A loud screeching was omitted next to Jude's head and she let out a groan of frustration as she rolled over and smacked the snooze button. She cracked an eye open and the glaring red digits indicated that it was- unfortunately- time to go to work.

The last thing she wanted to do was go into work and have to deal with that asshole again. She was famous, she was a star, and she was used to doing humiliating things. But to be dragged onstage by her tweaked out publicity date was too much. She didn't even want to know what the tabloids were going to say about the stunt he managed to pull.

She pulled the covers over her head again, hoping to make it all go away and to drift back into a peaceful sleep, ignoring the world for the rest of the day. Just as sleep was about to wash over her again, the blaring noise from the alarm clock sounded again and Jude gave up on the idea of avoiding the world today.

Kicking the covers away from her body, her legs swung over the bed and she gripped the side of the bed before launching herself in the direction of her bathroom. Reaching inside the shower, she turned the water on, putting it on the hottest setting possible. Just as she started to undress, the shrill ring of her cell phone broke through the calming sound of the falling water against the tile stall.

Walking back out to her room, she grabbed her purse off the floor and pulled out her cell phone, Kwest's name flashing across the screen. She pressed the talk button, then speaker so she could continue getting ready for work.

If I wrote you a symphony

"What's up, Kwest?"

"You're alive."

She stared at her phone, confused. "Um, why wouldn't I be?"

"You just took off last night, didn't see you after that…spectacle last night. I didn't see the bartender either."

"Ah, right. Well neither did I. I took a cab home and I'm about to jump in the shower so I can get to G Major. Tom drag his sorry ass in today?"

"You may hate him, but he always makes it in the next day- something I can say you don't always do." There was a hint of teasing in his voice.

"I'm hanging up, Kwest."

His laughter reverberated throughout her room, "Just get here as soon as pos-"

She pressed the end button before he could finish, tossed her phone on the bed and went back into the bathroom, where steam was billowing out of the room as the hot water roared.

Just to say how much you mean to me

"Man, there's nothing wrong with this, it's perfect."

"No, one more time."

"Damnit, it doesn't NEED to be done one more time!"

"Kwest- push the damn record button and let me do it again."

Rolling his eyes, he dejected pressed a few buttons, music flooding through Tom's headset, with the mic hot, Tom bobbed his head, waiting for his cue.

While Tom sang, Kwest looked at his watch- they had been at this for going on three hours now. Tom called him at home, waking him up early demanding he be at the studio early so they could get some work done.

There was no mention of what spurred this on, but any lame man would be able to piece it together.

Glancing at his watch again, he knew Jude was going to be due in soon- and as if on cue, she entered into the studio with two disposable cups of coffee from the local coffee shop. Setting one down in front of Kwest, Jude held onto hers and took a seat next to him, listening as Tom finished up a song that he was working on.

I keep cleaning up the mess I've made

I won't run away

I can't sleep in the bed I've made

Jude swiveled her chair around to face Kwest, who looked bored, hearing a perfect version of the song again.

What would you do?

"Don't look excited to be here or anything." Taking a sip of her coffee, she cocked her head to the side, "So what is this? His idea of an apology?"

"Yep. He dragged me in here three hours ago, and he's been doing perfect takes for the last hour and a half of that."

"Because a song is really going to make up for the shit he pulled last night. That's cute."

Kwest eyed Jude curiously, "Not everyone gets a song, it should mean something."

"Yeah, because he's a musician, and so I am. We manipulate people with our lyrics. It's what we do."

Jude set her coffee down on the soundboard before standing up from her seat and making her way into the booth. The sooner they started to record, the sooner she could get the hell out of G Major for the day.

Her appearance today was the polar opposite of the night before. Dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a plain shirt, she walked easily in her flats. She had only the slightest trace of makeup on her face and her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail.

If I told you, you were beautiful

Ignoring that Tom even existed within 10 feet of her, she set her bag down, scooped up the second set of headphones and placed them over her ears before speaking to Kwest through the mic. "Where are we starting today?"

"We need to work on the bridge, and the version of the chorus that you two sing together. But let's start from the top- see where we're at with everything."

Jude nodded as she stood in front of her mic, her eyes closed as she heard the music coming through her headphones. The beat was different from what she was used to. Her music usually consisted of actual instruments and with the duet, they were taking advantage technology. The beats were synthesized, more hip hop and edgier than she was used to. This was more up Tom's alley.

Her body swayed softy to the rhythm, waiting for Tom to start after the heavily percussive intro.

His voice came over her headphones, smoother than she had ever noticed.

Let's play a game
Let's pretend for a second
You don't know who I am or what I do
Let's just put it to the side

Tom watched her as he continued, she was oblivious to him watching her, as she was drowning in the music that surrounded her.

Would you date me on the regular?

But it's something about you
That makes me wanna change
I like the way you dancing
And the way you play the game

Today the lyrics seemed suddenly different, as if they had meaning now that wasn't there the night before. Her eyes flew open, and Tom smirked at her, catching and gauging her reaction to see if she thought anything of the moment, which she obviously did.

Licking her lips self-consciously, she took a deep breath preparing herself for her cue, as he finished up his line, she started in, their voices slightly overlapping.

Tell me, what you thinking about
When you got me waiting patiently
And usually, I don't have to wait for nobody

Jude looked anywhere but at the man standing directly across from her, behind his own mic. She peered out into the mixing booth, looking for approval from Kwest. He bobbed his head as he toyed with levels a little bit, getting a better feel as the music came over his own headset.

But there's something about you
That really got me feeling weak
And I'm trying to find the words to speak

Well baby I've been around the world

The beat was hypnotizing and Jude couldn't help but to get a little more into it, her body rocking and swaying as she continued.

Tom watched her appreciatively. Last night was something else, but there was something about her this morning, she was more in her element. She looked more innocent, but the lyrics that came out of her mouth told another story.

The song continued and instead of looking away, Jude stared Tom down, making sure he heard and understood every word she sang.

I got a selection of the positions of affection
With no pressure
So tell me
Tell me how you want it
Tell me how you want it babe

She emphasized certain words, and she watched as a single eyebrow quirked, confused as to if she was telling him something, or just toying with him some more in retaliation from last night.

As the last lyrics slipped from her lips, the music resolved and ended. The booth was filled with silence as the two of them stared at one another, neither moving. The crack of the intercom could be heard in their ears, which was accompanied by Kwest clearing his throat.

"Uh, why don't you two take a break, I'll go over it and see what we have to work with."

Being the first to make a move, Tom nodded his head while still looking at Jude. He removed his headset and left the booth wordlessly, heading off to hospitality.

But I ain't seen myself another girl like you

Biting her lip, she took the headphones off and set it on the music stand in front of her. She shoved her hands in her pockets and rocked back on her heels, unsure if she should just wait in here, or risk running into Tom outside. Against her better judgment, she straightened up and headed towards hospitality, deep down inside she knew it was in search of Tom, though she'd never openly admit it.

He leaned against the countertop, an open bottle of water in his hand. He looked out on the rest of G Major, silently taking it all in and doing a mental countdown for Jude to appear out of the studio.

7…

6…

5…

4…

Jude appeared through the doors of the studio they were occupying and Tom covered up his smirk with taking another drink of water. As she finally reached the small kitchenette, she opened a cabinet and pulled out a mug, setting it on the counter before filling an electric kettle with water, flipping the switch.

She focused on it, willing the bubbles to rise from the hot plate faster than they were being created.

"Does staring help?"

"Sorry?" Jude snapped her head to look at him, startled.

"A watched kettle doesn't boil." he flashed a bright smile at her.

Because, I can see us holding hands

"Right." She smiled back at him, weakly, "So, Kwest said you got here early today."

"Yeah, something I just had to get out."

She nodded understandingly, "I've been there before. Can't say the producer's like it though. So uh, any particular inspiration for the song?"

"Maybe." He held her gaze, raising an eyebrow slightly. She nodded slowly, taking in his sorry excuse for a confession.

"So you really must have screwed things up with this girl, if you're writing a song for her. Is this girl supposed to realize that she was the inspiration?"

Tom rolled his eyes and looked off to the side, tearing his gaze away from Jude. He took a deep breath and let out a loud sigh, the used air rushing out of his lungs. Ignoring his actions, she continued on,

"Because, you know, she won't until she hears it from you." Jude switched off the kettle that was roaring with life now.

The sound of the water pouring into the ceramic mug nearly drowned out his quite confession, "I'm sorry."

Walking on the beach, our toes in the sand

She topped off her mug before turning to him, "I'm sorry did you say something?" She was enjoying this far too much, watching him act uncomfortable under the circumstances. It felt good to Jude, to have the upper hand like she did right now.

"I said, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that to you last night. Hell, I shouldn't have done that to anyone last night."

A small smile crept across her features and she turned away, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing his apology meant something to her, she reached for a couple packages of sugar to hide her face.

She felt him reach out and carefully grasp her arm, turning him towards her, "Let me make it up to you." She look at him in confusion, unable to deny that her heart sped up at the thought of Tom doing more to apologize.

"You want to make this up to me?" As the shock wore off, her skepticism for Tom crept back into her mind and she was ready to reject any proposition he offered to her.

"Let me take you out."

Jude tensed up and pulled away from him, "I don't think that's such a good idea."

I can see us on the country side

"Jude, please?" She couldn't ignore his begging eyes. "I feel terrible, what I did- I was a jackass. Let me make it up, please?"

She felt her resolve crumbling and she could no longer suppress the smile that played on her lips. He noticed and replied, "Does that mean yes?"

She rolled her eyes and grabbed her mug leaving hospitality, "If it'll make you happy- I guess it couldn't hurt."

"Great, you won't regret it."

Tommy left her standing alone in the kitchenette, grinning widely- a smug smile on his own face. As he walked back into the studio, she could see him stop and talk to Kwest for a brief moment before Kwest rolled his eyes and shook his head at Tommy as he retreated back into the recording booth.

Sitting in the grass laying side by side

"Sadie! You. Are. Not. Helping!" Jude was frantically pulling articles of clothing out of her closet, struggling to find something for her date. He had been so vague and cryptic, she had no idea what was appropriate and what wasn't.

"I'm just saying, he's a total ass to you, and now you're going on a date with the guy? What's your problem? That isn't the Jude that I know."

"Forget that he was a total jerk- Sadie, he apologized. Like, said I'm sorry. Said, 'I want to make it up to you.' Said, 'Let me take you out.'"

Sadie let out a sigh of frustration, there was no changing her sister's mind when she was set on something. "Alright, fine. And you have no idea where he's taking you?"

Jude, being on the verge of tears at this point cried on in distress, "No!"

"Okay. Jude- Calm the fuck down. Do you remember the keyhole halter that you got the last time we went shopping?"

"The black one?" Jude jumped over a pile of clothes to get back into her closet, searching for it already.

"Yes, the black one. Wear that with the grey twill pants you also got. Can you match shoes or do you need me for that too?"

"Please?" Jude's voice was pathetic as she frantically searched for the pants that she had purchased. None of the items had been worn yet so she wasn't sure if they were hanging up or still in a bag at the bottom of her floor.

You can be my baby

"You are a piece of work. I've never seen you so freaked out over a date before. It's Tom Quincy, it's not like you need to impress him, he needs to be the one impressing you. Wear the black sandals, the ones with the cork heel. You know which ones I'm talking about?"

"Sadie, I will baby-sit your first born for the first year of their life- no questions asked. Thank you, I love you, and I have to go before he gets here, bye!"

With all the necessary items in hand now, Jude leaped back over the pile of clothes blocking her exit out of her closet.

She quickly dressed, smoothing out her clothes against her body. She sat at her vanity, applying her makeup quickly, keeping her appearance very neutral, gold tones for eye shadow, and a nude gloss with just the faintest hint of pink.

Her hair was straight and the layers fell nicely just below her shoulders. She was grabbing her purse, checking that she had everything she would need in there just when the doorbell rang. She felt her stomach twist into knots and her heart start to race as she walked out of her bedroom, closing the door to conceal the mess in there before heading to the front door. Glancing through the peep hole, she saw Tom looking as confident as ever waiting for her to answer. Taking in a deep breath, she grasped the knob and opened the door, plastering on her award show smile to hide all of her nerves.

Let me make you my lady

"Hi!" Her voice was up an octave and she was far cheerier than usual to compensate for her nerves. She let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding when she took in his appearance. He was dressed in a pair of well fitting khakis, and a blue vintage t-shirt over a long sleeved white shirt with the sleeves pushed up.

He smirked at her, "I had no idea you'd be so excited to see me."

She felt her cheeks blaze with embarrassment and she looked down, intently studying her pedicure.

"Hey," He placed a finger under her chin, tilting her head back up to meet him in the eye, "These are for you." He presented Jude with a bouquet of fiery looking daylilies, they ranged from bright cheery yellows to deep red flowers.

"Oh, they're gorgeous. Let me go put these in water and then we can go."

Jude hurried off to the kitchen, giving Tom a chance to look around her apartment. It was decorated in a bright contemporarily fashion. She had a chocolate brown couch that sat low to the floor with vibrant orange and purple accent pillows. The art around the room was unique too. A giant canvas had been pierced with nails, and matching colored string was wrapped around each nail creating intricate geometric designs.

Girl you amaze me

Returning to the living room, she saw Tommy gazing around the space. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, whenever you are." He extended a hand to her, which she tentatively accepted, a cautious smile on her face. Exiting her apartment, they made their way down to his car and she could only imagine what he had in store for her.

They were in a different car than the night they had gone to the club, but it was still a small little sports car that glided in and out of lanes as he drove towards their destination.

"So you can't tell me anything about where we're going?"

"And ruin the surprise? No thanks. Just relax and don't worry. I can guarantee that no one will be able to find us."

Jude smiled and looked out the window, she noticed as the city slipped away from them, all that was before them was the road and a country feel scenery.

The car pulled up to an area outside of Toronto that Jude was unfamiliar with. He walked around to her side of the car, opening the door for her and helping her out before going to his trunk, pulling out a blanket and a wicker picnic basket.

With the basket being held in the crook of his arm, he reached for Jude's hand. He led her away from the car and a few hundred yards into a clearing. When they stopped she found herself beneath a shady weeping willow, of which it's roots crept down into a lake that was just feet away from where Tom was spreading out the blanket.

The air was warm and light, the perfect setting for the picnic he had planned. With the two of them sitting down, he opened up the basket, pulling out dishes and an arrangement of food, leaving Jude in awe.

Ain't gotta do nothin crazy

"Whhyyyy did you keep feeding me?" Jude had herself propped up on her elbows, stretched out comfortably on the blanket, "I've never eaten so much before in my life."

"What can I say, I don't take no for an answer. You can't say you aren't glad you had the tiramisu though."

She rolled her eyes before conceding, "yeah, whatever, whatever."

"Are you too full to move, or would you care to accompany me on a walk?"

"I think I can manage." She smiled at him, this was nothing she had expected.

He stood up, brushing any crumbs off his slacks before making his way over to Jude, offering her both his hands, pulling her up towards him. As she was propelled up, she moved with a little too much momentum and found herself pressed against his body within a split second. "Whoa there," He laughed, bracing himself as she crashed against him.

She felt the all too familiar blush creep back into her cheeks as she mumbled an apology. He righted her on her own two feet before lacing his fingers with hers as they carefully made their way down to the water's edge.

See all I want you to do is be my love

The sun had begun to sink below the horizon and there was now a slight chill in the air. A golden glow was cast across the lake, the sky unimaginable shades of pink and purple Jude had never seen before.

Tommy looked towards the lake out of the corner of his eye, the glint from the sun reflecting off of the water, catching his attention. Jude noticed him looking over and she let out a small sigh of contentment. This was nothing that she would have ever expected from Tom Quincy.

He came to a stop, and slowly turned Jude towards him, the glow of the setting sun falling around her, illuminating her in a golden glow.

He gently pulled her closer to him, and with a finger under her chin, tilted her head up towards him. Her heart started to beat wildly as his lips neared her own, his eyes closed. Closing her own eyes, she felt his lips capture her own softly. There was nothing rushed or hungry in the kiss, and the tender and giving attitude of it all surprised Jude, leaving her breathless when he pulled away.

He brushed away her hair, tucking it behind her ear before pulling away from her as they continued to walk on silently. Chills coursed through her body as she tried to make sense of everything. This was not the man who was doing lines of illicit drugs earlier in the week, nor the same guy she walked in on while he received head.

The change made her head spin and she didn't even know where to begin in thought anymore.

See all I want you to do is be my love

Tom quickly gathered up the blanket and basket from the tree and captured Jude's hand in his once again as they headed back to the car, the sun safely below the horizon, now. He threw the basket and blanket back into the trunk and opened the door for Jude, helping her back into the car. Walking over to the other side, she noticed the increased confidence in his gate as he rounded the front of the car.

The ride back into the city was quiet, the top up to protect her from the chill in the night air. Once in the city again, Jude noticed they weren't heading anywhere remotely near her apartment.

"Um, Tom- my apartment. It's on the other side of the city."

"I know, I thought we could go back to my place, have a glass of wine and talk a little more before I dropped you off. But if you want to get back, that's fine, I can just-"

"Oh, sorry. No, that's fine." Jude's brows knit together, perplexed, and a little embarrassed by her actions. She couldn't even fathom what to expect. Today had been a date like no other.

Now if I wrote you a love note

Tommy pulled into a parking garage under a building, his car handling turns easily as the glided into a parking spot. Jude helped herself out of the car and walked to the rear where Tommy was standing waiting for her. His arm found its way around her waist, holding her close to him as they made the way over to the elevator that lead up to the apartments.

The elevator ride seemed to take forever, as the nerves Jude had felt earlier crept back from their hiding place. The jingle of his keys made her acutely aware of the situation, but it was just a glass of wine. A single glass of wine, and then he was going to take her home. She just knew that she didn't trust herself at this point.

As the door opened, Jude was overwhelmed by a stark white room with light wood floors, and all black furniture. It was similar in design to Jude's own apartment, but the cold colors and harsh polished steel accents left much to be desired in the warmth department.

"Make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back."

Jude slowly entered the minimalist space, perching herself on the edge of the sofa. She started to look around and noticed another glaring difference between her and Tom. He had his walls covered in plaques of success. From singles going gold, to albums going platinum. He even housed his Juno's on a shelf of his entertainment center.

Tom returned shortly with a bottle of wine and two glasses in his other hand. Taking a seat next to Jude, he set the bottle down, followed by the wine glasses.

And make you smile at every word I wrote

"So…" She started off awkwardly, "That's um, you have a lot of awards."

"Oh, that. People like to come over and see them. That's the only reason I have them up." He shrugged, brushing it off. "I'm really not into that, but if that's what everyone else wants, who am I to not give that to them?"

Expertly uncorking the bottle, he filled each glass with the dark burgundy liquid. Handing a glass to Jude, he lifted his in a toast before taking a sip off it.

"Oh, this is fantastic." Jude complimented, setting her glass down.

"It seems to be a favorite." He followed her lead, setting his glass down on the coffee table, next to hers. Turning towards her, he studied her intently as she looked at him, one eyebrow quirked. She scooted a little closer to him, also turning in so she too was facing him.

"You know, I never told you Jude, how beautiful you looked today."

She couldn't hide her smile this time. One of his hands reached out, tracing the curves of her waist and hips, "I'm so glad you didn't say no, when I asked you out. I really wanted this opportunity to show you how sorry I was and-" Before he could finish, Jude has knocked him over, deftly straddling him in no time flat, getting caught up in a frantic and desperate kiss.

See what's the point in waiting anymore

Her tongue pried its way past his lips, exploring his mouth and dueling against his own tongue. His hands wandered to her sides, inching the clingy fabric of her halter up her torso, exposing more and more skin as time went on. She failed to notice as he was skillfully removing her top from her, Jude completely oblivious to anything but her ravaging any of Tommy she could lay her hands or lips on.

Working the knot of the halter loose, the straps fell forward, her breasts barely being held in. He pulled her closer moving away from her lips, his mouth attacking her neck.

Jude let out a little groan as he licked and nipped at the erogenous skin, his lips curled into a smile and he couldn't help it as the word 'everytime' slipped past his lips against her skin.

She almost thought she had imagined it, hearing something that was really nothing at all, but her body tensed up and stopped reacting as he started to gently suck on the skin at the crook of her neck.

Pulling away from him, she looked at him, her head tilted in confusion as she studied his demeanor, his eyes clouded over with lust. A second later, it registered. She saw flashes of Kwest and Tommy talking in the studio the day he asked her out, the all too perfect date- the perfect location, the perfect meal, the perfect kiss. The wine that everyone seemed to love, and then the single word that he accidentally uttered, 'everytime.'

Cause girl I've never been more sure

Her eyes narrowed into slits and he soon felt the sting of Jude's palm striking across his face, leaving a blazing red mark as a reminder.

"You bastard! You planned the entire thing. You were going to sweet talk me, kiss me, take me back and then I was just going to rip my clothes off for you. You have a lot of fucking nerve, Quincy!"

Jude jumped up, pulling her shirt down and hastily retying it around her neck.

"Well," Tom sat upright, running a hand through his hair, "You can't say it wasn't working."

"You Asshole!" grabbing up her purse, she started to stalk towards the door.

"And how do you plan on getting home?" His sing song voice grated on her nerves, and as she turned around, the same trademark smirk was painted across his face.

"Oh, what a doll. Thanks for reminding me." Crossing the room in a few short strides, she grabbed up Tom's keys off of the coffee table and smiled saccharinely at him, "Thanks for the ride, hon."

The door slammed violently behind her, causing the plaques to rattle against the walls, and all Tom could manage out was, "Fuck."

My love