Hey! Sorry for the epically late update. This is one of my slightly shorter chapters but hopefully it will re-spark your interest in the story!
Chapter 2
It's a cool, crisp Saturday night in the City that never sleeps. The perfect night to release weekly inhibitions and fully experience all the wiles the Big Apple has to offer. Yet, Jade finds herself cooped up in her dorm room slumped over her laptop, typing profusely. While everyone else is out partying, she's working on her masterpiece of a horror script. She'd always been in love with acting but this new script writing class had really brought out her inner Poe.
As she types away, she hardly notices the entrance of her unlawfully chipper roommate and her equally offensive friends. That was until they started squealing like a group of uncivilized banshees and broke her intense concentration.
The mother of all death glares etches on her face as she watches them bounce around in excitement and she wills herself to refrain from telling them to shut the hell up.
"Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod it was totally him!" one of them bellows
"Ugh I know! He's like my favorite character on the show" another one chimes
"He's just as sexy in person, like it's not even fair!"
"Give me ten minutes alone with him, just ten, and I swear I'd..."
"HEY!" Jade screeches, startling them out of their fawning "Could you all do me a huge favor and shut the hell up?"
Well at least she tried to refrain...
Somewhat comical looks of disbelief scatter across each of the girls' faces as Jade's words register.
"I'm currently working on something that's way more important than your C-List Celebrity run-in so if you don't mind turning the unnecessary volume down a couple notches, preferably to mute, that'd be great thanks!" Jade says with a fake smile
"Gank" One of them says under her breath
"Psht, He's at least a B-lister!" Another one says more audibly and Jade just rolls her eyes
"C'mon girls, let's see if we can find those boots we saw at that store on Mulberry Street online " Jade's roommate speaks up trying to change the subject. The girls eagerly agree as they move to sit on her bed and bring out her laptop
"Jade feel free to have some of these left over cupcakes from Billy's Bakery" her roommate says as she places the box on her dresser "they're coconut and chocolate topped with toasted…" she trails off under Jade's intense gaze "…well they're there if you want them" she gives one last nervous smile before she returns to her friends.
Jade turns her attention back to her script and manages to type out a few more lines before the faint whispers and giggles of the girls become too much. She figures it'd probably be in everyone's best interest if her horror script didn't become a reality right now, so with a dramatic sigh she gathers up her things and storms out of her dorm with a huff.
It's relatively early in the night so she knows her favorite coffee shop is still open for business. When she arrives, she is relieved to see that there aren't too many people there. She places her usual order and resigns to her spot in the back corner of the café. Taking out her laptop, she once again loses herself in her writing.
After a while her fingers start cramping and when she looks up, she is surprised to see that she's the only one left in the café and the employees have started to put the chairs on tops of the tables in preparation for closing time. Always the diligent one isn't she? She smirks to herself as she begins to put away her things. As she is packing up, the door to the café rattles open.
"Sorry man, we're just closing up" she hears a voice say but she doesn't bother to look up
"Aww c'mon Tony just one more order please?"
Jade freezes. She knows that voice. It's been ringing in her head almost incessantly for the past week. She'd done her best to ignore it if not for the sole purpose of maintaining her dignity, but now it's no longer a vocal figment of her imagination. As she slowly looks up to confirm its source, she can't help but feel like a deer caught in headlights
"Why must you insist on coming every time we are about close? " Tony asks with a sigh
"The biscotti withdrawal symptoms usually kick in around then" The boy answers with a smile. "Seriously what do you put in them? They taste way too good to be legal"
Tony shakes his head in exasperation. " Four chocolate chip biscotti's to go I assume. Do you want your usual coffee order with it?"
"Please and thank you" the boy says with enthusiasm
Tony lets out another deep sigh as he goes to fulfill the order
Jade remains frozen in place. For some odd reason she thinks that if she doesn't make any sudden movements, he might not notice her. That theory however, is quickly disproven when his eyes absentmindedly flit around the vacant café and land on her own. They're just as piercing as she remembers them, perhaps even more so.
His mouth forms into a wicked looking grin as his initial surprise subsides and she wills her body not to shiver. She then tries to will herself to make a beeline to the door when he begins to saunter towards her but this time her body doesn't listen. She doesn't move an inch as he stops right beside her seat, towering over her.
"Well, well, well, what a nice and…beautiful surprise" he says looking down at her
Jade doesn't miss his emphasis on the word beautiful as she holds his gaze
"I must admit, I was surprised you didn't call" he continues
"I'm surprised you were expecting me to" she quickly replies
He stares at her with a faint smile for a while before responding
"You missed out on quite the opportunity. Professor Grant was at the party for a full forty-five minutes"
"That's all? He didn't even stay for jello shots? How rude!" she says with feigned disgust as she grabs her things and stands up
"I told you, it wasn't that kind of party" he says slightly exasperated
"Whatever" she says as she side steps around him. He follows close behind as she makes her way to the exit
"Hey Beck don't forget your order!" Tony shouts from behind the counter
"Oh right, thanks Tony!" He quickly collects his items before scurrying after Jade
"Try coming during business hours!" Tony shouts again but Beck is already out the door
"Where are you off to?" Beck says once he's caught up to her
"None of your business" she says keeping her eyes focused ahead as she walks briskly
"My place is only a couple of blocks from here" he offers
"Wow! You don't waste much time do you?" she says through a snort
"Well life is short after all" He can barely hold in his laughter when her face contorts into a disgusted look
"C'mon it's a Saturday night, are you really not going to do anything?" he pushes
"Who said I wasn't going to do anything? She asks, eyes still looking ahead
"C'mon we can go anywhere. Anywhere you want just name it"
"Go away"
"We could get some food, maybe hit up a club or find a party, my apartment offer of course still stands" He says with a smirk
"No" She states flatly as she picks up her pace
They walk in silence for a moment and she can feel his eyes on her
"What's the highest vantage point you've seen of the city?" he suddenly asks
"What?" she asks with furrowed brows, finally looking at him
"Vantage point. What's the highest you've seen?"
"I don't know about 30 stories up I guess, why does it matter?"
"How'd you like to see it 60 stories up; rooftop view?"
This catches Jade's attention and she stops to address him
"You have casual access to a rooftop, 60 stories up, overlooking the city?" she asks a little skeptically
"I do," he answers confidently
"Where?"
"Let me show you"
"I don't know if that's a good idea"
"Why not? Scared of heights?" he challenges
"No, I'm just sensible. I usually try not to run off to places with men I don't know" she answers flatly
"Well if you come, you can get to know me while witnessing a breathtaking view of the city"
Jade takes a moment to ruminate over his offer. She loves beauty as much as the next girl and she knows that, at night, the city exudes much of it. Still she's not particularly enthusiastic about the idea of being alone on the rooftop of a skyscraper with him though
"How do I know you're not some sadistic, cannibalistic serial killer coercing me to my doom?" she finally asks after a long pause
"I take it you read a lot of dark fiction?" he presumes amusedly
Jade just shrugs
"Look just come, I promise I won't try anything"
"And I'm just suppose to trust you?"
"Yeah I'm a pretty trustworthy guy" he states plainly
Jade doesn't even attempt to stifle her snort
"C'mon, we don't even have to stay that long, we can leave whenever you want" he continues
Jade doesn't look anymore thrilled at the idea so Beck begins to empty out his pockets
"Look, just my keys, my wallet, and some change. No abnormally sharp objects, no hidden bottles of chloroform, no double-knotted rope. Feel free to pat me down if you'd like, in fact, I insist!" he says with a wink and a smile
Jade can't help the small smile that forms on her own lips
"I have biscotti's" he pushes further "The best in the city as far as I'm concerned. I'd barely consider sharing them with my own mother, but if you come I might just offer you a third of one" he says jokingly
"Wow a third of one of your giant biscotti's? Aren't you thoughtful" she says with evident sarcasm
"I told you I was didn't I? That first time in the café" he shoots back
Jade is actually surprised he remembers any part of their first conversation considering he seemed to be mostly preoccupied with ogling her form.
"C'mon what do you say?" he asks after a long moment, jarring her from her thoughts
She looks up at him and they maintain eye contact as she continues to silently wrestle with his offer. That feeling of being overexposed begins to creep back up on her, as their eyes remain fixed. After a while he finally breaks eye contact to whistle for a cab and wave it down. Once it comes to a halt, he opens up the back door and gestures in.
"After you" he says
Call it curiosity or a momentary lapse in cognition, but for whatever reason, completely unknown to Jade herself, she hops in.
Beck follows quickly behind and shuts the door.
"606 West 42nd Street please" Beck instructs the driver as Jade eyes him curiously
She racks her brain trying to recall where she's heard that address before as the taxi pulls off toward their destination
Author's Note: I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed the first chapter, your comments were greatly appreciated! The next chapter should be posted relatively quickly depending on your feedback so click the review button por favor! :-)