Weekend's here and so is a new chapter! Sorry to the anon on tumblr that asked when I was updating and I said thursday: I only got around to finishing the chapter this morning, but I really hope you like it *smiley face* To everyone else, thank you for your reviews, I replied you all. Guests, you don't go unnoticed: Thank you for your kind words!
Anyway, this chapter was pretty much inspired by Mac Demarco's song Baby's Wearing Blue Jeans (one of my favorite artists and one of my favorite songs). Don't forget to let me know your thoughts! Thanks and have a nice reading.
xxx
9. Blue jeans
Jess was a real gorgeous girl in Nick's point of view. He had no problem complimenting her dress or her hair when they crossed paths in the hallway(but she did have a problem taking them, something he would never understand) and it was a fact she was attractive. He also found her hot but that didn't have to be said out loud - Nick was content to keep that thought to himself. One day though, Jess's level of hotness went up to a whole new scale when she walked into the bar wearing jeans. Skinny blue jeans.
He saw her wearing jeans a couple times before, but those were occasions seen from some distance. Jess would usually wear skirts, dresses or shorts with tights, so when he saw her walking in with Cece, wearing those magical blue jeans that hugged every curve of her legs and showed him what was truly going on... He forgot about everything else around him. Nick only had eyes for Jess.
The girls hopped on the stools next to Schmidt and Winston, who were there keeping Nick company and having a few drinks until it was time to go home. They noticed Jess's choice of jeans too and Schmidt didn't miss the opportunity to express his opinion:
"My, my, Jess is dressed to kill tonight! Who's your target?"
She waved him off and nervously chuckled like she always did when someone complimented her.
"I don't have a target, Schmidt, these are just jeans."
"Hey" Cece elbowed her lightly "They aren't just jeans, they are overpriced trendy jeans that make your butt look like it came out of a J Crew catalog."
"Cece got it for me from her last gig." Jess explained and looked down at her own legs "They do look nice though, so thanks guys."
Cece shook her head in amusement and turned to Schmidt and Winston to talk. Nick hadn't uttered a word, too busy pretending he was wiping clean glass shots that had already been cleaned, and Jess leaned over to lightly pull him by his flannel.
"Hey, turtle face" She smiled "You're too quiet there, what's wrong?"
She was sitting, which was great - Nick's eyes could focus on her face and face only without them inadvertently travelling downwards. He cleared his throat and smiled back.
"It's nothing, I just... You know, pouring drinks, cleaning tables. The usual."
Jess rested her chin on her hand and sighed.
"Monday nights, uh?"
"Yeah." Nick sighed and started wiping the counter, distracted "How was your day?"
"It was ... normal?" Jess scrunched up her nose "Too normal, I'd say. Nothing special happened."
"Special? You were waiting for ET's to land and abduct your students or what? I thought grading papers and getting to send kids to detention was so much fun."
She laughed and he couldn't help but laugh along. The sound of her laughter was nice.
"For your information, I've never sent any kid to detention" She puffed out her chest in pride "Sometimes I need to call someone out, but that's it. Fourth graders are nice if you know how to treat them."
"With a teacher like you, I don't think I'd feel like misbehaving." Nick casually commented and threw his cloth over his shoulder "It'd be more like 'let me play the good boy'"
Jess arched an eyebrow.
"The good boy?"
"Yeah, you know, the classic 'student has a crush on hot teacher' situation."
Jess's mouth formed an "O" in amusement and disbelief. Did Nick just say she was hot?
"Hot teacher? Really?" She put her hands on her hips "You don't think that, stop. Is this about the jeans I'm wearing? I'm really starting to regret wearing this to school today."
Nick stood on his toes to peek at Jess's legs and she swatted him on the arm.
"Hey" he rubbed the spot she hit.
"At least pretend you're not looking, Miller."
" Too much work." He turned his back to her to organize glasses on the cabinet. Taking advantage of the fact he wasn't facing Jess, he went further "But the jeans is just an extra, you know. You are really pretty."
She didn't reply to what he said and after ten seconds of silence Nick turned around. Jess was biting down her lip and the corners of her mouth had a contained smile threatening to break across her face. He reached out and squeezed her nose, making her giggle. Looking down at her hands, Jess asked:
"Do you really think that?"
"That you're pretty?"
"Yeah"
"I do."
She thought about it for a second.
"Hm."
"What was this? Hm?" He crossed his arms onto the bar and she rolled her eyes, amused. He lifted his eyebrows, waiting for an answer.
"That was a "I'm glad to hear it" hm." She reached out and played with some messy locks of his hair "You're a pretty girl too, Miller."
"Hm."
Winston walked up to them and poked Jess's arm, breaking their intimate bubble. Oblivious to their closeness and holding a beer bottle in his hand, he sat next to Jess on one of the stools.
"I think Schmidt forgot it's monday and he's drinking like there's no tomorrow."
The three of them turned their heads toward a slightly drunk Schmidt. He was holding Cece by her hand and spinning her around the empty space amongst the tables while singing Cotton Eyed Joe, which she seemed to be enjoying as she sang along and laughed. Jess shook her head, chuckling, and turned to Nick.
"Are you closing anytime soon?"
"Uh, ten minutes." He checked the clock on the wall "I'll give you guys a ride if you want to."
"It's okay, we all fit in Schmidt's car." Winston replied "But seriously, who does he think he is? It's monday."
After giving some water to Schmidt ("I am fine, Jesus Christ!") and saying goodbye to Bob, the gang went their separate ways with Nick driving his own car and everyone else in Schmidt's, with Winston on the steering wheel. Within five minutes, they were all taking the elevator to their apartments.
"Jess, wait!" Nick called out as Cece and Jess were about to walk into 4C's. Cece arched one eyebrow and shot her best friend a look, to which she just shrugged in reply.
"I will...wait for you." Cece said and winked knowingly at Nick before closing the door. Jess crossed the hall in small steps and Nick glanced at her blue jeans for the 100th time that night. Damn those jeans and damn his stupid head.
"Yes?" She looked up at him, her hands folded behind her back as if she was a little girl expecting a present. She was so close that Nick had trouble forming the words in his tongue. He knew what he wanted to do and he knew how to do it, but he couldn't find the courage to do so. When Nick still hadn't said anything, Jess frowned and waved her hand in front of his face.
"Nick...?"
He blinked. She smiled and poked his chest.
"Are you gonna say what you want to say or am I spending the night out here in the hallway?"
"No, I..." He caught one of her hands "There's actually something I want to do, not say."
Her smile faded, but not in a bad way. He noticed her throat swallowing hard and she stood still, her eyes glued to his, expecting his next step. She felt his hand tugging hers so she could be closer to him and then...a voice yelled from the other side of 4D's door.
"Nick, you out there?! Schmidt vomited on our rug and it smells like a dead rat in here, I'm gonna need some help cleaning this up!" Winton knocked on their door three times to get Nick's attention. Both Nick and Jess groaned and he let go of her hand - her cheeks were pink and he ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated.
"I'm coming" He yelled back in response. Feeling like the biggest loser on earth, he sighed "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"
Jess grinned and stood on her tip toes to give him a long, soft kiss on the cheek.
"Yup, you will." She touched his shoulder and walked away back to her apartment. Nick watched the last glimpses of blue jeans and then nothing. Just 4E's door.
"Oh, man." He muttered to himself before pushing open his own door and feeling the terrible smell coming from the rug "SCHMIDT!"
xxx
N/A: That was close!
