Chapter Nine – Falling into his Gravity
A type of duet emerged between you and I
Both playing strings harmoniously alone
Together a symphony of music did form
Stronger just for knowing all that you are
Our happiness would beat in perfect time
Sorrow mourned within our shared mind
Such a link of spirit, emotion and heart
This musical composition of chemistry
-Clary-
When we reached the parking lot, I looked around for the car I saw him driving the other night. To my surprise, he walked up to a motorcycle that resembled the one he used to drive in high school.
"So I'm guessing the car you drove the other night belonged to your girlfriend or something?" I asked, not wanting the answer.
But Jace threw his head back in laughter. "You know it is possible for people to have a car and a motorcycle Clary."
"Right, well I just thought-" I started but he cut me off.
I know what you were thinking. That I had a girlfriend." He looked at me for a few minutes before I broke our intense gaze and asked if he had a spare helmet. Jace leaned forward and grabbed his spare before holding it out to me. I adjusted my bag and slipped the helmet on as the bike roared to life. He slowly eased out of the parking spot and turned the bike in the direction of the road. I placed my hands under his arms, right on his chest and it felt like old times again.
"Hold on." I heard him call out as we took off.
Sometime later, we were pulling not into a parking space in front of the bar but into the gravely driveway of a two story house.
"Where are we?"
Jace slid his helmet off and pushed a button on the remote hanging from his keychain. As the garage door opened, I saw his car parked off to the side.
"Jace, this is your house? I thought you lived in the apartment above the bar?" I looked at the building in amazement as I slid the helmet off.
It was white with natural wood colored shutters with a reverse layout. The balcony faced the road while the front door was actually located somewhere else. I could smell the saltwater of the ocean in the air but was far away enough that I didn't hear any of the noise.
"Nah, I mean there is a bed and small kitchenette in there. Sometimes I crash there if I too tired to make the drive of if I have a shipment coming in early. But mostly I use it as my office or Isabelle does when she's going over the orders. It's also where my cat Church stays during the week."
"And it's also your love den." I smirked.
Jace shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't deny it. Every bachelor needs one. Last time I brought a chick to my home, she was a bridesmaid in the wedding. Her boyfriend just so happened to be the best man. When he found his girlfriend the next morning, let's just say things got pretty ugly and lot of my stuff was broken as a result. So I use the bar. It makes it easier to get rid of them in the morning. All I have to say is I have a shipment coming in or that my customers will be here soon. It's perfect." He commented before leading me back outside. He punched a button on his remote and the garage door closed slowly.
I backed away and followed him onto the patio that served as his front porch. He unlocked the door before turning to give me a serious look. "Just so you know, you're the first and will probably be the only woman that will set foot in this place. Actually you're the only person besides me to set foot in here."
My face softened. When he said someplace special, he really meant it. I held my breath as he stepped aside, holding back the door. I gingerly stepped over the threshold and looked around. The first thing that I noticed was how clean his place was. The wall were painted almost a blinding shade of white making the natural wood and blue furniture stand out. Jace stood back and allowed me free reign of his place.
His dining room was placed right in front of his patio door, a simple piece made from driftwood; it appeared, with four chairs slid in. The living room sat across, a comfy look gray sofa with a bright navy blue chenille blanket draped over it and two inviting rocking chairs. Despite the flat screen television that was mounted to the wall, I could tell this was a room he didn't spend much time in.
"Why haven't you at least had Isabelle over? Or you dad?" I asked looking at the skylight above the living room.
"Isabelle doesn't know about this place. Outside of me, Alec is the only other person who knows about this place but even he has never been inside it. She thinks I live above the bar as well. I guess I just wanted a place where I could escape from everything. When I'm in town, everyone either knows me as Stephen's son and I receive pitying looks. Or I'm known as the bar guy. Here, though, I'm just me."
I understood the need for a place of solitude for the moments when life got to be a bit much. I loved that my studio in the city above the gallery became that for me when I needed to be surrounded by nothing but my bare soul and my blank canvas.
"So does my place have your stamp of approval?" He pushed himself off the wall and came to join me.
"You get points for it not being a true bachelor pad. I was expecting clothes all over the floor and take out boxes littering your counters. But I can see why you don't let many people here. It's a perfect reflection of you: strong and imposing on the outside but inside, it's full of light."
"You're such an artist." He chortled before walking into the kitchen. I made to follow him when a familiar painting caught my eye. I hadn't noticed it before as it was on the wall facing the television and I never left the dining room. As I neared, my first thoughts were confirmed. On Jace's wall was the first painting I ever did for him.
They were a set; a landscape scene captured in detail and spread out over three canvases. It was the view of the ocean and the beach from the view point of the roof of Jace's childhood home.
I was still staring at it when he grazed my arms with his fingers, sliding a glass of white wine into my hands.
"I always wondered what you did with this piece. It was one of the first things I showed you. And you told me to pursue a career in art. Do you still remember what you said?"
Jace's aureate eyes sparkled as he smiled fondly at the memory. "I told you to pursue a career as an artist because talent like yours needed to be seen by the world, not just me. So many times I wanted to get rid of it. I would take it down and be all set to wrap it up but something always stopped me. I guess I never really could forget you."
I took a sip of my wine and changed the subject to a safer topic. "So what is on the dinner menu?"
"Chicken Parmesan and a nice garden salad." He smirked, leaving the room quickly.
I followed after him and commented on how fancy the dinner sounded. "Yeah well I have to know how to cook if I don't want to eat take-out and pizza every night. Besides all bachelors should know how to cook if for no other reason than to impress the ladies."
I took a seat on the stool and asked if there was anything I could do to help.
Jace placed an assortment of vegetables on the counter, along with a chopping board and a knife. "I invited you to dinner as my guest so you can sit right there and do nothing."
So I did as he said, choosing to talk more about him. "So what happened after I left? How did you end up running Taki's?"
"I stayed here and went to college locally. I worked with my dad at the bar and he taught me how to do the paperwork. At first I just thought he wanted me to take over eventually. But now I think it was because he feared he wouldn't be around much longer. Then one day I was stocking the bar when I heard this loud crash. I ran to the store room and he was passed out on the floor. I had him rushed to the hospital and that's when I learned that that was his third stroke that year. So I took over the day to day business at the bar. Everyone knew me, all the suppliers knew my face. I explained to them I was taking things over and if they didn't like it, I would find someone else."
"Is there any hope that Stephen will possibly be his old self one day?"
Jace shook his head, claiming the doctors weren't sure. "Earlier this summer we were talking about having him put it hospice and now he can remember everything as if the stokes didn't happens. I just have to take it day by day."
"So do you enjoy running the bar?"
"You know growing up; I never knew what I wanted to do. I was never really good at just one thing. Like you, you were meant to be an artist. Alec has always been the strong silent type so he's perfect for military. And Izzy, well, she's good at commanding the attention of guys and has a sharp mind for business. I never thought I would find the thing I was good at. But when I became the new owner of the bar, I found 'my thing'. I love that I don't have to get up and put on a suit every day. That I basically work for 4 and half months. So do I enjoy running the bar? I love it."
Dinner was a delicious affair. I had seriously doubted and underestimated his level of culinary skill. The noodles were soft but not dried out and his homemade marinara sauce made me long for Italy. Our conversation flowed with ease, much like it did when we were younger. I found myself laughing at forgotten memories, all thoughts of everything else leaving my mind.
I started to clear the dishes when Jace stopped me.
"You made me dinner, the least I can do is load the dish washer." I pointed out. Jace allowed me that but insisted on helping. I rinsed everything off and placed it on the racks while he cleaned off his spices and wiped down the counters. A few times we found ourselves in awkward positions, most involving some part of my body touching his; namely my butt rubbing against his crotch area.
So I turned around, ensure my butt was nowhere near him or his privates. I dried out the salad bowl and stood on my tip toes to slide it into the cabinet. When I turned around, I bumped right into Jace. And suddenly I was aware of the scent of soap on his skin and his family ring that he always wore around his neck. The way it was bumping against his clavicle, the only bit of exposed skin under his V-neck shirt.
I slowly brought my jade eyes up to his aureate one, watching the lust swirl with in. In that moment, the air was sucked out of the kitchen and the walls closed in as he leaned down, crashing his lips on mine. My brain only took a second to register before sending signals to my lips to accept him. My hands ran up his sides and latched around his neck as his cupped my buttocks and lifted me onto the counter.
Jace broke the kiss off only for a second to remove his shirt but that second was all it took for the oxygen to begin flowing back into my brain. I placed my hand on his chest, allowing the precious gift flow into my lungs. He sighed heavily and cupped my face, placing his forehead on mine.
And for the first time in six years, Jace bared his soul to me.
"Pause if you must but don't stop. Please." He murmured.
I looked down, the reminder that I wasn't his staring me back in the face. But tonight, I didn't belong to Simon. He asked me to figure out what it was I wanted and in that moment, I wanted Jace.
