Friday night couldn't have come soon enough. She was really looking forward to the concert tonight and trying really hard to not get her hopes up that the Doctor might be there. On the off chance that he might, she carefully chose an outfit that was both casual and sexy for a night out. She was wearing a pair of skin-tight black jeans with a deep red and black lace corset tank top that really highlighted her curves. She finished the look with her black leather motorcycle jacket and studded biker boots. She checked herself out in the front hall mirror before leaving and thought that if she couldn't pick the Doctor up looking like this, she would never be able to do it.
When she arrived at the club, she spotted Jack waiting in queue with Bill and Heather. They were all looking like they were ready for a night out and she thought that even if the Doctor wasn't here, she was going to have a good time tonight.
"Well look at you sexy." Jack said as she approached. "You must be on the pull tonight."
"Jack!" Bill exclaimed.
"What? She looks hot as hell. If she doesn't go home with someone tonight then I'll take her home with me."
"I'll take that as a compliment." Clara laughed. "You guys look really great too."
The group chatted, while waiting for the doors to open and after about fifteen minutes the queue finally started to move. Once they got inside, they grabbed some drinks and made their way towards the stage. While they were talking Clara kept looking around hoping to see the Doctor. She wasn't paying much attention to her friends and was just simply agreeing and nodding as they did most of the talking. Finally, as she glanced back to the doors her heart jumped and her stomach fluttered. There he was with JD. And he looked so good. It was clear that he had put some product in his hair, as his silver curls looked perfect. He was wearing jeans and a black skull print t-shirt underneath a black blazer. She watched as he and JD walked up closer and she debated if she should try and get his attention, but suddenly felt incredibly nervous and wasn't sure why.
She must have been staring a bit too long, causing Jack to look at what she was looking at.
"Well, well, well." He said. "It's the dynamic Scottish duo."
Bill and Heather turned to see what Jack was talking about and Bill explained to Heather about the bet Jack and Clara had made.
"Oh, I think I might as well just give Clara the 100 quid now." He said.
"What?" Clara said surprised.
"It's pretty clear that I'm not going to win and I think I have more of an interest in JD, I just can't determine which team he's playing for, which is leading me to think maybe both."
"Well seems to me this might be the perfect chance to find out." Bill said.
"I think you're right. Shall we go say hi ladies."
Before they had a chance to agree, Jack was making his way through the small crowd and over to the men. As they got closer, Clara locked eyes with the Doctor who's jaw dropped slightly when he got a good look at what she was wearing.
"Well if it isn't my two favourite lecturers." Jack said as he approached them.
"Hey Jack and friends." JD said.
Clara suddenly remembered that she wasn't supposed to know JD and she hoped that he remembered that as well. The Doctor looked at JD and Clara could have sworn he was trying to telepathically tell JD the same thing she was thinking. Luckily at that point the lights dimmed and the opening band took the stage. They all turned to face the stage, with the Doctor standing behind Clara. The music started and She tried really hard to focus on the band and not the man behind her, but that was impossible. After a few songs, she looked to her right and saw that Heather and Bill both looked like they were really enjoying themselves and were really into the band. She turned back to the stage and tried again to focus, but really couldn't. She decided that maybe she should get another drink so she leaned over to Bill and told her she was heading to the bar and she would be back. When she turned, she saw that the Doctor had his eyes on her, so she took a step towards him, putting her hand on his arm as she stood on her toes to speak closer to his ear as he leaned his head down towards her.
"I'm going to the bar. You want anything?" She asked.
It was his turn to move his head to speak in her ear.
"I'll come with you." He answered and the two began to make their way through the crowd.
When they reached the bar, it was a little quieter, so the Doctor asked Clara what she wanted to drink and ordered for the two of them.
"Thanks." She said as he handed her a drink.
"You're welcome." He smiled at her.
The nervousness that she was feeling was suddenly gone and was replaced with the confidence she had earlier. She saw how the Doctor had looked at her, leaving very little doubt that he thought she looked good, which made her feel like she could be assertive.
"I was hoping I'd see you tonight." Clara said.
"Really?" The Doctor questioned, sounding surprised.
"Well you did give me their album, so I thought that might mean you're a fan."
"I am." He said as he glanced around almost as if he were checking to see that no one was around who might know them. "I was, uh, kind of hoping to see you too."
Clara smiled at his nervousness, which only made him look more handsome then he already was. They held each other's gaze and Clara wished so badly they could go find a dark corner to enjoy the show, but she knew they couldn't do that.
"We should probably head back." She finally said.
"Yeah." He replied and took her hand to help lead her through the crowd that was starting to gather.
As they approached their friends, he dropped her hand, leaving Clara to feel disappointed at the loss of contact, but knowing why he did. They resumed their spots, but this time Clara couldn't help but notice the Doctor was standing a little closer to her, occasionally feeling his chest against her back. They remained that way until the opening band finished and the lights came back on, at which point the Doctor took a step away from her.
"I really liked them." Jack said to the group.
"Yeah, they were good." JD added and he looked at Clara and then Heather. "Who are your friends Bill and Jack?"
Bill introduced her date to both JD and the Doctor and then Clara pretended she was meeting JD for the first time. The little group chatted some more about the band until Bill and Heather decided to go get a drink.
"I think I could use another one as well." Jack said. "Anyone else want anything?"
"I'm okay." Clara said. She really wanted to make sure she didn't get drunk tonight, so thought it best to slow down on the drinks.
"I could use another." JD said. "I'll go with you. Doctor?"
"Nah. I'm good."
Jack gave Clara a look that told her he thought he was making progress with JD and she just smiled at him as they walked away.
"I'm going to guess that Jack has moved on to JD." The Doctor said once they were out of ear shot.
"Your guess would be correct."
"Well that's good." He replied.
"What you wouldn't switch to the other team for Jack?" Clara teased him.
"Not when there's an incredibly sexy woman standing in front of me." He gave her a flirtatious smile.
"Thanks." She replied.
He was about to say something to her but then he looked behind her and she turned to see that he was looking at Bill and Heather. Once they were back the Doctor excused himself to use the loo, leaving the girls alone until Jack and JD returned. It wasn't much longer before the lights dimmed again and Royal Blood took to the stage. Clara looked back to see where the Doctor was, but there was no sign of him. She turned back around and focused on the opening chords of the music, but was worried he wouldn't be able to make it back up to them from the amount of people that had now gathered. It was half way through the second song that someone tapped her on the shoulder and she turned to the Doctor handing her a drink. She mouthed thanks to him and he smiled as she took it, hoping the others wouldn't notice that he had bought her a drink. She turned back around, now able to pay more attention to the stage, and started bobbing her head to the music. They were good and Clara was really enjoying them. It wasn't long before the music started moving down her body and her shoulders and hips were moving in time with the electric rhythm. She felt a hand on her hip immediately followed by the hot breath of the Doctor on her neck.
"I take it you like them." He said into her ear. The warmth from his breath trickled down her neck and she felt the heat rise within her.
She turned her head to answer him and found his lips were so close to hers that she could have easily kissed him, if they weren't surrounded by her friends. She looked him in the eyes and nodded her head while giving him a flirty smile. He stood back up, but he didn't remove his hand from her hip right away. Instead she felt him moving behind her and she knew that this would be the closest they could get to dancing with each other. As the night went on, he would carefully touch her waist, her hip, her arm, all for brief moments. Then she'd feel the ever so slight pressing of his front against her back, which could have been taken as either an accident because of the crowded space or intentional. She was choosing to think it was the latter.
When the concert ended the little group made their way out of the venue and it became clear that no one was ready for the night to end. Jack suggested they go to a bar that was just up the street and everyone agreed to go, except for Bill and Heather, whom Clara suspected were going home to continue their night alone.
Jack led them over to the bar, which wasn't that far away and when they got there, they got a booth towards the back. JD slid into one side and before anyone else had a chance to sit next to him, Jack did. That meant the Doctor and Clara had no choice but to sit across from them, next to each other. They ordered drinks and started talking about the concert. While they were chatting, Clara felt like being a little bold and made the same move she did the first night she met the Doctor. She placed her hand on top of this thigh, knowing that neither JD or Jack could see what she was doing under the table. She saw the Doctor glance down and then his arm started to move. For a moment she thought he was going to move her hand, but instead he placed his softly on top of hers and began to slowly caress it with his thumb. The sensation caused her heart to flutter and for her to start thinking about her next move. She was starting to feel more and more confident that this night was going to end the way she wanted it to, she just wished Jack and JD weren't here. Their conversation eventually led to a discussion about music and Clara remembered that JD and Jack both shared a love for the Proclaimers.
"So how much did you love Royal Blood? Enough to replace the Proclaimers as your favourite band?" Clara asked Jack.
JD turned and looked at him. "Finally, someone who has good taste in music."
At some point during the conversation, Clara had moved her hand off the Doctor's thigh, but it wasn't long before she felt his on hers. She wondered if the flirting they were doing all night would actually lead to something if she could manage to get him alone. As the conversation continued, she kept thinking of ways to get him home without it being too obvious. After the first round of drinks was done, Clara decided to make her next move to see if the Doctor would take the bait.
"Well guys, this has been fun, but I think I'm going to head home."
"Are you sure?" Jack said, trying to make it seem that he was disappointed she was leaving him with the two men he found most attractive.
"Yeah. It's been a long day and I want to catch the tube before it stops running."
The Doctor slid out of the booth to let her out.
"I think I might take off too. I've got a long ride home." He said.
"Well JD, are you going to leave too, or shall we get another round." Jack asked.
JD looked at the Doctor before giving his answer and Clara thought that it almost looked like he was checking to see if the Doctor wanted him to leave with him or not. She glanced at him and saw him give a slight shake of his head, before JD answered. "I think I'll stay for one more."
The Doctor and Clara said their goodbyes to the other two and made their way outside. Once they were there, Clara lost a bit of her confidence as she didn't want to appear too forward.
"Well I'm heading that way to the tube." She said as she pointed to the North.
"Uhm, I think I might grab a cab." The Doctor answered.
"Okay then. Well uhm, it was fun tonight." She said nervously.
"It was." He said nodding his head. Clara wasn't sure, but she thought he almost seemed nervous as well. "Look, why don't I get the cab to drop you off."
"Oh, it's okay. It's probably out of the way." She said not wanting to appear too eager at taking his offer.
"You live near the university, right?" He asked.
"Yeah."
"Then it's not out of the way. Please. I'll feel better knowing you got home safe." He insisted.
"Well okay then." She finally agreed.
They hailed a cab and Clara gave the driver her address. She wasn't entirely sure what to do now that she was one step closer to getting him to her flat. She needed to get him to agree to come in, but how could she do that without just simply saying, hey do you fancy a shag? He had been flirting with her all night, just as she had been with him, so maybe he was expecting this night to end the same way she was hoping. She glanced over at him and he was staring straight ahead, almost as if he were deep in thought as well.
"I think I might listen to the album when I get home." She said and he turned and looked at her. "Might help with the assignment."
"That's a good idea." He smiled at her.
That damn smile of his. It would get her every time. She took a deep breath and decided to just be bold.
"Do you want to come in for a drink and listen with me?" Her heart was beating a mile a minute waiting for him to answer. He stared at her, not saying anything, and she could tell that he was really thinking about what he should do. She could see the conflict in his eyes and she almost regretted asking him. Knowing that if things went to the next level, he had a lot more to lose than her. She shouldn't be putting him in this position.
"I don't know, Clara." He finally answered. He turned and looked out the window. "I really want to, but I know that I shouldn't. I really, really shouldn't."
It was almost killing her how much she wanted him. She wanted so much to take him into her arms and tell him, it's okay, we can do this, no one needs to know. She also wasn't ready for the night to end. Could she invite him in for one drink and it not lead to more? Deep inside she knew the answer, but she didn't want to know the truth. Not right now.
"It's just a drink. Just one drink." She said.
The cab slowed down and stopped and she looked out to see that they were in front of her flat.
"This is me." She said. "So, what will it be?"
He looked at her and then turned and looked at her flat, while all she could do was hold her breath waiting for his answer.
