I own nothing except the plot. I've been inspired by a huge upswing in "fake dating" stories with my other OTP, Emma Swan and Killian Jones (Once Upon a Time). I haven't seen any for Jace and Clary so I figured why not. Let me know if I should continue the story or not. Thanks!

"Mom, I get it, okay. I promise I'll be there," I was practically yelling into my phone as my mom harassed me for the fourth time in two days about coming home for my brother's engagement party. My older brother Jon is finally marrying his long time girlfriend, Camille, and my parents may literally die from the excitement. They've been taking turns calling me to make sure I don't back out of the party for weeks now, since the date was announced. You'd think this was the actual wedding, not just an engagement party, from the way they were carrying on about it. Leave it to my brother to once again make me the target of my parents' incessant nagging – he knew that reminding them of the party would trigger this insanity.

"And don't forget to bring that boy you've been dating, Clarissa, we want to finally meet him." And there it is – the part that I was really dreading. Having to tell my mom that my latest relationship failed – again. See, unlike my brother, who has been dating the same girl since he was fourteen, I am a chronic relationship failure. Josh was a decent guy – smart, kind, funny – but we still went up in flames long before the six-month anniversary. I just don't think I'm a relationship type girl, much to the continuing horror of my family. My parents met at sixteen and have been married for thirty years. My brother is marrying a girl he's dated for twelve years.

And I can't even commit to a goldfish, let alone a man. I'm such a fucking disappointment. So, when this relationship ended, I conveniently failed to mention its demise to my family in hopes of finally getting them off my back about my love life. I was always purposefully vague about my relationships, so they didn't find it odd when I didn't mention anything. Then the invitation to the engagement party came, and I stupidly RSVPed with a plus one. I'm an idiot, I know.

"Mom, I don't know if he's going to be able to come…" I began, hoping to worm my way out of the jam I got myself into.

"Don't make me call Isabelle, Clarissa," she huffed into the phone, making me freeze. Izzy can't say no to my mom, she's like not physically capable. Call it a byproduct of practically being my mom's second daughter. "She and Alec are both coming, and bringing their boyfriends. They are not even related to your brother. It's bad enough that you won't be here for Thanksgiving, again. You and your boyfriend will be here on December 1st, do you understand me, Clarissa?"

"Yes, Mom. I'll make sure we're there. I gotta go now, I just got to work." After saying goodbye to my mom, I entered Secondhand Serenade, the used bookstore and coffee shop that Izzy and I own. We bought it right out of college and it's so fucking homey that I love it. Not to mention that it makes a boatload of profits and has been on the "Best of NYC" list multiple times.

"Hey Iz," I greeted by best friend as I entered our shared office, ripping my coat and scarf off.

"Hey bitch," she greeted me in her totally Izzy way. "Your mom called this morning…"

"Ugghhh, I know! I just got off the phone with her!" I sighed dramatically before plopping into my office chair. "You're really dragging precious Simon into the flames that are our families?" Izzy and Simon have been dating for about six months now and he has yet to meet her family, other than Alec. That's part of the benefit of living thousands of miles away from them. He's such a nerd and so not Izzy's type that the tiny sliver of a romantic inside of me wants them to get married and have lots of babies and keep being so goddamn cute. Then the rest of me wants to throw up at what that part of me wants.

"Yep, and Alec's dragging Magnus along too. It's just a weekend, Clare. And it's Jon's engagement. We wouldn't miss it…" Of fucking course not – that would be too easy. Alec and Jon have been best friends since before they could talk, and Izzy and I have been inseparable since we were in the womb (literally – I have the photos to prove it). If they couldn't make it back to Florida for the party, maybe I would have had an excuse. But not only are they going, they're taking their boyfriends. Great, I'm gonna get to feel like the fifth wheel again.

"Speaking of, did you finally tell your mom about Josh? I mean, you can't really hide it… it's not like he'll be showing up with you." I rolled my eyes at my best friend. I really should have just told my parents already. But I couldn't – they were just so excited.

"Nope. And I can't. Gotta think of plan B. I think I'm just gonna hire some random dude off the street," I said, laughing. I was joking, I think. I mean, that would be stupid, right?

Izzy smiled. But it wasn't her normal smile. It was her "I have an evil plan and Clary is going to be my guinea pig" smile. I fucking hate that smile. "What?" I asked her.

"That's a great idea."

I cocked an eyebrow. "What, hiring homeless dude on the corner? For some reason, I don't think Mom and Dad will be happy when I show up with him."

"No, I meant hiring someone. And I know the perfect someone," Izzy said. She picked up her phone and texted someone before looking back to me. "Remember Alec's roommate, Jace? Welllllll, I bet you he'd do it. And he's hot as hell too! It's perfect!" She clapped her hands. I swear, sometimes I can't believe she is my best friend.

"Dude, the last time I saw Jace he spent half an hour staring at my tits and slapped my ass. He's not exactly the 'bring home to mom and dad' type, Iz."

"Clary, you totally made out with him on the Pandemonium dance floor. Don't act like he was some sort of deranged perv…" Izzy reminded me. Like I could forget that night. It was permanently etched in my mind.

"My point exactly. I don't need some hot guy who will keep me hot and bothered all weekend. I need a gentleman. Someone I will be proud to introduce to my family."

"And he can totally be that guy," Izzy insisted. I thought about. Jace did clean up well. Not to mention that he was raised upper class and wealthy, so he knows how to navigate the world that my parents live in. And he's a lawyer. He could impress them. And he's not some stuck up snob like so many "impressive gentlemen" (as my mom calls the parade of men she has brought me throughout the years).

"Fine, tell him to come over with Alec for dinner tonight and we'll talk about it." Jace Herondale is sex on a stick. Seriously, he's six foot two inches tall, with golden hair and eyes, lean, ripped muscles and 'kiss me' lips. The first time I met him, I wanted to jump his bones. But he's kind of an asshole, so I've restrained myself. But I guess he is my usual type. And if he's willing to agree to some ground rules, maybe I could make it work. We'd definitely have to move past the drunken kissing incident, though. I don't know if he'd be willing to drop that. Oh well, worth a shot. As I got up to go check in inventory, I smiled at Izzy who was busy typing away on her phone, clearly setting everything up for dinner tonight.

Hours later, I arrived home from the shop tired and grumpy. I'd had to stay late to deal with a delivery issue, and I was so not in the mood for another one of Izzy's "family dinners." Every two weeks, Izzy, Alec and I have dinner together. Apparently, we don't see each other enough (bullshit, since Izzy and I live and work together and Alec lives across the street… but whatever). She always orders in the best food (since none of us can cook to save our lives… and if Izzy cooked, we would actually die) and buys nice wine and it's usually pretty fun. But tonight, Jace was going to be there. Jace who I couldn't get out of my mind all day. Jace who I was constantly imagining pushing me up against a wall and making me moan. Ughh, I hate everything.

As I entered the apartment, I got a whiff of deliciousness. Lorenzo's has the best Italian food this side of Little Italy, and it's my absolute fave. Izzy certainly was going all out tonight.

"Hey, Red," I was greeted from the couch as I took of my coat. And there he was. Mr. Sex himself. Jace was sitting on my couch looking good enough to eat. He was wearing suit pants, black with a thin pinstripe, with a blue shirt and blue and grey tie. His suit jacket was laid over the back of the couch. He must have come straight from work. Jace is a lawyer; he works at the same firm as Alec. That's actually how they met. Don't ask me how a guy like Jace got into and passed law school, let alone passed the bar and got a job at a premier firm. I don't know the answer. I just know it happened. And that he looks good enough to eat in a suit.

He must have noticed my eyes lingering on him for too long because he started chuckling before getting up and walking over to me. I was frozen in place. I couldn't move. Hell, I could barely breathe.

"You look good, too, Red," he whispered as he came to a stop in front of me. I glanced down at my outfit. I wasn't wearing anything special - just some tight jeans and a cashmere sweater that hugs my curves with some knee-high boots.

"Hey Jace," I said, finally snapping out of my stupor. Just then, Izzy came out of her bedroom.

"Hi Clare! Did you finish up at the shop?" I nodded. "Good, Alec is about two minutes away, so I say we open up the wine." The three of us sat around the table, pouring wine and chatting idly while we waited for Alec. A couple minutes later, he rushed in, face flush and breathing heavily.

"Sorry I'm late, the boss needed to see me…" I saw Jace give him a sympathetic look at nod discreetly. I wonder what that shit's about.

"So, anyone want to tell me why I'm here?" Jace asked just as the food was being passed around. All eyes were on me before Iz finally spoke up.

"Jace, Clary needs a favor. And she's willing to pay you handsomely for it."

"Yes, Red? Whatever could you need from me?"

"So, here's the thing, asshole. My parents think I'm still dating this dude that I broke up with a while ago. By brother's engagement party is in a few weeks and I need a 'boyfriend,'" I said using air quotes. "I'll pay you $1,000 to be my date to the engagement party, the wedding shower, and the wedding. Plus, I'll pay your airfare and expenses. You have to pretend we've been dating for a while – and be a perfect gentleman. What do you say?" Alec choked on his food and Izzy patted his back comfortingly. Apparently she hadn't told him why Jace was invited tonight.

Jace was just staring at me, deep in thought. Then, suddenly he smiled his panty-dropping smile at me. "I'm in," he said before digging into his dinner.