Under A Paper Moon

Jacks POV

“Do you wanna go out there and face the Spanish inquisition that is sure to be awaiting us in the form or my best friends?” I ask smiling down at Gene. I can still hardly believe that she said yes! I feel like the luckiest guy in the world and I kinda wanna keep her to myself for a little bit longer and not go out of the studio and share her with the others.
“Well we could, or alternatively we could just stay in here and make them wait a little bit longer.” she says.
“And what would we do while we’re making them wait?” I ask.
“Make plans for where we wanna go on our first date” she replies.
“I don’t care where we go as long as its with you” I say smiling down at her and making her blush a delightful bright red colour that reminds me of tomatoes…which fyi are one of my all time favourite foods, they’re a fruit not a vegetable a lot of people label them as a vegetable but they aren’t, I think they get confused cause they are used like a vegetable is and not the way a fruit is but I don’t really know. Anyway enough about tomatoes and their sneaky tricks, if you want a nature lesson then go to a nursery…or become a farmer or something, or marry a farmer. “you’re so adorable when you blush like that Gen-gen” I inform her.
“So what are your favourite restaurants round here?” she asks in a thinly veiled attempt to shift the topic of conversation.
“You can pick where we go, like I said, I don’t mind as long as you let me come with you” I say.
“Well what do you like to eat? I don’t wanna pick a place that you’re not gonna like” she says.
“I eat pretty much anything, not a big fan of seafood though.” I say.
“Oh well that’s fine, I’m allergic to shell-fish anyway so we wouldn’t be going to a seafood restaurant.” she says.
“Chinese? Italian? French? Maybe we could go to Roccos Cappricio on Fawn Street?” I say.
“You’ve been to Roccos?” she asks.
“Yeah, Ava and Alex went there once and loved it so they dragged the rest of us there for dinner one night.” I reply.
“I love that place! It s one of my favourite restaurants” she says.
“Well that’s settled then. We’ll go there, when do you want to go?” I ask.
“I don’t mind, whenever is good for you. I don’t usually get up to much in the evenings so I am free pretty much every night” she says.
“Ok, well how about Friday night then? Does that sound good?” I ask. It Saturday now, so that gives us six days to book a table and for her to change her mind if she wants.
“I’m not gonna change my mind Jack” she says.
“Huh?” I ask slightly confused as to why she’s saying that.
“You said that gives me six days to change my mind and back out” she explains.
“Shit, I said that out loud?” I ask with a chuckle.
“Mmmm hmmm, that you did” she responds.
“Well that’s embarrassing” I say.
“Nah, I think its kinda cute actually.” she says kissing my cheek. “The fact that you’re not uber-confident and self-worshipping like my ex. He was under the impression that he was God’s gift to women and once they said yes to going out with him, that meant he could have his way with them. But you’re not like that.” she says.
“You sure about that?” I ask jokingly.
“Yep, pretty sure.” she says.
“And what makes you so sure?” I ask, and I actually am curious, I want to know what makes her so sure that I’m not the stereo-typical rock star who sleeps around and doesn’t have any respect for women.
“Well you just don’t strike me as that kind of guy.” she says with a shrug. “That and when you asked me out a second time, if you’d just wanted to me for a quick tumble in the sheets then you wouldn’t have done that, you would have just moved on to the next girl” she pauses to take a breath, and takes my hand in hers before continuing “but you did ask me out again, so you actually want a proper relationship not just some fling”
“You’re right about that” I say.
“About what?” I ask.
“All of it. If I was a stereo-typical rock star who loves em and leaves em….my mum would kick my ass, probably my dad too, they raised me and my brothers to respect women and not force our selves upon them” I say.
“You say mum?”she asks.
“Yeah, Alex is British so he always says mum, and he kinda got after us for not speaking correct English.” I say.
“PIZZA’S READY” Alex’s hollers from the kitchen.
“Oh yeah, we’re having pizza for lunch” I comment.
“I kinda figured that from the way Alex just screamed it loud enough to wake the dead” she responds poking her tongue out at me.
“You want to go and eat some?” I ask.
“Did you make it?” she asks.
“I helped Ava put the toppings on, she made the bases with Alex and he’s gonna cook them in the pizza oven” I reply.
“So they taste pretty good huh?” she asks.
“I dunno, I haven’t tried any. But I hope they taste alright, Ava makes really good bases and Alex is good at cooking them so they should be good” I say.
“Well you did help, so I’m sure they’re delicious” she says.
“If you’d tried my food before you might not be so confident. Cooking isn’t really my strong point” I say.
“I’m sure you aren’t that bad. You probably just need to practice, or someone to give you lessons or something, did you ever have cooking lessons?” she asks.
“Home Economics in school, but that’s about it. I didn’t really like that class though, it was full of all the jocks and cheerleaders and they all picked on me for being a ‘band geek’ so I kinda failed most of the assessment tasks and subsequently failed the subject” I say.
“Aww poor Jack-Jack” she says “do you need a hug?” she asks pulling me into a quick hug and kissing my cheek before stepping back and holding out a hand. “Lead me to the pizza Barakat” she says.
“Sure thing Kaos” I respond taking her hand and entwining our fingers together before leading her out of the studio and down the hallway to the kitchen.

Ava’s POV.

I am sitting at the kitchen bench watching Alex cook the pizzas, he’s wearing a white chefs hat and an apron that says ‘I love Baltimore’ on it, and I have to admit…he looks kinda adorable standing there in front of the pizza oven with the shovel and a one of those pizza stones here…yeah Alex believes that if you’re gonna cook the pizza in a proper pizza oven you gotta do it the proper way and use all the proper tools. So we have a pizza oven, stone and shovel and he will only cook the pizzas using all of those items. Not that I’m complaining, I love watching him cook, he gets so much joy out of it, a lot of people just figure the guys go out for dinner or order in every night, but in reality they are just like everyone else and cook meals at home most nights, we only go out for special occasions, like dates (me and Alex alone that is not the whole group) and birthdays or things like that. Alex turns around and sets a pizza on the kitchen bench in front of me, “Would you like to slice it?” he asks with a smile.
“I’d rather watch you” I reply with a smile.
“Oh? Is that right?” he asks setting down the pizza slicer.
“Mmm hmm, you know that hat and apron look really good you on you right?” I ask. “You’re biased” he says.
“Maybe a little” I say standing up and walking round so I am standing in front of him “but I’m sure lots of other women would agree with my assessment of your hotness” I say reaching up to press a kiss to his lips.
“Is that right?” he asks kissing me back.
“Yep, that’s right” I whisper against his lips.
“Well then I guess its too bad for them that I only have eyes for one woman then isn’t it?” he asks smiling down at me.
“And who would that woman be?” I ask.
“I’ll give you a hint, she’s sweet, and sexy, has an amazing smile, looks gorgeous every minute of every day and is the most amazing person I have ever met in my life” he says. “and here’s the kicker…she’s standing right in front of me wearing my engagement ring” he adds.
“I wouldn’t dream of wearing anyone else’s” I say.
“I’m glad you feel that way, cause there is no one else in the world I want to give a ring too” he says.
“Not even Jack?” I joke.
“Not even Jack” he confirms with a chuckle.
“That’s probably for the best, I think Gene might be a little upset if you stole him from her” I say poking my tongue out at him.
“You might want to stop doing that you know” he says.
“Stop doing what?” I ask.
“Stop poking your tongue out at me” he says.
“And why would that be?” I ask.
“Because I might just be forced to do this” he says bending down and pressing a soft, but passionate kiss to my lips, his tongue gently teasing mine and his hand cupping the back of my head pulling me closer and deepening the kiss. I wrap my arms around him one hand playing idly with his hair.
“Hey guys is the pizza nearly….holy fuck! Guys! The pizzas burning!” Matt’s voice says. Alex and I spring apart and he hastily reaches for the shovel to pull the pizza out of the oven only to realise that all the pizzas are on the bench already cooked, sliced and ready to be eaten.
“What the hell man? There’s no pizza I the oven!” Alex exclaims turning to look over at Matt.
“Yeah I know, but I figured it was the only way to get you two to stop making out…people prepare food in here you know” he says.
“And we all hungry, so stop eating each others faces, call Jack and Genevieve and lets all go eat those pizzas before they get cold” Zack says.
“Fine, if you insist.” Alex says flipping them off. “PIZZA’S READY” he hollers in the general direction of the studio, half deafening me in the process since I am standing right next to him.
“Don’t mind me babe, I totally don’t need all my hearing” I comment dryly.
“Sorry babe” he says kissing my cheek “are your ears alright?” he asks.
“Yeah, they’ll be fine.” I say rolling my eyes at him and elbowing him in the ribs.
“So are Jack and Genevieve coming or does one of us have to go and get them?” Zack asks.
“They’re coming” Rian announces walking into the kitchen from the hallway.
“How do you know that? you weren’t spying on them were you?” I ask narrowing my eyes at him.
“No I wasn’t spying on them. I was using the bathroom when I heard Alex yell that the pizza was ready, and when I came out of the bathroom I saw them coming out of the studio and heading up here, they’re right behind me” he says.
“Seriously guys, I know I’m pretty amazing and all that but do you really have nothing else to talk about?” Jack asks walking into the room with Gene.
“So are you guys dating?” Zack asks ignoring Jack’s comment.
“Do you really need to ask that?” I ask raising my eyebrows at him.
“Well how else am I gonna find out?” he asks.
“Oh well I dunno, maybe by using your eyes and taking in the huge matching smiles on both of their faces. And then you could also possibly go the extra mile and notice that they’re holding hands, maybe those could be a couple of tiny hints just maybe though. I could be wrong of course, I think that’s happened before, possibly, once or twice…not often though cause we all know that I’m always right” I say.
“Oh yes absolutely, you are never, ever wrong.” Matt comments.
“Can we eat now? Or are we just gonna spend the next coupla hours debating who’s right and wrong?” Jack asks. “Because I don’t know about the rest of you but Gen-Gen and I are hungry”
“All that flirting work up an appetite does it?” Alex asks.
“I don’t know, does it? You and Ava are the flirt experts in the group, shouldn’t you know the answer to that one?” Jack says.
“He’s got you there Alex” Zack says. “Barakat one, Gaskarth zero”
“Shut-up Merrick” Alex responds.
“Come Gene, lets go eat. These guys will be squabbling like toddlers for a while, if we wait for them to finish their petty arguments the food will be cold” I say linking my arm through hers.
“Hey! Keep your hands off my girl, Kaye!” Jack says wrapping his arm round her waist.
“Noo! I saw her first! She’s mine” I protest.
“Uhh actually know, I saw her first...when we ran into each other at Safeway, you only met her after we introduced you too her when she came over here for the first time” he retorts.
“That’s two points for team Barakat, while team Gaskarth are yet to score.” Matt says.
I roll my eyes at him and flip him off before turning back to Jack “Sure you met her first, but she’s my best friend” I say.
“Oooh and team Gaskarth gets one back” Rian says.
“He’s cuter than you though” Gene says.
“And team Barakat’s right back in it with another point, bringing the total to four – one” Zack says.
“How about we call truce and team up against those three for a pool fight after lunch?” Alex asks.
“Deal” Jack agrees and they shake hands. This is gonna be fun! Zack, Matt and Rian are going down so fast they won’t know what hit them.