Mesmerized
"I want to live in a city that never sleeps!"
-Sinatra, "New York, New York"
-In the Moment-
It was like one of those scenes in those sappy romance movies. When you watch it, you snort at the cheesiness of it but when you're in one...especially when the wind is whipping violently through your hair and you're hundreds of feet off the ground with cars speeding by on the very busy freeway below you, and his eyes are boring in your searching for an answer...it isn't that funny anymore.
-2 weeks before-
Amatis pulled her bag off the slowly spinning carousel, making sure not to fall on top of it, wouldn't want a repeat of what happened at the airport in Switzerland. She set the bag down gently and looked around. JFK was busy with men running around in their suits and people shouting into their Blackberries. The giant windows were covered with fog, making watery reflections of the planes outside. Amatis sighed as she adjusted her carryon bag and rolled her suitcase over ot an empty seat and sat down.
"So much for New York's first impression." She thought.
Mesmerize and be mesmerized.
"The city that never sleeps", "the crossroads of the world", "the city of light" despite all these names, New York has always been known as "the city" to Clary, just "the city". It wasn't the big, famous things that made Clary love the city, but the tiny spaces tucked in the corners, a sense of peace you wouldn't expect in a city of chaos. There was an order to the madness but right now...Clary was just mad.
"...and then he said he needed to go! Can you believe that? He just ditched me? What the heck? Why can't he just full out say he's going to break up with me?" Clary huffed. Simon shrugged.
"Maybe he's afraid of commitment...and the new Black Ops is coming out...he might be one of those guys who just can't take a relationship while they're in the game." Clary shot him a look.
"No...that's just you Simon." She sighed as she sipped her coffee, letting the bitterness chase away any lingering fatigue.
"So he just said it? Just like that?" Clary looked out the window from their normal booth at Taki's.
Clary smiled slightly as she felt Jace's fingers squeeze hers .She ignored his amused glanced as she flipped the page in her book, her eyes not seeing the words on the page. The quiet shuffling and the musty smell of books comforted Clary as she and Jace sat in the library. There wasn't really anything to do, so they decided to spend it inside, since it was raining.
"Are you really reading?" She felt his lips right next to her ear and she fought a blush as she turned her face away.
"Yes." She said simply, fighting a chuckle at his surprised expression. He sighed loudly, gaining some dirty looks shot in their directions.
"You know, this is starting to turn out like a scene from 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', next you'll be telling me you're moving to Brazil." Clary looked up and bit her lip.
"You watched 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'?" She was shaking, fighting down laughter. Jace rolled her eyes as he shut the book and handed her, her coat.
"Come on, we're going."
The rain had slowed into a thick wall of moisture that set Clary's red waves into messy curls. Their fingers were still laced as they waiting for the cars to finish passing. Clary thought now was the time to bring it up casually.
"So...are we like a couple now?" She asked nonchalantly. Jace stiffened as he turned to her.
"What?" He asked with his eyebrows furrowed.
"A couple? You know like boyfriend and girlfriend." She muttered the last part, her cheeks turning red. Jace blinked.
"I don't know...do you think we are?" His grip loosened on her hand.
"Are we?" Clary asked. The light changed and the crowd started moving, but they stood on the street corner. Jace released Clary's hand as he stepped back.
"I gotta go...I need to do something." With that, he melted into the crowd, leaving Clary frozen on the sidewalk.
Clary looked over to find Simon shoveling in his pancakes as she recounted yesterday morning.
"Did you just hear a word I said?" He grunted in response and she sighed.
"So are you free this afternoon?" Simon asked, taking a break from his unnatural ingestion of food.
"Nope...my cousin is flying in from Switzerland so I'm pretty much booked for the next week." Simon raised his eyebrows.
"Switzerland-"
"No, don't even start with the cheese and chocolate jokes." Clary raised her hand. Simon looked down, dejected. A loud car honk interrupted their conversation as Clary looked out the window to see her mother jamming her fist into the wheel. She made wild hand gesticulations as Clary and Simon stared.
"I think that means I'm supposed to go."
"Or she's being attacked by invisible, ninja squirrels." Simon said as he sipped his coffee. Clary bid Simon goodbye and climbed into the car. Jocelyn slammed her foot on the accelerator as she glided through New York traffic.
"Geez mom! I don't think Amatis's would like her first experience to be spent at the police station." Clary gripped the seat as her seat as Jocelyn sped onto the BQE.
"We're late, Amatis's plane arrived a while ago." She gritted her teeth. Clary stared at her mother, her usually punctual mother, incredulously. Jocelyn avoided her stare. "I was...with Luke last night." She kept her eyes on the road as Clary quickly looked away.
They ran through the doors and saw the crowds leaving the airport. Clary suddenly wished she had one of those big signs that the people who pick up other people in the airport have. She ran around the airport, avoiding big luggage cases and angry looking business men.
"Amatis!" She called, "Amatis?"
"Clary?" Her voice was quiet with just a slight accent. Clary spun around to see a tall woman with brown hair and curious eyes looking at her. Clary sighed in relief.
"Yes! Uhhh...err...sorry we're late...welcome to New York?" It was a lame greeting but Amatis laughed and hugged Clary.
"It is a bit late for that...many rude New Yorkers told me to move it unless I was waiting for a flight." Clary rolled her eyes.
"Yea...we can be like that...now let's get you back to the apartment."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Amatis set her suitcase down and she unzipped it. "I have so many pictures of Switzerland, I heard you're an artist Clary and I took pictures of-"Clary raised an eyebrow as Amatis slowly pulled out a lacy, pink thong.
"Uhm...that's an interesting choice of...undergarments." Clary said slowly.
"It-it isn't mine." Amatis looked up at her. "This suitcase isn't mine!"
Jocelyn hung up the phone and sighed. "The airport said we need to come in and check and bring the suitcase to return it to the right person." Amatis groaned.
"This trip is turning out to be a disaster."
"Hey! Don't worry! We'll do something after we do this."
-2 days later-
Clary didn't know this much rain could fall from the sky. It had been raining for days and still hadn't stopped. She and Amatis were getting restless, being cooped up in the apartment. Clary stood up and tossed Amatis her coat.
"Where are we going?" Amatis said, confused.
"The city doesn't stop because of the rain and neither are we. This is your vacation and we're going to spend it wisely." Clary grabbed two umbrellas and handed one to Amatis and they went out in the pouring rain.
Amatis looked at the white building, transfixed at its swirling dimensions. "Where are we?" She asked.
"One of the places that can make rain look artistic." The water pattered on the glass ceiling creating small, black shadows that dotted the floor. Amatis and Clary wandered up and down the levels of the Guggenheim, looking at the vivid blooms of color and yet, the stark lack of color. There wasn't any plan for the day...just wandering.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0
The sun finally showed its face and cleared away the rain. Amatis still wasn't used to the extreme humidity that lingered around. She tied her hair back as she followed Clary. They had taken the A train to Chelsea and she saw the black track of a train stretch out high above the streets. She furrowed her eyebrows as she saw Clary climbing the stairs up.
"Another train?" She wrinkled her nose. Clary laughed.
"Nope, something else entirely." Amatis gasped as she finally reached the top. No, it wasn't a train station; it was open space with flower of every kind, their blooms bursting with color, nurtured with the renewed rays of the absent sun. "It's Highline Park. They turned the entire train tack to a garden...and it goes pretty far too."
They walked along the planks, stopping every so often to look at the greenery. A garden in a city...how oddly charming. Amatis bent down to get some water and a voice was emitted from the fountain. She jumped back in surprise, eliciting a chuckle from Clary.
"Kisses are a form or oral hygiene and kills bacteria in your mouth." Amatis raised an eyebrow as she pushed the button again. "Please do not lick the fountain...that's just super gross." Amatis glanced up at Clary for a moment, before the both, burst out laughing.
Amatis sighed as she slipped off her shoes and stepped onto the cool grass. She had a giant backyard at home in Switzerland and now, feeling the tickling of the blades of green beneath her feet just made her homesick. Clary sat down next to her as they both looked out to the view. High rise buildings dominated the skyline, dotted only with a few, white topped steeples.
"Don't you find it so...cluttered here?" Amatis asked as she lay down. Clary was quiet for a moment.
"I've gotten so attached to the clutter that I think I couldn't think without it." She admitted. Without the business of New York...the silence would just be too pressing.
They were still walking when Amatis saw something out of the corner of her eye. She stopped suddenly, grabbing Clary's arm.
"Look!" She exclaimed as she saw a girl flying through the air. Clary looked over.
"Oh yea...we're in front of the trapeze school." They walked over to the railing to see practice. They were flying, their bones melted into a graceful fluidity as they flew through the air...never seeming to land.
"I think I'm starting to like New York." Amatis smiled.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0
The days flew by with sightseeing and Halal food until it was up to Amatis's last, dwindling days in New York and Clary wanted to end her stay here with a bang. Her head was working out some ideas as she walked down the street and slammed into something hard. Papers flew everywhere and Clary rushed to retrieve them. The owner looked up and Clary caught the familiar blue eyes.
"Alec?" She couldn't believe she was seeing him again, that guy from the coffee shop. His confusion melted into realization as he reached out and shook her hand.
"Clary, it's nice to see you." Clary laughed incredulously.
"Yea, what have you been up to?" Alec shrugged.
"I quit Mortmain's actually...I now work for Moody's down by the Court Street."
"Really that's great! Bet you get a nice view huh?" Alec chuckled.
"Yea...my office is pretty nice." Clary grinned.
"That's great...well see you later."
"Wait! I feel kind of bad I didn't pay you back for that coffee...so do you want lunch or something?" A smile slowly spread over her face.
"Only if I can invite one more person."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Christ, are Wall Street men always this stiff?" Magnus chuckled as he speared another piece of chicken. Alec's cheeks heated up as he looked away.
"No...I'm just...not very conversational."
"I'm sure you are if you try. Come on! What's your favorite color? What was your childhood pet? Have you ever stared cross eyed at a cat?" Clary stifled her laughter.
"Sorry, what was that last one?" Magnus glared at her.
"Those pesky, bloodthirsty things...they'll attack you if you do that. Chairman Meow almost ripped my eye out. "
"You have a cat named Chairman Meow?" Alec raised his eyebrow.
"Finally! Someone who gets the joke!" Magnus exclaimed as he threw his head back.
"Not sure it's a good one." Clary muttered under her breath. Magnus swatted at her.
"So have you found a good going away event for your cousin yet?" Clary sighed.
"No...not yet. I don't know what to do?"
"Go with the cheesy I say." Magnus chewed thoughtfully. "Show her the city skyline at night...it's been done but trust me, it never gets old...not even for New Yorkers."
"Yea but where? I want her to see everything."
"You could go to the roof of Moody's." Alec said suddenly. Clary's head snapped up. "I mean technically it's not allowed but there are some rules I could...bend." Magnus chuckled.
"So there is a little rebel inside of you." Alec flushed a deep red.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0
She led Amatis to the final door and Amatis gasped and ran to the edge, looking over. "This is amazing!" She screamed over the wind. She giggled with glee as she looked over at the skyline. It was everything she could have imagined, summing New York's life into one final image that was seared into her conscience. Clary looked with her, the same thing that she had seen since that day she was born...and still it was always changing somehow. The pinpricks of light that made the reputation of the city that never sleeps.
"It's..it's..." Amatis stuttered.
"Mesmerizing." Clary finished. She was a bit chilly but that didn't matter. This was the highlight of Amatis's trip here and Clary had made it happen. Amatis hugged Clary.
"Thank you...for everything." Amatis whispered. Clary squeezed.
"It was nothing...have fun in your country of chocolate and cheese." Amatis pulled back and gave Clary a look.
"I had to crack at least one before you left!" Clary exclaimed. They stayed up there for a bit longer before Amatis sighed.
"I have an early flight back tomorrow...I should probably get going." Clary smiled.
"I think I'm going to stay longer...I'll meet you at home."
The noise helped her think as she wrapped her arms around her knees. Bam! The door swung open and Jace came out, panting. Clary stood up slowly, as she stared in shock.
"Damn stairs." He muttered.
"What hell are you doing here?" Clary snapped as she crossed her arms, feeling more exposed than ever.
"I ran. I ran and that was...is the most cowardly thing to do...ever. I know I messed up and I'm sorry and I know that this might not even make it up. I'm...not good at relationships as in I've never had one that lasted longer than three weeks and it's usually ended up in disaster.
I'm stubborn and I have a bad temper and I have a lot of baggage so being in a relationship and finding someone who wants to be in a relationship with me is pretty big.
This whole labeling, boyfriend, girlfriend thing is new to me and I've never done it before but I'll try it...if that's what you really want. I'll do anything you want because in the end, it doesn't matter whose boyfriend is whose, it's just a whole, big possessive thing. The point is, is that I like you...really, really like you, and might even be falling for you. I've see what kind of person you are and the effect you have on people it's just...pretty mesmerizing. So I'm asking you...will you be my girlfriend?"
-Back to the Moment-
Your heart just stops, everything around you just stops...and then speeds up again as your brain processes what he's saying. You mind then tries to formulate a response...but responses are tricky. You don't want the cheesy, run to each other in slow motion thing or being too frigid so Clary just ended up with this.
"Uhmm..." Clary wanted to hit herself on the head. Uhm? That was her response? Jace was still staring at her as she sighed. The noise helps to clear her head. New York is about new things, new dreams, new people, new experiences, and the ever evolving city where everything changes...where people change to. "Okay." She finally said as she turned around.
"What?" Jace's eyes widened.
"I said okay." She repeated. He nodded and walked over to her and grabbed her tight, planting his lips on hers. She could feel the chill of the night air on his skin but she kissed back, his arms holding her there, grounded, the silhouette of the two imprinted on the skyline. Clary had to admit...it was pretty mesmerizing.
AN: So here is the longer chapter! I have been to all of these places...except for the Moody's building because I don't have those connections but I'm working on it! Anyway, what did you guys think of the chapter? I hope you liked it and thanks for reading!