Chapter 2:

The unexpected

The rapid pounding of a heart-beat, the click clack of a fast pacing walk, the screams of frustration, and fear all mixed into one occupied Jude's mind at the moment. As she paced back an forth the frantic tapping of shoes meeting hard tiled floor is what kept her mind at bay. She couldn't believe this was happening to her. Of all the rotten luck...She told herself to calm down, to take a breather. But at the moment she was finding it hard to even catch her breath. She gave another short pace to the left of the room and stopped to check the clock. It was time. She dragged her feet as she talked back to the counter of the lady's room. With a soft inhale then exhale, she bit she bottom lip and picked up the home pregnancy stick.

In her world time stopped as she read the results.

The test fell from her lifeless fingers. She was pregnant! How could she be pregnant?! The last time she had sex...She had to stop and count...Two months ago. With...him. Her first night at Lovely's. Since then for some reason Lola had stopped her from taking clients. She hadn't told Jude or Hunter why, not that he cared, Lola gave him a small percentage to not pressure Jude into taking clients. And as long as he had enough money to gamble drink and live the night life he didn't care way or the other. Jude was happy that she didn't have to have sex with anyone, but the realist in her wondered why Lola would pay for her not to have sex when that was what Lovely's was all about.

She couldn't be pregnant!

That's all there was to it. It was some kinda of mess up with the test. She looked over at the other test, luckily when she'd gone into the little quick-mart store across from Lovely's, with Erin following her every step of the way, Erin was a mean little something that Hunter set to watch her, she'd stolen two pregnancy test. She felt really bad about have to still, even felt bad about tricking little miss Erin so she wouldn't notice what was being stolen. She promised herself one day she would pay the store back. Hoping it really was just a glitch in the first test she walked over to the second one only to find the same pink lines. She was pregnant!

This could not be happening to her.

It had to be some sick twisted nightmare. What was she going to do with a child? She couldn't take care of herself much less a child. She had no money, she was a whore, and she had an abusive...owner. She couldn't even bring herself to call him her boyfriend, in truth she'd never even condoned to committing to him. Hunter! The thought of him made her queasy. What if it was a boy, he'd teach her child to be like him! What if it was a girl, he'd abuse and mistreat her, probably make her become a whore or something worse. Oh god, what if he didn't let her have the baby, he'd take joy in making her lose it. As the thought of all the creative ways he could accomplish this ran though her head, Jude made a run for the toilet. As she emptied the contents of her stomach her hand laid against the cold floor holding her up, her back arched as she tried to keep from making a mess. The last thing she needed was for Hunter to ask her any questions. After she was done she rinsed her mouth out and washed her face at the sink. What was she gonna do?

A loud knock at the bathroom door shook her from her troubled mind.

She heard Hunter's voice yelling her name through the wall. She almost didn't answer it but she knew things would be worse if she ignored him. Not wanting him to know of her pregnancy she dumbed the test and their containers in to the trash throwing napkins over them to to be on the safe side. She was greatful that she'd done both things because when she opened the door he came right in pushing her back to enter the one stall room.

"What are you doing in here?" He demanded, but didn't even give her time to continue. "I have good news...you're going back to work."

"Bu..."

"I don't give a damn what Lola says, I need the money."

"What, the percentage Lola's giving you isn't enough to lose in the gambling hall..." As the words left her mouth she wished she'd never uttered them. The force of the blow that landed on her cheek knocked her to the floor. She was glad it was just a slap and she'd landed on her bottom instead of her stomach. She didn't know anything about kids so she didn't know what would hurt it yet. Her hand cradled her cheek she knew it would only leave a small bruise, most likely on the high rise of her cheek bone. Hunter kneeled down in front of her leaning on his tip of his feet instead of on his knees, his legs slightly spread.

"Were you questioning me?" His voice was hard and cold, feeled with anger. Knowing what was expected Jude gave a frantic shake of her head no. He tsked his finger coming up to play with a strand of her hair. "Thats disrespectful sweety, I didn't teach you to be disrepectful now did I?" He looked totally calm and sweet as he said the words, his voice a soft wisper, but Jude wasn't fooled she shook her head again. "Good...Good" He removed her hand from her cheek and replace it with his thumb, rubbing the skin as if trying to soothe her. "You know how I get when I'm angry, you know not to make me angry. It's okay, you'll figure it out one day. Now about you going back to work tonight..."

"I...can't"

Gone was the nice boy act, his eyes instantly turned to steel and his voice became cold again at her words. "What do you mean you can't?"

"I can't..." She thought of the first lie that came to mind. "Its that time of the month..." He looked as though he wanted to beat her right there on the spot. She feared he would do just that but instead he stood up and walked out, slamming the door behind him. Jude also stood up, rising slowly on shaken legs with a sigh of relief. As she stepped out of the bathroom, she found Erin waiting in the hall. She didn't say a word to the woman ignoring her as if she wasn't even there and made her way down the hall back to her room. She know the woman didn't expect to come in so as soon as she enter she shut the door behind herself.

What was she gonna do?

She couldn't stay with Hunter. And even though she remembered the last time she'd tried to escape, the trepidation of having to wait til he fell asleep, the pounding of her heart as she slipped out of the bed, the motion of her body being silent as she slipped into her night gown trying to rush, the triumph of almost reaching the main door, the fear and horror of hearing the click of the gun and the tsk of Hunter's voice behind her, the rush of adrenaline and she turned to flee only to feel the searing pain of the bullet tearing though her leg a moment later. Remembering this, even fearing it would happen again she couldn't stay. She had a child to think about now. She late her hand atop of her flat tummy. She had to survive for her baby now.

As she asked herself the question of what she was gonna do again her eyes strayed to the night draw.

She couldn't! She bit her lip, consider what would probably be a big mistake on her part. Two months ago she put the note in her dresser draw. Even though she'd had no intention of calling the number she hadn't been able to bring herself to throw it away. Now she was happy she hadn't. Maybe if she pleaded her case he'd help her. Then when she got on her feet she'd never bother him again. But what if he turned out just as bad or worse than Hunter. Could she chance it? What choice did she really have? She only needed a little help she didn't need him to take responsibility for the child, just needed to get away from Hunter and without any money or any friends she couldn't do it.

With a sigh if dread, she made up her mind.

She opened the drawer pulled the piece of paper out an sat on the bed. She sat in the spot a full twenty minutes trying to think of another way but didn't come up with one. With another resigned sigh she picked up the phone. She hoped Lola didn't have the phones on a recorder. She knew that the bill for whatever calls you made were paid when you ever you paid your percentage to Lola, but she didn't plan on being there long enough for it to be a big deal. As her fingers pressed the numbers her mouth went dry and her heart pounded within her chest. What if he refused to help her? What if he was worse than Hunter? What if he was better...she couldn't afford to fall in love. Love wasn't real, it was an excuse, a thing of imagination. Her fingers clutched the handle of the phone holding it to her ear, and they only tightened when the ringer started. After five everlasting rings the phone was answered and a gruff "Hello" greeted her ears.

Tommy was hard at work working on his latest clients song.

It had been two longs months since that night. He'd planned on going back, had wanted to go back. But the next morning he'd been called by the company, some crises with one of the artist album that needed to be taken care of, so he'd flown back to Toronto. And she hadn't called. He didn't know why he thought she would. Hell he didn't know why he wanted her to, he didn't want or need a relationship. He just couldn't explain it. He'd even gone as far as paying Lola to keep her from other clients. And Lola always demanded top dollar, but he thought it was worth it. He planned to fly back in the morning and stay the weekend.

The insistent sound of his phones ringer broke through his easy made concentration. He picked up the phone looking at the caller I.D but it was a number unknown to him. ending the music he spun around in his chair so that his back was facing the mixing board. Flipping open the phone he gave a gruff "hello".

The voice that answered had a sweet tilt, with a small high pitch of hesitance and trepidation. But it was the words that held his sole attention. "I'm pregnant!"