The PinUp Coffee Shop

Chapter Twenty-Six: Confidence is Key

Isabelle was sitting on the couch, listening to Alec and Jace discuss work stuff and catch up more. They were at their house. Their parents weren't home and wouldn't be back until the end of the week. Magnus had left to head back to his loft to check on his cat and make sure he fed him and gave him some milk. Isabelle was honestly, thoroughly bored when her phone dinged.

Grabbing it and thanking God for the reprieve, she smiled down when she saw Clary's name show up on the screen. She unlocked her phone to read and reply to the text.

Clary: Can I ask you a personal question???

Isabelle shot up and started to call her when Jace and Alec zoned in on what she was doing. "You okay there, Isabelle?" Alec asked with an eyebrow raised.

She ignored her brother's question and looked at Jace. She pointed a finger at him and said in a dead serious voice. "I'm about to get you in that boy's better graces again." Jace raised his eyebrow at her not understanding what she was saying, when she elaborated. "I'm bored and I'm gonna ask Clary to come over here to talk with me and you can watch Jonny. And don't argue."

Jace shook his head out, "I wasn't going to argue, but Isabelle— "She cut him off midsentence and told her phone to dial Clary's number. She answered on the third ring, her soft voice breath through the phone.

Isabelle didn't even give her a chance to speak other than a simple hello. "You're coming over. Magnus went to his loft to feed his cat and isn't coming back soon enough, and Jace and Alec are boring me so we can talk about anything and everything. And the boys will watch Jonny while we have our girl talks. And then when Magnus gets back, he can join us, and we will discuss all things anything. Please, God. Come and save me, I have been waiting for this moment for us to talk like this, for like, ever now."

Clary was stuttering on the other side of the phone, trying to find her words but she was a bit shell shocked by Isabelle's abruptness. Even Jace was staring at Isabelle like she had grown a second head.

Isabelle gave her the address since the last time she had been there, Isabelle picked her up from the coffee shop. She then told Clary to repeat it back to her to ensure that she had gotten it, and she did, still shocked but said that she would be there within the hour. When Isabelle hung up, she looked at Jace and smiled. "Now don't be an idiot. You heard Alec earlier, just act like you always have, and don't try and cower away from her just because Jonny is glaring at you, if he does."

Alec was trying not to laugh but failing as Isabelle told Jace what to do. Jace just sat there on the couch, still looking at her like she was crazy.

Clary hung up the phone, still confused at what just happened and then looked to her son. He was looking up at his mother with sleepy eyes making Clary look at him with soft eyes. She picked him up in her arms and carried him up to her room so that she could change her clothes out of her business attire and into more comfortable clothes.

Laying Jonny down in her bed and with a quick exhale, she started undressing herself, looking at herself in the full body mirror. She was just wearing a plain pink cotton bra and panties. Nothing exotic or sexy from what she thought. She looked at herself a little longer for a minute. She was so plain. Short, pale, freckled legs and arms. Yeah, she had hips and breast now but that was not what she was seeing. She had curves, yeah, but she was so ordinary in her own eyes. Not to mention she could see her stretch marks that were healed and light, but still stretched across her stomach and hips, crossing over her thighs and butt and at the tops of her breasts. What was it about her that attracted Jace in the first place? It sure as hell wasn't my body. He could have anyone he wants. With those eyes, that hair, those muscles, hell that body, that was enough to attract everyone. So why me? Clary sighed and stopped looking at herself. In fact, she was trying not to look at herself as she grabbed her pomegranate lotion to spread over her body as she changed her clothes.