The Law is Hard

Chapter 11 Part 1

Alec's POV

I follow him up the stairs into the quiet little café, Java Jones. There are tall tables with bar stools at the front of the café and couches and armchairs near the back. Unlike Idris' this place is fairly crowded. I just hope no one recognizes Magnus. I love that he has fans, but for his safety.

I should probably talk to him about going out in less...my brain reaches for an appropriate adjective, but I just settle on that. Yes, he should go out in less. Imagines of Magnus shirtless fill my mind. I try to focus on my surroundings so I don't start blushing thinking about his sexy, gleaming, caramel skin that is probably so soft...

Alec, get it together. I tell myself.

Magnus and I walk up to the counter to place our orders. My eyes widen in shock to see the attendant at the counter.

It's that guy from Santiago's, the 24-hour restaurant I work part-time at. He was the horrible cook that Raphael's older brother had hired and didn't last a whole week. I also wasn't the kindest person while there, but I also wasn't extremely rude to him -- at least I wasn't as bad as Raphael.

I pray he doesn't recognize me.

Magnus opens his mouth to order or greet him or say something, but gets cut off by the terrible cook:

"You're that super rude waiter guy!"

Maybe I shouldn't pray, I'm not religious.

"If you think I'm going to serve you, you got another thing comin' -- there's no way after how you and that other guy, Raphael, were such bullies," he says loudly.

I open my mouth to respond or to say something, what exactly I'm not sure, but a door slams closed violently interrupting me.

The loud slam is followed by, "Simon!" The shout comes from a familiar voice. Oh no.

I close my eyes and pinch my nose. Maybe I should be religious. Maybe this is why I have such bad luck in social situations.

Well at least --

The door slams open. "Clary!" Another familiar voice shouts.

The small redhead stomps behind the counter to where Simon is glaring daggers at me. Her face is crunched up and her arms are crossed over her chest in anger.

Jace hurries after her with a desperate look on his face. "Clary, please listen to me,"  he begs.

Clary whips her head around, but then her mouth snaps shut when she sees me. Then tension eases up in her slightly.

I turn to Magnus who has a slightly confused look on his face as his eyes bounce from Simon to Clary to Jace and then to me.

"I'm sorry," I say to him quietly. "My life is not normally this...dramatic." I don't know of a better word, but I feel like I owe him some sort of explanation.

"It's fine, Alexander," he says meeting my eyes, "perhaps we can find somewhere else to eat?"

"No!" Clary says sharply at the same time Simon sneers, "I think that would be best."

Clary turns to glare at him, "Simon!" She admonishes, "don't be rude." 

After a pause, she mutters, "I cannot handle you being homophobic too."

My heart sinks and I can't even muster up anger because I'm more worried about how embarrassed Magnus must be by the implication we're here together-together.

Simon gasps offended. "I'm not homophobic!" He says this rather loudly and I can see other customers starting to look over and whisper about the commotion. I shift so I'm behind Magnus and hopefully block him from most of the other customers' view. I realize that most people have cameras on their phones these days and I want to protect Magnus in all ways --image, emotionally and physically.