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"I'm working on Edmon Blaker, number 12," Jerome called, as he walked back into Mara's house, he had just popped out for a sausage roll.

"You spent the night here," Mara noted from the bathroom, where she was getting changed. "No one night stand?"

Jerome watched the bathroom door carefully "No…I…I was tired," A small hum of approval came from the bathroom and Jerome rolled his eyes "That doesn't mean I'm out of the game," the bathroom door opened, and Mara stepped out, her hair in a bun, in a grey pant suit. "What the hell is that?" Jerome asked

"What I'm wearing to my interview," Mara said simply "Why?"

"Umm…Mara dearest, it's a pant suit." Mara rolled her eyes, picking up her bag. Jerome blinked, "Right then, well, I will stay here and work on Edmon,"

"See you when I get back," Mara smiled, leaving. Jerome frowned, before smiling fondly at her. And picking up his laptop

Line Break

"You seem perfect for this job," the man nodded approvingly at Mara's resume "I can't understand why your last job gave you up?"

"Opinion differences," Mara answered easily "But I assure you, that won't happen if I get this job," her smile was friendly and professional, and the boss was swayed immediately. He nodded

"We'll be in contact very shortly,"

Line Break

Mara walked out into the sunshine, beaming. Finally, things were getting back on track. Her phone rang, and she checked the ID, glad Jerome had phoned at the right time "Hey," she smiled, walking down the path towards the park

"Hey, interview go good? Of course it did, why am I asking?" he breathed under his breath "Anyway, Edmon Blaker will be spending the whole of today in the Town library according to his facebook status, so can you get there?"

"Yeah, thanks," Mara smiled, she frowned, hearing a clicking sound "What's that?" she asked

Jerome laughed, scrolling down her ipod "I had no idea you were such a Lional Richie fan," Mara rolled her eyes, scolding him

"You know, reading someone's playlist is like reading their diary," she frowned, as the call ended, when she received a picture two seconds later. A selfie Jerome had taken, of him holding her ipod, chest upwards, with a large smile, he was in her bathtub, bubbles surrounding him. Mara shouldn't have, but she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face.

Line Break

"Mara?" Edmon asked, as soon as Mara walked in. Mara waved

"Hey! Oh my gosh…what are you doing here? I haven't seen you in ages!" she faked surprise, sitting opposite him. He grinned

"Research for this project at work…wow…you look fantastic," he breathed "Even in a pantsuit," Mara blushed "What are you doing here?"

"Job interview," she sighed. Edmon's eyebrows raised

"Listen Mara, you need a job, it's yours, in a heartbeat-" Mara raised a hand, cutting him off with a look. He laughed "Right, I forgot, Mara Jaffray doesn't take things from other people," he met her eyes "It's only one of the many things I've missed about you," Mara's eyes widened.

Line Break

"Mara," Joy engulfed her in a hug "I'm so sorry! About everything…honestly, I made all that stuff up…it's just…I was having a bad day, me and Fabes had a fight and…well, it didn't bode well to see a pretty hot guy in your apartment,"

Mara hugged her back "No I'm sorry, I have been acting different, but don't worry, it'll be normal soon," she leaned back "Bridesmaid again?"

"Of course," she nodded, wiping her eyes "I'm sorry for being a jerk,"

Line Break

"Tell me about him," Jerome urged. Mara frowned, looking around the roof of the building.

"We're not allowed up here," she frowned "Didn't you get that memo?"

"I wrote that memo," Jerome scoffed "It was getting crowded," she smiled, sitting beside him in the night air, the stars glittering above them, she looked up at the sky, and Jerome watched her. He wanted to let the silence between them linger for a moment, simply because he could. And he knew it would never get awkward between them. He drew a deep breath in, blowing it back out, misty in the night air, but couldn't hold it, the curiosity eating away at him "So…tell me about him, this Edmon, is he the one that got away?"

"He's the only one who broke it off with me," she shrugged, looking down to meet him, shivering. He immediately started pulling off his hoodie, but she stopped him "Jerome, you're just wearing shorts and a hoodie, if you take the hoodie off, you don't have a shirt," Jerome looked at her apologetically, but Mara shrugged it off, hugging herself, drawing her knees up to her chest. "We went to university together, and it was going really great, and then one day, for no reason, he broke it off," she could feel goose bumps rising on her arms, but didn't want to leave, even for a moment to grab a coat, because she enjoyed rare serious moments with Jerome, it reminded her why she liked him so much.

"Scared of commitment?" Jerome guessed "Lots of guys are," he looked up at the stars thoughtfully, wondering if he was including himself.

"I don't know…" she shook her head "We'd been together 2 years so…if he had commitment issues, he was doing pretty well at hiding it," Jerome smiled "So…do you have commitment issues?" she watched him from under her long lashes

"I don't know," he confessed, meeting her intelligent look "I guess…I'll keep going through girls till I find the right one," he couldn't stop his voice from breaking as he watched her, and had to fight the urge to lean in. Why? He had no idea. He didn't know what he wanted to do. Hug his best friend, or perhaps…kiss his soul mate…

"If you never call them back, how do you know if they're the right one?" Mara asked "Maybe you've already met them, maybe you need to make a list," Jerome laughed, rolling his eyes "Or maybe your way will work," Mara added teasingly, grinning like a kid.

"I've enjoyed this," Jerome confessed "Just hanging out with you,"

Mara smiled, the wind blowing her hair back "I'm glad. And you see," she nudged his shoulder "Maybe if you hang out with girls before sleeping with them, you might find out if you actually like them,"

"Maybe…" Jerome whispered, his eyes focusing on a particular shining star. And he couldn't help but compare it to the twinkle in Mara's brown eyes.

No contest.

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"Oh Edmon," Mara shook her head, closing the case, and handing it back to him "I don't want expensive gifts like that, especially when you know I can't repay you,"

"That's why it's called a gift, Mara," he teased, kissing her cheek, their black hair matched each others in darkness. And Mara noted that their children would definitely have black hair…she wasn't sure if she liked that. She had always dreamed of hugging a little blonde girl to sleep. "If you don't have it, it'll remain buried and forgotten in a drawer…"

"Tempting." Mara smiled, her arm linked with his as they walked down the pier "Or you could return it, and give the money to charity?"

"Non-refundable," he sighed "What a pity, it looks like you'll have to wear it," he caught her wrist gently, and fastened the diamond bracelet. It twinkled in the afternoon sun

"It's very sweet of you," Mara said quietly, he leaned down, kissing her cheek again, as if he couldn't get near enough to her. Which he couldn't.

"If we're going to start again, I'm not going to mess up this time,"

"Are you ever going to tell me exactly why you dumped me? I mean…I could change or-"

"It wasn't you, Mara," he sighed "I had a lot going on at home, I didn't want a relationship with someone who understood everything. I wanted to rebel, and with you Mara, I could never rebel without that massive feeling of guilt bringing me down from an adrenaline high,"

Line break

"Adrenaline high?" Jerome repeated as Mara told him the story. Jerome was sat on Mara's bed, watching Spongebob on her laptop. His bare back resting on the head board "He sounds a little queer…"

"Jerome!" Mara scolded, folding her dress and placing it in a drawer. She was in a large red shirt, and black shorts. She placed her hands on her hips "Jerome, you're eating a ham sandwich in my bed? Any particular reason? You don't have to do any more research unless it fails with Edmon, why aren't you out with a girl?" Not that she was complaining. She fought back a little triumphant smile, that maybe she was getting through to him, and that one night stands weren't the way to find your soul mate.

Jerome swallowed the mouthful, and motioned to Spongebob "It's much more fun with company who has a brain," he cocked his head to the side "If you want me to leave I'll go-"

"No," Mara cut him off, she blushed "I enjoy having you around," Jerome fought his smile, and she crawled under the blankets, while he was on top of them. "Well then…good night,"

"Night Jaffray,"

Line Break

Jerome yawned, stretching, he sat up, startled. When he realised he had fallen asleep on Mara's bed. He forced himself up, realising he was by himself "Mara?" he called, almost worriedly, she appeared, from the kitchen, holding two plates

"I made eggs," she grinned, heading over to him, she handed him a plate and he chuckled "What?" she asked, startled

"I've never spent a night with a girl, then had breakfast with her," he admitted. Mara rolled her eyes "Yeah, I know, I know, we didn't really spend the night," she nodded, popping a forkful into her mouth "But you won't sleep with me because you don't want to raise your number, right?"

Now it was Mara's turn to laugh. "There's a lot of reasons why I won't sleep with you, Jerome." He arched an eyebrow, asking her to elaborate "You're just another player, you're not the marrying type, and you eat pizza for breakfast, but most importantly," her voice dropped into a teasing whisper "You're not on the list,"

Jerome groaned "Can't we just add me on to the bottom?" Mara laughed

"I'm afraid there's one girl in this country who won't sleep with you," he rolled his eyes and she smiled, before thinking back to last night. "Jerome…do you believe in soul mates?" he froze for a second, and then realised there was no way she was talking about she and him. That would be…impossible.

"I…" he frowned, looking down at the delicious food "I did, I guess when you're young you always think you're just gonna find the one you want, get married and settle down…but when you look at it, I'm nowhere nearer to finding my soul mate then I was about…5 years ago,"

"That's not true," Mara smiled "We all change with experience, maybe the way your fate is lined up, you're becoming the person you need to be to find your soul mate?"

Jerome arched an eyebrow "So if I suddenly become a genius, and got a steady job, and stopped having one night stands, and become the type of guy that a girl would marry, I could be your soul mate?"

Mara laughed "I guess, maybe one day you could," but she never even considered it like Jerome was. Thoughts were racing through Jerome's mind, but he quickly shunned them. He didn't believe in that. Maybe he liked the idea of being Mara's soul mate, but the reality is, he wouldn't change just to get her to like him. She liked him now, when he was himself, and he liked her now. If friends was all their personalities were going to be. Then so be it.

But he couldn't help but wonder.

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