Maybe forever

Lunch is okay right?

*Amelia*

"Morning, Jasper! I hope you didn't keep her up too late," Cory says, wrapping Jasper in a friendly hug.

Jasper returns the hug, grinning like he knows a secret. "Nope, she was way too busy getting to bed dreaming about some man."

"And then again, I find myself hating you, Jasper," I shoot back, narrowing my eyes at him before turning to Cory. "Morning, Cory."

He pulls me in for a long, warm hug. I can’t help but close my eyes for a moment, soaking in the comfort of being pressed against him and breathing in his familiar scent.

"So, who is it you dream about?" he whispers in my ear, and I feel the heat of a blush creeping up my cheeks.

I take a deep breath, gathering myself as I slip from his embrace. "Oh, so you want to know that?"

"Of course! I need to know who I should be jealous of," he winks, turning to walk toward the studio.

Jasper shoots me a knowing look, an eyebrow raised, and I can’t help but slap his shoulder. That’s just something Cory would say; it’s not like he means it.

We meet up with the composer, the younger guy from yesterday named Nathan. He seems nice, but I can already tell he’s going to be demanding, and a wave of anxiety washes over me. What if I fall short?

He explains what he wants and leads us down to the sound studio, asking both of us to sing alone so he can gauge our understanding of his vision.

Cory goes first, and I watch him through the glass wall. His eyes are closed, clearly lost in concentration.

"That shirt he is wearing… am I the only one getting naughty ideas from it, or is there another reason you’re practically dripping on the floor, dear?" Jasper whispers in my ear.

I slap him on the shoulder. "Stop it, Jasper! I’m not doing anything of the sort! I’m just trying to focus on my turn, but yeah, it does suit him."

He is wearing a royal blue long-sleeved T-shirt, the color is perfect against his skin, and it clings just enough to showcase the muscles in his arms and chest. I can see a hint of dark hair at the V-neck. He looks like he has buffed up quite a bit now I am looking closer.

And of course, now that Jasper mentioned it, I can’t focus on anything else. My mind wanders to thoughts of running my hands over that chest.

I shake my head, closing my eyes to clear my thoughts. But then he starts to sing, and suddenly, all I can do is listen. His voice wraps around me, igniting a spark of emotion that sends chills down my spine.

Nathan seems pleased with Cory’s performance, only offering a couple of minor adjustments.

"Relax, Ami. You’re amazing; you have no reason to be nervous," Cory whispers as we pass each other, his hand barely brushing against mine.

A flutter of excitement flips in my stomach. "Thank you, Cory. You were great."

He gives me one of those smiles… the kind that lights up his entire face and makes me feel like everything will be alright. I can feel myself relaxing.

When it’s my turn, I sing and somehow manage to pull it off, even if I blush when Nathan's voice comes through the intercom. "Thank you, Ami. That was perfect."

We chat a bit more and decide to start recording in two days since Cory is busy filming tomorrow.

"Do you have plans? If not, I thought we could grab some lunch," Cory suggests as we walk out of the studio.

I bite my lip, weighing my options. "Uhh, I don’t really have plans, but I need to drive Jasper home. I’m kind of his lift."

"Jasper can drive himself home. Go have fun, kids! I’m sure Cory doesn’t mind swinging by your apartment when you’re done to drop you off," Jasper chimes in, snatching the keys from my hand.

I sigh, realizing I have no choice. Lunch is okay, right? Friends do lunch. "Well, looks like I have no choice, so I guess that’s a yes."

"Great! Here you go, darling," Cory says, opening the passenger door of his car for me. He closes it once I’m inside, sending Jasper a smile and a thumbs-up before sliding into the driver’s seat himself.