Author's note: Thank you so very much for your reviews. I have enjoyed writing this story so much. I have grown really attached to my characters. Please keep reading and reviewing. I promise I will post soon. Smiles.
"Jude….Yo Jude." Tommy said loudly as he shook my shoulders with considerable force.
"Hey Sleeping Beauty, we're in L.A." He said again as I slowly opened one eye only to close it again quickly.
"At least close the window a moment until my eyes adjust to the light, Tom" I said quietly as a sharp pain radiated across my forehead. He chuckled lightly as he pulled the shade, and I lifted my lids completely this time to find everyone getting ready for the landing ahead.
"It's the altitude change, Jude. It gives some people a slight headache. I told you to take the gum." He said authoritatively. The plane descended as I looked over at him and narrowed my eyes.
"You mention that freakin' gum one more time, Tom, I swear I am going to stuff it down your throat." I said grouchily as I looked over his shoulder at SME who were sitting behind us playing rock, paper, scissors—God only knows what they were playing to avoid—and then over to the seats across from us at Jamie and Patsy. Jamie smiled slightly at me as he noticed my glance while Patsy stuffed a little package of peanuts and a mini drink into her bag before grinning at me as well. I smiled broadly at the two before looking back once again to Tommy. His brows were arched sardonically.
"Remind me to let you get a full eight hours of sleep before I attempt to wake you up again." He said gingerly. I smiled apologetically at him and rubbed his hand as if I was petting a dog.
"Sorry, big boy. This plane ride has just really drained the energy from me. At least we won't have to do it again for a week." I said on a sigh as I felt the wheels hit the pavement of the runway with a 'jolt.' I exhaled noisily as I stood up to grab my carry on before heading to the door the flight attendant had just positioned herself by. The interview and the photo shoot were the next afternoon and Darius had so many events and receptions planned for the rest of the week that I feared we would all drown in the work. I stepped up to the door and stood in the open entrance looking silently at the mountains, palm trees, and extravagant buildings as the wind whipped my ponytail wildly from side to side.
"Welcome to the big time." Tommy said knowingly from behind me and I smiled at him as the palm of his hand found the small of my back, guiding me down the stairs slowly as if knowing I needed the support. Note to self: should invest in crash test dummies cause something tells me I'm in for a wild ride.
A little later…
We arrived at the wonderfully grand hotel that we were supposed to be staying in, and Sadie, mom, and I acted like a bunch of giggling little girls as they showed us to the absolutely ginormous suite we would be sharing together. Can you tell that we Harrison women don't get out much? It was incredible. Three queen size beds, a small living area, and a kitchen. Between the people at 'Rolling Stones' and Darius, I was discovering that they were taking quite good care of us.
"Oh boy!" I cried loudly as I jumped, yes jumped, onto the bed nearest the window.
"So, what are you guys planning on doing while we do boring studio stuff?" I asked almost enviously as I landed with a 'huff' on my butt in the middle of the bed. Crossing my legs, I looked expectantly at mom and Sadie as they took seats on their own beds opposite me.
"Shop, what else?" Sadie said with an excited smile. Mom nodded her head in agreement as I moaned as if the world were coming to an end.
"At least try to see some of the sights." I said with a fond grin at the two. Mom inclined her head and placed her finger on her lower lip as if she were thinking very hard about it.
"Okay, maybe one sight or two." She said with a laugh as I groaned and threw a pillow at her. She ducked and we all just sat there a minute processing where we were in life and what we were going to do about it. That is until the hotel phone rang with Darius on the other line proclaiming my presence 'this instant.' I groaned good-humoredly as I walked over to the door, waved bye to mom and Sadie and began my long trek downstairs toward a week I knew was going to be very exhausting.
Afternoon of Day 1 in L.A…
I twiddled my thumbs nervously as I walked into the room knowing without a doubt that I had stepped outside my league a long time ago. Spied, on the other hand, walked behind me looking refreshed and raring to go. The photo shoot before the interview was not something the guys were looking forward to, but it was a trying event they were certainly willing to adhere to. The magazine wanted mostly pictures of me although they had decided that a few pictures of the band wouldn't hurt as well. Just SME's luck (laugh out loud).
"So do I look hot?" Spied asked as we walked in. I laughed as I looked around at the makeup and hairstylists posted strategically around the room.
"Well, if you don't now, you will by the time we leave this place." I said on a chuckle as the first of the stylists approached motioning for us to follow them. I coughed, gagged, sneezed, and yelped as things were plucked, waxed, sprayed, or powder puffed into place before I was shoved rather decorously towards the costume lady who was holding out what I considered just a tid too revealing an outfit, but at least it covered all of the essentials. Once that was taken care of, I stood before the camera awkwardly waiting for whatever instructions the photographer had to give as the boys of SME pointed at me, whistled cat calls, and laughed raucously. I narrowed my eyes at them and began to make a snide remark when I suddenly noticed what they were wearing. I absolutely died. The blue jean cut-offs, ear studs, and leather reminded me way too much of a rocker band out of the eighties and I was so seriously amused by it. By the time the photographer scolded me for not paying attention, I had laughed to the point that the make-up artists had to come give me a touch up. After that, it was pose after pose first by myself and then with the guys. Spied had stooped down on the ground with me propping my arms on his back while the other two guys leaned toward us for our final shot when I noticed Tommy standing with his arms crossed and an unreadable expression on his face as he watched. Spied laughed suddenly as they announced we were finished, lifted me ceremoniously off the ground, and hoisted me up onto his shoulders. I yelped and slapped at his hands as he took me and dumped me on one of the beds they had insisted I take a picture on earlier in the day.
"Now, doesn't that make a picture I want to keep for a lifetime." He said laughingly as he held up his hands in a mock imitation of a camera. I humored him and posed as he clicked down with his fingers, and then he held out his hand so that he could help me up. I placed my hand in his and let him pull as I looked over in the direction of the costume person, impatient to be changed so we could get onto the interview part of the session. Walking hand in hand for a moment with Spied, I let his hand go as we approached the wardrobe lady, who thankfully, handed me an outfit I could be comfortable in since no more pictures would be taken that day. Tommy came up behind me then and poked me gently on the shoulder.
"Ready to go Jude? We have to walk downstairs to the interview and then Darius wants us to meet to go over some song selections and ideas for your concert tonight." I nodded mutely at him as he led me down the stairs toward the columnist who would be asking the questions. The air grew cooler as we descended the stairs and I took a deep, unsteady breath as I tried to get my heart to start beating at a normal tempo instead of the galloping crescendo that it was presently overwhelming me with. I glanced beside me to see Tommy walking with a clenched jaw almost as if he were afraid of what was to come too, or was it something else that was bothering him? I shook off any worries as we walked through the door of the room where the interview was to take place before following quietly as a representative of the magazine led me to a small table in the center of the room. A woman sat there stoically with a note pad, pencil, and tape recorder situated neatly and precisely across the surface as if she were a brain surgeon afraid of unsterile equipment instead of a journalist asking a few questions. She smiled as she stood up to shake my hand and then we both sat down opposite each other quickly as we both seemed to realize how much we wanted to get this over with.
"Well, Jude Harrison." She began slowly. "Everyone wants to know, what it's like being the first Instant Star?" I smiled as I looked at the staff of G Major standing to the side.
"Grueling." I answered jokingly before chuckling. "Actually, it has been an eye-opening experience for me—allowing me the chance to do things with my music I never thought that I would do before. And in the year that I have been working with G Major, my music has grown so much. Its still raw and edgy but it also takes the audience places I don't think it would have taken them before. Besides, I have also been given the opportunity to work with people like SME and Tom Quincy who have taken my music and taken me amazing places with it." I said honestly as the lady leaned over with a mischievous expression on her face.
"Which brings me to the next question, Jude. It's kind of hard to miss that a lot of your songs are about romance and broken hearts. Is there anyone in particular who inspires those heart-rending renditions?" She asked while leaning over closely as if she were afraid that she would miss something. I sighed heavily.
"I won't lie and say that any song, especially my songs, aren't normally written about people I know or the things that I have been through. Everyone knows about my break up with Shay, everyone knows about the problems that my parents had, and everyone knows that great music stems from personal tragedy. So, yes, my songs are written about special people in my life; however, about a particular person? Sure there is—myself." I answered as the lady narrowed her eyes hoping, I think, that I would have revealed something scandalous or at least outside the average norm. The columnist sighed as she tapped her pencil gently on the table.
"Okay, I'll buy that." She said finally. "I've also heard rumors about a relationship with your producer, Tom Quincy. You spend an awful lot of time alone in the studio, and it has been known to happen before in other famous pairings. Look at Celine Dion and her husband." She asked as I just stared at her mutely. Celine had been thirteen when she had started working for her future husband who was, by then, already in his thirties. Tommy and I didn't even closely compare. I leaned back and gave her a look that said "I don't think so lady."
"I have never met a more amazing person than Tom Quincy. Considering the type of music I play, the edge that I am always striving for when I pick up my guitar, I was totally against pairing with him at first. But it didn't take long for him to prove me wrong. He's dependable, and he just plain makes my music better. Between him and the other staff of G Major, I don't think my albums would have turned out as faultless and beautiful as they have. As for romantic rumors, let the gossip mill run its course. It seems to make people happy to imagine me doing more than singing when I am in the studio. However, the only relationship I have beyond work with Quincy is friendship and respect." I said quietly, letting the lie roll easily off my tongue as I watched Tommy squirm uneasily from the corner of my eye. Maybe, he thought I would have said something to embarrass him or to force him to come out about his feelings, but I had so out grown that petty need to do that to him anymore. It was time to show him that. The woman looked at me with rising respect as she leaned back and grinned.
"Okay to the fun fact questions." She said as she went on to ask my favorite color, foods, etc., and what I thought about certain political issues or certain aspects of the music industry. The interview was almost over when she sat up to ask me one final question. I knew it was going to be a hard one just from the look that popped into her eyes, and I braced myself for it. I could see mom and Sadie smiling in encouragement from the side of the room and that was all I needed.
"Now, we all know that you recently lost your father tragically in a plane crash. How has that changed your life? Will it affect your career, your choices from now on?" She asked suddenly and I winced at the pain that suddenly shot through my stomach. I couldn't say anything for a moment, and I saw Darius begin to fidget from the corner of my eye so I took a deep breath and plunged on.
"Stuart Harrison was one remarkable individual. He was everything from my best friend and confidante to an unparalleled fountain of advice and comfort. Sure, as my father, we had our moments as all families do at times, but all in all, I was closer to him than almost anyone in my life. As anyone knows who has ever lost a parent, it's like losing a huge chunk of your soul—having it ripped away to be replaced by emptiness. He was the man that helped to bring me into this world, who watched as I took my first step, helped change my diapers, taught me how to ride a bike, and who bought me my first guitar. No, I won't ever be the same Jude Harrison after that, but I think that the Jude Harrison who came out of the ordeal intact is even better. My mother and my sister are great. They are the glue that keeps this little family together. We have all suffered, and we have all grown. The only affect it has had on my career is my over-all drive to succeed. Because now, I am doing it for more than myself. I am doing it for him and for my family as well." I said softly, noticing as I did that mom and Sadie both had tears in their eyes and even the rest of the staff was beginning to look a little shiny around the eyelids. The woman sat back and smiled with growing respect.
"Well, there you have it people. Jude Harrison—the first Instant Star—grown into a more mature artist whose music has caught us unawares and who keeps surprising us daily. Keep it up Jude and maybe we'll be talking to you again in the future." She said on a final note as she stood and shook my hand firmly while whispering in my ear as she walked by me to leave. "That was great, Jude Harrison. Good luck." I smiled at her as she walked away before turning towards Darius who was standing with his arms crossed against the wall. Mom and Sadie rushed forward full of praise followed by everyone else from the studio. I just kept staring at Darius until he finally pushed himself away from the wall and walked over to me. He smiled as he nodded his head slightly. "Good job, Jude. Now, it's time to prepare for the concert." He said loudly before walking out the door. "Boy, he is such a veritable fountain of praise," I thought sarcastically as I gathered my stuff and followed everyone out the door.
After the concertThe room was quiet as Tommy, Jamie, Patsy, SME and I lounged lazily around the guy's suite, flipping through the channels on the hotel T.V. looking for some sort of distraction after the chaos of the interview and the pure physical adrenaline of the concert afterward. I was beyond exhaustion and meandering somewhere between delirious and harried. I was sitting between Tommy and Spied (I know what a pair to be stuck between, huh?) listening as Patsy described in explicit detail, to the fascination of all the guys except Jamie, about the tattoo she had gotten on her right breast. She's certainly got more courage than I do. No one is going near that part of my body with anything sharp—uh uh no way! After a while, somewhere between Patsy's physical explanation and flipping through the channels on the television, someone suggested renting a video. It was while I was getting up to throw on some shoes when I noticed a tape sitting on the ledge of the T.V..
"Did someone already rent a movie?" I asked quickly while pointing to the black VHS on the television. All of the guys shook their heads so I just shrugged and walked over to it, looking as I did for any title that might be displayed.
"You guys want to see what it is or do you just want me to go find something?" I asked solemnly as my search for a title ended in vain. Tommy shrugged and motioned for me to slip it in.
"It's not gonna hurt to check it out first." He said quietly as he inclined his head backwards and closed his eyes. I had a feeling he'd be asleep before long anyway. I was already curious as to why he was hanging out here with us instead of doing something equally as boring with Kwest. Slipping the tape into the VCR, I took the remote and resumed my seat between my ex and my 'whatever Tommy was.' The feed was bad at first revealing that the tracking was not all that good on the tape. Frustrated by the static, Spied grabbed the remote and began to fast forward furiously. I slitted my eyes until they were just about completely closed and inclined my head back next to Tommy's. I had almost dozed when I noticed that Spied was awful quiet beside me. Okay, let me stop right here. You must understand that Spied is never quiet. I was just opening my eyes when I heard Jamie yell.
"Oh dear God!" Before knocking over whatever chair he had been sitting in as he suddenly jumped up. The crash woke Tommy and the next thing I knew, Tommy, me, and the members of SME (with the exception of Spiederman) stood up staring anywhere or at anything except the television screen.
"Not bad" I heard Patsy murmur as Jamie ran to the VCR and snatched the tape out of the player. Spied shrugged as the screen went black.
"I say we don't have to rent." He said with a laugh as we all looked at him incredulously. We had just witnessed part of the infamous Jamie/Patsy tape and Spied acted as if his stomach was still in great condition. I, on the other hand, needed an entire bottle of TUMS. I noticed a small white piece of paper folded up neatly on the floor next to the corner where the tape had been lying earlier. I picked it up and died out laughing as I read the precise black script written across the page. That conniving little S.O.B had made a copy. I passed the note to Tommy who read: Dear Mr. Andrews, I thought you might like a chance to preview the promotional work of art you worked so hard to create. Liam.
After Tommy finished reading the missive, the room was quiet except for the obnoxious sound of my continuing laughter.
"Well, well," I said thoughtfully as I held my stomach to keep from giggling anymore. "I didn't know it was in him. Guess it goes to show our little Liam has an actual sense of humor." I reiterated as I dissolved once again into a fit of laughter followed closely behind by everyone in the room except maybe Jamie, although I swear I saw him crack a smile. It wasn't long after, we all decided to call it a night. I don't think we had the stomach to do much else.
The next day…Darius had us all shaking hands and attending more receptions and meetings than any of us were even prepared to comprehend. And the exhaustion literally had me on the verge of strangling him. We were even now only hours away from another reception and were lounging around the lobby of the hotel trying to talk ourselves into getting ready for the event. Besides, getting ready was Portia's concern—not mine. Tommy was lounged on a couch listening to something on headphones while SME was standing in the corner of the lobby playing a tournament on their game boys. Jamie and Patsy had disappeared only minutes before and had yet to return. Hopefully, no cameras were involved this time. Portia was measuring me for a costume she wanted to make some adjustments to and I yelped as she stuck me in the thigh with a straight pin. "Sorry." She murmured around another half dozen pins stuck haphazardly in her mouth as Tommy glanced up from the couch with his eyebrow cocked in amusement. Suddenly his gaze landed somewhere over my shoulder and I saw his face go several shades past pale straight into ghastly. I peeked behind me to see a young woman, probably only about a year older than Sadie searching the lobby as if in desperate pursuit of something. In front of me, Portia gasped suddenly and dropped her pins as Tommy came rushing over to us to stoop in front of my dress.
"Tommy Q, get up from there this instant!" Portia raved as Tommy shook his head emphatically. I was just plain amused.
"I am not moving until that…that thing leaves this lobby." He said with gusto as I crinkled my brows in confusion. I glanced at Portia who shrugged. Tom sighed.
"That girl over there is the daughter of one of the execs Darius has been entertaining. Unfortunately, she is also a bona fide obsessed fan of Boyz Attack. Ever since the first reception, she has been plaguing me with love letters, fruit baskets, phone calls, and even text messages. I swear to God the chick is insane!" He said as he clutched suddenly at the hem of my dress and moved around to my side as the girl headed towards the opposite side of me to the door. I could hear Tommy mumbling, "Just walk out the door" to himself and I smiled as he groaned when she looked in our general direction. Obviously, my hips were wide enough to hide him because she looked right past him and then turned and walked out the hotel door. Tommy literally sagged in relief as he sunk down to the floor below Portia and I.
"Can I finish this now, Tommy?" Portia asked impatiently as Tommy nodded before scooting backwards out of her way. I chuckled quietly.
"You better be glad my big hips and butt have invisibility powers." I said as I grinned at him below me.
"Girl," He said honestly. "Right now I am in love with those hips and that butt." He said as he shuddered dramatically and looked towards the door. I sighed as I watched his face. Maybe one day, he would say that for real.
Later that afternoon…The girl seemed to be everywhere we went. Tom just couldn't shake her. I had heard about obsessed boy banders but, geez, this one was beginning to give a whole new definition to 'stalker.' Spied laughed as he glimpsed her standing to the side of the auditorium.
"Your girlfriend's here, Tommy Q." He said on a laugh as Tom glanced behind him and grimaced as if he were in severe pain.
"Oh, dear God! Someone in the industry had to have a daughter that watched way too many Boyz Attack videos." He said on a sigh as he rushed into the crowd looking for a way to lose himself in the meld of people. I looked back at Spied and grinned.
"How long do you think he can keep himself hidden away from her? I'm betting maybe a half hour." Spied smiled back.
"I'll take that bet and raise you another half hour. He's pretty determined." Spied said on a laugh. I looked at the girl searching frantically through all the faces for her idol.
"Yeah, but so is she." I said with a chuckle. We waded through the party together, and I laughed as Spied made faces at all of the execs that came by. Nonchalantly, he made a champagne glass accidentally tip over onto a woman who had stuck her nose up at us as we walked by. I had to cover my mouth and nose to keep from snickering. I had to admit, I had missed Spied's fooling around mostly because you never had to worry about being sad around him. But our relationship also lacked all complications. I know that sounds like a good thing but sometimes complications create tension and tension can create a whole lot of passion although I won't lie and say that Spied and I didn't have passion when we were together. I watched him eye a young brunette in a slinky red dress, and I whispered for him to ask her to dance. I knew he still had feelings for me although he tried to forget about them by looking at other women, and I encouraged it because I wanted him to find someone who could give him her undivided attention. He looked over at me quickly and nodded as if he were unsure. I punched him on the shoulder and playfully pushed him toward her watching as he made his way slowly through the crowd. I was uneasy about seeing him with someone else, but I knew it was the right thing. I missed Kat right then only because we would have gossiped together about the whole affair. We had sort of made amends at my father's funeral, but we were still a while away from going back to the way things were before. People swirled around me as I made my way to the side of the room, noticing as I went that Tommy's lunatic stalker was well on her way to discovering where he was amidst the crowd, and it's not as if he could leave the room. It would insult whatever business people Darius had so gregariously invited. Tommy stalked up to me then with a look of pure disgust.
"This is getting absolutely ridiculous." He said on a sigh as he pressed himself as deep into the shadows of the wall as he could. I looked at my watch—thirty minutes were up. I grinned at Tom as he looked at me suspiciously.
"Late for something?" He asked casually. I cackled at him almost evilly as I smiled broadly.
"Nope. Just bet Spiederman that 'psycho girl' would catch up with you in about thirty minutes. Spied bet an hour." I said on a laugh as Tommy's expression changed from casual to 'you are so dead.' The girl turned suddenly and I could tell that she was about to head in our general direction. Tommy smirked as an idea suddenly came into his head.
"Good." He said thoughtfully. "Then you can help me let Spiederman win his bet." He said before suddenly grabbing me by my shoulders, twisting me so that my back was against the wall and his was facing the room before suddenly and desperately taking my lips with his, punishing my mouth mercilessly just as the girl suddenly walked past us unaware of who the couple at the wall could possibly be. I literally fell into the kiss—reveling in the warm sensation that started in my toes and moved all the way throughout my body. I was on fire. He pulled back suddenly and I realized that his 'fan' had made it to the other side of the room and was engaged in conversation with someone she obviously knew. I was breathless, and I know my lips had to be swollen and my cheeks tinged in red, and although Tommy didn't look like he was even somewhat affected by the kiss, I could tell by the storm clouds that raced through his eyes that he had been. He nodded at me then and glanced at his watch.
"I think Spied's about to win his bet." Tommy said daringly as he winked and walked back into the crowd. Oh no he didn't! I casually walked across the room, chatting as I went with people here and there until I finally caught sight of the girl from the corner of my eye. Stepping up to her I commented.
"Oh my God! Did I just see Little Tommy Q over there by the punch bowl?" I said dramatically holding my hands over my eyes as if shutting out the overhead lights so I could see better. The girl squealed as she turned, spotted her prey, and headed hurriedly in his direction. I lifted my hand and waved sweetly at him as he threw his hands up in surrender and fled as best he could through the crowd. Laughing, I turned to see Darius behind me with a pointed expression on his face.
"Jude." He said quietly. "We need to talk." I just looked at him with a grimace as I followed him out of the room. All the while he chattered as he led me to a small room outside the reception area.
"What you said about your dad at the interview really touched people, Jude. It has really given you some great PR. Because of that, I was hoping we could, I don't know, really hype up the whole emotional aspect of your career right now." He said firmly as I looked at him incredulously.
"Are you asking me to cry for points, Darius?" I asked as if I had been slapped in the face. "Because if you are, then you can forget it." I said with finality as I turned to walk out of the room. Darius grabbed me by my upper arm and looked at me intently.
" I am not saying that, Jude. I'm just saying it may not hurt your sales any if you use that a little." He said with a shrug.
"What!" I yelled. Thank goodness the music in the other room was loud. "I will not use my father's death to make my sales go up. Do you understand me Darius? It hurts enough as it is." I said on a cry as I started to say something else only to be interrupted by a voice behind us.
"I think you should come with me, Jude." I heard Tommy say quietly as I turned to see my very angry producer staring purposely at Darius. I shook my head in resignation.
"I've got this, Tommy." I said matter-of-factly as Darius leaned casually against the wall behind me. He and Tommy began fighting a battle of words over me and my situation, not even giving me the chance to remark, so I just turned and walked out of the room. I could hear Tommy telling me to wait, but I just kept on going knowing that he would follow anyway.
Thirty minutes later…
The park was dark when Tommy and I entered it. I could see from his expression that he was still rather piqued about the situation so I kept my mouth shut as I walked over to a group of swings that were swaying slightly in the breeze.
"I haven't sat in one of these in years. Come on, let's sit awhile." I said jovially as I pulled at his arm before taking my place in one swing and pointing at the one next to me for him. Tom raised his brow uncertainly and I grinned at the ridiculous expression.
"Oh, come on! Even old men don't ever get tired of swing-sets. It's one of those things from our childhood that just keeps coming back to us for more." I said with certainty as I started to pump my legs gently in order to get the swing to move back and forth only a little. Tom shook his head at me before finally sitting down on the other swing.
"You're one of a kind, Jude Harrison." He said fondly as I smiled at him while pretending to preen my feathers.
"Why thank you, Mr. Quincy. Such kind words can get you anywhere." I remarked on a laugh only to notice the shadow covering Tommy's face again. I sighed in irritation.
"Come on, Tommy! It's fine okay. I just got a little upset back there. I did not mean to fly off the handle and I did not need you to help me." I said in aggravation. Tommy grabbed the chain on my swing and pulled me close.
"Jude, you know all you have to do is say "rescue me," and I would come running in a heart beat." Tommy said quietly. I looked at him for a minute noting the way his eyes grazed over my face almost in fascination. I loved Tommy, but I wasn't giving him the satisfaction anymore of letting him think I was a kid that needed his protection. I wasn't angry when I finally spoke just a little resigned as I pulled the chain out of his hand and turned so that I was completely facing him.
"Sometimes you just don't seem to get it, Quincy." I said on a sigh. I glanced down at my shoe for a moment and then back up to him before taking a deep breath and plunging on. "Rescue me huh? Tom, those two words are rightfully the two easiest, most romantic, most vulnerable, most needy words in the English language. It would be so easy for me just to say, 'here, take away all of my burdens and make it better'—to close my eyes and envision a white charger materializing out of the mists to slay my demons, to take a sword to any dragons, and a band-aid to any wounds. But, in the end, I want to be able to wake up in the morning and be proud of the image staring back at me in the mirror. For, in truth, it isn't always about having someone else rescue you, Tommy, it's about finding a way to rescue yourself." I said firmly glancing at his stunned expression before doing the one thing I had thought I wasn't capable of anymore. I leaned over, placed one hand on each side of Tommy's face and let my lips slide gently against his just enough to let him feel my passion but keeping enough back that he would, hopefully, feel the need for more.
"Maybe I am at that point, Tommy, where I need something more from you than just rescuing." I said on a breath as I stood up and walked away—yes walked away. It was the right thing to do at the time. Tommy needed to think, and I hoped to God that I had left him with something to think about. Besides, Jamie, SME, and Patsy were determined to go out on the town tonight and I was just as equally determined not to disappoint them.
Later that nightThe bar was dark, smoky, and crowded as we walked in looking for relief from the grueling schedule and asinine orders that Darius kept snapping at us during the day. We all needed to unwind a little—to stop, look at ourselves, and find what in our natures kept us ticking. I walked over to the counter, sat down on a bar stool, and looked around slowly while noticing out of the corner of my eyes that the members of SME and Patsy and Jamie were doing just about the same thing. In the background, a singer performed on the stage doing a really bad rendition of Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville. What? Did they actually think that a song about a depressed man drinking alcohol would cause people to buy more drinks because right now the only thing it was doing for me was making me sick.
"Can I get you something?" A voice asked behind me and I turned just in time to see the bartender standing there impatiently fiddling with a small white towel he had just draped over his shoulder. I shook my head gently knowing that, even with my fake ID, I had no desire to befuddle my brain that night. Staring back out into the room, I smiled as I watched Spied and the guys harass whatever good-looking thing walking on two legs happened to pass by. I wondered quickly if they remembered we were in California right now because, believe it or not, you can't always tell the difference between a real woman and drag. The thought made me chuckle as, out of the corner of my other eye, I watched Patsy sliding against Jamie as she tried to get him onto the dance floor while sipping a drink she had so obviously used her fake ID to get or whatever means she had of acquiring what she always managed to acquire. We all needed this 'cooling down period.' I really didn't have much desire to do anything other than watch the other guys have a good time so I settled back and enjoyed the view while turning down the occasional guy when he came to ask me to dance. An hour later, my butt was starting to go to sleep from sitting too long when an insistent tap on my shoulder brought me out of my reverie. I glanced backwards to notice a very ugly man standing behind me. He was a round, robust middle-aged man with a balding head whose breath smelled suspiciously like Jack Daniel's. He wore an old cutt-off jean jacket, and tattoos blared loudly from each of his arms.
"Can I buy you a drink, missie?" H asked suddenly and I was almost overcome by the stench that wafted off of him.
"No, thank you." I said quickly before starting to turn away again. He chuckled wickedly and placed a few bills on the bar behind them.
"Get this girl a couple of shots, will you?" He asked the bartender loudly as I looked at him in both disbelief and disgust.
"I don't want anything, thank you." I said loudly this time as I turned away from him roughly, fully intending to get up and walk away.
"Come on now darlin'. You sure were sittin' here looking mighty lonely a minute ago. I don't see why you would be adverse to just a little company." He said in a tone that didn't encourage argument.
"You messin' with our girl?" A voice asked menacingly from behind me in a voice that sounded suspiciously like a very bad imitation of Clint Eastwood in 'Dirty Harry." Uh huh, oh yeah, this was definitely going to make things better. The guy looked from me, to the boys of SME behind me, and then back to me again before he laughed in obvious amusement.
"Your girl?" He asked with a quirked brow. "Boy, you sure like it kinky, don't you, sweetheart?" He asked as he looked at me with a drunken twinkle in his eyes before placing his hand on my arm. I just grinned at him suddenly as I shoved his hand forcefully off of me.
"Well, you know what they say? Three's better than one." I said before placing my feet on the floor so that I could stand up and walk away. A firm grip on my wrist kept me from moving as the man's foul breath suddenly invaded my space.
"Trust me, I'm enough man that you won't need three to make up for anything lacking." He said firmly, too firmly, for my liking. Again, I shoved his hand away as I stood up and turned to leave.
"I seriously doubt that." I remarked on a huff as I watched SME's faces grow red with indignation as I started to walk toward them. The man behind me obviously had never heard the word 'no' a day in his life because I unexpectantly felt his hands wrap around my waist as he tried to pull me back against him. I could tell just from the look that came over Spied's face that the situation had over-stepped the bounds of irritation and moved straight into the world of trouble. Behind Spied's shoulder Jamie sauntered up with a murderous look in his own eyes while Patsy hung slyly onto his arms. She had always liked a fight. I could almost see her waving her fingers in the air going meow as she turned to face me. I gave them all a look that said "I've got it under control." But they obviously didn't get the hint. Spied marched steadfastly up to the man with a warning gleam in his eyes.
"I think it would be a good idea to let her go, Godzilla." He spat out just about the time that the man's fist came around to make quite a bit of contact with Spied's jaw. The force threw Spied backward and he landed on his knees with his palm now cupping his face. Oh hell, he was mad now. The man behind me chuckled as I noticed something whirring through the air from across the room. "Oh shit." I thought suddenly ducking just in time to miss the contact from a long-necked glass beer bottle as it whirred past my cheek. The guy behind me wasn't so lucky. He got it square in the face, and although it didn't do much damage, it did get him to let me go. I quickly pushed away from the man just in time to see several more men enter the fray. Fists went flying, glass broke across various surfaces, and distantly, I could hear sirens blaring in the background. Oh, we so had to get out of there! I looked around trying to survey the situation when another bottle landed at my feet. I kicked it disgustedly. Geez, what did they think this was—the set of an old western movie? All we were missing were the clacking spurs, cowboy hats, and the occasional tumbleweed. A little John Wayne at the moment wouldn't hurt either. I glanced over to see Jamie hitting a guy in the nose, dazing him just enough so that Patsy could finish him off. "What a strange team?" I thought to myself as I made my way over to them.
"We have got to get out of here!" I yelled upon reaching their sides. Jamie nodded sullenly and pulled a kicking Patsy up against him as he attempted to drag her toward the back door. I followed close behind while trying to search out SME as I went. It didn't take long to spot them. Spied was conking a man on the head with a pool stick while the other two were swaying awkwardly on the backs of two other men, desperately trying to get them to fall to the floor. I broke away from Jamie and Patsy just long enough to grab Spied's arm all the while motioning to the back door before whispering frantically in his ear. He nodded and together we turned toward the two men who had Wally and Chad hanging off their backs. Unconsciously counting to three, the two of us lifted our knees and plowed them straight into the groins of both men, watching them fall as we grabbed Chad and Wally by the necks and literally dragged them toward the back door. Through the smoky interior, I could see Jamie and Patsy waiting impatiently for us at the Exit. Oh dear God! With them, stood a very irate Tommy probably on a mission from Darius to round us up for more work. I groaned inwardly. This was becoming a very very long night. I shoved the boys ahead of me and was just about to follow when a voice whispered furiously in my ear.
"Going somewhere, sweetheart?" He asked obnoxiously as his hand pressed firmly onto my shoulder causing me to wince at the contact. I clenched my teeth together in out-right rage. I was really getting sick of this guy. I knew from a quick glance at the door that Tommy was about to come to my rescue and I was so not having that happen again. With a sharp twist, I elbowed the man severely in the gut, stomped on his toe, and twisted enough to land one mighty kick into his nether regions.
"Now try using your gifted "I'm enough man for three men" equipment on some other girl. Hmmm..I'd say you might find it out of commission for a while." I yelled furiously as I turned on my heel and brushed by Tommy as I walked toward the door.
"You coming?" I asked nonchalantly as I glanced over my shoulder to see him staring disbelieving at the man on the floor. I could tell he was trying his hardest to keep from grinning as he followed me quickly out the exit. Patsy was clapping her hands in glee as Jamie and SME looked at me with new respect.
"I did tell you I had it under control in there, guys." I said with a shrug and a shake of my head. "But at least you can go home now and tell everyone you were involved in a real bar brawl." I said whimsically. In the background, the sirens I had heard earlier were now blaring in front of the bar. Tommy jiggled his keys from a rental car he had parked near a dumpster.
"Let's just get out of here, huh." He said softly as we all rushed to jump into the vehicle.
Footnote: What happens after the bar brawl and what happens when an earthquake hits California?