He really ought not to have been in as rotten of a mood as he was, but for Jean, there were two extremes when it came to drinking hard: melancholy or exuberance. He would oscillate between the two throughout the night, and though he had begun in a sort of jubilant mood, downing drinks with a few people he had either brushed shoulders with around Wendy or hadn't even seen before. It didn't matter to him, though. He was here to focus on the celebration and nothing else.
Or at least that was what he had told himself. Nestled in a gaggle of groupies and dressed in the suit Wendy had bought him, he nursed the drink in his hand. He wore no tie and instead wore his dress shirt unbuttoned slightly with the jacket opened giving it more of a relaxed appearance. On him, it looked almost disheveled but in a good way. Absentmindedly, he sipped from the clutched tumbler. In all honesty, Jean wasn't even paying attention to what he was drinking. Instead, he found himself looking around the room almost absentmindedly, but it wouldn't take a detective to tell that his gaze seemed to linger just a bit longer on Ashleigh, watching her nuzzle up to the ex-technician. Emotions seemed to rise in him at the sight, causing him to furrow his brow slightly. It was partially resentment, a lingering anger at the fact that she had gone behind his back. He hadn't bothered to bring it up in recording sessions, but now it ate away at him, amplified by the presence of alcohol in his system.
But moreso, he found himself wallowing in a different emotion. Was that...jealousy? Jealousy that she had someone to spend the night with and he didn't? That she had two successful bands? Or, perhaps, was it jealousy of this dark-haired stranger who had so easily won the affections of Ashleigh. He shouldn't have cared though. And yet, he couldn't help but doing so.
His reverie was broken by the buzzing of his phone as Wendy texted him. It managed to evoke a smile from him despite his bitter demeanor, and he typed back a quick response --
You aren't missing out on much. Miss you though. See you when you get home
It was satisfactory, he decided, and Jean sent it off before looking back at Ashleigh where she now stood with Mike. She had looked happy beside the stranger, but now, despite his level of intoxication, he could feel the nervousness radiating off of her. Perhaps he would go bail her out. Jean began to stand, but then she was over by Mr. Terrari, and he frowned slightly as they embraced like old friends. He, on the other hand, stood absolutely alone.
But then he heard his name, and Mr. Terrari was grabbing for a microphone. Mixed drink still in hand, he made his way over to the two of them, forcing on a slight smile. "You called?" he asked, looking at the certificate inquiringly. He looked at Ashleigh afterwards, quirking his smile for just a moment out of courtesy, still unsure what to say to her even though he had a thousand ideas.