A/N: *sigh* I apologize in advance for the massively predictable plot twist that's about to happen. In my defense, the Instant Star writers would've done it too.
"Hey, Nora, what's going on?" Jude said, walking into her boss's office the next morning after having been woken up by a call from Emily asking her to come in early. "Em said you needed to see me." She muttered "two hours earlier than I was supposed to come in."
"It's Robert." Nora said, stiffly.
"Yeah, he wasn't in yesterday, is he alright?"
"For the moment, yes." she said, her lips pressed into a tight line. "Though if I ever get my hands on him I can't guarantee he'll stay that way."
"What? What did he do?" she asked, confused.
"Sit. He left this for you." She said with a long-suffering sigh. Jude sat in the chair opposite Nora's, and Nora handed her an opened envelope with "Jude" written on the front. Inside was a folded sheet of lined paper. She recognized Rob's handwriting.
"Jude, love." it read.
"So sorry to have to leave you like this, but the heart wants what the heart wants. I've never done anything like this before, but... Marco's taking me backpacking in Thailand! Can you believe it? I really do regret that I can't say goodbye, but after seeing you with that ring on your finger I thought 'I need to do something spontaneous and romantic for once in my life.' So for once I'm not playing it safe. I'm just following my heart, not thinking it through, or waiting around for someone to talk me out of it. Can't say for sure when I'll be back, and if I know Nora, there won't be a job waiting for me when I do. But for some strange reason, I don't care. This is a new leaf. I'm gonna live like music. (See how you inspire me?)
"On that note (ha), your album will be fantastic with or without me there to push your buttons. I'll buy it as soon as I get the chance, and I'll send you a postcard from Bangkok. Maybe we'll come wandering back in time for your wedding. Best of luck to you and Alex. I've mailed a letter to him as well. I love you, you incredible crazy rock star.
"Love always,
"Rob"
Jude stared at the letter, rereading it to make sure she'd read correctly. This was so surreal, so unlike Rob, who, while being a hopeless romantic in theory, had always been relatively down to earth. "What?" She asked after a minute. "So he's, what, eloping? I didn't even think he and Marco were still together." She looked up at her boss. "Seriously, what the hell? Is this a joke?" Nora gave a her a glare that said 'Do I look like I'm joking to you?' and Jude quickly said "Rhetorical question, sorry. But what the hell?"
"I can't fathom why he left. But the bigger problem is that he's gone, and you don't have anyone to help you finish this album."
"But I'm my own producer. Do I really need someone to help me finish?"
"I was under the impression you still had several songs left on which you needed to record vocals."
"Yeah, I do, but–"
"I will not have you running back and forth to record your own vocals. It's inefficient, and the sound quality will suffer. Besides, it's my personal policy to have more than one pair of ears in every recording booth, or you can't be objective about your sound."
Jude sighed. "Fine. But there are other sound engineers, aren't there?"
"All of mine are working on other projects, and I'm reluctant to jeopardize other artists. I suppose there might be someone I could pull, and I'll put out the word that we're hiring, but your album is due three weeks from today." Her boss, who was normally the epitome of calm and collected, was becoming increasingly agitated as she spoke.
All of a sudden, it hit Jude, and she couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it before. It was crazy, and under normal circumstances she'd never have tried it... but Nora was looking so desperate it might just work... "It's okay." She said. "I think I might have a solution."
.
She had to knock on his hotel room door several times, but finally Tommy answered the door, bleary-eyed, wrapped in the hotel comforter. "Um... hi, Harrison. A little warning would be nice. Especially at the crack of dawn."
"It's ten o'clock. Dawn cracked like three hours ago. I have an offer to make." She said, uncharacteristically brusque.
Tommy raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
"Just let me in."
Tommy looked at her strangely, but stepped aside, letting her into the suite. "Coffee?" He asked.
"No time."
"Yeah, aren't you supposed to be working today?"
"I am working. That's what I'm trying to say. Nora asked me..."
Tommy removed the blanket from his shoulders, revealing a bare chest underneath. Jude was caught off-guard and trailed off. Tommy smirked. "Earth to Jude."
"Hmmwhat? Yeah, sorry. Um, Nora told me to come down and ask... Oh my God, will you put on a damn shirt, Quincy?" She looked pointedly away, but her eyes flickered back, much to Tommy's amusement.
"Your boss wants me to put on a shirt?" Still smirking.
"Quincy"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I distracting you?"
She didn't bother denying it "You're such an ass."
He made a show of grabbing a shirt and slipping it over his head. "Better?"
"Nora wanted me to ask you to come down for an interview."
"An interview?" Tommy asked, surprise wiping the smirk off his face. "For what job?"
"Well, do you remember Robert?"
He shook his head, then said "Oh, wait, that guy from the party? The audio engineer?"
"Yeah, well, apparently he's eloped, or something, and gone off on a last-minute, months-long backpacking trip with his boyfriend."
"Backpacking where?" Tommy interrupted. "It's almost winter."
"Nowhere." Jude coughed uncomfortably. "Anyway, Nora's freaking out, with the album due so soon. I told her I could do it myself, but she refused, and everyone else is busy. I kind of told her you'd be willing to... fill in, just until the album is done. She remembered you from my party, and I guess she liked you, because she agreed to an interview."
"Fill in? I don't engineer, Harrison."
She gave him her best puppy-dog eyes. "I'm caught, here. Help me out? Please?"
"Fine." He said reluctantly "But you aren't demoting me. If you really want my help, I'll produce you."
Jude made a noise of protest "No way! I've fought hard to be my own producer! You don't get to be my boss!"
Tommy sighed exasperatedly. "I taught you everything you know, remember? There's no way I'm letting you be my boss."
"You didn't teach me everything I know."
He scoffed. "Damn close."
"Whatever." Jude hesitated, then said "Fine. Would you agree to co-producers? We've done it before."
Tommy considered it. He knew Jude was a great producer, probably as good as he was, and he had always loved working with her... "That means we share creative control, Harrison."
She put her hands up in an 'I surrender' gesture."Of course."
"In that case... Deal."
She smiled "Deal." They shook hands. "Now get ready!"
"I'm going!"
He showered and dressed, managing to come and retrieve the comforter wearing just a towel, allowing Jude, despite her eye-rolling, ample opportunity to stare at him again.
"Jude" he asked as they got into a cab, not because he really cared, but because he was curious why she'd avoided the question the first time he'd asked. "Where'd you say that Robert guy is going backpacking, again?"
Jude hesitated, then sighed and said "Thailand."
"Ah." Tommy said, remembering their long-ago plans with a pang.
She shook her head and changed the subject.
.
"Well, Tom, I don't see any reason not to bring you in, at least for the completion of Jude's album." Nora said at the end of the shortest job interview Tommy'd ever had.
"Alright. Where do I sign?"
"No contract for now, if that's okay. I'm treating this as a trial run, since I don't really have time for a complete interview, or to draw up the paperwork. But if this goes well, I'll make it official. At that point, you can continue working with Jude, or we can get you producing another artist, or you can leave, if that's what you want. I'll pay you what I'd pay any producer, and you're welcome to check me on that. Think of it as an extended interview process."
He considered that. "Sounds fair enough."
"And I'd like you to start right away, if you could."
"How right away?"
"Jude's in the studio now."
"Wow." He said, surprised. "That is right away."
Nora smiled apologetically. "We're on a bit of a deadline. I revised Jude's work schedule a bit to give you to time to review the album if you need. Last I checked, she had a few songs left to record, and several to finish mixing, but I'm fairly certain she got some more done this week. We're looking at 11 or 12 songs total. I need a finalized track list in the next two days for the album covers, and final mix is due to me three weeks from yesterday. Sound possible?"
"Stressful, but possible." Tommy replied.
"Good." She smiled. "If you would, I'd like you and Jude to review the album right now."
Jude knocked on the door to Nora's office, and her boss gestured for her to come in. "Jude" she said. "You've got brilliant timing. I was just telling Tom to go and listen to what you have so far of the album, get an idea of what you've still got to do."
"Right now? Does that mean he's officially my co-producer?"
"It does indeed."
"Wicked!" She grinned at Tommy, who smiled back. He was looking forward to this more and more, though he'd not been thrilled at the thought at first. "I always value Tommy's opinion on my music."
"Can't wait to hear it, Harrison."