Author's note: I have just found myself incredibly inspired today. I got some great reviews yesterday, and I have been on a high ever since. Let me know if you guys are reading. I've got some exciting things coming up. Please R&R. Lots of smiles out to you.:)


The studio was buzzing when we arrived, and it continued to do so as we made plans, rehearsed songs, and got ready to catch the flight to Rome—basically just last minute preparations for the touring fury that was about to ensue. Patsy and I were going over a duet idea as part of the opening act when Kwest, Tommy, and Felicia walked in looking harried and exhausted. They had been in and out of meetings all morning and you could tell that the jet lag had gotten to the newcomers. I inclined my head sympathetically at Tommy when I suddenly heard Spied ask Patsy and I to help him out with something. I was in a pretty gregarious mood at the time so I nodded at him and stooped to pick up my guitar, followed closely behind by Patsy. Spied was sitting on a stool, and he motioned to two empty seats, one on each side of him as he hefted his guitar up onto his hips and leaned over contemplatively.

"You must be having some serious problems if you're asking for help, Spied." I said on a laugh as he just shrugged his shoulders and turned back moodily to his guitar. I looked over at Patsy, who quirked a brow, and we both leaned over to take a seat on the stools. Let's just say it wasn't the brightest idea Patsy and I had ever had. The next thing I remember is hearing a 'crash' as Patsy and I both hit the floor to land in two very inelegant heaps behind Spied. I glanced up at him warily from my place on the floor to notice he had a small mischievous smile plastered across his face while raucous laughter came from Wally and Chad against the wall.

"What the hell?" Patsy yelled curtly as Spied pointed to Wally and Chad who were holding out two small, miniature handheld saws. I couldn't help it. I laughed. SME had gotten us good. Patsy brushed herself off grudgingly, although I could tell she was trying very hard not to smile. She brushed her fingertips over the back of Spied's shoulder and I watched in amusement as she flicked him lightly on the nose with her fingertip. Or at least I was amused until Patsy froze—looking over at a bulletin board at the side of the room where, to my nauseating shock, my bra was now on display for the entire world to see. I groaned as everyone else realized the same thing—wishing with all my might that the floor would just open up and swallow me whole as I stood up gallantly and made my way over to the board. Pulling the bra off the wood (and grabbing a piece of ice inconspicuously out of a cup on the table underneath it), I swung it sensually in front of SME's faces before hanging myself off Spied's shoulder with as calm an expression as I could possibly pull off.

"So tell me guys." I asked in a low, husky tone. "Is that what all the commotion was about this morning? Don't tell me you were all having wet dreams about me?" I said with a sensually quirked brow as Patsy lost it, and SME's faces grew several shades past the natural red. Spied chuckled suddenly and pulled me down onto his lap ceremoniously.

"I don't know. Want to test it out, Harrison?" Spied said softly as he winked roguishly before leaning over me seductively. I just ran a finger across his collarbone before slipping the ice I had in my other hand down the waistline of his pants.

"I don't know, Spied. Something tells me you need to cool off." I said with a chuckle as Spied nearly pummeled me to the ground by leaping up off the stool with a yelp. Patsy caught my fall as she pretended to bow down to me reverently.

"Couldn't have done it better myself, Harrison." She cried out as tears ran down her cheeks from the laughter. Spied threw me a look as I walked over to the studio door. Laughingly, I grabbed my guitar and walked out. It was about time to prepare for the flight and I was getting very excited about the big opening night.

Later that afternoon…

I sat down on the plane with a sigh as my body finally got the chance to just relax for a little while. Closing my eyes briefly, a brush of wind alerted me to the fact that someone had sat down beside me.

"Winding down?" Tommy asked quietly. I let my head fall slightly to the side so that I could see him before cracking my eyelids open on a moan.

"Just a little bit." I answered softly as I gazed into his blessed face. He was grinning at me as he ran a finger down the skin of my arm.

"So tell me, when did Jude Harrison become such a minx?" He asked on a laugh as I scrunched my nose and rolled my eyes up at him.

"Who me?" I answered innocently as I watched, with fascination, the small circles he was drawing on my hand with his fingertips. I'd do just about anything if he would just keep doing that.

"Mind if I sit here next to you?" A voice asked pleasantly from across the aisle. Tommy pulled his hand back as if a snake had bitten him, and I glanced at my arm with a frown.

"Be my guest. It's no skin off my back." I said politely as I watched Felicia fall casually back into the seat across from us before slipping my headphones up over my ears to drown out her incessant chatter. Dear God, how had Tommy ever managed to share a bed with the woman! The wonder of the male hormone. The music pounded through my body, massaging away any woes, aches, and pains as I let myself drift into another songwriter's problems for a little while. I must have dozed because the next thing I knew, I felt my head move up and down as someone moved it into a different position. Opening my eyes slowly, I noticed the plane had gone dark with the setting of the sun and the overhead lights shone dimly as most of the people aboard were dozing. My face was pressed against Tommy's chest and I glanced up at him warily. He was looking down at me apologetically.

"I didn't mean to wake you, Jude." He whispered. "But my arm was going numb where you were laying on it so I figured it wouldn't hurt to adjust you a little bit." He finished quietly. I smiled up at him before shutting my eyes again, knowing that if I sat up, then I would lose this chance to relish in his warmth. I felt prickles of warmth flow through my body as his fingers slipped gently into my hair where he massaged my scalp thoroughly. I almost swooned at the small gesture although I was so not going to let him know that. Pulling my arm up to lay on his chest, I felt his muscles tense as he leaned over to kiss the crown of my head. God, I was in love with him. So why was it so hard for me to admit it? I was afraid that he would turn me down—that he would find me lacking. I didn't have the bedroom experience Patsy, Felicia, Sadie (I'm assuming), and Portia had, and the only real thing special about me was my music. But it had been my music that had led me to him, and all I could do was hope that that was enough.