A Real Life Fantasy of an Awkward Fangirl
A short story written by Wisterian Princess
(Author's Notes)
Hey everyone! I'm Wisterian Princess.
This story is just a short story that I wrote today because I felt like writing. I don't know if it's my best work, but I hope you enjoy it!
The ambiance of LA was something Clary Garroway had always loved. There was always something happening, like their had been in New York, where she was originally from.
When Clary was eight-years-old, her mother married a producer who was in town shooting a movie. Jocelyn, Clary's mother, repeated to Clary over and over again to not only marry a man for his money. Jocelyn loved Luke, and not because he was rich. It was burned in Clary's mind that love was only about love.
Jocelyn and Clary moved out of their little apartment in Brooklyn and moved to LA with Luke. LA was hard to get used to at first, but eventually Clary became comfortable in the big house and the foreign city. It became home to her, and it remained her home to this day.
Clary inhaled the scent of exhaust mixed with fresh air. It was a pleasant Summer day, and they were walking in LA―which was something her best friend Simon had always wanted to do, since Missing Persons had said that "Nobody walks in LA."
"This. Is. Awesome," said Simon, his dark eyes wide with excitement as he looked around the city. "Oh my God. Do you ever see famous people?"
Clary nodded. Her hands were stuffed in the pockets of her pale blue hoodie, and her fiery curls floated freely around her head with the soft breeze. "Yeah, sometimes. Most of the time I have no idea who they are. Like directors and such. Dad always knows though." Clary looked towards Luke, who was walking just in front of them, acting as a tour guide for Clary's friend. He laughed softly.
"That's true," said Luke. "You got me. I'm a movie geek."
"Me, too!" Simon said and looked at Clary. On Simon's other side was Kaelie, Simon's girlfriend who had flown out to LA with him. Clary had not known her when she lived in Brooklyn, and found she didn't like her as a person, but tolerated her because she made Simon happy.
Kaelie currently was taking selfies while they walked on what looked like SnapChat. "Do you ever see people like Liam Hemsworth?" She asked.
"No," said Clary and shook her head. "At least I don't."
"I saw him once," said Luke. Kaelie literally jumped.
"Tell me everything! Is he tall?!"
Clary covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. Simon glanced at her and muttered, "not one word, Fray."
"It's Garroway," Clary corrected. "Has been more years now."
Simon tapped the heel of his palm to his forehead. "Gah. Right. Sorry."
Clary shrugged and looked around again. She watched as a red Mustang passed by them, their radio playing Break The Ice by Britney Spears so loudly, Clary could practically feel it in her bones, and the windows weren't even rolled down.
"Have I ever taken you inside the Goddess Hotel, Clary?" Luke asked, glancing over his shoulder at his step-daughter.
Clary shook her head. "I don't think so."
Luke looked back ahead. "We could walk through it real quick. It's a nice hotel. I don't know if any of us are dressed for it... but we'll be quick."
Kaelie gasped. "Oh my God, yes!" Simon chuckled at her enthusiasm.
Clary looked around at everyone's clothes, seeing Luke in his usual jeans and plaid shirt, Simon in his Avengers t-shirt, and Clary in a tank top and shorts. Kaelie was the only one who seemed even mildly "appropriately" dressed, sporting a pink sundress. Well, at least it wasn't jeans.
"It's just ahead," said Luke as he pointed at a tall building ahead. Clary had seen that building before, she remembered. She'd seen it tower over the surrounding buildings, and the lights made it look gold at night. The lettering on top read "Goddess Hotel" in retro lettering.
"We'll just walk through quickly," said Luke, "and you'll see what I mean when I say that it's nice."
Simon had to lean down a little to whisper in Clary's ear. "I don't think I've ever seen Kaelie this happy. Thanks for buying her a ticket. And me too, for that matter."
"Thank my dad," Clary whispered back. "It was all his idea and his money."
Simon nodded. "Will do."
Arriving at the Goddess Hotel, Clary already felt out of place; like a boy in the girls' bathroom. A glass revolving door lead into a grand lobby, where the floors were made of a marble the color of caramel. There were chandeliers hanging in a pattern on the ceiling, lighting up the place.
Everywhere, there were beautiful women dressed in fashionable clothes that looked as if they'd come straight off a runway, carrying trays of moist towelettes or mints and things. They were all so beautiful, they could have truly been goddesses.
Even all the guests there were dressed up―at least dressed better than Clary and her party―in designer or business attire.
"See the man by the fountain?" Luke whispered to them. "He directed a couple of the Nicholas Sparks movies."
Kaelie gasped and squeaked under her breath. "Oh. My. Gosh."
Clary wanted to laugh at her, though mostly because Clary had been like that for years, and now always tried to play it cool. Inside though, Clary would still always freak out when seeing a famous person.
Just then, one of the Goddess employees glided up to them. She wore all white, and her heels were so tall she looked as if she was wearing stilts. "Would you care for a towelette?" She asked Luke. He stopped, seeming surprisingly cool in this environment, despite his appearance.
Simon and Kaelie had come up beside him, marveling.
Clary chuckled and shook her head. "I'm gonna wait out front," she mumbled and walked passed them out the revolving gold-rimmed doors. Once outside, she inhaled the scent of the LA air to try and rid her lungs of the Gucci perfume that had flooded the hotel lobby.
Clary recalled then the first time her and her mom had come to LA. Jocelyn had pointed out the window at this very hotel and said "Look Clary. The Goddess Hotel." Clary had never heard of it, but being eight-years-old, thought it was one of the most amazing things she'd ever seen.
Clary looked in the window of the hotel, watching her dad, Simon, and Kaelie talking to one of the employees, probably talking about the hotel. Clary shook her head, but paused as it was turned, something had caught her eye.
Clary turned and saw a young man passing her, his gold hair beaming in the sunlight. Clary gaped at him, realizing that was Jace Wayland. He'd been in a show called Bite that Clary had watched obsessively when she was sixteen. It was during her Twilight faze, where anything that remotely had to do with vampires was cool. She'd had a little crush on Jace Wayland's character, but a bigger one on the guy who played his brother.
Clary thought briefly about going up to Jace Wayland, but she didn't want to bother him. Whenever Clary saw a celebrity, she would never have the courage to go up to them. She would just stare, like the shy fangirl she felt like. That's just what she was doing now.
As Jace Wayland passed, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone, making a slip of paper fall out. When Clary was sure he was far enough away, Clary walked up to the paper and picked it up. It appeared to be a business card for the Goddess Hotel.
Oh my God, something Jace Wayland touched, Clary thought, then wanted to slap herself for being so silly. She sounded like Simon's girlfriend, Kaelie now. Then again, who cared?
Clary looked inside the window of the hotel and saw Simon looking towards her with one eyebrow raised. Clary make a dramatic swooning motion jokingly. She had actually been a half-closeted fangirl for a long time, and Simon―being her best friend―knew that. She'd join fandoms on twitter, and read FanFiction of her favorite books or TV shows. She tried to remain cool when she saw celebrities for real though, in fear of looking stupid in front of them.
Simon laughed inside, causing Kaelie, Luke, and the employee to look at him. Clary laughed herself then looked towards the way Jace Wayland had gone. Clary's stomach dropped when she saw that he wasn't gone, but walking towards her―looking directly at her. Jace walked right up to Clary then, looking at her with his luminous golden eyes, and he offered a hand. "Hey," he said. "I'm Jace Wayland."
Clary stared for a moment at Jace Wayland, completely stunned. There was a TV star right in front of her. Right there. Talking to her. She had the urge to pinch herself.
Jace remained looking at her, one of his brows raised. "Anybody home?"
She tried to compose herself and snap out of her daze, though her wowed expression showed on her freckled face. Clary glanced down at Jace Wayland's hand, trying to decide if he was holding out his hand because he wanted to shake her's, or if he wanted his business card back.
Somehow, Clary did both and grabbed his hand with the card in it and shook it. "Hi," she said, struggling to act normally. "I'm Clary. Clary Fra- Garroway," she kicked herself for screwing up her own name. When she let go of Jace's hand, she held up the business card he'd dropped. "Did.. you want this back?"
Jace glanced at the card and furrowed his brows. "Huh? No, that's fine. You keep it." He looked back at her and gave her a crooked smile. She felt like she might melt. Or faint. Or both. "So are you a guest here, too?"
Clary slipped the business card into her jacket pocket for safe keeping, trying to think of something to say. Be normal, be normal, be normal, she thought. "Uh... well..." She looked inside the window to see Luke and the others were still there.
"How are you liking your stay?" Jace asked.
Clary looked back at him. He was tall, she thought. She knew he was tall from seeing him on TV, but he was taller than she imagined. It was usually the opposite with celebrities, so she heard. She chuckled nervously, feeling butterflies like she'd never felt before, despite not even being a huge fan of his. "I'm going to be completely honest..." She said. "I'm not staying here... but I really like the place. I want to stay here one day." This was true, though she wasn't sure when she'd get the opportunity since she lived somewhat near it.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luke, Simon, and Kaelie walking out of the hotel towards her. Jace, having his back facing them, didn't notice. "Oh really?" He glanced at his watch.
"Clary," said Luke, walking over. He looked towards Jace and seemed to recognize him. "Oh. Jace Wayland. Been a while." Luke knew him? Of course Luke knew him.
Jace looked at Luke and nodded a hello, then at Simon―who was wide eyed―and Kaelie―who was slack jawed―then back at Clary. "Well it's three hours to sunset. I'm staying in the penthouse on the top floor if you would like to come up. Your family could come, too. See what it's like." He smiled crookedly. "The view is spectacular, and about three-hundred and fifty degrees of one."
Before anyone could answer, Kaelie said, "we'd love to! I'm Kaelie, by the way." She batted her eyelashes. Clearly, she'd been a fan of Bite, too. Simon glanced at her and got an uneasy look.
"Great," said Jace. "Up we go."
The elevator in the Goddess Hotel opened straight into the penthouse. On the way up, Clary watched Kaelie drooling out of the corner of her eye while Luke was making conversation with Jace. Apparently, Jace's father owned the hotel, so he got privileges, like staying in the penthouse whenever he was in LA.
As the doors opened, Clary could see what Jace had meant by three-hundred and fifty degrees on a view. Almost all of the room had glass walls―save where the elevator was. The penthouse itself looked luxurious, full with the biggest bed Clary had ever seen, white leather couches, flat-screen TVs coming down from the ceiling, a fireplace smack dab in the middle of the room, and even a fully stocked bar.
"Care for a drink anyone?" Jace asked, sliding his leather jacket off his shoulders and tossing it onto his bed as he walked into the bar.
"Tonic water for me," said Luke. "If you have it."
"Vodka martini," said Kaelie, probably trying to seem cool. Clary didn't blame her. This made Luke laugh. "No way. You're underage still, girl." Kaelie turned bright red and Simon put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.
Jace pulled out some fancy-looking glasses and looked at Clary. "Clary? Anything for you?"
Clary shook her head, feeling dizzy that he remembered her name. "I'm eighteen... no alcohol for me."
Jace raised his eyebrows. "You're only eighteen?"
Clary nodded. She didn't know how old Jace was, but he looked like he was in his late twenties.
Clary pried her eyes off of Jace to look out the windows. She walked right up to one of the glass walls. As Jace had said, the view was beautiful. You could see nearly all of LA from up here, even the Hollywood hills.
Simon walked up beside Clary and looked out as well. "Wow... he wasn't kidding about the view."
"Yeah," said Clary and chuckled softly.
"Why do you suppose he invited us up?" Simon asked.
Clary shrugged. "He knows my dad I guess. Maybe he wants to play nice so Luke will put him into one of his movies."
"Ah." Simon nodded. "That makes sense."
Jace walked up between both of them then, two glasses in his hands. Clary felt a jolt of nervousness, her inner fangirl chanting, "it's an actor! And actor! He is in close proximity!"
"Here you are." Jace held the glasses towards both of them. "Perrier. For the underaged people."
Clary took the glass. "Thanks," she said and took a sip to try and hide her nervousness.
Jace looked out the window, and Clary grasped at the opportunity to stare at him. He looked different than he did on Bite. Probably because he wasn't wearing pale vampire makeup, she realized. His skin wasn't actually pale at all. It was a golden-tan that made Clary realize he was all gold; his eyes, his skin, his hair. She wondered if the hotel's gold ambiance was based off him, then realized that was stupid, and she didn't ask.
"The city is lovely, isn't it?" Said Jace. "I like this view."
Clary nodded. "Yeah... I do, too. I live here," she told him, then scrambled to correct herself. "Well, not here. Obviously. I live in the foothills." Simon leaned around Jace and mouthed "smooth" at Clary, looking amused. Clary felt herself blush and took another sip of her Perrier.
Jace chuckled. "Oh really?"
Clary nodded. "Luke's a producer. But you probably knew that..."
Jace nodded. "I did. I auditioned for one of his movies once. Didn't get the part, but I still think I was the best." He smirked confidently. Clary caught Simon roll his eyes.
Clary tried to look back at the city, hoping not looking directly at Jace would make her less of a bumbling idiot. "Did you hear about the new movie he's producing...? It's called Matchmaker- or something."
"The Match," Jace and Luke said in unison. So looking away didn't help, Clary thought.
"Yeah, I heard," said Jace. "My manager wanted me to audition, but I wanted to do a different movie. It's called Two Choices."
Clary nodded a bit. "Cool." Clary looked over her shoulder to see that Luke was inspecting a scotch bottle at the bar, and Kaelie was both watching Jace longingly, and trying to touch his things, it looked like.
Clary looked towards Simon, who looked kind of annoyed and like he wanted to leave. Clary bit her lip. Clary wanted to stay and continue to talk to Jace, but Simon was her best friend, and he was visiting from New York.
"Simon?" Clary looked at him. "You alright?"
"Just a little nauseous is all," said Simon, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "I think maybe I should head back..."
Clary looked at Simon with concern. "I can go with you. If you're feeling sick, taking a taxi alone is probably a bad idea."
Simon looked at her with a grateful smile. "Thanks... but you should stay."
"Or," Jace interjected, "I could give you a limo ride back to your hotel. Where are you staying?" Clary watched Jace with furrowed brows. He must actually really want to be in Luke's movie. He was being incredibly nice.
"Okay," said Simon, perking up again. Clary knew he'd barely even seen a limo before, much less been in one.
Clary looked at Luke, who gave Clary a knowing smile. Yep, Clary thought, Jace was definitely getting that role.
I must be dreaming, Clary thought to herself. This kind of stuff doesn't happen. Strange, handsome TV stars don't just give people rides back to their houses. Clary looked at Luke, wondering if he was a bigger deal than she'd originally thought. Luke had always just seemed like an oblivious director to her, someone no one had heard of. Could it have been possible that she was wrong? Or perhaps it was just the movie he was doing that was a big deal.
The limousine traveled slowly through the usual LA traffic. Clary watched out the tinted windows, remembering so many times in LA when she'd seen limos, wondering who was in them. She'd never actually been in one.
The inside of the limo was different than Clary had imagined. It had a mini bar, and multi-colored lights on the ceiling. There were soft leather seats, too, and no seat belts visible.
"Isn't driving without a seat belt illegal?" Clary asked Jace, then getting a dirty look from Kaelie.
"No, it's cool," said Kaelie. "Right, Jace?" Simon looked nauseous again.
Jace glanced at Kaelie and nodded. "Right. It is cool." Kaelie looked like she was swooning. "But it's also illegal." Jace looked at Clary. "If it makes you feel better, there are seat belts tucked into the seat somewhere.
Clary immediately began reaching into the seat to try and find it, feeling like an idiot when Kaelie snickered at her.
Eventually, Clary found it and buckled herself in. Jace looked at her with amusement. "No drinking, and safety first? I was not like that at all when I was your age."
Clary tried to raise an eyebrow at Jace, but she could never do that, so she ended up raising both instead. "I guess you really haven't changed much then."
Jace laughed. "No, I guess not."
The ride back to Clary's place didn't feel very long, but it must have taken an hour. Simon looked a uneasy the whole way, and Clary kept asking him if he was alright. She caught Jace watching her curiously a couple times.
When the limo pulled up Luke's driveway, Clary remembered pulling up to the house for the first time in a taxi with her mother. She heard Jocelyn's voice in her head clearly saying, "holy macaroni. Clary, look!" Clary chuckled at the memory.
"This is it," said Luke. "You're welcome to come in, if you'd like Jace."
Jace nodded. "Thanks, but I should get going."
"Are you sure?" Clary found herself saying. She didn't know where she got the courage to say it, but she did. "We've got a great view of the city... I don't know if it's as nice as the view from the Goddess, but..." she trailed off, losing her brief moment of confidence.
Jace looked thoughtful. "Alright, why not."
"Great!" Said Kaelie. "Maybe I can show you my room."
"I'm sure he doesn't want to see that," Simon said flatly.
Clary stepped out of the limo onto the smooth blacktop and looked over the lawn. She remembered it had used to be a lush green color when she'd first moved there, but the grass looked a little dry with California's drought getting worse.
The outside of the house was painted white, and kept well maintained. Vines wove up the posts, and a hammock hung from the awning over the front porch.
Luke went up ahead of everyone else to the door to unlock it, and opened it into the foyer. "This is home," Luke said. I bought this place when I met my late wife, Jocelyn," he said. "I knew she was the One from the moment I met her." Clary felt herself smile.
Inside was a grand staircase leading upstairs, and an over-sized coat closet Clary suspected was for if you had a party of people with massive fur coats over. Because that would definitely happen in California, the sunny state.
"Want a drink?" Luke asked as he walked towards through living room―which had a few couches on it and a TV over the fireplace―to the kitchen, where there was a bar.
"I'll take a drink," said Jace, looking around. "Nice house."
"Thanks," Clary said. She couldn't help but feel giddy inside at a famous person complimenting her house.
The back patio had woven chairs surrounding a clear table that everyone had gathered at. Luke's neighbors had been there when they'd walked out, to everyone's surprise, but everyone sat down anyways and began talking as a group. Almost everyone was asking Jace about his career until he looked stressed. Clary silently watched, wondering how much Jace regretted taking her up on her invitation now.
Kaelie leaned over to Jace and whispered something, but Clary could still hear. "You wanna take a breather from all these people?"
"Sure," Jace said and stood up. Kaelie lead him to the glass sliding door and stopped there. Clary couldn't hear them talking, but Jace didn't look any happier. She suddenly felt guilty for convincing him to come inside and letting him get hounded by everyone after he was so nice to them, even if it was for the sake of him getting into a movie.
Clary stood up from the table and approached Jace and Kaelie. She was pretty sure she was interrupting Kaelie mid-sentence, but she didn't care. "Jace." Jace looked towards her. "Did you want to see that view I promised...?"
Jace's lips curled into a smile, and Kaelie glared at Clary. She was probably flirting with him, she realized. Poor Simon. "Sure," Jace said and handed off his drink to Kaelie and he followed Clary inside.
She lead him inside and began walking down a spiral staircase lined with tall vases of grass plants. She was so nervous that she accidentally kicked one over. "Sorry!" she said and scrambled to pick it up.
Jace laughed. "I don't know what you're apologizing to me for. This isn't my house."
Clary felt heat rise to her cheeks, and she chuckled nervously. She guessed she wasn't being as smooth as she thought she was. "I never really noticed these plants here before." Great, more stupid things to say. She wanted to kick herself.
Jace chuckled again. Maybe he was laughing at her, she thought. "You haven't? Interesting."
Clary hurried down the remainder of the stairs and went out the backyard to the cabana. "There are swimsuits in there if you feel like swimming... we've got a pool back here as well."
"Trying to get me to take my shirt off?" Jace asked her teasingly.
"No," Clary said quickly. "But it makes you feel uncomfortable, we have wet suits..."
Jace burst out laughing and Clary looked at him. "You do know who you're talking to, right? When I was in Bite, I do so many shirtless scenes, I think I had a total of two shirts and no one noticed.
Clary knew this. She'd seen every episode of Bite at least twice. "Yeah, but... that's acting. I don't expect you to be exactly like your character..." Jace looked at her with a surprised expression. Clary wondered if that sounded dumb. "What...?"
"Nothing," Jace said. "Most people do." He turned his eyes to the cabana. "I'll swim if you swim with me."
Clary felt her stomach drop. Jace Wayland with his perfect actor body seeing her in a swimsuit? She wasn't ugly, but she wasn't very pretty either. She knew that. And she was very body conscious. "I'll be in a wet suit."
Jace chuckled. "Alright. Then so will I."
Clary had looked at her appearance in the full length mirror in the cabana a little too obsessively to make sure she at least looked decent. Not that Jace would ever find her attractive―she wasn't delusional―but she didn't want him to think she was terrible-looking.
When Clary walked out of the cabana, Jace was out there in a wet suit, and he wasn't alone. Clary's seven-year-old sister, Valentina, was there talking with him. Valentina hadn't come with when Luke had taken her, Simon, and Kaelie out into LA. She'd wanted to stay home and play Mario Kart.
"Oh!" Valentina jumped, her red curls bouncing. "I know! I know where I've seen you! It was on TV right? On that show about vampires that Clary used to watch."
Jace chuckled. "Yep, that's right." Clary stood there a moment, watching them talk. She only hoped she wouldn't say anything embarrassing. Not that Clary had not embarrassed herself already.
"What are you doing at our house?" Valentina asked curiously.
"Your sister invited me," said Jace. "I met her at my hotel." He leaned down and whispered loudly, "I'm pretty sure she's in love with me." Clary felt heat rise to her cheeks again.
Valentina giggled. "No. She's in love with the guy that played your brother on TV."
Jace blinked. "What?" He looked at Clary with mock hurt. "Traitor."
Clary chuckled, unable to help it. "Uh... I'm sorry?"
Jace chuckled. "So where is this pool?"
"Oh, can I come?" Valentina asked.
"I don't see why not," said Jace.
Valentine ran past Clary into the cabana, presumably to get her suit on. Jace looked at Clary expectantly.
"This way." Clary walked onto the pool deck.
"Valentina looks like you," Jace said. "The others, not so much."
"She's the only one related to me," Clary said. "Luke is my step father. Valentina is my half-sister."
"And what about the skinny guy and the blonde girl?"
"Simon and his girlfriend," Clary explained. "Simon's my best friend."
"Wait, that was his girlfriend?" Jace asked. "He needs to find a new girlfriend. I was expecting her to say 'your bed or mine' any moment during that conversation." Clary chuckled.
They got to the edge of the pool and Clary stopped. From over the railing of the desk, you could see all of Los Angeles, and the sun was beginning to go down.
"Wow..." Jace said from beside her. "This is..."
"Not a three-fifty degree view," said Clary, "but I like it... this is home."
"I like it, too," he said. Then, unexpectedly, Jace grabbed Clary by the hand and jumped into the pool, pulling her in with him. She shrieked as she hit the freezing cold chlorinated water.
When Clary resurfaced, Jace was laughing. He ran his fingers through his golden-blonde hair, smoothing it back over his head. He looked gorgeous sprinkled with droplets of water and with the setting sunlight on his skin.
"Finally alone," said Jace with a mischievous grin on his face.
"Ha ha," Clary said with an eye roll, though she was blushing. She had to tread water here since it was too deep for her to stand.
Jace rose an eyebrow. "What?"
"I was saying... very funny," Clary tried to clarify, suddenly wondering how bad her hair looked.
"Why's that funny?" Jace asked. "Here." He reached his hands out under the water and placed them on Clary's waist. She blushed furiously. "Now you don't have to keep treading."
"I..." Clary struggled for words for a moment. "Can... can you not do that?"
Jace rose an eyebrow. "Which part?"
"The messing with me part," Clary said.
Jace tilted his head. The droplets of water on his skin began to shimmer in the light. "I'm not messing with you."
"Then you don't have to be nice," Clary said. "My dad already thinks highly of you. I'm sure he'd give you the part in The Match either way."
"Oh, I'm not interested in that movie," Jace said. "I told you already. I have my eye on a different movie that will be shooting at the same time."
Clary frowned in confusion. She's stopped treading water, letting him support her small frame in the cool water. "Wait... then why are you being so nice to us? Letting us into your room, giving us a ride home...?"
"Honestly?" Jace rose an eyebrow. "I think you're cute and I was trying to be impressive."
Clary was fairly sure she's stopped breathing. When, she wasn't sure. "What?"
Jace chuckled. "I was interested in maybe going out with you, but you looked bored by me. So I tried to impress you."
Clary only stared at him, waiting for him to say he was joking.
"You're a funny girl, Clary," he said. "Cute, too. Why else would I let you up to the penthouse?"
"To get a part in the movie..." Clary said then wanted to kick herself.
"You said that," said Jace, looking amused.
This day had not gone how Clary thought it would. First, she saw a TV star that she knew and sort of liked. Then, he looked at―and even talked to her. Then, he started hanging out with her and her family and friends. Now... how he was telling her that he liked her? This was too weird and not possible. Maybe he just wanted to sleep with her...?
"I-I..." Clary sputtered nervously. "Are you messing with me?"
Jace shook his head. "Is it that hard to acknowledge that you might be a catch, Clary Fra-Garroway?" He repeated her awkward introduction. "A bit of an awkward one, I'll admit, but I like you. Most girls go nuts when they see me. Not you."
Clary swallowed. "I'm just going to confess right now that I'm actually not that cool. I've just been... playing it cool?"
Jace laughed. "That's your playing-it-cool?"
Clary narrowed her eyes. "Don't make fun, Wayland."
Jace chuckled again. "Alright then. We don't have to go out if you don't want to. It would, after all, attract tons of attention to you in the media."
Clary flinched. "No thank you please." She'd seen gossip magazines. She didn't want to know what strangers would say about her.
"Can I at least kiss you? I'm a good kisser, I promise."
Clary stayed utterly frozen for a moment. If she wasn't being held up, she was sure she would have fallen down. "... okay..."
Jace leaned in and tilted his head as he kissed her lips slowly. He tasted like strawberry daiquiris and chlorine, and his lips were soft. He was a good kisser, with a firm but gentle kiss, as if he'd known her for longer than three hours.
When Jace pulled away, Clary had realized she'd had her hands on his chest, and he'd pulled her closer.
"Now," said murmured in a tone that was almost playful, "I'm going to give you my number. You can call me, or not. Your choice."