The Benefits of Being Friends
"Sleeping with a random guy from a bar is kinda dangerous. Not cause of the STD or pregnancy risk, mostly cause you might do it again. And also cause when you finally figure out what their name is, it might be the last person on the planet you're supposed to have sex with. Rated M for adult language and themes. Sex/Drug/Alcohol use prevalent. AU, some OOC "
**I do not own the Mortal Instruments characters**
Chapter One
She woke up to a throbbing headache and an arm draped around her waist. She was facing a window in a big, random hotel room. Damn, it was bright. What kind of person sleeps with the curtains open? Especially one that brings drunken girls back to their room and gets naked. Wow. She'd chosen yet another idiot to have drunken sex with. Good job, Clary. Score one for you.
At least he had been good in bed. Like really good. Good enough for her to remember, despite the fact she was incredibly drunk last night. The blonde head of hair beside her stirred, then rolled over, taking the arm draped over her waist with him. She took the opportunity, while she had it, and got out of bed without waking him.
Clary found her dress by the door, both shoes by the TV, and her bra by the desk. As she out all of her clothes on and looked around for her underwear, a voice said: "Leaving so soon?"
Clary jumped in surprise and dropped a shoe. She hadn't expected him to wake so easily. Well, there goes her easy escape. Hungover, morning talks after a fuck were so awkward.
"Uh.. yeah. I have, uh, class at ten." It was eight. Oh well, she didn't know where she was. For all she knew, her dorm could be an hour away.
He narrowed his eyes, but laughed anyway as she slipped on her other heel, and looked around for her jacket with her phone.
"It's on the chair." The blonde stranger said simply.
"Oh yeah. Uh thanks?" Clary stated as a question as she grabbed it and headed for the door. He watched her leave, and she heard him say: "you too.", as the door closed behind her.
Who needed panties anyway? He could keep them as a souvenir.
When she got in the elevator to head downstairs she finally allowed herself to think back on the situation. That guy had pretty much been the definition of attractive. Like, wow drunk Clary, good work. Blonde, Timberlake-styled hair, amber gold eyes, the perfect nose, tan, abs, biceps, what more could a girl want? Pretty, but not too pretty, with just enough sex appeal to make a girl drop her panties when he walked by. Which, hell, may have been what she had done.
Checking her phone, as she stepped out of the elevator, Clary groaned and remembered why she'd gone to Pandemonium in the first place. To get so drunk, she forgot about the family dinner they had tonight. Two hours, too much makeup, gross food, and Valentine, Jocelyn, and Jonathon Morgenstern all at table together? Sounded like straight hell to Clary. Family dinners were all a stunt by Valentine anyway to look good for the press. Anything it took to get people to watch his films, make more money, and be more successful than Stephen Herondale, Valentine would do.
Not that she hated her family. Her father she wasn't sure about. He was rude, uncaring, and when she had lived at home, all he'd done was yell and punish her.
Jocelyn, on the other hand, had cared about Clary's life. But only to the point where it was convenient for her. All while Clary was growing up, Jocelyn would try to have deep talks while she was home, then leave for months at time doing "business". She was a famous artist, she could work from home. Clary found out at about 17 that this "business" included another man in the city. Her parent's marriage continued, though, if only for the sake of Valentine's ego.
Her brother was her favorite member of the Morgenstern family, which wasn't saying much. He'd been good to her when they were younger. They'd argued occasionally, but for the most part, agreed and enjoyed each other's company. As he grew up though, Jonathon began to resemble Valentine more and more, and him and Clary grew more apart. He entered the film production business when he was nineteen, and was currently poised to be the future CEO of Morgenstern Productions. In Clary's mind, he had become just as ill tempered, and bitter at the Herondale name as their father.
After a three hour history class, and a two hour biology lab, Clary was ready for the day to be over.
Her hangover had faded, but she was pretty much ready to get back to her apartment and curl up in bed till tomorrow. Unfortunately for her, she had an hour to get ready before her father's limo would be outside her apartment to pick her up.
When she got back to her apartment, she dropped her stuff, took a quick shower, and threw on the same dress she wore to the last family meeting. She knew this would piss her dad off, and also, none of the tabloids had seen her in it last time, so her status in the world of fashion, or whatever you were supposed to call it, wouldn't be lost.
By the time she got done containing the mess of red curls on her head, the limo had been waiting for fifteen minutes, and they definitely wouldn't make it to the restaurant on time. Anything to annoy her father.
The limo arrived outside the fancy restaurant twenty minutes late, and Clary huffed in annoyance as she saw the cameras hiding out across the street. Paparazzi didn't normally follow her, but being the daughter of a world famous artist, and the most successful producer in the movie industry meant her name was known. She showed up in the tabloids on occasion because of a particularly fashionable outfit she would wear. For a premiere or something upscale Clary did, she had to have her stylist, Magnus Bane, prepare her wardrobe, but Clary was known as being pretty fashionable on a day to day basis as well.
She was escorted into the restaurant by a valet boy, and shown to the table for her family in the back corner of the dining area.
"Glad to see you could join us." Her father told her at her as she sat down sarcasm evident in his voice.
"There was traffic." She replied.
"We all made it on time." Jonathon stated from her left. She gave him a fake overly-sweet smile that pretty clearly said "Fuck you."
"Now, now. There are cameras right across the street, we can't break out into a fight so soon into dinner." Jocelyn tried to scold her children. Not that either of them listened, or considered themselves children anymore.
The entire dinner continued in much the same manner, with fake smiles and rude comments. The only thing Clary learned from the entire night was that her brother had been named Head of Visual Operations at the production company and Herondale Pictures had bought the rights to produce the movie for the new John Green book. Valentine, however, had been sure to let the whole family know that Morgenstern Productions was in the works with a movie that would be much better and more successful than anything "that filthy bastard" could ever produce.
Clary finally made it back to her apartment at 11 that night, and made it to her bed without waking her roommate. She scrubbed the makeup of her face and prayed she didn't have any homework for her classes the next day before falling into bed.
Another day of boring classes, another night of drinks with Sebastian. Jace didn't actually take any girls home with him tonight, though. For one, he had a meeting with his father and John Green's agent in the morning, and for the other, he couldn't quite get that redhead from last night out of his head. The way she moved below him, and the sounds she made. Shit, he was about to get a hard on in the middle of this club just thinking about her.
"Ten bucks says I get that blonde in my lap in the cab." Sebastian said, sliding into the bar stool beside Jace. 'The blonde' in particular had tried to get Jace to buy her a drink, and when he didn't offer, had resorted to grinding on different men and winking at Jace from afar.
"Sure, you know blonde chicks only fuck guys of the same color?" Jace laughed.
"Well, not that I can know till later, but that hair doesn't exactly look like its natural." Sebastian smirked. "But I guess I'll just have to let you know after I get her back to my apartment."
"Whatever, man, have fun with that one, she looks ready for anything. I'm gonna head home, got a big meeting tomorrow."
"Oh damn, forgot you were a working guy too. Guess I'll see ya then, gotta get me some ass before class tomorrow" Sebastian left his drink and walked over to the blonde.
Going to the club with Sebastian every night, didn't seem like much of a life, but with university classes, and preparing to take over Herondale Productions, it was the only time Jace really had to get some action. Not that it was hard for him, over half the girls in his company would sleep with him if they had the chance, but the girls at the club were much less complicated and anonymous.
On the way home that night, he once again found himself thinking of the red head. He remembered the short, tight, black dress she'd been wearing the night before, and the knee high, leather fuck-me boots. Her hair in contrast to the black had been the main reason he'd walked up beside her and asked her to dance. They'd taken several more shots and were already making in out in the cab on the way to his hotel room. She'd left so quickly the next morning, but he hadn't caught her name. Her face looked so familiar, but Jace couldn't put a finger on it. Half of him hoped she was familiar so they could see each other again and repeat last night. The other side knew his life would be much less complicated if he never saw her again and kept picking up other random bar sluts.
The meeting the next morning was dull as usual. His father made all the negotiations, the agent made requests Stephen Herondale promised to stick to but never did, and the assistant in the tight little skirt made flirty glances at Jace the entire time.
Jace's relationship with his father had never been extremely close. His father had started Herondale Productions from the ground up and had sacrificed much of his time with his family to do so. While his father wasn't a bad man, Jace still didn't appreciate the way Stephen treated his mother, and the disinterest he had in doing anything except forcing Jace to prepare to take over the company.
For the rest of the month, Jace continued working, going to class, and getting drinks with Sebastian as he had for the past three years. Though he brought many faceless girls back to his apartment, he didn't see the redhead once.
This really isn't my first story, but its the only one that matters(; I'll try to update frequently, but I'm gonna try mostly to have longer can kind of see where this one is going, but there will be more of a plot than the forbidden love/sex element I'm going for here at the beginning. Stick with me and you'll see where it goes. xoxo ThatGirlThatLovesJace