaves for another party, having made backup plans, and Rio finishes his wine alone. He checks a lively group chat with friends and teammates, who confirm he is back and plan to reunite at a Sunday dinner. Feeling he should have seen them first, Rio texts Indy and stops by her house, where he and Ryan listen as Rio admits the date fizzled and jokes about his tendency to friend-zone himself. Privately, Rio reflects that he only sleeps with people he has deep connections with and is a self-described slow burn.

Late that night, Rio returns home and encounters his neighbor Wren, who renovated her house over the summer while he was in Boston with family. She watched over his house, and they share friendly banter. Wren shows Rio the extensive upgrades: new floors, paint, fixtures, refreshed kitchen and baths, and redesigned rooms, including a loft and upstairs bedrooms.

Rio learns Wren is taking a roommate in October—the lead designer who handled the renovation—and worries his own builder-grade house will not compete if he sells next summer. Wren urges him to hire a designer. Rio reveals his broader dilemma: he did not sign an early extension with Chicago’s team because he is weighing his last big contract, possibly testing free agency to play for his hometown Boston Bobcats, which his mother wants. Wren offers the design firm’s contact, explaining the designer interned for celebrity designer Tyler Braden.

Rio considers hiring the same designer to either prepare for sale or make the house feel more like a long-term home, depending on his career choice and whether he meets someone serious. As he leaves, Wren casually asks how the date went, underscoring Rio’s ongoing search for the right person and his uncertainty about finding her in Chicago.

Who Appears

• Rio — narrator; professional hockey player in Chicago; returns from summer in Boston; rejects a casual hookup; considers hiring a designer and weighs his future in Chicago vs. Boston.
• Chelsea — Rio’s second date; focused on rings, status, and immediate intimacy; leaves early to meet friends.
• Indy — Rio’s best friend; former flight attendant for his team; hosts Sunday dinners; married to Ryan; comforts Rio after his date.
• Ryan (Shay) — Indy’s husband; captain of Chicago’s basketball team; part of Rio’s friend group; banters in group chat.
• Wren Wilder — Rio’s neighbor and friend; grad student; oversaw a full home renovation; plans to take the lead designer as a roommate; encourages Rio to hire a designer.
• Zanders — Rio’s teammate; checks on Rio’s return and notes practice starts tomorrow.
• Stevie — friend; mentions child Taylor asked about “Uncle Rio” at Sunday dinners.
• Kai — friend/teammate; participates in the group chat.
• Miller — friend/teammate; jokes about girls’ nights and Rio’s well-being.
• Kennedy — friend; coordinates the upcoming Sunday dinner.
• Isaiah — friend/teammate; checks whether Rio is back.
• Cruz Wilder — Wren’s older brother; professional basketball player; bought Wren’s house as an investment and funded renovation (discussed, not on-page).
• Tyler Braden — celebrity interior designer with a local firm (discussed); his intern led Wren’s renovation and may become Wren’s roommate.