"It's just so hard Sade; I mean all we ever do is fight. I know I used to say that but this time I am being true. Like last night we got into a huge fight because I didn't wink at him when he winked first. It's getting ridiculous, and with me trying to finish this next album I need as little stress as possible and he's not helping." Jude vented.
Her older sister looked at her and turned on their couch in their living room. "Well Jude the way I look at it, is you have two choices. You can either, one, break up with him and taking a little time from this relationship for a little bit to focus on your music. Or you can, two, talk to him about it and trust that it will get better."
"I love him I do, I haven't said it but I do, so I don't want to end things. But then again this has been going on for almost three weeks and I can't fight anymore. Maybe us being single for a little while is what we need."
Sadie handed Jude the pint of Mint chocolate chip ice cream and a spoon, "Drown him in calories, it always works and doesn't talk back."
Same time, but at G-Major.
"Dude, you two are not getting better. When are you just going to grow a pair and do it?" Kwest asked from the other side of the lobby.
Tommy smiled, "You better be glad no one else is here, because if someone were to over hear you, I'd well kill you."
"No one is here, and stop ignoring the question. I heard you two fight the last couple days, and those aren't the fights that you do just for the make-up sex, you two are like really going at it."
"I know I know." Tommy agreed. "She's just stressed about her music, and I'm stressed about her, I'm not sure it's the right timing. I mean once I do this, things will never be the same, ever, and I'm not too sure I'm ready for that."
"Well I would hurry up and decide that fast, because you two are having some trouble, and girls don't stay long in that kind of issue."
Tommy walked over to his best friend and sat down, "Are you saying Jude might break up with me if things stay like this?"
Kwest looked at his best friend, "All I'm saying is she's having a lot of feelings right now, and fighting with your boyfriend all the time, doesn't make you want to stay in the relationship."
"But I love her."
Kwest hit him on the back, "Don't tell me dude, tell her."
"Hey, its me, can I see you maybe tonight?" Tommy asked on the phone later that night.
Jude debated it, "What else did I do to make you yell at me?"
"Nothing, girl, please."
She sighed, "Be here in a little while." And with that she hung up.
"Should I bring the boxing gloves for round two?" Sadie asked from the doorway.
"He told me I have nothing to get yelled at for, so I hope not."
"I hope not too."
Twenty minutes later Tommy showed up at Jude's door, in faded Abercrombie jeans and a plain black t-shirt. She on the other hand opened the door in grey sweatpants and a navy capped-sleeved shirt.
"Hey," he said casually.
"Hi." She responded back.
She led him in, and they sat on the couch, silently.
"Home alone?" he asked looking around for Sadie or Stewart.
She nodded still facing the T.V. "Sadie is with Kwest of course, and dad is out with some new girl."
He nodded in understanding and she said nothing. The next five minutes were like this until she couldn't stand it anymore.
"Did you just come over to take up space on my couch, or did you actually want to talk about something?"
"Sorry I just wanted to spend the night just hanging with my girlfriend of almost two years." He smugly said back.
"Well it's not like we've been on good terms lately!" she screamed and then huffed, getting off the couch and heading into the kitchen. She hated herself for yelling at him, so the best thing she does is get away to calm down.
A couple minutes later he joined her in the kitchen. "What's wrong girl, tell me please?"
She put down the chips she had pulled out for them, "Do you hear us? We're fighting about us fighting. And I know you have to notice it, Sadie even does."
He nodded. "Kwest told me he realized it too."
"It's pathetic when my sister and your best friend are realizing how much we fight."
They were both silent again.
"Tomorrow night is our one year eleven month anniversary. I have something planned." He continued. "How about we just go out, have an awesome night with no fighting, and see where that takes us?"
"I'm not just ending things Tommy, actually I'm not ending them at all, I'm just sick of fighting." She sighed. "Tomorrow will be exactly what we need."
Tommy pulled her into a hug.
She pulled away and shook her head, "We used to be the couple that loved each other, and now we are the couple that can't stop bickering."
He pulled his body up onto the island that was in the middle of the Harrison's kitchen, and pointed towards her, telling her to come here.
She smiled and shook her head.
He gave her the puppy dog face, and she did what she was silently told. Both their hands interlocked and he kissed her softly. "We're still the cute coupe that loves each other."
She smiled, "You saying you love me little Tommy Q?"
"Always have, always will." He chuckled and kissed her again, but this time it wasn't fast.
The next morning came way too soon for Jude. She had woken up at about 7:30 to be at G-Major by 8:15. She decided to not take a shower, throw her blonde hair up into a messy ponytail, and grab a plain t-shirt with fitting jeans. Although she wasn't trying, she still looked cute.
Tommy on the other hand woke up at 6:30, to start preparing for the date while also having to be at G-Major by 8:15. He dressed up in Khaki shorts and a light green polo, while spending quite a while on his hair.
"Well well well, look what the cat dragged in?" He joked as he got out of his Viper which was strategically parked next to her Mustang.
She chuckled, "As if you weren't praying that I was going to get here the same time you were, and for an empty spot so you could park right next to me."
He walked over to her car and pulled her close, "I've missed you."
"You left my house at almost two thirty. You've only had to live without me for five and a half hours."
"It was unbearable." He smiled.
She kissed him, "Just like you sometimes."
They walked into G-Major hand in hand.
"They are so adorable." Sadie remarked as they walked through the doors.
Kwest leaned over his fiancés desk, "They've got nothing on us."
"I heard that," Tommy remarked.
Jude smiled, "Plus where were you last night Sadie? As I recall you never came home."
Both Sadie and Kwest laughed, "That was my fault." He admitted.
"I'd rather not know more of what you and my older sister do behind closed doors." Jude scoffed.
"They were open!" He teased.
Tommy pulled Jude's hand and they walked into recording studio A together. He pushed her down into the chair and he leaned in and started kissing her.
"Whoa," she said pushing him away. "What's this for?"
He smiled and kissed her again. "This is for you being an amazing girlfriend, whom I often take advantage of, and I miss. Plus I can't wait for tonight."
"Any other reason?" she teased.
"Also, my lips seem to love yours." He continued kissing her.
Darius walked in, "Could my best producer and my favorite artist please stop making out in my recording studio?"
Tommy stood up and Jude wiped her lips, "Hey D." she said a little embarrassed.
He pulled down his suit jacket and cleared his throat. "Can we get to work, it's almost eight twenty and Jude- Kwest is looking for you and Tommy- I would like you to work with Mason today."
Tommy sighed and looked back at his girlfriend, "I love you, and I will see you in a little."
She nodded her head, kissed him once and got up from the chair, walking past Darius who was still standing in the doorway, and out the room.
Once they both knew she was gone Darius looked back at Tommy, "Anytime soon?"
"I'm sick of hearing this from people, maybe soon maybe not. I haven't decided." Tommy shrugged his shoulders and slumped down in the chair Jude had just moved from.
"What's holding you back Tommy? I've known you for almost fifteen years, and I've been your official quote unquote boss for almost, what, eight. You've been her producer for almost five and you've helped her with three out of her four albums. You fell in love with her when she was sixteen and still are to this day. You're almost 29 and she's 21, definitely old enough for marriage. What could possibly be holding you back?"
"We fight all the time, we're young and we are different. We have quirks neither one of us can deal with and we have so much to lose if things don't work out."
D forced a chuckle, "Fighting all the time is what people do, in relationships your not that young, and you two being different is what makes you two work and sickly adorable. As for the quirks, yeah you both have quirks no one can deal with, but somehow we do. And things will work out, don't think about what you can lose, think about what you can gain."
"How is it possible that you are so smart about marriage and yet you've never been married?" Tommy asked a surprisingly good point. "And more of a better question, how do I not know that much when I have been in one already?"
"I'm not sure; I'm just smarter than you I guess." Darius paused. "But seriously Tom, don't wait because she might not wait as long as you think she will." And with that he walked out.
Tommy knew deep down how he felt about Jude. He wasn't trying to let everyone get to him, but as much as he was fighting it, it still was. But they wouldn't be apart of this marriage, it would just be him and her, together forever, and he wasn't sure if he was ready just yet. "Ugh for such a little thing, it sure is a big question." He mumbled.
"Okay I've got the chorus and the bridge, which I had when we came in here over an hour ago." Jude sighed. "This is not working."
Kwest put his head in his hands, "Start from scratch?"
"Again?" Jude asked doing the same action as her co-producer.
"Jude, this is the last song of your album. All we have to do is make the lyrics good and you and Tommy do the rest."
"I know, I know-," she interrupted. "Let me go tonight work on some new things, and come in here early tomorrow for us to go over them together. I promise they will be good, or better than this."
He agreed and walked out, leaving her alone in the studio.
"Rough day, dude?" Speiderman asked as he slowly walked in. "Need me to leave you alone?"
"I will always have time for my best friend." She smiled.
He sat down next to her, picked up her guitar and started strumming. "So why the sad face?"
She shrugged, "I just need one more song to finish my fifth album, and I can't seem to get it. All I write is bad and Kwest is just too nice to say it."
"I'll help you!" he suggested.
She looked up, "What?"
"I'll help you! The last song we wrote was forever ago, it's about time you and I made a song together again." He stopped strumming grabbed a pencil and an extra sheet of paper and started writing. "Fast or slow, which would you prefer?"
She put down her other lyrics and settled back in the chair. "Well you and I can both rock pretty hard, but right this second I'm kind of in the mood for a slow song."
"Slow it is," he agreed and wrote more things down. "Okay how is this?" He put down the pencil and strummed a light melody, which was soothing but still with a Speiderman kick.
Jude moved to the beat, "Yeah, I like that."
He stopped, "Okay now the lyrics."
Kwest and Tommy watched from outside the booth. "Think whatever they are doing in there is productive?" Kwest asked.
Tommy smiled, "Well he doesn't look like he's being himself, so I would say yes."
"Good, because Jude only needs one more, and that will be record number five in the bag."
Before the conversation could continue Sadie called for Kwest and Mason called for Tommy, so both went their separate ways.
For Jude the day went fairly fast. After she was done working with Speiderman she went out for lunch with Sadie, talked to Darius about her next album and possible touring, and by the time that was all said and done it was almost four.
For Tommy this was the complete opposite. He looked at the clock at least a thousand times between 2-3. He had stayed in for lunch and snacked on just a bag of chips and a Coke. Then he worked with SME after that. He was praying for the time to fly by, but obviously God wasn't listening.
"When are you leaving?" Tommy asked as he cut Jude off in the lobby.
She looked at him confused, "Are you kicking me out Quincy?"
"Yes," he chuckled. "You need to be a girly girl for tonight. So that means you should go and take an hour and a half to get ready, and I will be at your house at seven."
"I'm not a girly girl, and I will never take that long to get ready. Plus I don't even know what I'm supposed to wear, because I don't know what we're doing or where we are going."
He leaned down and kissed her, "That's the best part, I love knowing things that you don't. But what I will tell you is you should be dressed up."
She pulled back from him, "Dressed up meaning high heel shoes and a nice black dress, or nice jeans and a cute top?"
He debated it, "High heels with the dress."
"See you at seven girl." He said kissing her one last time and walking away.
Jude turned to Sadie, who was acting like she wasn't listening.
Before Jude could say anything Sadie laughed, "Yes we'll go home now, and I'll help pick out what you will wear."
"Thanks." Jude said with a sigh of relief.
Once the two got home, they both grabbed Cokes and headed up to Jude's room.
"Okay so it's almost five, which means we have two and a half hours to primp and prepare." Sadie said, as she was already rummaging through her little sister's closet.
Jude lay down on her bed, "No we have less than two hours, he's coming at seven."
Her older sister turned around and smiled, "Oh what information you have to learn. Jude when a guy is coming at seven, you can make him wait until seven thirty, even eight depending on how much he likes you."
"Well Tommy and I don't play those kind of games, plus he would know it wasn't my idea and that it was yours."
Sadie through a bright yellow shirt at her, which she had worn to the VMA's a couple years ago. "We should start a Good Will pile, and that will be the first thrown away."
Jude sighed, "Let's just work on planning the date outfit first, we'll do the sorting and throwing away part tomorrow."
After an hour of searching, Sadie walked into her closet and picked out the perfect dress and matching shoes.
Jude smiled, "I love it, but are you sure I can wear it?"
Sadie nodded and handed both to her little sister and then pointed to the bathroom.
Jude did what she was told and cam out five minutes later dressed perfectly.
"Okay now let's get those curlers out of your hair." Sadie insisted referring to the curlers she had put in Jude's hair a little over an hour earlier.
Six fifty rolled around and the doorbell rang, both girls looked up at each other in panic.
Sadie put the final touches of makeup on Jude and then walked downstairs, ordering her to come down when she was finished.
Jude heard from her room the two of them talking downstairs. She looked again in the mirror and decided to head down stairs.
She started down the stairs and caught the attention of Tommy. He was wearing a black pair of slacks and a nice white button up top, with a fitted jacket.
Jude walked down in her sister's white dress that had black small poka dots and was trimmed by a red satin band, finishing off the outfit was a pair of matching red stilettos. Her hair was loosely spiral curled and her make up was subtle but noticeable.
Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, Jude realized Sadie had walked out of the room, and it was just the two of them.
He pulled her into a hug, "You look beautiful girl."
She smiled and kissed him softly. "Ready for this big date of ours?"
"After you," he said opening the door and following her out.
They arrived twenty minutes later at a very small quite restaurant, fairly expensive, but were totally worth the food. The two ordered drinks, and soon after their food, before actual conversation started.
"I can't tell you the last time I can remember that we were alone like this." Tommy stated as he took a drink of his red wine.
She nodded, "I can't either, it's been so long."
"We've just been so busy at work, and with everything."
Jude shook her head. "We still see each other, we just never do anything. You never ask, and all you should have said was 'sorry'."
Tommy looked at her confused, "I'm sorry."
"So anyways."
Tommy took another drink and nervously started another conversation, ultimately the wrong one. "Does it really bother you that much that all our friends realize how much we've been fighting?"
Jude's mouth dropped. "Yeah Tommy, it kills me!"
"Why? We're not perfect?"
Before she could answer the waiter brought their food, but once he was gone she started the previous argument. "I know we are not perfect, there is no such thing, and we will never be! But when people are noticing how much we are fighting it looks pathetic!"
"Jude stop!" Tommy said sternly. "You are yelling, and making a scene."
She forced a chuckle, "So you care about what people we don't even know who happen to be sitting in the same place as us think, but you could care less about how people who work with us, and who love us think? You are a mystery Tom Quincy!"
"So are you Miss Harrison!" he added a little bit louder. "I think I know how you will react to certain things but I'm always wrong!"
Jude looked at him, "If you're always wrong then maybe you picked the wrong girl. So forget being wrong, we're done!" And with that Jude picked up her purse and started for the door.
Tommy knew deep down in his heart he couldn't lose her, so without a second thought he called for the waiter, quickly paid, and started after the girl of his dreams. He went all over searching, and ended at his car which was also vacant. He drove around to little places that they had spent awesome nights at. When he still couldn't find her, he decided to make a quick pit-stop and then head over to the one place he knew she was.
Jude had already taken off her dress and was dressed in navy blue cheer shorts and a light green T-shirt. Her hair was still curled, but she had it up in a pony-tail. Her makeup was still on simply due to the fact that she didn't feel like wiping it off. Her high heels were switched with slippers, and her jewelry was mostly taken off minus her star ring which she rarely takes off. She was headed down stairs in the vacant house and trying to keep in her tears in, she refused to let herself be one of those girls that completely fell apart when her and her boyfriend broke up. Her cell phone immediately interrupted her thoughts.
"Hello." She said quickly picking up her Black Berry.
Sadie squealed, "How was the perfect night?"
"I'm not in the mood to talk about it Sade," Jude continued. "You'll be home sometime tomorrow, we'll talk then." And with that, she hung up.
Jude went into the kitchen grabbed a bottle of water and sat down on the bar. She sighed and tried to wrap her mind around everything that had happened tonight; she couldn't do it. She got up and walked to the couch, before she could even sit down the doorbell rang. Jude knew who it would was probably going to be; and she was right.
"What do you want Tommy?" she asked as she opened the door.
Tommy was standing there with his hands behind his back, in his suit that he was in previously. "Before you can say anything let me talk." He insisted, and she obeyed. "Tonight was not how I wanted things to happen. Jude I know I'm wrong about some things, but the one thing I did right in my life was deciding to be with you. You have made my life absolutely amazing. Jude when I mess up and make you cry apart of me inside dies. I know I have messed up an unlimited amount of times, and I'd like to say I never will but that would be a lie. I will make you cry probably more times than one, but know that it kills me watching your tears fall." He stopped while never taking his eyes off hers. "Jude Harrison, I love you and always will. I hate that we've been fighting and tonight when you said we're done and really meant it, I wouldn't let that happen, I had to do something."
Jude opened her mouth, "Tommy…"
"No, please let me finish." He paused and got down on one knee. "This relationship will work, please, marry me?"
Jude's eyes were already watering, but by the last line she was full out crying, something she doesn't do in front of anyone. "Really?" was all she could pull out.
Tommy smiled, got off his knee and kissed her softly. "I even have a ring." He laughed pulling out a Tiffany's box, opening it and revealing a thirteen karat square diamond, with diamonds surrounding it.
She smiled.
"I love you!" He exclaimed.
"God I've waited forever to hear that," she mumbled. "I love you too."
He wrapped his arms around her, "Will you do me a favor, girl?"
She looked up at him.
"Will you answer my question?"
She debated it, leaned in and really kissed him.
"Is that a yes?" he laughed pulling away.
"Um yes, that is a YES!!!"
He put the ring on her finger and pulled her into another hug. "You're Mrs. Tom Quincy soon."
She sighed, "That sounds absolutely amazing!!" She kissed him, and pulled him into her house. "So I think we'll be home alone all night."
He smiled and tugged on her shirt, "I've got a couple ideas of passing the time."
She led him up the stairs to her bed, and the rest of the night was a blur.