Author's Note: I am so excited about this story! For those reading this for the first time who have not read Note to Self and are wondering about a few references, just check back with that story. Lots of smiles. Please R&R and let me know how you like the story. I am having so much fun writing it, but it gives me an extra boost when I get your opinions. Thanks so much for all those who have written thus far. Smiles--Angel

For a week, we nearly locked ourselves into the studio recording, mixing, and rehearsing for my opening night concert in Rome. Why the Papal city first? I have no idea but when it came to scheduling the concert locations, dates, and times, I had absolutely no say in the matter. Kwest looked harried as he ran around trying to tie up loose ends before the concert in two days. He had flown in from Switzerland on a later flight than us and was staying in a hotel near the studio. Standing now outside 'Mr. Money Bags' manor, Kwest was explaining the schedule to us as Portia sat on the ground with swaths of fabric, groaning as she kept having to stuff pieces of cloth under her legs to keep them from flying away in the breeze. Out of all of us, she had probably done the most traveling—going back and forth, helping with publicity and conferring with different clothing lines she was having help sponsor my tour. I was fiddling with a piece of satin cloth as she pinned it tighter around my waist when she leaned over and handed me a picture of Tommy and I in L.A.

"Tommy asked me to give you that, Jude." Portia said in a tight voice. I looked down at her quizzically before glancing over at the photo, feeling my insides grow warm at the picture. On the back he had written, "Finally got a photo of you with your blonde hair. The other copy is in my wallet." I laughed silently to myself before looking down at Portia again to find her staring at me sadly.

"What?" I asked her warily as she glanced at the picture in my hand and then at me again.

"Be careful, Jude. Tommy is full of sweet words and gestures, but he's good at stabbing you in the back when you're not looking too. He's like a chameleon—he can change his persona almost at the drop of a hat." She said bitterly, shaking her head in remorse as she lifted yet another piece of fabric and held it against my leg. I was startled at her vehement comments, but I kept my expression neutral as I looked out over the yard at the guys of SME who were trying to figure out how to play crochet. I laughed as one of the guys hit a ball into Lady Elizabeth's flower garden wincing as it smashed a few flowers.

"He was young and embroiled in a business that was eating him alive when you two were married, Portia." I said in a low tone so that only she could hear. She hruuumphed as she stabbed murderously at a piece of cloth with a needle. I was beginning to get very nervous about having her stick me with pins.

"Did he ever tell you what caused us to break up, Jude?" She asked cattily—pausing for a second as if for dramatic effect. "Hmmmm…because I walked into our house to find Tommy in our bed with another woman. And not just any woman, mind you. No! I found him with mine and Darius's half sister." She finished severely. I bit my bottom lip, hard, to try and keep from gasping out loud as I stared at her mutely, and I knew when I tasted copper in my mouth that I had managed to draw blood. I kept my face schooled to reflect a calmness I didn't feel as I tried to process what she had just so unceremoniously revealed to me.

"I take it from your silence that you didn't know." Portia remarked wryly as I stared belligerently at a spot on my shirt—rubbing at it insistently even though I knew there was nothing there. "Don't jump to conclusions, Jude!" I berated myself as I realized that my entire body had grown numb. It's not like I could say or do anything. Tommy and I weren't even in a committed relationship.

"It's none of my business, Portia. He and I aren't even together." I said quietly as I stood there limply. Portia raised a brow.

"Sure you aren't." she stated sarcastically. "Come on, Jude, you may not have come right out and said, 'hey we're an item,' but you two have all the classic signs. You, at least, have already given him your heart. It's plain as daylight to see." Portia continued as she stuck yet another pin into the fabric. I just couldn't move—couldn't say anything. Sadly enough, until Tommy actually came out and said 'Jude, you're it for me,' then it really wasn't my place to feel anything about the shocking statement Portia had relayed. I wasn't going to let myself get agitated over nothing.

"It's hard, isn't it?" Portia asked suddenly. "Trusting someone once you know that they have failed people before." She finished on a wry note. I couldn't even look at her any more. I hated her for putting that nibbling doubt into my brain, even though in her own twisted way she was only being a friend. "And the most difficult part of it," Portia continued. "Is that 'the other woman' Felicia is, as we speak, working at G Major Studios." She stated flatly. I froze. My mind was suddenly an echoing chamber of static as I felt an insistent tug on my elbow. I turned slightly to see Jamie looking sharply down into my face.

"Your cell phone's ringing, Jude." He said quietly in concern as he handed me the vibrating piece of metal. I took it from him and looked at the display screen, groaning inwardly as I did. The name flashing said Tom Quincy, and even though I had no desire to talk with him at the moment, I flipped the phone open and moved pointedly away from Portia.

"Hey there!" I answered as brightly as I could—notably not beginning the conversation with a quip as we had gotten in the habit of doing every night this week. He must have noticed the change.

"Hey, Jude…" He said cautiously, growing quiet as I tried to calm my breathing reminding myself not to be judgmental. "Are you okay?" He asked in concern. I shrugged even though I knew he couldn't see me.

"I'm fine, Tommy. It's just been a long day. Portia's sticking me with pins right now, and I don't care what they say about acupuncture, needles do nothing to relax me." I said on a laugh hoping to discourage him from any further questions even though from the deep breath he took, I could tell he didn't buy my explanation.

"If it's Portia you just left, then I can relate to your troubled woes." He said dramatically and, in spite of my worries, I laughed at his jest.

"Tom Quincy!" I said in a, shake my finger in your face, tone of voice just as an annoying yelp and running footsteps caused me to turn around instantly on alert.

"What the…." Tom began as I rolled my eyes and held my stomach to keep from dissolving into a fit of laughter and mortification all at the same time. FiFi, the Psycho Poodle from Spied's worst nightmare, was lying out on the grass completely passed out. I glared at Spied as I walked over to the group now surrounding the dog, telling Tom to hold on a minute as I did. I heard Tom settling down to listen to the commotion as I stooped over the motionless poodle before glancing at Spied.

"You killed FiFi!" I said quickly as I picked up one of her paws and let it drop limply to the ground. Spied threw up his hands helplessly.

"I swear I didn't touch the psycho pooch. I just swung that, whatever that thing you hit the balls with is called, and the next thing I knew she was laying here like this." Spied proclaimed loudly backing up as he did, looking behind him at the house praying, I'm sure, that Lady Elizabeth wasn't anywhere in the vicinity.

"What do we do?" Kwest asked from behind us as Patsy pointed to the flower beds.

"There's always burial." She said with a shrug. I rolled my eyes at her as I stooped over once again to inspect the dog. I could hear Tommy laughing faintly on the other line as he obviously figured out what was going on. I was just about to stick my finger in the dog's ribs when a hand on my shoulder almost caused me to jump out of my skin.

"Shit…"I cried as Devon Moore's face suddenly appeared over my shoulder. He was a tall guy with dirty blonde hair and shocking green eyes, and those same eyes were definitely sparkling with amusement right now. He leaned over and put something under the dog's nose, and we all watched in amazement as FiFi suddenly jumped up and began running around excitedly, heading straight for a very miserable Spiederman.

"It's that type of breed." Devon said in his deep British accent, narrowing his eyes at he did at the mutt as everybody laughed at the situation.

"Well, I'll be damned. A dog that faints." Kwest said on a chuckle as he shook his head from side to side.

"We should have buried the thing." Spied mumbled miserably as he shook his leg to try to dislodge the dog. I quirked a brow and laughed as Devon tapped me on the shoulder and handed me the photo of Tommy and I.

"You dropped this." He said quietly and I nodded my thanks before turning back to the phone.

"Sorry." I said with a wince as I heard Tommy chuckle.

"Here's keeping you in my thoughts. If only I could have seen what I just witnessed over the phone." He said as I smiled and walked over to where Portia was still standing. In the background, I heard a woman say something to Tom who muffled the phone and replied.

"I guess work beckons." He said on a sigh, and just from the way his tone lowered, I knew that he really didn't want to get off the phone.

"Yeah, well you go mix music. We'll go back to performing "Pet Cemetery" in Mr. Money Bag's backyard." I said on a laugh as we said goodbye and clicked our phones shut. I sat there a moment just staring at the keypad, wondering (to the exasperation of my meandering brain) about a woman I had never even met. Looking up, I saw Spied standing to the side of the yard looking at me silently, and I smiled at him as I gave Portia permission to torture me again.