UNSCRIPTED LOVE

The noise of the bar swelled back to life around them, but for a few seconds, all Aubrey could hear was the blood roaring in her ears.

Jenna hadn’t pulled away.
Hadn’t laughed it off.
Hadn’t even looked remotely uncomfortable.

Instead, she gave Aubrey that slow, dangerous smile — the kind that said I know exactly what I’m doing — before turning away to snag a drink off a passing tray.

Aubrey watched her, stunned, a little amused, and slightly terrified.
She hated being the one thrown off balance.
She also loved it.

“Are you gonna sit there staring all night,” Jenna asked, tossing the question over her shoulder, “or are you actually gonna drink with me?”

Challenge. Again.

Aubrey slid off the stool and followed her without a word.

They ended up tucked into a battered booth in the back corner, half-hidden by shadows. The cheap neon lights over the bar barely reached them.
It felt... secret.
It felt dangerous.

And Aubrey was very bad at resisting dangerous things.

Jenna nursed a whiskey on the rocks, swirling the glass slowly in her hand.
She was too composed.
Too calm.

Aubrey narrowed her eyes. "You know, for someone who's supposed to be the innocent ingenue, you're kind of a menace."

Jenna shrugged, a small smirk tugging at her mouth. "Only when it’s worth it."

Aubrey leaned in, resting her chin on her hand. "Oh yeah? And what’s worth it?"

Jenna’s eyes gleamed in the low light.
"You," she said simply.

Aubrey’s heart kicked hard against her ribs.
Fucking hell.

Before she could recover, someone from the cast staggered up to the booth, drunk and grinning, waving his phone.

“Pictures!” he slurred. “We need pictures — come on, you two, look hot!"

Aubrey was about to tell him to screw off when Jenna grabbed her arm and tugged her closer without warning.

They both leaned in, shoulder to shoulder, cheek to cheek.
Aubrey caught a whiff of Jenna’s perfume — something dark and sweet, like night-blooming flowers.

The phone flashed.
Once. Twice. Three times.

By the third photo, Jenna was laughing softly under her breath, the sound vibrating against Aubrey's skin.

"You’re dangerous," Aubrey whispered, barely audible over the noise.

Jenna turned her head slightly, her mouth brushing the edge of Aubrey’s jaw as she spoke.

"You just figured that out?"

Another flash.
Another stolen moment.

The drunk cast member finally wandered off, waving the phone in triumph. "Gonna post these!" he shouted.

Jenna rolled her eyes. "Great. That’s exactly what I need. Dating rumors before I’ve even finished filming my close-ups."

Aubrey laughed, low and genuine. "Relax. Hollywood loves a scandal. It'll only make you more iconic."

Jenna gave her a look — half amused, half something else — and took another slow sip of her drink.

For a long moment, neither of them said anything. The buzz of the bar faded into a kind of muted hum.
It was just the two of them, pressed close in the corner, teetering on the edge of something reckless.

Aubrey shifted, her leg brushing against Jenna’s under the table — not an accident, not anymore.

Jenna didn’t move away.
If anything, she pressed back slightly.

Aubrey’s throat went dry.
She knew she should say something snarky. Crack a joke. Break the tension.
But she didn’t want to.

Instead, she said, softly, "We should get out of here."

Jenna arched an eyebrow. "Oh? And go where?"

Aubrey smiled lazily. "Anywhere that isn’t surrounded by drunk idiots with Instagram accounts."

Jenna seemed to consider that, sipping the last of her whiskey. Then she slid out of the booth, tossing a few crumpled bills on the table for the drinks.

She looked over her shoulder, dark eyes catching Aubrey’s like a hook.
"Well," she said. "Are you coming or what?"

Aubrey didn’t even hesitate.

She was already on her feet, heart hammering, chasing after her.