Hey!

Enjoy!

Mara groaned.

It was 7 am, and she had been up since 5, with her brilliant plan. She refused to die all alone, she would be some guy's dream girl. She had written a list, naming all the guys she had dated, all 20 of them. And everything about them she could remember, phone numbers, last known addresses. She glared at the computer, there were so many results, so many people with the same name, and face book could only help so much. "How many Daniel Mutforts are there?" she cried in exasperation. When she heard the sound of talking from the apartment opposite. She jumped up with joy.

Jerome could help her! He could track people. She ran out into the hallway, in her pyjamas, a blue shirt, and white shorts, and knocked on his door eagerly. It opened and she almost jumped. He was standing there, stark naked, holding a towel to cover his…area. He'd just come from his shower. "You could wrap it around your waist," she said in complete shock. He shrugged, peering at the piece of paper, her list, in her hand.

"I'm eating," he said with his mouth full, holding up the tuna sandwich, she didn't even want to know why he was eating that for breakfast.

"Listen, Jerome, I need your help." She held the list out for him, and he groaned, looking between his towel and the sandwich, to see which to sacrifice, Mara stared at him in wonder and horror "The sandwich, Jerome." She ordered. He rolled his eyes, placing it on the banister, and picking up the list. "Right, I need you to go through each of these guys one by one, so that I can try to make it right with one of them. I've been trying but I can't track them, and I'll pay you-"

"No." Jerome said simply, shrugging "I've heard about this, about the sacred number 20," he lifted the towel to wipe the corner of his mouth and Mara forced herself to look up at him. "Who cares about your number? It's ridiculous."

"The perfect guy, cares," she rolled her eyes "Will you please help me?"

"Listen, I don't know why all these guys dumped you-"

"Hey!" Mara cried, offended "How do you know they all dumped me? They didn't! I dumped them! Please help me!"

"No." he repeated, handing the list back to her, and picking up his sandwich "I refuse to get involved with that kind of crazy," he turned, closing his apartment door behind him. Mara sighed, disappointed, when she heard the voice of a woman, just waking up apparently. She dashed back to her apartment, an idea forming, she pulled on her red coat and an old pink skirt, a pair of shoes, and bursting into Jerome's apartment.

He looked up in shock when she burst in, the girl was lying on the sofa, sitting up, barely covered with a blanket. "Jerome!" Mara cried "You'll never believe it! Aunt Jules is in hospital!" she lied, panicked. She searched his apartment, acting as if she'd been here before, and picked up his shoes. "Come on! We've got to go!"

"Mara-" Jerome asked in complete confusion, now thankfully wearing a pair of trousers. She picked up his coat, slinging it over her arm, shaking the models hand

"Lovely to meet you, I'm his step sister, Mara," she smiled, dragging Jerome out of his apartment "Come on Jerome! Aunt Jules!" she closed his door behind him, and rushed him into her apartment, closing the door, dropping the shoes and the coat in triumph.

Jerome sat on the arm of her sofa, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised "Alright…" he said slowly "I have to admit, that was impressive," Mara beamed victoriously. "So? What was it for?"

"You help me track them down," she breathed, slightly breathless from that Oscar winning performance. "You'll get paid, and you can use my apartment whenever you like to hide away from your one night stands," Jerome's eye brows lifted, almost like he had received an unexpected, pleasant surprise, which for him. It was. "I mean, I despise what you do to those girls, but…I need some help,"

Jerome chewed the inside of his mouth thoughtfully, shivering as a breeze blew in through the open window, as he didn't have a shirt on. His muscled arms, and v shaped torso did nothing for Mara, as she watched him eagerly. "…fine," he sighed, she smiled wildly, handing him the spare key. He took it, cocking his head "Whenever I need to." He confirmed

"Sure, and um…how much exactly do you need?"

Jerome peered at her curiously, and he realised she must be between jobs. Someone like her didn't live in a decent apartment, she must have come from a house. She was between jobs. He touched her shoulder gently, and pulled it back when she raised an eyebrow "Um…listen, I don't need any money-"

Mara sighed, "Listen, I may be between jobs, but I can pay you," she nodded "How much?"

Jerome looked around awkwardly, when an idea struck. He smiled brightly "I have a few friends who read your blogs…pretty big fans of yours actually, um…would you…maybe write a blog, dedicated to me? It would make them so jealous," Jerome chuckled at the thought of the look on Alfie's face.

Mara smiled "Yeah, of course," she seemed surprised that he was being so understanding, "Would you like a decent breakfast?" she asked, walking into her kitchen "Since you can't go back to your apartment, until after that model leaves?" Jerome arched an eyebrow, but nodded, jumping up and following her to the kitchen.

"She's not a model," he defended himself with a shrug "She's a wanna be actress,"

"Of course," Mara nodded patronisingly, Jerome glared at the back of her head as she made him an omelette.

Line Break

She yawned, stretching under her blankets, but refusing to leave the warmth of her bed. She flicked the button on her alarm clock, and rolled over, eyes fluttering shut, when the alarm clock buzzed again. She sighed, flicking the switch, but the shrilling wouldn't stop, she considered leaving it, and just going back to sleep

"You've got to press the red button," Jerome called. Mara yelped, jumping up and falling out of her bed, into a tangled heap on the floor, the alarm clock fell with her, and eventually fell silent "Or you could just do that." He shrugged, turning back to his laptop. Mara hauled herself up, rubbing her eyes, she stretched as a reflex, before noticing his eyes on her, and she lifted the sheet quickly. Jerome smiled at her, almost cheekily. "Don't bother," he shrugged "When I came in, you didn't have the blankets on,"

Mara turned, examining herself in the mirror. Short grey shorts, and her black shirt, which showed a little stomach. Which she was a little uncomfortable with. She shrugged, pulling on her robe, blushing when Jerome rolled his eyes. She seemed relieved that he was wearing clothes "What are you doing here?" she yawned, "It's 6:30,"

Jerome shrugged "Early dentist appointment," he laughed at Mara's expression. Turning the laptop to face her "So, I've created a face book account for you-"

"Aw," Mara sighed "Not an addictive online social networking site- what picture did you use?"

"The one I just took of you sleeping," Jerome shrugged, Mara considered protesting, but was just too bewildered to argue. "And I've tracked down the first one on the list, Daniel Mutfort." Mara brightened immediately "Why did you dump him in the first place?" he asked curiously, as Mara stood and wandered over to her wardrobe

"Oh, he was disgusting," she shuddered "But I'm gonna try and see past that."

Jerome rolled his eyes "Yeah, good luck with that."

Line Break

Jerome leaned over the banister in the hallway, in ¾ length shorts, and a hoodie with no shirt. Mara came up the steps slowly "No dice?" he called, smiling.

Mara shuddered "No, cross him off the list, Disgusting Daniel, will unfortunately, always be disgusting."

Jerome shrugged "I told you," he chimed, waltzing into her apartment and falling onto the sofa, turning on the TV. Mara trudged up the last flight of steps, before walking into her apartment and dumping her bag by the door

"Are you watching Spongebob?" she asked, curiously, shrugging off her coat. Jerome nodded, tilting his head back to see her

"It's funny, we can change it, what do you want to watch? A historical documentary-"

"No," she cut him off, sitting beside him "Spongebob's fine,"

Line Break

Mara yawned, snuggling further into Jerome, who was still awake beside her. She inhaled deeply, the sweet smell of linx and clean clothes. She blinked wearily, and pulled away from Jerome. "Sorry," she whispered, leaning away from him. Jerome shrugged, closing his laptop

"I don't mind," he whispered. The lights were off, the only light coming from the TV, where Spongebob was still playing.

"What were you doing?" Mara asked, padding over to her bed, and crawling under the blankets

"Reading your blogs," Jerome stood, smiling at her "They're really good, have you ever…tried to get them published? Like in a newspaper or something?"

"No," Mara scoffed sleepily "They're not professional enough, just a little hobby,"

Jerome shrugged "I like them. Quite a few people do."

Mara ignored the compliment, closing her eyes as Jerome switched off the TV "Are you going home now?"

"Nah," he whispered "I'm gonna head down to the bar,"

"Hook up with some chick?" Mara whispered back "Why? It's late,"

"People like me thrive at night," he reminded, opening her door "Don't worry, I'll be back by morning," he watched her for a moment, frowning, before clearing his throat "Night Jaffray,"

Line Break

Jerome Clarke was very carefree. And he was pretty darn happy. He had inherited a lot of money from his father's death, enough to survive, without him ever needing a job. He had bought the apartment, and from time to time, he drew little sketches for newspapers, just to earn a little extra money.

He was kind, well, he could he kind. He was mostly kind, apart from the way he treated women. But he liked to enjoy himself. He had a long relationship…once. Once, something more than a one night stand, with a girl called Willow. He was sure he had loved her, sure she would be the one, but she had cheated on him, and any thoughts of any sort of relationship were banished from his mind. Why risk getting hurt when you could just go out and enjoy yourself every night?

It did get boring from time to time, not to be big headed, but Jerome was very good looking, and he could be incredibly charming, and luring women up to his room wasn't that difficult. Every woman he met, he could sleep with her within 24 hours. Jerome sat at a table by himself, not wanting to get up and actually strike up a conversation with any of the girls sat by the bar. He missed doing this with Alfie, that was always a lot more entertaining, but even Alfie had settled down, 8 months he had been with Amber now, and it looked like it would stay that way. He sighed, blinking when a tall woman sat opposite him. He forced himself to smile

"What's someone as handsome as you doing all alone?" she flirted. Jerome wanted to wince in disgust, but he pushed that down

"Waiting for someone like you," he answered charmingly, ordering two more drinks.

Line Break

"What's that smell?" Mara asked as she woke up, she sat up, not at all surprised to see Jerome on her sofa.

"Chinese,"

"What?"

"I ordered Chinese," he said simply. Lifting up the box as proof, he wandered over to her, hopping onto her bed "Want some?" he tilted it towards her.

Mara yawned, sitting up, running a hand through her messy hair "You really don't understand the idea of…you know…personal space, do you?" she looked into the box "For breakfast?" He said nothing, and she sighed, taking a little piece of chicken. "So, who's in your apartment now?"

"Um…" He paused, thinking hard, and Mara rolled her eyes "Amy…I think,"

"What was this excuse this time?"

"My goldfish drowned." Mara arched an eyebrow and Jerome shrugged "This one wasn't too bright."

Review?

Thanks for all the lovely reviews, I love you all so much!

xx