I tugged her into me and grumbled into her ear. “All this ‘rock star’ bullshit… it’s all because I didn’t introduce myself to you properly?”

I saw goosebumps forming on her creamy skin, and I gave myself a mental high five for gaining that kind of reaction from her.

“Mmm hmm,” she murmured against my chest, and I felt some goosebumps of my own rising. “You’re rude.”

I chuckled. I wasn’t going to get away with a thing when it came to this girl. She wasn’t going to put up with a single ounce of my bullshit.

Guess this is my first hoop to jump.

“Charlotte?” I asked as I leant back to look at her.

She raised a perfect eyebrow at me.

“I’m Parker. It’s nice to meet you.”

Her eyes softened, and even though I thought this was a fuckin’ waste of time, it was worth it to see that look on her face.

“Parker.” She smiled and my name rolled off her tongue, sweet as honey. “It’s nice to finally meet you too.”

Jesus.

I’m so far gone.

 

 

I went home that night the most full of inspiration I could remember being. I headed straight for my in-home studio and grabbed my acoustic guitar.

Normally, I had to make notes on paper, work them and re-work them, over and over, just to get any resemblance of flow or structure.

But not today.

Today the words just flew out of me. The entire drive home, my brain had been filled with chords, melodies and lyrics and I strummed the tune effortlessly now.

It was about her.

“Captured my attention… can’t think straight…”

“Got me walking in circles… always handing out questions that I can’t take.”

“Can’t explain what she’s doing to me.”

“Her eyes see more than what I give… cut through my facade…”

I belted out all of the words I had running through my mind.

It could be good.

Fuck it… it would be great.

I strummed the final chord on the guitar and sat there silently, breathing hard.

“Where the hell’d that come from?” Jasper drawled from the doorway.

I just about dropped my guitar in shock – I’d made the mistake of thinking I was alone.

“Shit, man. Sneak up on a guy why don’t ya?” I huffed.

He ignored me. “Well? I haven’t heard that before.”

“Just came to me,” I mumbled as I reached for my lyric book to write it all down while it was fresh – even though I knew it was all recorded.

My studio had this innovative tech system installed. It began recording the minute someone walked in the door. I was well known for having moments of brilliance and then forgetting how it went two minutes later. The idea had been Jasper’s. It was the best investment I’d made for my music.

“Hell of a song,” he acknowledged.

The silence stretched between us, me writing, him watching.

I was normally like a little kid on Christmas morning when I’d written a new song. I couldn’t wait to play it for J – he was both my biggest fan and my harshest critic. But this felt too private… too intimate to share with him yet.

“I take it she didn’t kick your sorry ass to the curb then?” he finally asked.

I shook my head as I scrawled the words across the page. “Nah, I got a break I didn’t deserve... she’s something else that girl.”

“You are one lucky son of a bitch,” Jasper replied in agreement.

I dropped the pen into the spine of my song book and looked up at him. He had more to say – I could tell.

“Say what you wanna say,” I offered.

Jasper didn’t need to be told twice. “Don’t fuck it up this time. You might not know it yet, but that girl is gonna be the start of something good for you, man. She’s a game changer.”

My throat felt suddenly dry, and I tried to swallow deeply without much luck. Jasper’s words were making me feel all kinds of freaked out.

Because he’s right.

“How do you know?” I asked him quietly.

“I’ve never seen you act like this,” he said simply.

That’s because I have never acted like this… ever…

“You took a girl to see Nona? That’s huge… you were going to bring her home after knowing her five minutes… and not a hotel, but here… home. I think you can figure it out, man.” J turned and began to saunter away. “She’s good for you, Park… that’s gonna be the best song you’ve written in years,” he called back over his shoulder.

He was right about that too. I had a knack for knowing when I was onto a winner, and right now, I was. But this was Charlotte’s song. I didn’t care how many millions it might make me, it was for her – and I decided right then and there that I’d only record and release it if she wanted me to.

No matter what happens between us.