Paige's alarm went off and she groaned. It was Saturday! So why was she waking up to such a noise? Oh yes, that's right, because Clary's made her agree to this stupid blind date. The idea of getting up and dressed just to sit in a coffee shop for an hour and be stood up made her want to pull the covers up over her head and stay there till Monday. Then again, maybe she was being too optimistic. It was entirely possible the guy would show up late, be terrible and ruin her day. Then there was always the chance he'd be gross and hit on her in all the least flattering ways possible. She wasn't a great beauty by any standard, but Paige had attempted dating enough to know she was beautiful enough to get the wrong kind of attention.

The snooze button ended and her alarm went off again. It was either get up and go, or text and cancel. Paige had never stood anyone up and she wasn't about to start now. Then again, by that logic cancelling last minute wasn't much better than no showing. With a great sigh, Paige forced herself out of bed.

But she drew the line at dressing up. If he didn't like her in her bootcut jeans and t-shirt than it was his loss. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, Paige threw her hair in a ponytail and headed out. She was sure Alec was still sleeping, and suspected Magnus was already on his way to the museum. How that man worked so much she had no idea, though the few times she'd pointed it out to him he'd disagreed, saying she worked just as much since she kept cooking for them. In the end they'd agreed to disagree.

It wasn't too hot, and really Paige could have just walked to the cafe, but what was the point in owning a vehicle if you didn't drive it, right? Besides it was Saturday morning, which meant there were so few cars on the road that driving was much faster and more enjoyable. Putting her car in park, Paige checked the time. She'd made it with time to spare. Feeling sure she was here before him, Paige walked in and moved toward the counter to order her drink.

To her great surprise she saw a man sitting at the table in the corner with the bright red jacket her mystery texter told her he'd be wearing. Suddenly flustered, she didn't indicate that she'd seen him. Instead she focused on ordering a drink and gathering her thoughts.

She was at least ten minutes early, which meant he'd been even earlier. Suddenly feeling like this date might be worth getting out of bed for, Paige paid for her drink and went to stand by the counter to wait for it.

She still wanted to pretend she hadn't seen him. He was so early! It had her slightly flustered. She'd never been on a date before where the guy was so punctual. All the other coffee dates Paige had previously attended the guy had either been super late or texted to cancel literally minutes before he was supposed to arrive.

Glancing over again for just a moment on the pretence of looking for a napkin, she took in more than just his bright red coat. He didn't look super tall, though sitting down she couldn't quite tell. He had dirty blonde hair, but there was a reddish sheen to it. His features were soft, and he looked nervous.

Collecting her drink, Paige moved towards him.

"Red jacket right?" she said, unsure.

"Oh!" he said, seeming surprised. "Um yeah."

Paige sat down, taking note of the fact that his drink was half finished. He'd been really really early.

"Wow," he said. "Hi."

He seemed flustered, which was making Paige feel better about her own silly flustered actions while ordering drinks.

"Hello," she smiled at him, taking a sip of her latte to have something to do with her hands.

"You're early," he stated.

"As if you can talk," she replied. "You were here before me, and you've basically finished your drink already."

"Fair," he said, lifting his arm and rubbing the back of his neck as if nervous.

"I'm Paige," she said.

"Jon," he replied. "No h."

"It's nice to meet you Jon with no h," Paige replied.

"It's funny how names work," Jon added. "There are only so many in use, and with more people needing names than there are names to give, you end up with duplicates. I swear at least half of my classes have another kid named John in them, though usually with the h."

"Ah yes, that is the downside of having such a common name I guess," Paige commented.

"It's short for Jonathan," Jon continued, nodding his agreement. "But I've always preferred Jon. And I know of someone else named Paige too. I have a friend who used to date someone named Paige, not that I ever met her or anything." He paused for air then added, "Sorry I'm babbling. Did you want to talk?"

Paige chuckled. "It's okay," she smiled. "I've never met anyone else on campus with my name. Which friend of yours was it?"

"His names Jordan," Jon said.

"Ah, then I suspect you have now met that Paige," she laughed. "That's my ex's name."

"Oh," Jon said.

"If you're friends with Jordan, how do you know Clary?" she asked. "I didn't know those two were close."

"They aren't. Clary's my little sister," Jon said. "Little conniving sister who neglected to tell me anything about who I was meeting today." He huffed as if still annoyed about it. "She just said to be here at this time, and wear my red jacket."

"To be fair all she told me was to be here at this time and look for a red jacket," Paige replied with a chuckle.

"With instructions like that, what are the changes that we are in the wrong place, and there's someone else out there in a red jacket waiting for you?" Jon laughed.

"Slim to none," Paige laughed. "That is the reddest jacket I've ever seen."

When the laughter died down he spoke first. "Your turn. How do you know Clary?" Jon asked.

"I mean we're friends, but I guess how we got there is kinda a strange story," Paige began. "I met her when I was staying at Jordan's, who was living with her boyfriend at the time. I've just been lucky enough to retain my friends even after breaking with him."

He laughed. "I get that. Sometimes you meet the most important people in your life in the strangest situations."

"Got any examples?" she asked.

"Well the closest thing to a brother I've ever had I met because my sister brought him home for Christmas," Jon said. "And here I am talking to you because my sister befriended her roommate's girlfriend."

Paige couldn't help but smile. He hadn't actually said it, but she hadn't miss the implication.

"So I take it that Jordan hasn't been telling all his friends how horrible I am?" she smiled.

"Anything but," Jon answered. "He usually just gets this uncomfortable look on his face, and says he messed up. Never tries to blame you for anything."

"Well as far as ex-boyfriends go he's doing well then," Paige laughed. "Not making a break up worse by telling lies to save face is the best quality in an ex-boyfriend one can hope for."

"Wait a minute," Jon said in mock horror. "Are you telling me that it's not enough to be a good boyfriend, guys have to know how to be good ex-boyfriends?"

Paige nodded, laughing slightly. "Yep, girls talk you know," she chuckled.

"Well I'm doomed then," Jon said. "I've sure all of my ex's friends think I'm evil incarnate."

"Ah, but it goes both ways," Paige added. "A quality ex-girlfriend doesn't spread lies either."

"Oh, I'm sure she can spin it in such a way that it's basically true while I'm still the bad guy," Jon sighed. "But you don't wanna hear this. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"I don't mind," she smiled. "What happened?" She took a sip of her drink trying to give him time to gather his thoughts.

"She's kinda the reason I dropped out of university," he said. "She wanted to travel and I went along with it, but eventually I got tired of moving around so much, and brought up some ideas to her that she didn't like."

"Ah yes, well that just perfectly explains everything," Paige sniggered. "Nothing vague about that statement at all."

"Yeah well as I said not really the right topic," Jon replied.

"I disagree. All you've done now is peek my curiosity," Paige replied.

"Oh come on, a good topic for a blind date is not why we broke up with our exes?" Jon replied

"But it seems only fair to me," Paige said. "Since you know mine personally."

"Alright," Jon sighed. "I guess - well - when you put it like that." He paused for a moment, then spoke quickly. "Her name was Cassie, and I wanted to put down roots and she didn't. I wanted to get married, and she wanted to get her tubes tied and travel the world completely broke, getting by day to day."

"Wow," Paige said. "That is quite a difference of opinion."

"Yep," Jon sighed. "Didn't really noticed any of it at the start."

"I know what you mean," Paige replied. "When I met Jordan he was miserable and broken hearted from his ex, and yet I didn't see that for the red flag it was."

"An ex to which he then got back together with," Jon added, respectfully. "Sorry that sucks."

Paige shrugged. "It is what it is. Life goes on. It doesn't change what I want out of life, or who I am."

"You are a much stronger person than I am," Jon said, sounding a little in awe, though Paige suspected she was reading too much into that.

"It's just that I won't give up on my dreams and goals just because my first attempts have failed," Paige stated. "I don't see how that makes me strong."

"Ah, then you don't see yourself very clearly," Jon replied.

"We shall have to agree to disagree on this one, I think," Paige smiled.

"In comparison, what I did was crash at my sister's boyfriend's place, eating my feelings, sulking and beating Jace at Mario kart," Jon said. "Hence your approach, much stronger than mine."

Paige laughed. "Fair," she replied. "You seem to be doing alright though." He shrugged. "And for someone who just claimed nothing but video games and emotional eating as hobbies you aren't in bad shape."

"Thanks," Jon answered awkwardly once again rubbing his neck again. "You're beautiful, by the way."

Paige felt herself blush slightly. "Thank you," she said.

"Do you mind if I ask, how much older you are than Clary?"

"Only two years," Jon replied. Paige was a year younger than Clary which made Jon only three years older than her.

"Three years older than me then," she smiled at him.

"And yet so much less mature," Jon added.

"And very fond of the self-deprecating jokes, I see," she smiled.

"You caught me," Jon laughed.

"Ever thought about going back to university?" Paige asked. "What were you majoring in before you dropped out?"

"Optometry," Jon said. "I'm only one semestor away from graduation."

"And you dropped out for a girl?" Paige said, slightly stunned. "Wow."

"Yeah, I know stupid right," Jon sighed. "I did my four year bachlors right out of high school, got into the University of Waterloo's three year Optometry program. But then I met Cassie about a year in, my grades suffered and a year later… I quit."

"You know that Waterloo is only an hour and a half drive from here right?" Paige reminded him. "You only have one more year left in a seven year education! You can't just give up."

"It's too late," Jon told her. "I don't even know if they'd let me back in."

"You won't know unless you try," she encouraged him. "Don't let someone else take away your dreams."

"See when you say that, it seems so easy," Jon sighed. "But when I think about doing that, it feels hard."

"I think you'll regret it if you don't at least try," Paige encouraged him. "What do your parents think of all this?"

"At the time, they all but tried to force me not to drop out," Jon replied. "Now they don't really talk about it."

"Sounds like an ally to me," Paige continued. "Why don't you tell them you've had a change of heart, and see if they can help you finish those last few credits."

"Stop making sense," Jon whined. "I thought I was on a date, not a career counseling session." Paige laughed. She had already noticed how easily he could make her laugh.

"Your turn," Jon turned the tables. "What are you majoring in?"

"Early childhood education," Paige answered. "With a minor in business. I want to run my own daycare."

"Ambitious," Jon said.

"Not like being an eye doctor," Paige disagreed. "Running my own daycare might not even be possible, but I'll definitely be super hireable to work in them this time next year."

"Now who needs a lecture on 'you'll never know if you don't try'," Jon threw her words back at her with his eyebrow raised.

"Starting a business isn't always practical," Paige replied easily. "There are a lot of factors in it, unlike finishing school which you can definitely do."

"Always has an answer for everything don't you," he smiled at her.

"Yep!" Paige grinned.

What do you guys think of Jon's backstory? Please leave me a review and let me know. :)
Also isn't it great that I've writing in a timely manner again! Man I've missed this. Life has slowed down for the moment which means more time for writing. And guess what? Chapter 160 is already finished! So it will probably go up in the next week or so. ^_^ Depending on when my editor has time to review it.

PercyBPotter's Review:
Signing in is a pain in my buttocks. Also I understand why you did this too us. I hope they end up happy but I get why they aren't together rn. Also unrelated but what Julia's describing is more pan than Demi. Demi is like complete lack of sexual attraction until you are like best friends with a person.

My Reply:
Yes people have told me this before. I'm always logged in so I can't say I get it, but I understand. Doing review replies this way is fine too I just wonder if people actually read them. I met Demi. Maybe I described it wrong. And yes Julia and Clary were like best friends while she was in Pairs. Not sure if it's worth fixing. I don't plan to bring her up again except maybe mentioning that they are still online friends.

Sneak Peek Chapter 160

"I'm sure you're exaggerating," Magnus sighed when Alec shared his worries. "You're making it sound like a tsunami is coming or something."

"It's a metaphor," Alec explained. "I don't mean like an actual natural disaster."

"Alright, but if a giant wall of water does hit the apartment I do expect a text," Magnus chuckled.

"Ha ha," Alec replied sarcastically.

Magnus grinned, that big beautiful smile that Alec loved so much. "See you when I'm home from work, love" Magnus said leaning forward to kiss his husband goodbye before moving towards the door.

"Don't work too hard," Alec called back. "Not that you ever listen." Magnus laughed and the door closed behind him.

Now what to do? Alec always did prefer his days off and, well who didn't? But days off with Magnus were always better. Alec didn't really have anything he needed to do today, except, of course, prepare for Armageddon.