Chapter Three

Time Jump – Angels Practice

Jace POV:

I was excited for Clary to come watch me practice today. The fact that she's not a huge baseball fan was something that was comforting to me. It showed me that she wasn't just hanging around me because she knew it was going to boost her own image. She was just genuinely into me as a person, and that something I didn't find often.

"Yo Jace, where did you go last night?" My one teammate asked.

"Yea, you leave with that girl?" The other one chimed in.

"Yea. We went out." I said vaguely. I knew leaving with her would have them all wondering, but I had nothing to hide.

"She's hot." The one guy said and other agreed. "Hold up, is that her?" He asked as he pointed, and when I turned around there stood Clary. She smiled and waved, and I waved back. "She's hotter in the daylight." He said and I threw the ball at him.

"No ideas Carstairs." I said and he held his hands up in surrender as he laughed. We were in a little bit of a down time right now, so I jogged over to where Clary was standing. "I'm glad you made it." I said once I got close to her.

"This is pretty cool." She said as she looked around.

"Maybe I can convert you into a baseball fan." I joked and she laughed.

"We'll see about that. I heard it's a long game." She said and I shrugged.

"It can be, but sometimes those are the most exciting." I said and she smiled.

"Herondale!" I heard my manager yell. "Get over here!"

"I should probably listen to him." I said and she laughed.

"I'll be right here." She said as she took a seat.

"Do you think you'll have enough time to grab lunch after practice?" I asked before heading off.

"I think I can squeeze you in." She said and I laughed.

"I'll see you after." I said before jogging over to my manager. I took one more look over at Clary and she was watching intently. I couldn't get the smile off my face for the rest of practice.

Time Jump – After Practice

Clary POV:

I had made my way out of the stadium after practice was over. I texted Jace telling him I was by the entrance so he didn't assume I left him. Call me crazy, but I've only known him for a couple days and I already felt like we had been friends forever. After what felt like forever, I finally saw him coming towards me.

"Hey." He smiled at me.

"Hey. Great practice." I said honestly.

"Was it everything you dreamed it would be?" He asked and I shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm still not convinced baseball players are my type." I said being a little more bold than I normally am, but judging by his reaction, he was all for it.

"Really now?" He asked and I simply nodded. "Is there anything I can do to change your mind?" He asked stepping closer to me.

"There might be one thing." I flirted back, although I'm not sure how flirty I sounded.

"And that would be?" He asked, stepping even closer to me.

"If you wore those pants, alllll the time." I said as I looked him up and down.

"If that's all I need to do, I'll never take them off." He smirked and we were inches from each other now. Before things got carried away, I took a deep breath.

"We should go before I end up missing my plane." I said and he nodded.

"Come on, I have just the place we can go." Jace said and I nodded. I followed him to his car and when we got in, we spent no more than 15 minutes in the car before he stopped at a small diner. "I found this place during one of the Spring Trainings, and I come back ever year." He explained as we made our way into the place.

"Jace, I thought I wasn't going to see you this time around." I small elderly woman said as she hugged him.

"I would never leave Arizona without visiting you Dot." Jace said to her and she smiled as he charm.

"And you brought a guest." She said as she looked at me.

"I'm Clary." I said and she smiled.

"Welcome Clary. Go grab your normal booth." She said to Jace and he nodded as he lead me back. He grabbed the one in the far corner of the diner.

"Back here is the safest bet." He said and I nodded.

"So, what's good here?" I asked looking at the menu.

"Anything really." Jace said. "They're all Dot's recipes, so you can't go wrong." He explained and I nodded. Before I knew it, Dot made her way over with a full pot of coffee and two cups.

"Do you need a few more minutes?" She asked and Jace looked at me, and I shook my head.

"I think we're ready." Jace said and she nodded. "I'll have my usual." He said and she wrote it down.

"I'll have the coconut pancakes." I said and she smiled.

"Two orders of coconut pancakes coming right up." She said before leaving.

"I've never met anyone else who likes coconut pancakes." Jace said and I smiled.

"Before my parents got divorced, we had a chef, and he made the best coconut pancakes." I explained. "When things went to shit, I haven't been able to find any coconut pancakes that lived up to his."

"Dot's are world class. I hope they satisfy you." Jace said and I nodded. He poured me a cup of coffee and pushed the creamer closer to me.

"No thanks. I like my coffee black." I said and he gave me this look.

"Really? What are you 50?" He asked and I laughed.

"I grew up drinking my dads coffee, and that's how he liked it. I guess I'm just used to it." I said and he nodded. "So, tell me about yourself?" I asked after a few minutes.

"You pretty much know everything about me. I play baseball, and I spent the majority of my teenage years in foster care." Jace said and I nodded.

"There is more to you than your career and your childhood." I pointed out. "Come on, one thing nobody knows about you." I said and I could tell he was thinking it over. I thought he wasn't going to answer until he looked back at me.

"I play the piano." He said and I was slightly shocked.

"Really?" I asked and he nodded. "That's impressive. I can't play anything." I said and he laughed.

"My dad taught me when I was young, and I just never forgot." He explained. "I don't play that often, but if I was at a piano, I could do it." I was about to say something when Dot came over with our food.

"Enjoy." She said before walking away. I cut a small piece off and but it into my mouth, moaning at the taste.

"I'm guessing that's a good sign." Jace said and I laughed.

"These are amazing." I said, half still half full of food. "I can't believe they're this good."

"I told you, Dot's food is world class." He said and I just nodded in agreement. These were the best pancakes I've ever had, and I would definitely be coming here again just to eat these.

We spent about an hour there before we decided to go so I didn't miss my flight. As Jace pulled up to the airport, he put the car in park.

"Thank you for lunch, and driving me here." I said and he smiled.

"I just wish we had more time together." He said and I couldn't help but blush.

"Give me your phone." I said and he handed it to me. I put my number in it and than texted myself. "I'll let you know when I'm back. Maybe we can do dinner."

"Dinner sounds perfect." He said and I smiled. I leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

"See you later Jace." I said before leaving for my terminal. It was a little more bold than I normally am, but I liked him a lot, and I couldn't wait to see him again.

Authors Note:

So I've come to the conclusion that I'm so used to writing just one shots, that I think all my stories have to be like 5,000 words, but when it comes to chapter stories, they really don't, so I'm sorry if some chapters of this story are not as long as others, but I'm just having fun with this story, and letting it write its self most of the time. Plus I don't want to rush the story line too much. But let me know what you think and leave a review!