Gravity: A Hollywood Rockstar Friends-to-Lovers Romance [COMPLETED]

2 - Late night car rides with notorious rock stars

The moment the car door closed behind her, Al blew out a big breath.

What a week! 

After days of negotiations, a deal with a brand she adored fell through because her latest Instagram picture had been deemed 'too risqué.' It was laughable, really. Al's wardrobe of athleisure wear wasn't considered sexy by most standards. She was all about hoodies and sweatpants, so the one time she wore a loose sweater that cut off above her navel, she was suddenly labeled a sex kitten?

Even now, on her unplanned solo girls' night out, Al was clad in a loosely fitted emerald T-shirt that concealed most of her cleavage, and jeggings paired with gray Timberland Jayne boots. Not exactly the look of a femme fatale.

"You don't have a purse?" Jacob's question interrupted her internal monologue.

Shit. "I forgot to pay! And no, I don't have a purse." She was ready to bolt out of the slow-moving car, but Jacob's hand on her arm stopped her.

"It's okay. I left money on the table."

"Thank you." Al tapped her palm against her forehead. "How much do I owe you?"

He raised his brows as she retrieved her skinny wallet from inside her boot.

"Don't worry about it. My treat."

She shook her head. "It's not like we were on a date or something. We talked for, what, ten seconds?"

He linked his hands behind his neck, smiling. "You can pay next time."

What? No! "There won't be a next time."

"Ouch."

She playfully smacked his arm with the back of her hand. "You know what I mean. What were you even doing in a bar, alone?"

He turned to face her. "What, I can't have a fun night out? Besides, you were alone too. Do you do that often, hanging out at dive bars all by yourself?"

She snapped her mouth shut.

After a moment of contemplation, she said, "Way to deflect. It just seems like a hassle with you being famous and all. People stare at you like you're some kind of humanoid robot."

He chuckled. "Thank you. Haven't heard that one before."

She slumped in the seat. "My friend stood me up. Toilet emergency. I was about to leave when you walked in."

She coughed. "That came out wrong. I didn't stay because of you. I couldn't even see your face. I noticed the woman next to you and the way she reacted. It was too out of the ordinary to look away. You rarely see such a strong reaction."

She gestured awkwardly. "I mean, you probably encounter that reaction a lot, but for me, it was like watching Animal Planet—mating season edition."

His grin widened. "See, I knew you'd be good company. You're sharp and funny."

She pressed her lips together in a failing attempt to stifle a smile.

"You know, I really did enjoy the video you and Lily made, the little things you noticed—pretty clever. And you have an unusual voice, in the best sense of the word," he added when she frowned. 

After another moment of silence, he said, "And you were right, I don't usually hang out at bars. I had a meeting there a few days ago and forgot my jacket." He gestured towards the dark blue fabric on the seat between them. "I was already in the area, so I stopped by to pick it up on my way home."

Swallowing, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Is that where we're going? Your house?"

He shrugged as if taking some woman he'd met at a bar home with him was an everyday occurrence. Heck, maybe it was.

"You got better plans tonight?"

She laughed. Seriously? "You already know I don't. But this," she gestured around the car, including Jacob and herself, "is crazy. I feel like I walked into an episode of Punk'd. I swear if Lily set this up, I'll lock her in the bathroom so she can find out what it really means to get cozy with her toilet bowl."

Jacob rubbed the side of his face, a genuine smile on his lips. "I swear it's just one of these crazy things life has in store for us. Let's run with it and see where it leads. You up for that, Hunter?"

Sighing dramatically, she shook his hand. "Aye, aye, Captain! Let's hope we'll survive the crash landing."

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Thanks for reading! :) Please remember to vote, comment, and share. xo—AB