"A New Edition"
Summary: This is the sequel to "Most Eligible Bachelor." I'm not going to try to recap a lot of "Bachelor," so I suggest reading it first. Seth and Summer are trying to make sense of their lives on opposite coasts…Can they make it work?
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the O.C. characters or past storylines or anything like that…Those are all property of Mr. Joshua "I'm a Genius" Schwartz.
Chapter 10: Dangerous Liaisons II
"Seth!" Jenna exclaimed as he came over to where she sat with Zach and Kelly, Kid Chino and Cosmo Girl. "Oh my God, or am I supposed to call you Mr. Cohen, or something?"
"No, Seth's fine," he said, smiling and taking a seat beside her on the couch. "How are you guys enjoying the party?"
"It's great," Kelly said, looking around. "I mean, I never knew the comic was this popular. I feel like this show could be really huge."
"I'm a little surprised myself," Seth said, honestly. "Can I get you a drink, Jenna?" he asked, flashing his dimples at the small brunette. "Or, any of you actually?" he covered quickly, not wanting to make his motives too obvious from the get go.
"Well, I'd love one. Guys?" Jenna said turning to her co-stars.
"Um, I think I'm ok," Zach said. "I was actually going to go see if I could talk with Ashton Kutcher. I can't believe he's here."
"Yeah, I know, right? I'll go with you," Kelly said, rising to go. "But we'll see you around, Jenna, Mr.—Seth."
"Enjoy yourselves," Seth said, also standing. "I'll be right back with that drink," he winked at Jenna.
Seth quickly returned with another double whiskey and a double vodka for Jenna. "So are you used to coming out to stuff like this?"
"Nah, not so much. I mean, I haven't really hit it that big yet. But with the brilliance of your comic and the hotness of our cast, I think I could probably get used to it," Jenna joked.
"It's not so bad," Seth laughed back. "So are the rumors true about you dating your last co-star?"
"Oh, no. I've never really been into co-stars that much. Actors are too conceited, ya know? I mean, I should know, because I am one," Jenna scooted closer to Seth and placed her hand on Seth's leg. "But you're not an actor," she said coyly.
Seth, almost choking on his drink, quickly recovered and placed his arm around her. "You are right, Miss Davis. I am not."
Across the lounge, Summer was flirting with Seth's T.V. counterpart, but was quickly noticing how self-absorbed the young star really was. She laughed to herself, thinking that it was actually almost perfect to have a self-absorbed person playing Seth, but he was even more so than Seth, which she'd always thought was an impossibility.
Summer's eyes scanned the crowd. She saw Ryan and Marissa, who surprisingly both seemed drunk, on the dance floor grinding in an almost disturbing manner with their lips firmly attached to one another. She continued looking around and felt almost nauseous when she saw Seth sitting extremely close to his Little Miss Vixen with his arm wrapped around her shoulders, showing his dimples.
She knew what he was doing, because she was doing the same thing. The difference was, she was way better at the game than Cohen could ever be. She turned her attention back to Adrian and leaned in really close. "What do you say we get another drink and then hit the dance floor?" she asked flirtatiously, rubbing her hand VERY high on his thigh.
"Sure, Summer," he said, slinging his arm over her shoulder and pulling her towards the bar, which happened to be right near where Seth and the girl who Summer had dubbed "uber-skank" sat.
As they walked by, Summer caught Seth's eyes and snuggled even closer to Adrian, leaning up and whispering something in his ears that caused him to laugh.
To counter, Seth moved even closer to Jenna and began rubbing his hand up and down her arm. "Do you need something else to drink?" Seth asked into her ear in an attempt to make it look scandalous to Summer.
"That would be great, Seth. How 'bout I come with you?" she asked, cutely, wrapping her arm around Seth's waist and leaning in.
"Sounds perfect," he said, leaning down to kiss her cheek, then pulling her up and walking towards the bar.
Meanwhile, on the dance floor, Ryan seemed to have remembered where he was at temporarily and began looking around to find his friends, while a drunk Marissa hung around his neck. When he noticed Summer and Adrian all over each other at the bar and a similar Seth and Jenna walking in the same direction, he muttered an "Oh, shit," and shook Marissa to point it out to her.
While Marissa began giggling uncontrollably, Ryan took her shoulders and led her towards the other side of the bar so they could have a good view of the fight that was about to ensue.
As Seth and Jenna approached the bar, a very drunk Jenna, noticing her co-star, immediately screamed. "Adrian! Hey!"
Adrian, who seemed a bit surprised, turned and smiled when he saw Jenna and Seth. "Oh, hey guys, how's it going?"
Summer also turned to face them, keeping her arms wrapped around Adrian and her eyes locked on Seth. "Hey Cohen," she said shortly.
"Summer, Adrian," he nodded.
"Wait, you guys know each other?" Adrian asked Summer, pointing between her and Seth.
"You could say that," she said, shortly. "We're just old friends from high school, babe," she said, planting a kiss on his cheek.
"Well, you two seem to have gotten close in a really short period of time," Seth said, glaring at Summer.
"Likewise for you two, Cohen," Summer replied coldly, staring him down.
Adrian and Jenna exchanged glances, but nothing seemed to register with either. Needing to break the awkward tension, Jenna spoke. "So, isn't this party, just, like, great?"
"Oh my God, like, totally," Summer replied in an extremely patronizing tone. Adrian let out a light chuckle and wrapped his arm tighter around Summer.
Jenna seemed confused by Summer's reply, but continued to look between Seth and Summer and after giving a final look at Adrian, realization seemed to dawn on her. "Oh my God, I get it. You're Little Miss Vixen!" she said to Summer.
"Wow, Cohen, you really know how to pick 'em," Summer commented dryly. "Yes, I am," she replied in a sickeningly sweet tone to Jenna.
"Gee, Seth, now I see why my character seems like such a bitch," she said in a stage whisper so that Summer and Adrian could hear.
Summer quickly untangled her arms from Adrian and now stood with her hands on her hips facing off with Jenna. "Excuse me, SKANK?!" she said, her voice rising.
Seth swore that he felt his eyes bulge out of his head, and he quickly tried to move in front of Jenna, as if to block her from the wrath of Summer. "No, Seth, I can handle this," she said pushing around him.
"I don't think you've ever seen a rage blackout," he tried to whisper, but it was too late.
"You're real mature there, Summer, what with the nasty insults and obvious jealousy," she said, placing her hands on her hips to mimic the other woman's stance.
"I'm jealous?!" Summer laughed dryly. "If anything you should be jealous. I mean, come on, Seth already told me how long it took to find someone that was as good as me. And from the looks of it," she said, motioning up and down Jenna's body, "he obviously settled for less than the best."
"Now, now, ladies, you are both special in your own—" Seth tried to interject, but neither girl was going to let it slide. He tried to look to Adrian for help, but it seemed that he was enjoying the prospect of two hot girls fighting.
"Well, Summer, if that's so, than why has he been cuddling up with me all night instead of you?" the younger woman shot back.
"Gee, I don't know, maybe because I dumped him, bitch!"
"Well, he doesn't seem that broken up about it, considering he's been wooing me and buying me drinks all night, and come to think of it, I don't think I heard him mention anything about you even once."
"Did you ever think that the only reason he was talking to you tonight was to make me jealous? I mean, get serious. I happened to fall into a conversation with the guy that is playing him on the show, he sees that and then comes over to talk to a girl that looks like me, only not as cute, and is supposed to portray me on T.V.? I'd say it's a little suspect," Summer said, coolly, causing Jenna to look at Seth who had temporarily become extremely fascinated with the floor.
"Is that true, Seth?" Jenna asked softly, temporarily forgetting about Summer.
Seth had to think fast, and unfortunately, Seth thinking before he speaks usually lands him in some serious trouble. "Jenna, don't you see, the Ice Queen is only trying to make you suspicious, because she doesn't want anything more to come of this. Even if she doesn't want me, she can't stand if anyone else has me," he said quickly, trying to avoid contact with Summer.
Summer's mouth was now agape and her features showed the impending rage blackout as plain as day. "I'm sorry, Cohen. I thought it was you that was begging me for another chance earlier today right after we had SEX!" she yelled, causing not only Seth, Jenna, and Adrian to have shocked expressions, but also several other onlookers, including Ryan and Marissa.
"Oh, boy," Ryan whispered, causing Marissa to almost fall over laughing, from where they stood on the other side of the bar.
By now, everyone was looking at Seth expectantly. "Uh, um…well," Seth let out a nervous chuckle. "Summer, can I have a word with you, in, um, private perhaps?" He quickly took the hand of an angry Summer and took her into a small side room behind a curtain.
Jenna and Adrian stood watching in completely amazement. They turned to each other and exchanged a glance. Adrian just shrugged. "Can I buy you drink?" he asked, trying to give his most charming smile.
"Whatever," Jenna said, resigning herself to a stool at the bar.
From across the bar, Ryan and Marissa also stood looking at the closed curtain that now contained Seth and Summer. "Do you think we should try to go in there?" Ryan asked.
"No. If Seth and Summer are fighting, I've decided I'm never going to follow them again. It just gets ugly. Or naked," she replied.
"Touche," Ryan said. "Can we get two more of these?" he motioned to the bartender, "it's gonna be a long night."
"What the hell was that?!" Seth yelled, turning to face Summer.
"As if you don't know, Cohen," she said, with almost hatred dripping from her tone.
"I'm sorry, Summer, I was simply talking to a really sweet girl for a change, and then you had to go and bring up, the, uh…well, the sex, which is a little strange, considering you're the one who, after the act, decided that it meant nothing."
"It didn't mean anything, Cohen. But, as a friend, I don't really think you should get involved with a skank like that," she said, crossing her arms over her chest and sitting down on a couch.
"Summer, what exactly makes her a skank? The fact that she was obviously interested in me, or—"
"There's a difference between being interested in someone and throwing yourself at a guy that you barely know!"
"You're right, but I honestly don't see why it matters to you, Summer. I mean, you're moving on, right? So why can't you let me do the same?" he asked angrily, but indeed, curious to know the answer.
"I can, Cohen. I just find it odd that you want to move on to someone that apparently has a similar personality and looks to the girl that you're supposed to love. What are you doing, typecasting your girlfriends now?"
"Again, Summer, what difference does it make to you?" Seth said in a calmer voice than he was previously using.
Summer rubbed her hands over her face before finally looking up to meet Seth's gaze. "It doesn't, ok? I just thought it was quite obvious that you were trying to put on a little show for me out there."
"Maybe I was, Summer, and obviously it did the trick. But, uh, the fact is that you started the little game by talking to Adrian. And, might I add, that it's a little funny that this is not the first time that you have tried to make me jealous by getting with someone who is, like, me, but not. Zach anyone?"
"First of all, Zach was way hotter than you, and second of all, I was honestly just talking with Adrian, and I didn't try to make you jealous until I saw—" Summer stopped herself, realizing her slip.
"Aha!" Seth yelled, pointing his finger at Seth. "You were trying to make me jealous. Now why would a friend do that, Summer? Do tell."
"Oh, get over yourself, Cohen."
"No, I won't thank you," he said, seating himself beside Summer, "Not until you admit how much you love me and can't live without me and can't stand to see me with other girls, especially beautiful girls."
"No, I will not admit that. It's true, I can't stand to see you with skanks, but that's just because I have respect for mankind and wouldn't wish that on anyone. And if you think she's beautiful, that's your problem," she sassily replied. She stood to leave.
"Give it up, Roberts," Seth said, also standing.
"Don't call me Roberts, Cohen," she said, placing her hands on her hips and turning towards him.
Seth laughed in reply. "You are so insanely jealous right now, it's actually unbelievable."
"In your dreams, ass hat."
"No, Summer, my dreams consist of you. Naked."
"Well, cherish those, because you'll never see it in real life again."
Seth took the opportunity to cross the space between him and Summer. "Yeah right," he whispered huskily, before kissing her on the forehead and going out through the curtains.
Summer stood in temporary shock, letting everything that just happened sink in. "Grrr," she groaned, before throwing back the curtains and heading back out to the party.
A/N: I hope you liked this one. It was harder to write for some reason, but I think I liked how it turned out. Lemme know your thoughts. Oh, and for those that noticed Ryrissa's "t.v." characters are called Zach and Kelly…complete accident, honestly. I was going to change it, but I thought, what the hell.