My dear little broccolis💚💚💚
💚 Give Me The Daddy, I'll Give You The Sugar 💚
"The best investment I ever made, was when I lost fifty million dollars and met the love of my life as a result of that."
‼️Rated M - {Out Of Characters/All Human/Alternate Universe}‼️
‼️Romance/Angst/Drama/Lemons‼️
‼️Clace/The Waylands/OGs/Magnus Bane/‼️
💚 READ & REVIEW, DON'T BE A SILENT READER 💚
Chapter 11: Cheesecakes & Rosé (8,3K)
Part 2
When Clary woke up the next day, the bed next to her was empty. But it didn't alarm her. She could tell that the sun was already up, and she had no doubts that Jace was already up and working, as he always did. And as if to confirm her suspicions, she felt the bitter smell of coffee caressing her nostrils.
She rolled in the bed, disregarding the covers as she stretched and meowed like a cat in the bed, and just as she opened her eyes, Jace greeted her from the other side of the room,
"Morning. I've ordered breakfast."
"You could be the perfect husband, you know that?" She said, letting her stomach speak for her.
"Don't be ridiculous," He snorted.
She rolled her eyes, focussing her gaze on him as his golden eyes remained on her a bit longer than they should before he left the bedroom and went to the other room where the smell of coffee was emanating from. She got out of the bed, gong to the bathroom to relieve her bladder and freshen up, and when she left, she put on the spare robe, feeling that she would be underdressed eating in Jace's shirt whilst he was already dressed in one of his fancy suits.
She also undid her braid, to let her hair breathe a lot, and left the bedroom, scratching her scalp and loving the feeling. She sat in front of Jace who was drinking his coffee all the whilst reading the newspaper, and she repressed a smirk. This was something she had first noticed when she stayed in Seattle with him and saw once again whenever she would say at his hotel n New York, Jace was an old man. He read the news on the paper. At the age of technology, Jace still read the news on the paper, disregarding the TV, his phone and his iPad that could give him the same kind of news.
"Vegas makes me lazy," She whined as she reached for a croissant on the middle of the table. He briefly looked up from his newspaper, smiling when he saw her hair down, and commented, going back to his news,
"It's not called Sin City for nothing."
"Yeah, but I have a marathon to prepare for, and it's the second day in the row that I'm skipping my morning run. It's only in four months."
"There's a gym here if you want."
She abstained to say anything, perfectly aware that Jace would do what he could to make this gyn available to her if she wanted. But first, she didn't want to train on a treadmill. second, every time she had tried to go to a gym, she would ultimately get hit on. And though she knew how to get rid of unwanted thirsty men, she didn't want this to go back to Jace's ears, and his tendencies to overreact over ridiculous things.
So she focussed on her coffee, smiling when she saw on the tray pecan pasties. She loved everything that had to do with pecans, and Jace discovered that the first night she had spent in his hotel in New York, after her aggression.
Though she had the key to his room, Clary still felt uncomfortable barging in as if she owned the place, so she knocked on the door. Jace didn't know she was coming, it was more of a surprise, so he would stop texting her every chance he got when he was in New York, and they could spend some time together.
He opened the door, apparently in a bad mood, ready to shoo away whoever was at the door, but his features softened when he realised that it was only her. He rose an eyebrow,
"What's the point of giving you a key, if you're going to knock, anyway?"
"My hands were busy," She lied, not even the slightest ashamed of it.
Jace looked down, spoking the pie in her hand and grinning like a kid as he led her in. "Is that for me?"
"Well ... I'm not sure if I want to share."
"What happened to that whole thing where you got on your high horse and got all judgy of people not sharing baked goods?"
"That thing doesn't count when it comes to pecan pies ... or anything pecan for that matter. I already killed over pecan nuts ... Just a fair warning."
He laughed, still eyeing the pie as she put it on the table and picked up his phone, asking her what she wanted for dinner before they could gulp down that delicious looking pie.
She took one of the pastries, moaning with delight when it was in her mouth, and she let him know, her out still half full, "As I said earlier, you'd make a perfect husband. You should reconsider that whole not interested in relationships thing."
He rolled his eyes, folding the newspaper and reaching for a croissant as he made himself clear,
"I told you before, Clary, this isn't me."
She longly looked at him, taking her time to swallow the food she had in her mouth, and after a sip of her coffee, she asked, "Is this because you've had your heartbroken and you don't want to get burn again?"
He smirked. "No, that's you. And to be fair, everyone who had lived a little has had their heartbroken. I just ... don't want to bother with a wife. And what it implicates ..."
"You mean children?"
"Yes."
"I'm sure you could find a girl that suit your needs, Jace. You'll make her happy by giving her those kinds of sweet life pleasures," She raised the pastry in her hand as an example. "And she'll make you happy by taking care of that no-fap thing."
She glanced down his trousers, and immediately regretted it. He looked at her as if he was about to launch at her and rip her out of the robe, but she didn't let it intimidate her, still looking straight in his eyes.
"I don't need a wife to take care of that for me. I already have a brunette who obviously enjoyed her pleasures that could do that for me ..."
She felt his words echo all the way to her groin. If she wanted, she could just forget about it all, and she was sure that Jace would just her how good a quickie could be before he would get back to work. But the thing remained,
"I told you, Jace, I don't want to end the contract."
"And you also said that what happened in Vegas, stays in Vegas."
She kept looking at him, trying to figure him out beneath his arrogant smirk, and she brusquely got up, undoing the belt of her robe and sensually walking to him. His eyes went from her face to her legs, barely hidden by his shirt, before going back to her face, lingering on her lips.
Once at his level, she sat on his laps, decided to call out his bluff, and she leant so she could whisper in his ear, making sure her lips would caress his lobe,
"In that case, let's put Sin City to the test. Take me. Right here, right now."
His hands went straight to her waist, hoisting her up so she would sit on the table as he got up. She felt her heart beat so fast that she felt in her throat, but she kept looking into his golden eyes, refusing to be the first one to back down. After all, as they had kept on saying, what happened in Vegas, stayed in Vegas.
She wasn't sure how she would feel afterwards if she had sex with him, but she was sure that she would thoroughly enjoy the ride. After all, it had been more than a year since she's had any action involving another human being.
Jace looked deep into her eyes, though his gaze flickered several times to her lips, and when she involuntarily licked her lips, it was his turn to lean in, and whisper in her ear,
"Little girls shouldn't play the grownups' games when they have nothing that can protect them. They should know that grown men like to go in depth when they have a goal in mind."
She did her best to not let her eyes roll to the back of her head as his hands, slowly but surely, wound her shirt up, and she saw him smirk as she bit her lower lip when his palm flattened on her thighs,
"Don't play games that will get you burnt, Clary. Because, no matter how close I've flown to the sun, my wings never fell down."
He then took a step back, retrieving his phone from the table, and leaving Clary feeling a strange mix between relief and frustration. She was confused and not sure of what she wanted. A part of her wanted to get all the way and make her time in Vegas worth the reputation of the way, but the reasonable part of her knew that, no matter what they would say, if they crossed that line, it would taint their relationship.
So she sat back, watching Jace from the corner of her eye use his phone, and she silently ate, having no witty comeback for what he had just told her.
"Any plans for today? Besides ripping people out of their hard-earned money?"
She scoffed because this was exactly what casinos made their money, but she let him know as he sat back on his chair to finish his coffee,
"Actually, yesterday was our gambling day. now, it's all about the sightseeing for the next four days. What about you?"
"Working. Until 2 pm, then I'm taking Mr Cho gambling."
"Here you go, finally finding balance."
He snorted and let her know, "Not really. Mr Cho and his wife always show me a good time when I go to Hong Kong. So, it is only polite courtesy for me to do the same when they're here. Especially knowing that I want to further my business relationship with him."
She rolled her eyes, asking herself how she could have been so naive to think that Jace didn't have an ulterior motive to show interest into another human being. She sipped on her coffee, eyeing the last pecan pastry as she inquired,
"How about his wife? Did he leave her back in Hong Kong?"
"No. She just doesn't like gambling. She's more of a ... nature type of person. She showed me some beautiful places back in Hong Kong."
"Well ... She could come with us. We were planning on visiting the Hoover Dam. I'm sure she'll like it better than to stay in her room."
Jace frowned, looking at her as if the idea bothered him, and she eased his mind, as she waved her hand and let him know,
"The guys won't mind. And this is why we are in business. That's what girlfriends do if you refer to all those movies I've seen. They hang out together whilst the men go, cavemen, pretending to be the kings of the world."
"It's your birthday, Clary. I didn't ask you to come, so I have no rights to ask you to entertain my guests."
"Good thing I'm proposing then. And anyway, I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions about her country and her culture."
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
Over the next three nights, Clary stayed in Jace's room, having repatriated her stuff in the penthouse suite. Neither Jace or her ever made a move that would make them sleeping together awkward, and in fact, they kept their distances and she never had to wake up in his arms. They had dinner every night with the Chos and her friends, and Jace was as tactile as usual, never crossing the line, no matter how much he would drink with Mr Cho, though Clary quickly discovered that Mrs Cho was much more resilient to alcohol than her husband.
Of course, Magnus made a whole big deal of her sleeping in Jace's room, not understanding why she wasn't doing everything in her power to take things further once they were alone. And the truth was, she wasn't sure. She knew she was confused, but she was still trying to figure out what she was confused about.
He would always wiggle his eyebrows at her when Jace would kiss her cheek or rest his hand on her smaller back, but it was nothing to her. This was the way Jace had always acted, and it was part of the masquerade, it was the reason why he hired her in the first place, so she could pose as his girlfriend when he was in business. And Mr Cho was just the prospect of future business to Jace.
Still, she wasn't going to lie and pretend that she didn't enjoy her time with Mrs Cho, because she did. The first day, they all went to the Hoover Dam, taking a lot of pictures and sharing their cultures to one another. Magnus and Karl spent a bit less time with Mrs Cho, feeling that, now that Clary had a companion, they could recluse themselves a little and appreciate the sights as a couple.
But they still enjoyed Mrs Cho company enough to invite her to the hot air balloon that they had planned for the next day. It had been breathtaking, and Mrs Cho had spent most of their journey back to the hotel trying to convince Clary to come and see her in Hong Kong (with or without Jace) so she could show her around.
Today was their last day, their flight being the next day, and Mrs Cho had treated them with a tour in a helicopter, so they could fly over the Grand Canyon. Mr Cho had come to his wife's request when she had reminded over the previous dinner that they hadn't done a single thing together, and Jace had used the opportunity to work.
And no matter how much she knew her relationship with Jace was fake, she couldn't help but resent him a little to leave her all alone amongst all those couples. Of course, she pretended as if it didn't bother her, smiling sweetly every time someone asked if she was alright. But deep down, when they flew over the Grand Canyon, witnessing the passage of time, she wished she had had someone to share the moment with.
Especially when the two couples marvelled with their partners, making her feel like she was definitely holding the candle for them. She tried to not let it affect her because this was who Jace was, he saw an opportunity to work, and even though she had told him in the morning that she would appreciate it if he came, he put his business first. But still, it made her feel lonely, despite the people around her.
When they got back to the Bellagio to get ready for dinner, Clary let Magnus know that she wasn't feeling so well and that she was going to skip dinner before going to Jace's room and lying in bed, doing her best to not get her feelings all mixed up.
She wasn't foreign to that feeling of being lonely amongst people. In fact, that had been her daily life when she was with Henry, but this time, it was different. She couldn't really tell why. Maybe it was because she had no business feeling that way when she wasn't with Jace in the first place. Or maybe, it was because she wished she had been with Jace, but dreaded it at the same time if it meant that she would feel the same way she did when she was with Henry.
With a heavy sigh, she walked to her suitcase and picked up her sportswear so she could change. The sun was getting down, which meant the outside temperature would be cool enough for her to run without feeling like she was inside the sun.
She was tying her shoes when someone knocked on the door. She went to open it, only to see Magnus on the other side, looking at her from head to toe,
"How come you're so good at poker and so bad at faking illness?"
"I just ... I don't want to go to dinner with everyone. And I feel like running."
"Biscuit, if it's about — "
"It's not about today. I've had a great time."
"I know you did. I just think you would have enjoyed it more if Jace had been here."
She looked down because it was the truth, and she didn't want to lie to her best friend. Magnus took a step closer, wrapping his arms around her as he said with a loving and reassuring voice,
"I'll always be here for you, you know that, right? No matter who's going to be at my arm, you'll be the one constant in my heart."
"I know. I just ... I shouldn't get worked up over those ridiculous things."
"If it upset you, it's not ridiculous. Don't belittle the way you feel to make people more comfortable. Why don't you tell him? I'm sure he'd like to know."
She chuckled, closing the door as they walked to the lift. "He doesn't. Jace only cares about his company. I told him this morning that I'd like for him to come with us, but he stayed and worked because his business will always come first. It's no news, it's one of the first things he told me."
She smiled to her friend, feeling a bit better saying those words out loud, and kissed his cheek before going through the lobby so she could run around Vegas. For the first hour, she just kept her mind empty, focussing on her breath and on the music in her ears. But when Usher's voice echoed, she couldn't help but be sent back to when Jace and she kissed to one of his songs.
She thought back of that moment, trying to remember every single second of it. Though she was a rather tender hearts when it came to intimacy, she already had a couple of hookups when she had been younger. And now, she was realising that the way she felt when she had kissed Jace had more depth than the way she had kissed her hookups. It was a very subtle difference, but it was still there.
If they had gone all the way through and had had sex, Clary still pictured them waking up in each other's arms. whether she always made sure to leave a man after a casual hookup. And this was what was wrong, and why she felt so messed up at the moment. Because she was letting feelings come in a relationship where they were not welcomed. Jace had told her on and on again that he didn't care for feelings, and there she was, letting them cloud her judgment and compromise her relationship with him.
And yet ... He didn't act like he didn't care completely either. In fact, he had changed a bit. For instance, the way that he was tactile with her. At the beginning of their relationship, he never even touched her on her smaller back, putting his hand there, but never touching her per se. And his stupid jealousy. Alec had told her that he used to be jealous over his girlfriends, not his friends.
But then again, maybe it was just that he was getting into his role, or that he was getting complaisant in their relationship, knowing her enough now to know what she would accept, and what she would oppose to.
She was so confused, that she stopped running, and called the only person she knew would really help her see-through things. Dorothea answered after the third ring, and Clary only realised then that it was already one in the morning in New York.
"I am so sorry Dorothea, I called without thinking of the time difference."
"It's okay Clary, I was up anyway. Are you alright?"
She sat on a bench, and let the older woman know of what was bothering her, "How did you know that Eric was in for the long roll?"
"He made me feel ... special. He would put me before anything else, and always made sure that I was happy and content. And ... I just felt good around him. Like there was no judgement and I could tell him anything. I just knew it. I could feel it in my bones that he loved me."
Clary stayed silent, her heart hurting when she could hear the love in Dorothea's voice, still burning after all those decades of marriage. She might have felt good around Jace, but she wasn't special to him. She was just his friend. She was an afterthought, nice to think of, once he had settled his work.
"Clary? Is this about Jace? Has he made a pass on you?"
"No, nothing of the sort. Jace is ever so the gentleman. I just ... I got confused and I needed someone to bring me back to reality."
"If you're starting to feel for the man, my best advice is to tell him. But remember that, if he doesn't return your feelings, he will let you go. Men like him, or in general, don't want to keep a girl around when she has feelings that they don't return. Remember what I told you when you started, you're just another business transaction, and if he doesn't have any feelings for you, letting you go will be as easy for him as replacing you."
She thanked her friend, and hung up, staying on the bench for a while, lost in her thoughts. Then, she slowly made her way back to the hotel, walking instead of running, not really in a hurry to get back there. Going back to the hotel meant that she would have to pack and go back to New York, back to the reality that the only relationship she would ever have with Jace was only a business one. Sure it was a bit friendlier than his usual ones, and with a lot of innuendos, but it would be nothing else.
She got back to the hotel shortly before midnight and felt a strange sort of relief when she saw that Jace was nowhere in sight. She went to the bathroom and immersed herself in a warm bath as she admonished herself. She didn't think that she was in love with Jace, but she was lucid enough to know that she could easily fall for the man. And she couldn't let that happen.
Even if Jace returned her feelings, and they decided to try something that was not based on a contract, but just on their feelings, they were doomed for failure. Jace liked his life as it was, barely talking to his family, barely having a life outside of work. Whereas Clary wanted children. She wanted to build a family, and even if she did not have any role models for that matter, she had always known that children needed to come first. She was ready to make the sacrifices necessary to always put her child first.
And at this exact moment, that meant that she needed to shut down her heart and not fall in love with someone who only cared about his company and nothing else.
For a moment, she was so resolved that she thought of terminating the contract as soon as she would see Jace, but the stupid part of her advised her against it. She knew what she wanted, and she knew where was the line. All she had to do was to not cross it. After all, she wasn't in love, yet. At best, this was just a crush. All she had to do is remember that what she had with Jace was strictly business, and she could keep their relationship a little while longer...
She was torn out of her thoughts by Jace knocking on the bathroom door, calling out her name with a worried tone, "Clary?"
"Yes?"
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah. Just give me five minutes."
She heard him walk away, and got out of the bath, looking at her pruny fingers and grimacing as she realised that she must have stayed longer than she thought. She wrapped herself in a robe, and looked at her reflection, just to make sure that her face looked okay.
Then, she left the bathroom and saw Jace sitting on the couch. His head snapped from what he was reading and as he looked at her, his brows knotted, lingering on her face more than usual.
"Magnus said that you weren't feeling well. I thought I'd find you in bed, instead of nowhere in sight."
"Yeah, I wasn't too well, and I felt like some fresh air would do me good. Vegas at night is actually pleasant."
"You went out? On your own?"
She rolled her eyes, walking to the bedroom and feeling Jace short on her heels. She bent down to finish packing her suitcase as she pointed out, "I know, what a crazy notion. And yet, here I am. Alive and kicking."
He glared at her, and she reached for her purse, showing him that she did listen to him, "See? I even have pepper spray with me, now."
"Why didn't you come to dinner?"
"I wasn't that hungry. Too much fancy food all at once."
She sat on the bed, her nightgown next to her, waiting for their conversation to finish so she could put it on. Jace walked to her, sitting by her side a bit closer than he needed to, and he asked her,
"Did you enjoy the helicopter ride, today?"
"Yes, it was beautiful! I might consider doing another for my next big landscape," She brightly said, only saying part of how she really felt. He smiled, his hand flying to release her hair from its elastic.
"And where would that be?"
"I don't know yet. Probably Niagara's falls. I've heard it's breathtaking. Though I'll probably go on my own."
"What about Magnus and that sibling bond you have going on?"
"No, I think this next trip, I would do it on my own. I've never gone somewhere with just me, myself and I, and I want to know how it feels."
He smiled to her, before kissing her cheek and getting up, saying that he was going to grab a quick shower before bed. She quickly put on her nightgown, and made a tour of the penthouse, just to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. Just as she passed the couch, she saw that Jace had been reading a people magazine when she came out of the bathroom.
Billionaire out and about in Vegas, with his girlfriend
Billionaire Jace Wayland has been spotted in Vegas during the Fourth of July celebrations. Ever since, rumours that he came to Las Vegas to get married with his current girlfriend, have been trending of social media, and Mr Wayland never made any comment to deny or confirm those rumours. Still, this is not unusual behaviour for the young tycoon who has always refused to talk about his private life, even when media doubted his girlfriend's fidelity.
But just on the morrow of Independence Day, Jace Wayland has been seen having lunch with his girlfriend and her 'mystery man' from our sources, and what you can see on the pictures, Jace Wayland seems to get along very well with the man, who is, for what we can tell, gay and in a relationship (picture of Magnus and Karl kissing as they come out of limousine).
Now, concerning the rumours that Jace Wayland got hitched with his girlfriend, there is nothing to affirm it. Despite the fact that he has been spotted in a jewellery shop earlier on the Fourth of July, the redhead is not wearing any ring, nor any jewellery that could prove that the two of they decided to tie the knot (picture of Clary and Jace, Clary in a white summer dress, without any jewellery, and Jace kissing her cheek with a smile).
Still, some bloggers seem convinced that the lack of a ring is proof enough, claiming that the pictures taken after Independence Day were just a ruse so people would stop talking about them. The fact that the redhead is wearing a white dress seems to be the revealing factor to them, as they claim that "no girl would walk around in Vegas in a white dress unless she was making a statement".
So now, the question that everyone asks is, shall we start counting months to see when the Wayland heir will come?
Clary rolled her eyes, putting the magazine down on the table and shaking her head at the stupidity of some people. apparently, in less than a week, she had managed to marry Jace fucking Wayland and get pregnant with him. The Virgin Mary had nothing on her!
She went back in the bedroom, and slipped in the bed, unconsciously putting her hand on her stomach. She wondered about the jewellery shop that had been mentioned in the magazine, before quickly dismissing the thought as she remembered that Jace had told her that he had tried to find a gift for her, but couldn't find the right one. Knowing him, he probably went in the store in the hope to find inspiration and left a very disappointed salesgirl there.
When Jace came back in the room, he switched off the light and slipped next to Clary, putting his hands behind his nape as he said,
"You saw the article."
"Mmmh"
"You're not freaked out, are you?"
"To be honest, despite the ridiculousness of it all, I'm glad. At least now, Magnus's name is clear."
"You do realise that they are going to be on your back even more, now. Waiting for a baby to pop out," He warned, and she found herself rolling her eyes yet again.
"They should know that the mighty Jace Wayland doesn't have time for a wife and kids."
He nodded imperceptibly, and she trend so she could face him, trying to picture what his kids would look like. And no matter how much she didn't like it, she could so easily picture him with a blonde wife that would give him cute strawberry-blond little babies.
"You know, it's a shame. Because I'm sure your kids would look adorable. I mean, look at you, and look at Jason. If you get a blonde wife, though. Because strawberry-blond babies are the cutest."
"Stop being ridiculous," He growled, his tone chipped as the tension in his jaw showed that he was not happy to pursue this conversation. She sighed, and asked,
"Are you still pouting over me going out on my own?"
He blinked and turned to look at her, putting himself in the same position as she was. "Yes."
"Well, that's too bad for you. I'm sorry to inform you, but I'm a grown independent woman. Even if I were your girlfriend, I wouldn't have to answer to you. If I want to go out for a stroll, you better believe that I will, without asking for anyone's permission. This isn't the 1920's!"
"Don't turn this into something it's not. You know I just care about your safety. Do you know how many times my Mom came home, warning us on what an aggression could do to one's psyche? If I can prevent it for you, you better believe that I'll do anything I can to prevent it. I almost had your phone tracked!"
The shock made her sit up, and she looked at Jace with big round eyes. It never crossed her mind that Jace would even think of crossing this sort of boundaries that were so sacred to her. After all, Jace knew that she had trust issues, and he seemed to have understood that they were related to a former boyfriend. And yet, he thought he was a good idea to sneak into her private life without her knowing.
"If you ever do that, Jace, don't even bother contacting me afterwards. I've already had one overbearing man in my life, I won't tolerate another."
He sat up as well, reaching for her cheek and caressing it to ease her worry as he apologised in a murmur, "Sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out ... It's just that I was worried about you."
"I told you already, Jace, you shouldn't worry so much over me."
"You're my friend. I worry about my friends."
"And Magnus and Karl didn't worry about me, did they? There is a very thin line between a sweet worrier and an overbearing asshole."
He breathed deeply through his nose, closing his eyes and she told him, "It's our last night in Vegas. I don't want to argue with you."
"What do you want to do?" He asked, his eyes still closed, and she looked at his face.
What she wanted, was to know. She wanted to know if Jace was just being Jace, or if there was something more. But she had no idea how to ask him, without risking him terminating the contract because of her unwanted and unreturned feelings. She longly looked at him, until he opened his eyes, and she let him know,
"I want to leave in Vegas what should be left in Vegas."
"We already agreed on that."
"I mean ... when we go back to New York, I don't want us to be awkward. We should just go back to our routine, and whenever I'll come to your place, I'll sleep in my own bed."
"I assumed as much."
He kept looking at her, probably trying to make sense of all that she said, but she wasn't sure herself. She was setting all those rules, and yet, she was about to do something contradicting them. But ... this was still Vegas. She just wanted one kiss. One kiss that would help her see clear in his emotions as well as hers.
So she closed her eyes and leant to kiss him. Something sweet, simple, chaste. He gave her back the kiss, mixing his breath to hers, before colliding her body to his and tackling her t the mattress, one of his hand going to her thigh as he placed himself between her legs. His other hand went to her hair, grabbing a fistful while he opened her mouth with his tongue.
And just as he was grinding against her, she knew where Jace stood. She knew he would be able to pretend as if nothing if they had sex, whilst she wouldn't. There were too many facets of Jace that she liked to simply friends with benefits. She knew that if she went down that road, her heart would ultimately get involved, and get broken.
Abruptly, Jace stopped kissing her, hissing himself on his elbows and looking deep into her eyes. He didn't comment on her sudden change of mood, simply rolling on the side, pecking her lips one last time before spooning against her and saying with a strained voice,
"As we said, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
Over the next few months, Clary found herself a new routine. She had finished her year at university, top of her class once again, and Magnus had made sure to throw her a little party during which Valentine had made a point to make a speech on how excited and proud he was to see her join his firm.
Though the party had been a surprise, she hadn't been surprised by Jace's absence. Magnus told her after the party that he had invited Jace, but that the latter explained that he was too busy to come. But she didn't expect anything from Jace from that point. In fact, she felt that, though they never brought back again what happened in Vegas, they still left more than they had anticipated there.
They had stopped their little banters, and she always made surety not say anything that could be interpreted as sexual when she was around him. And Jace had been a little more distant as well, especially after the weekend she spent with his nephews at the end of August.
Jason and Julian had come with their father to visit New York, telling her all about Sydney and how they wanted her to come the next time, so she could meet their other grandparents. She spent as much time as possible with the kids, and when Jace pointed out that she shouldn't get too used to the idea of kids around her, she had let slip that one sentence that she wished she could take back.
"I just can't wait to have my own. As soon as I can, I'll start breeding like a Catholic rabbit and have as many kids as I can."
Jace looked at her, no saying a word, but she could tell that what she had just said was not going to be forgotten by him.
Still, she still stayed with him whenever he was in town, staying in the other room, she still baked him goodies when he wanted some, and of course, she still posed as his girlfriend for the rest of the world.
She had thought that working for Valentine would be a problem for her duties as Jace's 'girlfriend', but Valentine respected the schedule of school, even though she more often than not stayed extra hours, taking in every single thing Valentine could teach her.
After just a month of working for him, she had already filled four notebooks of notes and was eager to fill even more. She had become the man's shadows, and Valentine was more than happy to always point her in the right direction. For instance, when he was in Court, he would always tell her what he wanted her to focus on, whether it was him, the judge, the opposition, the jury. He made her aware of little things she never would have thought before.
He also made her more fluent in speaking without telling, though Magnus was not a fan of this new skill that she kept practising on him. Little by little, Valentine was becoming someone important to Clary, and the fact that Jocelyn would come once a week so she could have lunch with them, only made her like her mentor even more.
During her first month working for Valentine, Jace had barely been in New York, or in the US for that matter. He had been travelling between London and Hong Kong, and though she kept repeating to herself that it was for the best, that the less she saw Jace, the better it was for her, she still missed him. It wasn't to the point where she would go to his hotel just to feel his presence, but she still missed him. And he barely called because of the time difference.
Still, in the middle of October, Jace sent her a surprise text, asking her to be at his hotel for 6 pm, dressed to impress for a business dinner. She did as such, though she was curious what kind of business dinner it would be. Jace had just come back from London, and she had assumed that he would have waited at least a day before socialising. But it was Jace she was talking about. The man worked more than he breathed.
With the card he had given her, she bought a red dress because she knew he liked this colour on her. It was a rather simple dress, but the skin was asymmetric, one of her leg showing a bit more than the other. She did her hair with an upside-down ponytail bun style and kept her face natural, if not for the eyeliner and the red lipstick.
Jace did not comment on her attire, though his smirk said enough, and he took them to the River Café in Brooklyn. She frowned when she saw the restaurant, surprised by Jace's choice to hold a business dinner there, but when the waiter walked them to a table dressed for two and pulled the chair for her to sit, she stopped, turning her head to Jace as she said,
"I thought this was a business dinner?"
"It is. We are business partners, remember?"
She smiled to hide her discomfort of him bringing it up again, and sat looking at the menu as she asked, "So what do you want to discuss tonight? I'm sure you could have done so back in the hotel."
"I doubt that. We're here celebrating your first month working for Valentine."
"Oh ... Thank you." She slightly blushed, trying to hide her embarrassment now, by sipping on the champagne that they waiter had just served them, and Jace did the same, though he let her know,
"You don't blush often, but when you do, you look breathtaking."
She cleared her throat, willing her blush to not go any redder and she asked about his London trip, still looking at the menu. Ten minutes later, a waiter came in to take their order, and she lost her smile as soon as she looked up.
It was Henry, looking from her to Jace with disdain. For a moment, she felt like running away, not ready to have a scene in the middle of a fancy restaurant, but she thought better of it. She could be an adult about it. All Henry needed to do, is be an adult, for once in his life. She turned to Jace, bringing her best smile back on her face and asked him what he wanted, ignoring Henry.
Jace made his order, and when Henry turned to Clary, it wasn't to ask her what she wanted, but to say, "Let me guess, Clare Bear, you'll have a glass of our house red, and the Scottish salmon with broccoli on the side? How many times will I have to tell you, fancy people don't have red wine with fish."
Jace rose an eyebrow at her, his hand reaching for her on the table, and she just smiled, saying that she still hadn't made her mind up. Henry left, and she didn't spare him a single glance. She shouldn't be surprised to see him in such restaurants, Henry had always liked working in fact places because they paid and tipped better. But she just hadn't been expecting to see him whilst with Jace, and for Henry to be such a dick about it.
Jace opened his mouth, about to question her, but she excused herself first. Instead of going to the bathroom though, she went outside, in need of fresh air and found the cold breeze of an October night refreshing. She cursed her bad luck and Henry for ruining such a perfect night that Jace had planned for her.
She deeply breathed in and out, when she smelt the odour of tobacco and saw Henry coming to lean against the wall next to her, his cigarette in his mouth as he said with venom,
"I heard that you got hitched in Vegas."
She ignored him, and he snickered, apparently expecting this reaction from her. She felt his eyes go on her, taking in her expensive dress, shoes and jewellery before he told her,
"I never pegged you for a gold-digging whore, Clary. I thought you were more classy than that. I thought you were real."
She kept on ignoring him, not giving him the satisfaction to answer, or even to walk away from him. He took a deep inhale from his cigarette and spoke from his nose next, "Come on Clare Bear. Besides his money, what can he really give you? I mean, he doesn't look like that much of a man under his expensive suit. sure, he can inflate your bank account, but we both know that I'm the only man that can really get you off."
"Why do you care, Henry? We're done."
"Done? We were together for three fucking years! We were supposed to get married and to have kids. It took you two minutes to move on! Did you cheat on me with that bastard? Is he the reason why you were working so much? Spreading your legs for him, but not enough to get me off the way I deserved! Is he the reason why you were so happy to throw me out?"
She stared at him, barely touched by his accusations. She was used to it, now. With Henry, everything was everyone else's fault, and most of the time, that everyone else was her. She didn't even want to argue. If he wanted to think that, so be it. She was done trying to reason the man.
"You're right, it's my fault. I'm sorry," Se said with a blank tone. It's what she did for the last months of their relationship, and she knew it was what he wanted to hear.
She went back inside the restaurant, and when she sat back in front of Jace, she apologised in a much more sincere way than she had just done with Henry, "I'm sorry about that. I just needed some fresh air."
He did not say a word, looking at her expectantly and waiting for her to explain herself. But when she remained silent, he sighed and pointed out, "I thought we agreed that we were friends."
She instantly felt bad, Magnus's voice echoing in the back of her mind and warning her about shutting everyone out because of henry. She glanced towards the kitchen, seeing Henry go in there not without looking in their direction, and she cleared her throat,
"Can we go elsewhere, if you don't mind?"
Jace nodded, paying for the champagne before they left the place Clary knew she would never set foot again for at least a year. Henry never stayed long in one place, always getting in trouble with a manager because no one understood him. She heard Jace asked the driver to take them to the Rockefeller building, and she smiled to him. Right now, all she wanted was comfort food, and the burgers from the van would be perfect.
She deeply inhaled, and let him know, "The waiter ... he's just my ex. But we didn't part in good terms."
"Is he the overbearing man you mentioned before."
"Yes ... Henry is just ... a complicated man. He has a lot of strong opinions who are just wrong. I'm sorry to have ruined your night."
Jace reached for her chin, forcing her to look at him as he rose his eyebrow, silently telling her that his night hadn't been ruined. She weakly smiled, and he reached for her hair, undoing the elaborate do she had. He gently passed his hand in her hair, before he asked,
"What happened with Henry?"
She was about to pretend that it was nothing, that he shouldn't worry about it, but something in his eyes prevented her from doing so. This was how she could prove to him that she indeed saw him as a friend.
So she told him about the toxic relationship she had been in, she told him how many times Henry had made her feel stupid or inferior, or how he could easily make her doubt herself and what she believed in. She let him know how low she felt when she broke up with him, and how hard she was still trying to get her confidence back
Jace never interrupted her, and kept his emotions and reactions in check, making her wonder maybe, he was seeing her with a different light, not liking this weak person that she once had been. But still, it felt good to tell someone other than Magnus about the fears and insecurities that Henry had planted inside of her. All she could hope now was that Jace wouldn't use those against her.
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
The next day, Clary went to Jace's hotel after work. She was trying to think of what she would cook him when she decided to make him lasagnas. It had been a while since he asked for any, and she knew that no matter how he felt, he would smile like a kid when he would see the lasagnas. Of course, because she was making Jace's favourite, she also decided to make a pecan pie for dessert, to make herself happy.
After she was done cooking and both dishes were in the oven, she had a quick shower and called Mary so they could organise their next outing together. They were planning on watching West Side Story and Clary couldn't wait to see her older friends again, loving each and every time their little get-togethers.
She stayed longer than she had planned on the phone, and it was already 10 pm when she hung up. She frowned, looking at her phone to see if Jace had tried to contact her. It wasn't unusual for him to be late because he was still trying to build his new office here in New York, but he had always let her know when he knew he would be home after 9 pm.
She tried to call him, but he didn't answer, which didn't worry her that much. Jace rarely picked up the phone straight away when she was calling him. Mostly because he was either working, either already on a phone call. So she put on her nightgown, doing her best to ignore the way Jace looked at her the first time he saw her in a nighty, and she sat on the sofa, switching on the TV. As she waited for Jace to either call, or come home, she fought against sleep, trying the best she could to keep her eyes open, but Morpheus won in the end, taking her away as she still had no idea of where Jace could be.
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.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚
See, no cliffies, but that's because we are in the middle of a chapter ...
💚 I'm always curious about your favourite part, and what you think will happen next, so let me know.
💚 So ... what do you think of Henry?
💚 And do you think Clary is right about Jace, and about her feelings?
💚And Jace? Why is he more distant? And where is he?
💚 So ... What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas ... Jace stopped, why so?
💚 Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.
Love, Mina💚💚💚
