"Do the wedding rings have to match?" Tommy asked Jude quietly, his hushed tone an indication that he didn't want Sadie in the conversation. Over the past hour and forty-five minutes of debating ring options, he had grown fully tired of Sadie's input and just wanted to make the decision with Jude alone. Sure, Sadie found the shop and got them an impossible-to-get appointment with the jewelry designer, but as far as Tommy was concerned, her job should've stopped there.
"I'd like them to." Jude answered with a whisper; she didn't mind Sadie but could tell Tommy was on edge "It stands for our unity."
Tommy surveyed the sets of rings all set out on the counter in front of them, divided into pairs on a backdrop of black velvet. The light overhead reflected off the metals and gems giving the rings a sparkle that seemed far more attractive an hour ago. Who knew choosing rings would be such a task? He picked up a plain gold band and slipped it onto his left ring finger, examining it with a grimace hinting at his expression. "Gold doesn't match anything I have." He offered his hand to Jude as an explanation, the gold band clashing with the sliver/white gold rings he normally wore
Jude met his eyes with an unhappy expression "But babe, white gold doesn't match my engagement ring." She said, showing him her hand as well; her gold engagement ring was poorly mismatched with a white gold ring Tommy had suggested.
Tommy sighed, frustrated, "Then I'll get you a new engagement ring." He said, but Jude's responding incredulous glare immediately forced him to retract the statement with a sheepish mumble of "Never mind." Jude wanted to roll her eyes but took out her aggravation on her gum instead, her chewing a sudden up tempo as she pulled the ring from her finger and returned it to its match. Somewhere behind them, Sadie was talking with Nick, looking for a compromise to settle the color issue. Jude leaned on her elbow, one hand under her chin, while the other reached over to pick up the gold ring she wanted. It was a simple gold band with three small diamonds encrusted right into the metal. It matched her engagement ring beautifully.
Tommy watched her admire the ring, a small frown on his lips "Our rings don't have to match. I mean, my first-" His words cut off with a swift snap of his jaw and his lips curled in, hoping Jude didn't hear it, but his hope was dashed when her eyes landed on him with a glare that forced him to cringe like a man who had said the absolute wrong thing twice in a row.
"No, go ahead, Tommy, finish that sentence." Jude demanded, her arms crossed firmly over her chest as she turned to face him fully.
Tommy glanced at the dangerous challenge in her stare and grimaced with remorse, diverting his eyes anywhere but toward hers "Jude, no. I didn't mean to bring that up."
"I'm super happy Portia was cool with having different rings, but our rings are going to match." Jude bit out angrily "Maybe you should've learned something from your first marriage and got me a different engagement ring."
"Well, to be fair, Portia never got an engagement ring." Tommy muttered, picking at the edge of the velvet cloth.
"Well, aren't I special?" Jude spat sarcastically, her teeth biting into her gum even more irritably than before. Tommy cursed under his breath and hung his head in surrender, both elbows propped up on the glass display case. An apology was coming to his lips when Jude turned and called Sadie over. At this, his hands clasped together and a breath of irritation escaped his nose in gust. "The rings normally match, right?" Jude asked when Sadie came to stand next to her. Despite her annoyance with Tommy, she really was trying to make a compromise knowing that Tommy's collection of rings was something important to him.
In response to Jude's question, Sadie crossed her arms and looked at Tommy, though he didn't see it "God" She breathed "Why is he being so difficult?"
Jude reached behind herself and gripped Tommy's arm, knowing he was most likely glaring at Sadie and was motioning for him not to say anything "No, not our rings. My rings." She explained quickly "The engagement ring and the wedding band – they normally match, right?"
"Yes." Sadie answered primly but dropped her arms, just as tired as they were. She grabbed Jude's arm and led her across the room where Nick was standing. He offered a polite smile, tolerating the decision-making process with more grace than Jude thought he would have. "Look" Sadie offered Jude a ring that was a very light shade of gold as opposed to the more vibrant golds they had been looking at "How about this?"
Jude slid the ring into the place, staring at it in thought. It wasn't an exact match, but it might be the closest she was going to get. The shade was light enough to blend in with Tommy's rings, however, still dark enough to be distinguished from the group. An unhappy sigh left her lips "Yeah, I guess this would work."
"But you don't like it." Sadie pointed out and held up her hand "Here, give it to me. We'll keep looking."
Jude looked over her shoulder at Tommy, who hadn't moved from his place at the counter behind them, trying on rings. They must've seen at least a few dozen different variations by now and neither of them were going to get exactly what they wanted, it seemed. She looked down at the ring on her finger and was going to just agree to it to get it over with, but something in the case caught her eye. She crouched to look at it and looked up at Sadie hopefully, "What about those?"
Nick unlatched the glass opening and brought out the rings Jude was pointing to. They were yellow gold dominant with a white gold pattern etched into the surface, giving it a diamond-less sparkle; solving both her and Tommy's problems. He said something in Italian as he cleaned the smudges from the ring with a soft cloth. "They need to be sized." Sadie translated, but Jude put it on her finger anyway. It was a little big, but it matched her ring so perfectly that she couldn't help the wide smile that graced her lips. Seeing this, Sadie sighed a nearly inaudible "Fuck" under her breath before speaking in a much more charming tone; negotiating the possibility of having the rings resized on such short notice.
While Jude didn't know exactly what they were saying, she knew what they were talking about and unexpectedly enveloped her sister in a warm embrace that caused her to balance to falter. Sadie laughed softly and held on to Jude to steady herself before hugging her more fully, her chin resting on Jude's shoulder "You're welcome." She whispered
Jude gathered the matching ring and went over to Tommy, greeting him by running her hand up his back. He had moved from the counter to the couch, and was twisting off the cap of a water bottle when Jude made her approach "Problem solved."
"Sadie to the rescue." Tommy responded bitterly, not bothering to look at the ring Jude was offering him. Jude furrowed her brow and sat beside him, leaning over to rest her forehead against temple "Jude Harrison saved the day this time." Her voice was lovingly soft and she kissed his cheek. He leaned into her touch with the slightest smile warming his expression as Jude put the ring on his finger. Unlike Jude's, it was an exact fit "It's perfect."
Once all agreements were done, and Sadie secured a guarantee that Jude's ring would be ready in time, Tommy offered his credit card for payment. He paid no mind to the cost of resizing, or the fee for the rush. Jude was in the process of stashing Tommy's ring box in her purse when Sadie stopped her, "Do you want them engraved?"
"Engraved with what?"
Sadie shrugged "Whatever you want; its complimentary."
"Better be." Jude muttered under her breath, her eye catching the total cost at the bottom of a very complicated receipt. She looked at Tommy in question and he agreed with a nod. Nick gave each of them a pen and a slip of paper, giving them only a five-word limit. Jude pursed her lips, the pen poised in her fingers as she stared at Tommy. He jotted something down very quickly and returned the paper before Jude could read it. "Noooo" She objected "How'd you come up with something so fast?"
"Just speak from the heart, Harrison. No pressure." He winked, and Jude's eyes narrowed playfully "It'll only be there forever."
Jude scowled at him halfheartedly, the tip of her pen tapping against the paper, looking at Tommy with a speculative gaze. He eyed her expectantly at first but after a moment, he made a face at her to make her laugh. "I hate you." She giggled with a fond shake of her head.
"You write for a living – this is literally your job." He pointed out
Jude clicked her tongue and looked down at the paper in thought, thinking of what she could add to his ring that could sum up everything she felt for him in just a few simple words. She was baffled as to how he'd done it so easily, but then again, he's always been better with words. Her cheeks puffed out as she exhaled and finally wrote something down, handing it to Nick before Tommy could read it. "Ugh, yours is better, I know it."
Despite all prior irritation with Sadie, and the frustrating, prolonged debate over rings, Tommy's breath when they stepped outside was a content one. Jude wasn't as into the exclusivity as he was, but he found it cool that they had one-of-a-kind wedding bands from such a sought-after designer. With this thought, he grudgingly thanked Sadie as he and Jude walked her to her car. Sadie offered a smile of acknowledgment that, regardless of how brief it was, demonstrated growth on her part. Maybe she was beginning to hate Tommy a little less with the wedding so close, and showing no signs of cancelation.
The chaos was slightly less maintained with all the time the paparazzi had to gather while the couple was inside. Their security forged a path for them and formed a box around them once they were back on the sidewalk. Tommy put his sunglasses on, but Jude didn't bother as she openly rolled her eyes to the cameras flashing urgently from every direction. The smell of rain hung heavy in the air and the once sunny sky was now dark with heavy clouds. Jude was about to mention that they should've brought umbrellas when an umbrella suddenly popped open over her head and another opened over Tommy's. She frowned up at the protection, then over at a security guard who was stoically protecting them from the rain while his own suit slowly became soaked through. "Oh my God," She breathed, "We're those people now." Tommy shrugged indifferently, being no stranger to this type of thing. "It's all part of the job." He murmured in return
"Our job, or theirs?"
"Both."
They walked under the sound of rainfall for another block before Jude sympathetically moved closer to the guard on her right so he'd be at least partially protected from the rain, but it was rendered pointless when he made no adjustment to the umbrella in his favor. She gave up and shoved her fingers into her front pockets, focusing now on the pain in her feet. If only security were as handy with comfortable footwear as they were with umbrellas. Tommy mumbled something under his breath at a particularly intrusive cameraman and made a reach for Jude's hand, only to find her lagging a few steps behind before bringing the group to a stop entirely, her eyes trained on something across the street. "What is it?" He asked, trying to follow her gaze
"That" She pointed at a thrift shop that was sandwiched between two far more high-end clothing stores; the raggedy outward appearance was a direct contrast to the elegant and polished storefronts neighboring it "I really like that." She continued thoughtfully, her head tilting to the side.
Tommy, thinking she was pointing to the nicer of the stores, looked at an outfit secured to a mannequin, in a front window and was about to comment on it when Jude suddenly turned and rushed into the crowd that was following them, leaving her uncomfortable shoes abandoned on the curb. "Jude!" He called after her incredulously and attempted to follow her path, but the crowd thickened around her in an impenetrable bubble, so rather than going through the crowd, he jogged around it, meeting Jude just before she made it to the crosswalk. "What are you doing?" He yelled over the roar of pouring rain
Jude grabbed his hand and pulled him along with her as she ran across the street, an unexpected laugh escaping her lungs. The rain wet their hair and clothes while security scrambled to keep up and the paparazzi tripped and stumbled from under plastic ponchos, cutting into traffic. Tommy laughed as well, shoving aside any questions he had; this was the most fun he'd had in a long time, and with Jude's hand holding a tight grip around his, the moment was perfect somehow. Puddles splashed up around their feet as they came to a sloppy stop in front of the thrift store before stumbling inside, engulfed in a bout of laughter.
"Have you lost your mind?" Tommy said, a wide smile across his face, and his breathing heavy
"I found it!" She exclaimed, her voice bright with happiness. Before he could ask what she meant, Jude was walking over to a dress that was propped up on display in the corner of the store front window. From the outside, it was partially hidden behind advertisement posters, and those same posters acted as a shield from the cameras as Jude examined the skirt of the dress. Tommy looked out the window, his face confused "You saw that from over there?" He pointed across the street where someone had already swiped the shoes Jude left behind.
Her wet feet left prints on the carpet as she crossed the store in search of an employee. When she asked if she could try on the dress, Gina, the teenage cashier, first said no because of her soggy appearance, but when Tommy offered her some sweaters off a rack to dry off with, the objection was muted. He watched as Gina dismounted the dress and brought it into a dressing room that was really a bunch of curtains hung on poles that looked suspiciously like shower rods. The dress didn't look like anything special to him, nothing like the dresses he's seen Jude looking at online – especially nothing like the ruined dress that still resided in their closet from her and Sadie's failed shopping trip weeks ago. He propped his arm up on a clothing rack, pointedly keeping his back to the windows while he waited.
Once the dress settled on her shoulders, Jude's breath hitched at the reflection staring back her from a foggy little mirror on the wall. Swirls of lace swooped up elegantly from the hem, forming an illusion bodice with a bateau neckline, giving a peek to the strapless, sweetheart lining beneath. In all her searching, she had no idea what it was she was looking for, but now as her fingers brushed along the soft lace of the cinderella skirt, she knew this was exactly the one. Her hands went to work on securing the zipper, only making it up half way before it was out of reach. She scrutinized her reflection, trying to determine if the fit was right without having it fully secured. "Not superstitious, right?" She called through the thin curtain, a small catch of uncertainly creeping into her voice, eyes trained on the little tear in the lace at the bottom.
"Nope." Tommy didn't really know what to expect, so when Jude hesitantly stepped from the dressing room, the feeling that came over him was overwhelming. His heart squeezed tight in his chest when his lungs refused to take in any air, then came to life at an accelerated rate. Nothing as beautiful or as precious had ever sanctified his vision as much as Jude standing before him, barefoot in a wedding dress. It didn't look like much on the hanger, but on Jude, it looked like his entire future. Her hair was mostly pulled back in a damp bundle of ringlets, but the hair that didn't quite reach the bun messily framed her face while her bangs lay sprawled across her forehead. A small bead of water dripped from the tip of her hair and rolled down her neck as she took a step toward him. The love that filled him was so serious and so pure that he couldn't even manage a smile. Humbled and elated all at once; rendered thoroughly speechless.
Seeing his reaction, the knot of uncertainty that began to gather in her stomach burst open into a swarm of butterflies, suddenly sheepish under his intense gaze. The look that she loved so much was in his eyes, but far more powerful. Jude brought up a hand to nervously tuck some hair behind her ear, speaking in a shaky murmur "It's vintage, so it's not flawless, but…" Her hands gripped the skirt, adjusting, a blush coloring her cheeks as she adverted her eyes from his "I must look awful." She breathed a self-conscious laugh
Once he found the ability, Tommy closed the space between them and rested both hands on her face, waiting until she met his eyes before speaking "You are perfect." His voice cracked a little around the last word, and Jude smiled in return. He brought his lips to hers, injecting every bit of emotion he was feeling into the gentle kiss. Jude broke the kiss first, looking up at him from under her lashes with bright blue eyes, sparkling with the same happiness in his.
"Can you zip it up, please?" Jude asked, remembering why she left the dressing room in the first place. She turned around and Tommy brought the zipper up to rest at the nape of her neck before wounding his arms around her from behind, pressing his lips to her shoulder "I love you so much." He said
"Oh my God!" A voice squealed, breaking the couple out of their moment with a jolt. They turned to find three sets of eyes on them, one belonging to Gina. The other two girls wore giddy smiles, looking no older than sixteen. They both had Jude's album clutched between both hands in a death grip, while Gina tucked her cellphone into her back pocket. "They didn't believe you were really here." She explained.
"Ahhh you guys are so cute!" The initial voice sounded again, even more high pitched than the first time "We're in the same room with Jommy!"
Tommy cringed openly against the sound of her squeal while Jude forced a smile to hide it, more than a little disappointed by the intrusion of their private moment.
"Can we get a picture?" The third one urged, her words jumbled together in an enthusiastic mush of syllables "Can you sign this?" She held up Jude's album
Jude idly wondered how they got by security, but was more distracted by all the attention that surrounded her; paparazzi outside, armed security detail, and clamoring fans right in front her. It all made her feel a little high. This was real fame.
Tommy's arms fell from her waist with a bitter whisper of, "All part of the job" before turning to distract the girls so Jude could change out of the dress unbothered. After a mess of autographs and pictures, they immerged from the store with a dress bag in hand. Security was far more diligent with the couple, keeping their box formation almost claustrophobically tight to prevent another runaway incident.
IIII
"I'll just run in really quick." Jude said as Tommy pulled the car to a stop in front of Gmajor.
Tommy hesitated, but agreed, knowing if he went in with her, Darius would find a way to keep them around. He watched as Jude rushed inside, shaking his head at his gym shoes on her feet; they looked like clown shoes on her small frame. His smirk vanished, however, when he caught sight of a woman walking up the sidewalk. She was a little thinner, and her hair was a darker color, but Tommy was positive it was her. With wide eyes, he leaned in over the steering wheel, getting a better look. He wasn't sure how long it's been since he'd seen her last, but it's been at least a couple years. Why would she choose to come back now?
In a panic, he got out of the car and jogged inside before the woman reached the door. He had to see Jude before Jude saw her. His mind swarmed with memories; how sad Jude was, how hurt she was back then. He spent a lot of time with her during that period, providing a shoulder to cry on and a sympathetic ear; the way she cried when she told him it had been months with no calls or letters. After all this time, he was certain she would be gone for good. So certain, in fact, that neither bothered to mention her name when discussing the wedding invites.
Tommy caught Jude by the arm just as she stepped out of Darius' office. "What's your damage?" She complained as he hastily pulled them around a corner "It's only been couple minutes."
He looked down at her, hands on her upper arms, wanting to be delicate about the news, but once he heard a woman's voice ask for Jude Harrison, he was forced to blurt it out "Your mom is here."
