Chapter 37

Hey Jude! The headline read. Jude picked it up, rolling her eyes. Reporters could be so cheesy. A picture of her performance on Behind the Mic adorned the front page of the Toronto newspaper. The caption read; Superstar bites back.

Jude walked back into the house, picking up her coffee. She sat down on the couch, relaxing into the plush fabric. Tommy wouldn't be there to pick her up for another few minutes, so she had time to read the morning paper, or at least the newest celebrity gossip. She couldn't help but laugh when she thought of it like that.

It had been a week since the debut of her new single, and it had skyrocketed to the top of the charts. She was still the queen of the tabloids, but these days the stories were less about her past and more about her future. Since they had dropped the news about their relationship, Tommy and Jude had become the new "it" couple. Jude couldn't say she minded; how could anyone mind being on the cover of every tabloid in Canada with their incredibly hot producer and current boyfriend extraordinaire.

The doorbell rang and Jude jumped up to answer it. Tommy stood at the door with Starbucks in hand. Jude beamed, wrapping her arms around him.

"I can't believe that Darius wants us there at nine in the morning! Why can't he hold staff meetings in the evening?" She stuck her bottom lip out, pouting slightly. Tommy responded by leaning in to kiss her and nibbling slightly on her lip as he did. Jude let out a small moan as she leaned into the kiss, allowing Tommy to deepen it. He broke the kiss a few moments later, whispering quietly.

"Maybe we can sneak away afterwards. Angie is at preschool and my house is sitting there all empty and cold. It could use some warming up." His breath tickled the skin on Jude's neck, sending shivers down her spine. She couldn't formulate words at the moment so she replied to Tommy's proposition by leaning back on the couch and pulling Tommy with her.

"Meeting. G-Major." Tommy managed to formulate the words through his heavy breathing a few minutes later. He looked down at Jude who nodded, trying to slow her own breathing. They straightened themselves up and rushed out the door. They were going to be late as usual.

"Here's the woman of the hour now." Darius said as Jude and Tommy tried to sneak into the room. "Nice of you to join us." Jude gave everyone an apologetic look and sat down. Tommy stayed standing, an unreadable look passing between him and Darius.

"Now that everyone is here, we can begin. There is a specific reason I called you all here today, and that is to celebrate. I just got the sales stats in. You went double platinum girl!" Jude jumped up, unable to contain her excitement. She hugged everyone before practically tackling Tommy. "With you turning 18, you new single hitting number one, and your album going double platinum, we are going to throw you a massive party. It will be so big the Grammy's will look like a children's birthday party." Jude beamed, she knew Darius was serious. When Darius Mills had a party, you could bet it was going to be huge.

Everyone went back to their various tasks, still buzzing with the excitement. Tommy pulled Jude into the studio, shutting the door behind them. He pulled her close, kissing her softly. A few moments into the kiss Jude pulled back slightly, an amused look on her face.

"You know, if you wanted an impromptu make-out session, a room without windows might have been a better choice." Tommy laughed, nodding his head slightly.

"Yeah, it probably would have been, but this is the perfect place to give you this." He pulled a small black box out of his jacket pocket, holding it out to her. Jude took the box, feeling the plush velvet as she held it between her fingers. Slowly she pulled the box open, revealing a pair of stunning earrings. Jude gasped slightly, looking up at Tommy with wide eyes.

"Are they?" Jude started.

"Platinum, just like you." Tommy said, smiling down at Jude.

"Oh, Tommy, they are beautiful. I love them." She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Letting go, her fingers traced the delicate lines of the earrings. They were tiny platinum guitars, studded with diamonds. The metalwork was exquisite. Jude kissed Tommy, her smile beaming. There was a knock at the door. They turned around to see Kwest waiting rather impatiently outside.

"T, we need to finish that track we started last night." Tommy nodded and looked at Jude apologetically. Jude smiled, heading for the door.

"I'll just go show these to Sadie. She is going to die when she sees them." Jude disappeared leaving Kwest and Tommy to do their jobs. Tommy stared out the window briefly, swearing he could hear Sadie's squeal through the soundproof glass. He snapped back to reality, sitting down to work.

Two long hours later the track had been finalized and Tommy was thanking every omniscient being he could think of. He stood in the doorway, waiting to catch Jude's eye. He saw her look his way and motioned toward the back door. Ten minutes later Jude and Tommy were running down the alley in mock secrecy.

Tommy leaned against the door, hearing it click shut behind him. He pulled Jude to him, their lips connecting electrically. A few moments later he was walking her backwards into the house. In their flurry of passion they ran into the entranceway table. Tommy vaguely heard the contents of the table clatter to the ground, but he paid no attention. The only thing on his mind was Jude.

By some stroke of luck, they made it to Tommy's bedroom without breaking anything. He picked her up, laying her down on the bed. Kissing down her neck, he ran his fingers along the edge of her shirt, his touch sending chills up her spine. She pulled him closer until they were practically one being. She pulled at his shirt, lifting it over his head. He hesitated before doing the same. They lost themselves in each others arms.

"Are you sure about this?" Tommy asked, pausing slightly. He wasn't sure how Jude felt about being with someone after what had happened. She nodded profusely. She had dreamed of this moment for nearly three years. There was nothing she would rather do.

Jude and Tommy laid in quiet reverie together. The moment they had shared was beyond anything that either of them had ever experienced. It was beautiful. The soft tone of white lines drifted through the air. Tommy moved slightly, realizing the sound was his phone. He picked it up, listening a moment before snapping it shut.

"That was Sophia." Tommy said, breaking the silence. "She and Angie are going to get some ice cream before they head home."

"That gives us just about enough time to clean up the hallway." Jude said, smiling as she remembered the fevered passion between them. Tommy laughed, reliving the same moment. They lazily pulled themselves off the bed, making their way towards the door to survey the damage.

There was nothing breakable on the table. Tommy had quickly learned where not to put breakable items in a house with a five year old. There was mail spread across the floor along with a picture of Jude and one of Angie. Tommy reached for the pictures as Jude gathered up the mail. As she set the mail back on the table she noticed a missed letter lodged between the wall and the leg of the table. Picking it up, the American flag in the corner caught her eye. She turned to Tommy, handing him the letter. He looked at it briefly, noticing the postage date as well as the return address. He swore softly before opening it.

Jude watched Tommy carefully, wondering who the letter was from. She was naturally curious, especially when it came to Tommy's past. Unfortunately for Jude, Tommy's past was like a book written in German, completely unreadable. Worry lines formed on her forehead as she watched the color drain from his face. He looked up from the letter, his eyes wide.

"What is it?" She asked, stepping forward. She put her hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes. He dropped the letter onto the table, turning away from Jude so that she wouldn't see the tears forming in his eyes.

"It's Angie."