The PinUp Coffee Shop

Chapter Twelve: Dinner Dates

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. The keys were typed into the keypad from memory, their fingers swiping over the keys quickly.

Ding, ding, ding.

The elevator doors opened, letting the person on the other side enter. "Jace?" The voice rang out in the empty living room. "Hello, Jace? Are you here?"

Shoes began tapping on the floor as the unknown person began walking around the penthouse looking for the tenant. The living room was empty, as was the kitchen and laundry room, so they went to check his bedroom. "Jace? Are you in here?"

No answer. They walked around, knocking on the bathroom door and received no answer. Walking around to his bed, something caught their eye. They found their feet moving them to the direction of Jace's bedside table. On top of it was a photo of him holding a little boy with brown curls and green eyes on his shoulders. But what really pulled his attention, was shockingly, not the little boy that looked so natural with Jace. But the young woman standing next to them, and arm outstretched because she was taking the photo. Her hair was a brilliant red, eyes the same shade of green as the boy, and freckles that decorated her milky skin. Her lips turned up in a smile like the boys in the photo. How did he know her?

The unexpected guest set the photo back down and turned to leave the bedroom, but not before looking around the walls. Not many photos were on the walls, but all of them that were, either had that girl and boy in them, or the family of dark hair and blue eyes. None that had his biological parents in them.

Turning to the door, they left the bedroom and the penthouse without a trace. But the question still remained. Where did Jace meet this girl and her child? And what was did she mean to him?

"Jace, if you keep cutting potatoes like that, you'll cut finger off," Clary giggled as she watched her lion of a boyfriend attempt to cut the vegetable. And she proved herself to him nearly right when the potato slipped from his grip as he was bringing the knife down, luckily moving his hand just in time.

"Damn," Jace said as he dropped the knife and shook his hands out. "How is this so easy for you?" He turned to look at Clary genuinely curious. "You're so good at all of this, but how long did it take you?"

Clary smiled at him and shook her head as he picked the knife back up and went to try again. "Believe it or not, but I was quite terrible at it when I was younger. It took me years to get better at it, and I'm still not the best. I can cook and bake that's for sure, but it took me a lot of practice. For the first six months of Jonny's life he was on straight breastmilk, so I had plenty of food to practice with there, but when he started eating more solid food, the pressure became real. I watched my mom and helped her where I could when I was younger, so peeling potatoes and carrots were best for me. When it came to cut them, I got better with time, but my mom had to show me a lot." She looked down as the oven mitts in her hands contracted as she tightened her hands. Talking about her family always caused a sharp pain to pierce her heart; like breathing in a gust of cold air, it was like an ice pick to the lungs and heart. But it was also something that brought her relief; remembering them because as long as they were remembered, they were never truly gone. That pain was welcome because with it came so many memories, good and bad. So, she looked back up at Jace and her smiled softened as she threw her oven mitts on the countertop and walked over to him.

Coming up behind him she wrapped her arms around his torso slid her hands slowly over his arms and wrapped her hands around his. Cradling his left hand in hers was a bit complicated for her since that was the hand holding the knife and she was right-handed, but she could do it. Her right hand came down on his, but not to hold it yet, instead, she shifted the potato in his grip and moved his fingers to the best places and positions to avoid them being severed. "When you hold it this way, it helps guide the knife. It stops it from going too far over because you're thumb stops it and keeps it a straight cut. And using the back of the thumb also prevents you from cutting yourself," her voice was tight and restrained. She had never done this before, and her and Jace were incredibly close right now, it almost made her body vibrate. Her whole body felt warm and her nerves felt like they were on fire. Clearing her throat, she began talking again as she moved their hands to begin the slicing.