Hey everyone! I've got the next chapter here for you that I hope you'll like. The first part takes place the morning after Jem and Scarlett's first date while the second part is sort of part of the movie. Anyways, enjoy!


Barbeque

When Jem awoke the next morning, he was lying underneath the covers in Scarlett's king-sized bed at her townhouse in East Cambridge. He was still in his clothes from the night before so he breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't screw things up with her yet. For some reason, Jem wanted to do things right with her. He didn't want to sleep with her yet. There was something about her that made him want to do things traditionally with her.

Jem brought his hand up and rubbed his eyes before turning his head to see Scarlett curled up next to him. Her hand was resting against his chest and her head rested against his shoulder. He had an arm wrapped around her back as she slept peacefully next to him. He knew there had to be something creepy about him just lying there and watching her sleep, but she looked so peaceful and he didn't want to ruin that.

It wasn't until about 20 minutes later when Scarlett stirred and rolled onto her back, pinning Jem's arm underneath her. She let out a sigh before raising her hand to rub the sleep from her eyes. Finally, she squirmed uncomfortably, allowing Jem to pry his arm out from underneath her. Unfortunately, that jostled her awake.

"Oh hey, sorry," she mumbled sleepily.

"It's alright," Jem said with a light chuckle.

Scarlett stretched her arms above her head, moaning with pleasure as she stretched her muscles. Jem couldn't help but stare as she arched her back, causing her breasts to protrude further from her chest. When he realized what he was doing, he quickly looked away, embarrassed by what he had done.

When she was finished stretching, she rolled over and curled up next to Jem again. "Last night was fun," she said.

"Well, I'm glad you had fun," Jem mumbled.

"You okay?" Scarlett asked as she pushed away from him and rolled to the other side of the bed. She swung her legs over the edge and her feet touched the cold hardwood floor.

"Yeah," Jem said with a shrug of his shoulders. He turned to see Scarlett rummaging through her dresser drawers. She pulled out a plain white t-shirt, a pair of underwear, and a bra before padding across the room to her closet. She yanked a pair of jeans off of their hanger before turning to Jem.

"I'm just going to change into something else," she said as she pointed to the adjoining bathroom. Jem nodded in understanding and she disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

He could hear her banging around in the bathroom as she changed from one ensemble to the other. At one point, he heard a loud bang followed by a string of whispered curse words coming from Scarlett's mouth. Finally, there was the sound of rushing water as Scarlett no doubt turned on the sink but it quickly ceased.

Jem glanced over at the door when he heard it creak open. For some reason, he expected her to come out half naked but there she stood with her white t-shirt and grey skinny jeans. Her face was free of all make-up and her curls from last night had lost their volume.

"So, umm, do you maybe want to go downstairs for some coffee?" Scarlett asked nervously as she leaned against the doorframe.

Jem stared at her for a couple seconds before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. "Umm, yeah, sure."

"Okay," Scarlett whispered before heading to her bedroom door. Jem followed her as they headed out of her bedroom and downstairs to the kitchen. Silently, they made their way into the kitchen. Jem took a seat at one of the chairs at the island in the middle of the kitchen as Scarlett searched through her cabinets for some coffee. She pulled out a bag of Starbucks coffee grinds and some coffee filters, and set up the coffee maker.

Just as Scarlett was finishing up, Jem's phone buzzed in his pocket and he quickly reached into his pocket for it. He pulled it out and saw Doug's name flashing across the screen. He hesitated to answer it. He knew Doug was checking up on him, making sure he hadn't done anything stupid. But Jem answered it anyways because he knew Doug would keep calling if he didn't.

"What?" Jem growled into the phone when he answered it.

"What the fuck's your problem?" Doug asked from the other end.

"I just got up," Jem said.

"Whatever," Doug said. "We're thinking of having a barbeque tomorrow so can you swing by the beer warehouse and pick up some stuff?"

"Yeah, fine," Jem said.

"What's up your ass?" Doug asked.

"You, mother dearest. Stop checking up on me!" Jem snarled.

"Are you at Scarlett's?" Doug asked, instantly interested.

"It's none of your business," Jem shot back.

"You are, aren't you?" Doug asked slyly.

"Do you want your fucking booze or not?" Jem asked, irritated. Doug was silent on the other end. "That's what I thought."

"Why are you such an asshole when we talk about her?" Doug asked.

"Because it's none of your business," Jem said through clenched teeth. "I'll see you later. I've got to go." Jem disconnected the call and shoved his phone back into his pocket just as Scarlett slid a mug of coffee across the counter to him.

"Well aren't you just a ball of sunshine in the morning," she said sarcastically. She rested her elbows on the countertop across from Jem as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Just Doug being an ass," Jem said as he lifted his mug to his lips and took a sip of the hot brew.

"You guys used to be so close," Scarlett mused. "What happened?"

Jem shrugged his shoulders. "Going to prison might have something to do with it. We just grew apart in those nine years."

"I doubt that," Scarlett said as she shook her head in disagreement. "I would bet he came to visit you at least once a week."

"Try once every four months," Jem shot back with a blank expression.

Scarlett felt her jaw drop but she closed her mouth the moment it fell open. "Sorry Jem," she apologized as she dropped her gaze.

"It's okay," Jem mumbled. "Like I said, prison made us grow apart. We've been like this ever since."

"Sorry," Scarlett mumbled apologetically.

"Don't apologize. It's not your fault," Jem said as he shook his head.

An eerie silence fell between the two of them as they finished off their mugs of coffee. When Scarlett finished her coffee, she gestured to the coffee pot as if to silently ask if Jem wanted more. He shook his head no but Scarlett filled her own mug up.

"So, you planning a follow-up date Jem Coughlin?" Scarlett asked nonchalantly as she turned around to face Jem.

"I, umm, uh…" Jem stuttered. Scarlett bit her lip to stifle the laugh she could feel bubbling up in her throat. The look on Jem's face was priceless because he clearly hadn't thought about a second date. Not that Scarlett cared but she thought she'd just watch him squirm.

"Yeah, actually," Jem finally said after composing himself. "It's not a date really but…" he trailed off. He dropped his head before reaching behind him to nervously rub the back of his neck. "When Dougie called, he said we're having a barbeque tomorrow so I figured maybe you'd want to come?"

Jem raised his head to see Scarlett staring back at him in shock. She was holding her mug of coffee in one hand and holding the tip of the spoon in her mug between her thumb and forefinger of her other hand.

"Y-you mean like…like with Doug and the rest of your friends and your family?" Scarlett asked nervously.

"My parents are dead so it'll probably just be Krista, if she even fucking shows up," Jem said.

"Right," Scarlett stated. "Umm, are you sure you want to invite me?"

Jem could tell she was nervous. She'd never hung out with him and his group of friends. It had always been just the two of them. But Jem knew Scarlett could handle it. If it became too overwhelming for her, she could always stick with him. He wouldn't let anyone intimidate her or harass her at his own barbeque.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Jem said positively.

Scarlett took a deep breath before diverting her gaze away from Jem. She fiddled with the spoon in her mug before looking back at Jem. "And you definitely want me there?" she asked nervously.

"Yes, Scarlett," Jem said.

Scarlett nervously bit her lip before taking another deep breath. "Okay," she said finally. "Okay."

"Okay? Okay, as in, you'll come?" Jem asked for clarification.

"Yeah, I'll come," Scarlett said as she nodded her head.

Jem could tell that she was nervous and the barbeque wasn't even until tomorrow. Quietly, he slid off of the chair and made his way around the island to her. Without even hesitating, he crushed his lips to hers, catching her off guard. As usual, she tensed for a split second before relaxing to his touch. She reached behind her and set her mug of coffee on the counter so she could wrap her arms around Jem's neck.

Yes, she was nervous about going to a barbeque with Jem's friends and family. Yes, Jem felt the same way too. She would be meeting the closest people he had to family and he wanted them to like her and she wanted her to like them. But there was the problem of what they did and what they still do. He didn't want Dez or Gloansy or someone to let it slip that they robbed banks for a living because that's what they liked to do.

So as Jem left Scarlett's townhouse later that day, he couldn't help but have a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach.


When Scarlett climbed out of her car the next day outside of Jem's apartment building, she felt the butterflies start to flutter in her stomach. She could hear the chatter of the barbeque guests floating towards her as she made her way around the building. Before she rounded the corner, she pulled a compact mirror out of her purse to check her hair and make-up. When she figured everything was in the right place, she shoved the mirror back into her purse. She took a deep breath and marched around the corner.

It was only a small gathering. That much was for sure. She noticed Jem's sister, Krista, first. She was seated at a picnic table with a small child in her lap whom Scarlett could only assume was her daughter. Situated far away from Krista was Doug, who was manning the grill. Every so often, Scarlett noticed Krista's eyes flit over to Doug but Doug didn't seem to notice.

Suddenly, Scarlett noticed Jem as he jumped up and joined one of his friends over by the window to pull a bottle of Jameson's out. Scarlett nearly smiled to herself at the sight of Jem and he was the reason why her legs carried her forward to join the barbeque. It was almost as if Jem could sense her presence as she started walking towards the small group for his head snapped up and he smiled at her. She couldn't contain the smile that had spread across her face as he smiled back.

"Hey, you made it," Jem said when she reached him.

"Yeah," Scarlett said. Even though she knew Jem already had a bottle of Jameson's, she had brought one too. She didn't want to come empty handed. She reached into her purse, where the bottle just barely fit, and she pulled it out to present it to Jem. "I didn't really want to come empty handed so I brought this."

"Cool," Jem said as he nodded in approval. He set the bottle down on the picnic table just as Gloansy came up and nearly tackled Jem from behind.

"So, is this Scarlett?" Gloansy asked.

"Yeah," Jem said. "Scarlett, this is Gloansy. Gloansy, Scarlett."

Scarlett held her hand out for Gloansy to shake and he grasped her hand firmly to shake it. "Nice to meet you, Gloansy," Scarlett said with a smile.

"Ditto," Gloansy said before lightly shoving Jem and walking over to grab a burger from the grill.

Jem rolled his eyes at Gloansy before turning his attention back to Scarlett. "You want anything to drink or to eat?" he asked.

"I'm good for now," Scarlett said as she shifted from one foot to the other.

"Oh hey, sorry, you want to sit down?" Jem asked nervously, stepping aside to let her sit down on the picnic table bench. Scarlett bit her lip as she stepped past Jem and took a seat on the edge of the bench. Jem pulled a plastic lawn chair next to her and sat down.

Jem had opened his mouth to say something when Krista interrupted him from the other side of the picnic table. "Wait, you're Scarlett McAuley?" Krista asked with one of her eyebrows arched.

"Yeah," Scarlett said as she nodded.

"Weren't you, like, really nerdy in high school?" Krista asked.

"Krista, shut the fuck up," Jem growled.

"No, it's fine, Jem," Scarlett said as she reached out and touched his arm. "And yeah, that would be me," Scarlett said when she turned back to Krista.

"Shit," Krista cussed as she adjusted her daughter's position on her lap. "You cleaned up good."

Scarlett smiled. That was the nicest compliment she'd ever received from Krista Coughlin, mostly because that had been the only compliment she'd ever received from her. "Thanks," Scarlett said.

The barbeque wore on into the late afternoon-early evening hours. For the first hour, Jem hovered around Scarlett until he figured she'd grown comfortable with his friends. After that, he'd started to mingle with his friends as well, leaving Scarlett on her own. He knew it seemed like a real asshole thing to do, but she was doing so well that he figured she'd be fine.

By the end of the barbeque, Scarlett was chatting with Krista while Shyne, Krista's daughter, sat on Scarlett's lap. Shyne was playing with a lock of Scarlett's blonde hair while Scarlett and Krista animatedly chatted with one another. It wasn't until Jem and Doug started to clean up did they even notice the scene between the two women. For a split second, they admired the scene in front of them before returning to clean up the mess to the best of their abilities.

When everything was cleaned up, Scarlett passed Shyne back to Krista and both women stood up from the picnic table. Krista said goodbye to Scarlett before turning on her heel and heading into the apartment building. As she walked away, Shyne reached over Krista's shoulder and waved goodbye to Scarlett. With a smile, Scarlett waved back at the small child.

"She's a cute kid," Scarlett muttered when she felt Jem's presence beside her.

"Yeah, she is," Jem said wearily.

Silently, Scarlett gathered up her things and slowly started to head to her car with Jem by her side. She pulled her car keys out of the front pocket of her bag when they reached her car and she turned back to Jem.

"So, your friends aren't that bad," Scarlett said matter-of-factly.

"And you were so scared," Jem said sarcastically.

Scarlett laughed as she dropped her gaze to the ground. "Yeah," she agreed. "What was I scared of?"

"A first date and meeting my friends all in the same weekend is pretty intimidating," Jem said.

Scarlett nodded. "Yeah, but this weekend was great," she said. She stared into Jem's blue-grey eyes as she felt a bit of sadness wash over her. "Jem, you're going to call, right? You're not going to wait around for over a week to talk to me, are you?"

"No," he said as he shook his head. "No, I'll call you, text you. I'll fucking picture message you if you want me to."

Scarlett giggled at his ridiculous statement. "Just…I thought you'd moved on for that week and a half. I thought you'd grown bored of me already."

Jem shook his head. "Bored of you?" he asked sarcastically. "I couldn't." Scarlett felt a smile spread across her face just as Jem leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. She knew he would keep his promise, but she still didn't know the next time she would see him. So she savored this kiss for as long as it lasted.

When he pulled away from her, she didn't quite want it to end but he didn't pull too far away from her. "Careful driving home, sweetheart," he muttered to her. "Fucking townies come out of nowhere."

Scarlett nodded before turning away from Jem and climbing into her car. She turned on the ignition before glancing out at the window at Jem. She mustered up a feeble wave before pulling out of her parking spot and heading home.

As she headed down the road, she noticed a black car parked directly across the street from Jem's apartment building. She remembered seeing it when she had arrived hours ago. It was odd because there were two guys seated in the car. Out of the corner of her eye so as not to draw attention to herself, she glanced at the two men. She could see that both of them had their eyes on her but as she drove past them, she hoped they wouldn't follow her.

She continued down the road to head home when the thought occurred to her. Those men had been positioned in that spot before Scarlett had got there and stayed there well after the barbeque had ended. And based on the position of the car and its view of Jem's apartment building, she would bet that Jem was being watched.


Uh oh, think Scarlett's getting a little suspicious? The police and the FBI certainly are.

As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they motivate me to write so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!