Hi--thanks so much for all of your feedback on the last chapter! Tommy and Jude definitely aren't having a good day...and the fun continues...
Just a quick note to let you know that I'm going away on Thursday for a long family weekend. I'm going to try my best to post before then (I have the next chapter written but I need to edit it), but if not, I'll be back on Sunday. So I hope you all can forgive me if I don't have anything before the weekend, but keep in mind, I'll also be missing the episode that I've been waiting weeks for...my family doesn't get The-N, so I'm going to have to wait until Sunday to see it (GRRRRR!).
Anyway, I won't be leaving you on a cliffhanger like the last post but this chapter does change the tone of the story a bit...you'll see. Let me know what you think and as always, hope you ENJOY:-)
"Well, look what we have here…"
Tommy and Jude broke apart instantly, jumping back from each other's grasp and turning to look at the person in the doorway.
"Well, well, well…I hate to toot my own horn, but just for the record, I was right all along."
"Kwest…"
"I would've thought you'd be happier to see me. I could've been Georgia. Or even worse, Darius."
Jude and Tommy smoothed out their hair and clothes, and Jude reattached her bra which was hanging off the edge of her shoulder. Both were extremely embarrassed, Tommy unable to look at Kwest and Jude's face turning a bright shade of crimson.
"So…" Kwest said, sitting down at the soundboard, watching them readjust, "how long has this little situation been going on? Wait—don't tell me. I'd say…about 2 to 3 months? Nah, maybe longer..."
Tommy looked at Jude hesitantly, not sure how much information to tell him.
Tommy started, "Ummm...yeah, about three months."
"I knew it! You two thought you were so smart, sneaking around here late at night, but I'm the smart one. I knew what you were up to the whole time."
"Yeah, you're a genius, Kwest," Tommy said bitterly, sitting down on the couch.
"And you," Kwest said, looking towards a visibly uncomfortable Jude, "those papers actually told the truth for once. You are cheating on your boyfriend."
"No, I'm not!" Jude exclaimed in her own defense. "It's complicated, but Josh and I aren't really dating."
"What? It sure looks like you're dating."
"Well, we are…but it's just for show…he knows…about this…" she stammered, looking over at Tommy who was sitting on the couch with his head between his hands.
Kwest looked confused for a minute and then his eyes opened wider in comprehension. "Wait—so, he knows? About the two of you? And he's okay with it? Why would he still date you then?"
"He's dating Sadie," Jude explained with a sigh. "He didn't want his own relationship put on public display so he agreed to be seen with me to throw everybody off."
Kwest sat still, putting the pieces of the story together in his mind. "So, you're not cheating on him?"
"No," Jude confirmed, taking the other seat by the sound board.
"And you're not cheating on Tommy?"
"No," Jude reiterated, more firmly. "Nobody's cheating on anybody. Josh and I have an agreement."
"Okay…" Kwest said, thinking everything through. "So what exactly is the arrangement you two have going? Are you just getting it on after hours or is this more?"
Tommy looked up from the couch and into Jude's worried eyes. He glanced over at Kwest's questioning face and answered, "Do you really think we'd be running this risk if it were just to get some action?"
"So then…" Kwest said, not entirely catching on.
"It's more," Tommy replied quietly. Jude revealed a small grin in hearing him say it.
Kwest nodded in understanding. "And were you planning on telling anyone or just hiding it forever?"
"What is this, twenty questions?" Tommy asked angrily, standing up and starting to pace around the room. "We're together. You're the one who told me I should do it, so I did. So don't start giving me—"
"Hold up, now," Kwest interrupted, standing up and blocking Tommy's path. "You think I'm going to criticize you? No, man, I know what I told you. And I still believe it. You two have something—you have for awhile. I just thought you were too chicken to go for it."
Tommy groaned at his words and turned around to sit back on the couch. "And if you're thinking that I'm going to run and tell Georgia, I'm not," Kwest stated. "The three of us are friends—I'm not going to say anything. But if she walks in here and sees what I just saw, it'll be your problem, not mine."
Tommy looked intently at Kwest, trying to determine if he was being completely truthful.
"Besides," Kwest said, sitting back down in his chair. "I'm just happy knowing that I was right."
"Well, congratulations," Jude said sarcastically, patting him on the back. "It really did take a musical genius to figure this out."
"Now don't get all sarcastic on me, Miss Harrison, or else you're going to be running my errands and getting my coffee from now on," Kwest threatened.
"You wouldn't…" she said.
"No, I won't. But you two better be nice to me. Don't go yelling at me like you usually do. 'Kwest, do this! Kwest, do that! Sweep the floor! Turn up the volume! Turn down the volume!' From this point forward, I better be a well-respected man around here."
"Yes, sir!" Jude said with a grin. "We'll treat you like royalty."
"Good. That's what I like to hear," he said, standing up. "Now if you don't mind, I was just coming back to grab my keys which I left here by accident. I'm going to take them and leave so you two can get back to whatever it was that I interrupted."
At that, he stood up and went towards the corner, grabbing a set of keys on the side table, and turned around to leave.
"Good night, lovebirds," he said, on his way out the door. They could hear him laughing in satisfaction all the way down the hall until the front door closed.
As he left, Tommy and Jude sat still in the uncomfortable air that settled throughout the room. Jude looked at Tommy, waiting for him to look at her or say something, but he sat rubbing his head with his eyes closed. She quietly played with the dials on the sound board, replaying the moment in her head and wondering what he was thinking. After a few minutes, she heard him sigh loudly and turned to see him get up off the couch, a troubled look on his face.
"It's late. We should head home," he said softly, distantly.
She nodded and stood up too, getting her coat and bag from the corner. After she put her coat on, she stood in the doorway watching as he turned off the sound board and grabbed his coat. She didn't budge from the doorway as he approached to leave the room. He saw the concern and unease in her eyes as he walked up to her and reached for the light switch.
"Tommy…"
"Don't," he interjected, before she could continue. "I don't want to talk about it."
"But I do. And judging by the look on your face, you're not okay with what just happened."
"I'm not okay, but I don't want to discuss it right now. I just want to go home and forget this day ever happened," he stated quickly, before flipping off the lights and squeezing between her and the wall to get out of the room. She stood in disbelief as he pushed his way around her and walked swiftly down the hallway towards the front door. As he approached the door, he turned around and saw her still standing near Studio B.
"Are you coming?" he asked coldly.
She felt a lump in her throat at his tone and hostile look in his eyes. She swallowed, not letting her emotions show, and approached him.
"Did I do something wrong?" she asked, trying to hold back her hurt but hearing it come through in her words.
He looked at her for a moment and then out the door towards the parking lot. "No, you didn't. I just want to get out of here. Can we please just go?"
She nodded hesitantly and passed by him and out the door. They silently got into the Viper and immediately took off, speeding towards her house to drop her off. What felt like seconds later, he pulled into her driveway, stopping to let her out. His usual warmth and reluctance to see her go was gone and in its place was coldness and irritability. She needed to get out, feeling like the car was suffocating her, so she quickly mumbled "good night" to him and took off, not giving him a moment to say the same back to her. She felt the tears cloud her eyes as she approached her front door, pulling out her keys and quickly letting herself in.