Jace's mind was running a hundred miles a minute. If Clary worked here, that meant she hadn't lied to get out of a date with him. Which meant he could ask her out again. Except that he'd just promised Simon he wouldn't make another move on her. Damn. If he had just thought that through two minutes sooner.
About this time he realized this may be a great opportunity to gain more insight into Clary. He'd learned a lot from Gran, but who would know her better than her best friend? Scratching his neck, Jace tried to think of a way to make up for getting off on the wrong foot with Simon… again.
"So… you're Si, huh?" Jace asked. "You have no idea how jealous I've been of you. First because I heard her on the phone with you and thought you were her boyfriend. Then because of how close you were even as friends. I don't think I've ever had anybody besides Alec and Izzy who've cared as much about me as she does about you."
"Yeah," Simon said begrudgingly. He looked like he'd really rather not be friendly to Jace, but wanted to stay out of trouble with Izzy and Clary. "She really is more like a sister than just a friend. It's crazy I never realized you were the person she was talking about. She never said Jace, but I knew you were working in Shepherdsville and I knew she had some big VIP coming in from New York. I don't know why I didn't put it together. I guess I was so nervous about meeting Izzy's brother and trying to make a good impression I didn't have time to think about much else. Then when you got here and you guys had the fight… I was just too focused on Izzy to worry about what you were doing. I'd have been a lot more focused on you if I'd realized though. I really don't want to see Clary with somebody else who's going to use her and leave her."
"I'm not Sebastian!" Jace retorted.
Simon's eyes got wide. "Clary told you about Sebastian?"
"Yes." As he said this, Jace realized Clary might not want him to talk about all the things she'd shared with him. Oops. He'd have to be more careful and try to change the subject so he didn't overshare. "It is kind of crazy that none of us put two and two together. I don't think Clary ever once used your full name though, and you don't even live in the same town."
"I don't think Clary has ever used my full name," Simon admitted. "She didn't say the 'm' sound until well into grade school, so Grandma became Gran, and Simon became Si. She didn't start calling Paw Paw Gramps until some kids moved out here from the west coast in middle school and started making fun of her."
"That's weird," Jace said thoughtfully. "Isn't that usually one of the first sounds kids can make? I mean even when they're babies? Like "Mama" is usually one of the very first words because of it."
Simon's eyes darkened as Jace talked. Finally he said, "I said she didn't say the 'm' sound. Not that she couldn't. If you want to know more than that you'll have to ask her. Normally I'd say you shouldn't because it's not something she talks about, but if she told you about Sebastian, I suppose she might tell you just about anything."
"Careful, babe," Izzy said. "Now you're sounding like the jealous one."
"Sorry," Simon mumbled. "I just can't believe they got so close so fast! Clary's not usually quick to trust anybody. Plus she's just a private person in general. I know she keeps things from Gran, and I'm pretty sure there's even stuff she keeps from me." Simon was staring at Jace in the same way Gran had at the hospital. That look was starting to make Jace uncomfortable. It was like he was being dissected or something. "It's just hard to believe she would spill her guts to him when he hasn't even been around for two weeks."
This made Jace think. He remembered when Clary had told him about Sebastian. She'd said "Si knows the part about me telling him I loved him and him not saying it back, but I never told him the rest. It's just too embarrassing. I was so stupid." He wondered if she had only told him because she thought she wouldn't see him again. Maybe she would regret their conversations now that their connections to Izzy and Simon were going to forever tie them to each other's lives. He hoped not. Jace really didn't want Clary to have any regrets when it came to him. He needed to find a way to talk to her. To reassure her that he wouldn't share any of her secrets with anyone. That this connection didn't need to change anything between them.
Simon was still giving him the dissecting look. He needed to change the subject. "Do you know how tips work here?" Jace finally asked. "Like, does Clary have to share whatever we tip her with all the servers, or does she get to keep it?"
"Each of the servers give a certain percentage to the bartenders and each of the bartenders give a certain percentage to their bar backs, but the servers don't have to share with each other," Simon answered. "I gotta tell you though, if you're asking because you want to make sure she gets a great tip from us tonight, she's not gonna let you. I can't even tell you how hard I had to fight to get her to take a tip from me at all. She always argues that I'm her friend and she doesn't want to take my money. I finally got Magnus to help me convince her that since she's getting taxed on tips the government assumes she's receiving she should at least let me give her that much, but she'll still fight me if she feels I'm leaving any more than another random customer might."
"That's ridiculous!" Jace argued. "She works three jobs for fuck's sake! She obviously needs the money! She'd rather work herself to death than let the people who care about her help? How does that make any sense?! If a stranger tips her well, does she follow them out and make them take the money back?"
"Nope," Simon said. "It doesn't make sense to me either. Clary's caring and loyal, but she's also stubborn and proud. The only way she'll ever accept anyone's help is if Gran will suffer if she doesn't."
"I never would have let her pay me anything for those stupid tires if I'd known how much she needed the money," Jace moaned. "Now I don't know how to make her take it back."
"You can't," Simon said. "You might as well give up on that idea right now. She'll die before she'll take it from you. Nobody out stubborns Clary."
That gave Jace an idea. She wouldn't take it from him, but if she thought it was coming from random customers she would. If he just watched which tables she was serving, he could just drop an extra twenty on them when the people left. She'd never have to know it was from him.
"A person could die of thirst around here," Izzy complained. "Stupid men! Clary would have probably been by several times if you hadn't pissed her off and embarrassed her so bad," she said, glaring at Simon.
"What about Alec?" Simon asked. "I thought he was supposed to be getting a round."
"Yeah… he's a little preoccupied." Izzy used her chin to gesture toward the bar where Alec and the owner leaned close to each other and appeared to be deep in conversation.
Clary finally appeared, looking gorgeous, if a bit exposed, in her work uniform. As much as Jace loved the view he did wish he didn't have to share it with so many other people. He didn't seem to be the only uncomfortable one, although it was hard to tell how much of Simon's discomfort was due to Clary's exposed cleavage and how much was due to the spectacle he'd caused outside.
Clary clearly hadn't gotten over her embarrassment. She took their order in a very clipped and professional manner before hurrying away.
Jace had no idea what was okay to do in this situation. He wanted to follow Clary and talk to her right away, but he also knew she was working. Her boss was supposed to be working and he didn't seem to have any problem ignoring everyone else to talk to Alec, but he was the boss so that didn't mean Clary could take the same liberties.
"The bar isn't very busy tonight," Simon observed. "Usually Clary would sit with me and visit for a while. I guess she really is upset with me…" he trailed off.
"Well you did kind of put her business on blast in front of everybody," Izzy chastised. "You basically told her you didn't trust her to decide how to behave around Jace too. All the same things we got angry at Jace for making me feel last week are all the things she's probably feeling because of you right now." Izzy finished. Both men stared at her like she was speaking a foreign language.
"It's not the same at all!" Simon finally argued. "We're in a committed relationship. They've only known each other a few days!"
"Okay. Let's say my brothers came out a couple weeks after we met instead of now. Do you think we'd have been fine with Jace breaking us up then?"
"Of course not!" Simon said. "We were already in love! Nobody gets to tell you who to love. I'm not telling her who to love, I'm just telling her not to sleep with Jace."
Jace was starting to feel a stronger urge to strangle Simon than he'd felt since the night they met. He needed to get out of this close proximity. He got up to walk away, but didn't make it out of earshot before he heard his sister say, "so you'd be okay with it as long as they're in love?"
Jace didn't stick around long enough to hear rat boys answer. He didn't care about having anybody else's blessing. The only person whose thoughts he cared about was Clary, and she wasn't going to talk to him while he was sitting with Simon anyway.
Jace looked around trying to spot his redhead in the crowd. Simon had said the bar wasn't very busy, but it looked pretty full to him for how small of a town they were in. He finally spotted Clary waiting in line behind a couple other servers at the bar. Each server was wearing a different color of the same outfit she had on. In the front of the line was a brunette with a blue bustier. Behind her stood a blond with a pink bustier, and the black haired bartender they'd met earlier was wearing a red bustier. He made his way to stand beside Clary in line.
"Hey," Jace said, testing out the waters.
"Hey," Clary mumbled, "I'm sorry about earlier."
"What do you have to be sorry for?" Jace asked, genuinely baffled.
"It's your birthday. You should be having fun. I'm betting Simon's not very good company after his little outburst earlier. Especially since Izzy took my side. He's never easy to get along with when she's mad at him."
"I don't give a rat's ass what Simon thinks about me," Jace told her. "I do care about you though. You seem pretty upset. Is there anything I can do to make it better?"
Clary chuckled. "How are you worried about me when you're the birthday boy?" she asked. "Tonight should be all about you."
"I already got my wish," he said softly, tucking a curl behind her ear. Clary sighed and rested her cheek on his hand.
The brunette moved away from the bar with a full tray of drinks interrupting their moment. Clary and Jace broke apart and moved forward. There was still another server in front of them ordering drinks, so Jace took advantage of the wait to continue talking.
"So… every time I asked you to dinner and you said you were working, you really were?"
"Yep. I haven't had a night off since I started at the hotel," Clary told him. "I wasn't lying when I said I was busy, but if I didn't enjoy your company I wouldn't have spent so much time with you at the hotel." Clary blushed and looked around. Jace figured she must be worried someone would hear her and misinterpret what had happened at the hotel, but no one seemed to be paying any attention to them.
"I'm sorry for doubting you," Jace told her. "It never even occurred to me you'd be crazy enough to have a third job. When do you ever find time to do things for yourself?"
Clary just shrugged. "I don't need anything. Gran and Gramps always made sure of that. Now it's my turn to make sure she's okay… for both of them."
"Is that what you meant by having a debt you couldn't repay? Because he's not here for you to take care of him?" Jace asked.
Clary nodded. "You really don't forget anything, do you?" she asked wonderingly.
Jace shook his head. "Especially not when it comes to you."
"You don't have to worry though," he was quick to add. "If you want me to keep anything you tell me private I can. Knowing who Simon and Izzy are to you doesn't mean I won't keep your secrets."
"Thanks," Clary said, "but what I want to know is, why did you tell me your sister was dating a guy named Sherman? You have such a good memory, I'm sure you knew his real name. I probably would have figured out who you were if you'd told me your sister was dating a guy named Simon."
"I was angry," Jace said. "I didn't want to know his name. I wanted him out of my sister's life. I was finally starting to be okay with him, and now he's trying to make you hate me."
Clary sighed. "He's just trying to protect me."
Suddenly a loud commotion to the left caught Jace's attention. A large man had stumbled up to the bar and was yelling hateful things at Alec and Magnus. Jace stepped toward them and caught the man's arm just as he pulled it back and prepared to throw a punch over the bar toward Magnus' face.