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"So you're telling me that you didn't want the promotion? And were in fact happy for your friend?" Mara asked, crossing her arms as she arched a delicate dark eyebrow at the witness on the stand. The skinny, cowering blonde girl nodded. "So then why…" Mara looked down at her paper, but it was just for show "Did you apply for the senior position six times?"

"I'm always looking for ways to improve myself." The girl whispered.

"Do you think you deserve a promotion?" Mara asked

"Objection!" Jerome growled, standing. The judge looked at him "Vague question."

Mara gritted her teeth, eyes focused on the girl "I'll rephrase. Miss Haymes, do you believe that you are good enough for a senior position?"

"I do." The girl nodded.

Mara smiled "So then why on your employee review does it say you are 'lazy and incompetent'?" The girl said nothing "Are you lazy and incompetent?"

"No!"

"Did you deserve that promotion?" Mara demanded "Come on Miss Haymes, did you deserve it?"

"Yes!" She cried, Jerome sank into his seat in defeat as he watched his client crumble. "Yes I deserved it! I deserved it way more than she did!"

"So you're jealous?" Mara stepped back in triumph "Perhaps jealous enough to sabotage her work and-" she stopped short, the blonde girl was shaking, tears stinging her blue eyes. "Pe-Perhaps…." The Judge watched her. But Mara couldn't continue. Not when the young girl was crying like that.

"Does the defence have anything else?" The Judge prompted, a dark woman with brown hair.

Mara swallowed, heading back to her desk "No, your honour."

The Judge arched an eyebrow "Are you sure?"

Mara looked down at her hands "I'm sure."

The Judge sighed, but banged her gavel "Court adjourned. In favour of Miss Haymes. Now, would Miss Jaffray please approach the bench?"

People began filing out, and Jerome hugged his client, he was sure he'd lose it, but he should have known. Mess-up Mara, is what everyone called her. He hadn't been sure though, she'd looked as though she were about to pull through, she had everything, but a good closing statement.

"Miss Jaffray, I like you, you are a good lawyer, but you're never going to win a case, ever. And do you know why?" Mara said nothing, looking up at the judge with strong eyes. "Because you are weak and you are naïve. You saw that blonde girl crying and you cave. I hope you know she was faking-"

"She was not!" Mara cried in dismay, brushing her fringe out of her face. The Judge sighed

"Naïve. Mr Clarke wins every single case, and each time, his witness cries. He orchestrates it. You fell for it. Naïve, Miss Jaffray. That's something they don't teach you to overcome at law school. You are dismissed."

Mara stared at her levelly, before sighing "Yes…your honour."

Line Break

"You know what your problem is?" Jerome asked, literally pouncing on her as she left the court room. Mara ignored him, continuing down the white hallway. "You get emotionally attacked. It's like…insanely easy for someone like me to just swoop in and beat you too it. Basically-"

"Basically!" Mara spun on her heel, making him stop in his tracks. And they both saw each other properly for the first time. Mara noted with anger than he was ridiculously good looking, slicked back blond hair, tall, pale, beautiful blue eyes and a million pound suit. And Jerome was surprised, she was breath taking. A figure hugging black skirt with a purple shirt, tucked in neatly and held together with a thick brown belt. Her hair straightened and down around her shoulders. "Basically, I suck. Is that the word you're looking for?" He swallowed at the inclination in her voice. "Basically, I'm mess-up Mara, because I always fail in the end? Huh?!" she screamed the last bit, before swallowing and whispered "Is that what my problem is, Mr Clarke?"

"No." Jerome said simply, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Basically…you just need a little training. Witnesses are going to cry, murderers are going to cry. It doesn't mean you just drop your argument to save their feelings. What about your client, that you let down? They're going to be crying when they have to pay the fine."

"Yeah well…" Mara shook her head bitterly "It's the end of the road for me anyway, that's fifteen consecutive cases I've lost now. I'm fired." She turned to walk away, and before Jerome really knew what he was doing, he was calling after her.

"I could get you an interview at my place."

His offer hung in the air like light perfume. Mara froze, and turned slightly. He was standing far from her, but she could make out the desperation in his eyes. "Why would you do that?" She asked "You saw what I'm like, I look great on paper, but see me in action…" she laughed spitefully "I'm never going to be hired."

"Shut up." Jerome rolled his eyes "You don't look that good on paper, fifteen consecutive failures? But my boss likes me, and you'll get better. I could train you to be the best." His smile was faultless.

Line Break

"You didn't have too," Mara laughed, as the two of them sat at the table of a fancy restaurant. Jerome had taken her out to dinner, her first case won. "It's because of you, I won Jerome, I'll pay-"

"Never." He warned with a smile "Come on, what was it like? Not so weak and naïve anymore."

"I was trained by the best." She laughed

Jerome arched an eyebrow "Come on, Jaffray, if I hadn't gotten you a place at this firm, what would you have done?"

"A teacher, I guess," she sighed, taking a sip of wine. She leaned forward in a whisper "You would be a great teacher."

"Okay…" Jerome laughed, tugging at his tie, wishing he'd changed before coming here straight from work. "So-" he stopped short, she was smiling at him, and her eyes were sparkling in the dim lighting, her face was flushed from the wine, and he leaned forward, purely following instinct, and pressed his lips to hers. She leaned back. "Shi-shoot, Mara, oh god…I'm so sorry." He stood suddenly, clearing his throat.

"Mick." She reminded in a whisper "Your boss, Jerome."

"Right." He managed a shaky laugh "Um…right, yes, you're completely right. So right."

Mara stared up at him, and Jerome met her eyes. He didn't look guilty. "Jerome…you're the best lawyer I know, even better than Eddie and he came from Harvard. Seriously you're….you're amazing, but-"

"No need." He smiled tightly "I know, Mick's…the one, I get it." He leaned down and kissed her cheek "Come on, I'll drive you home."

"You know what you're problem is Jerome?" she asked, standing. He arched an eyebrow "You trained me too well. Mick and I broke up a month ago. He broke it off with me, got back with his ex. I was fine with it, you know why?" Jerome said nothing, and Mara nudged him "Because I like you,"

Jerome stopped her once they got outside into the cold "Mara!" He groaned, "So in there you let me believe that you didn't like me, and that I'd betrayed my boss?" he tried to hold his glare, but he couldn't, he hugged her tightly. "You realise now that we can't work together? One of us will have to move firms?"

"Or…" Mara tugged on his tie as she whispered into his ear "We could just keep this a secret?"

Jerome moaned hotly "So…like just ours? No one knows? Mara, I love that. So sneaky."

"I know," she laughed, and they both waivered for a taxi.

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