Tom looked at me with a grin plastered across his face as I sidled up to him at the punch bowl a few minutes later—clapping at me as I did a mock bow in front of him.
"That was fantastic, Jude." He said softly as I lifted a brow sardonically.
"And here I thought you'd be downright mad that I performed a song that you didn't work on with me first." I said sheepishly as Tommy shrugged.
"You're an artist, Jude. Sometimes I make your music better and sometimes your emotions are enough to create magic on their own." He said knowingly as he leaned over and grabbed a glass of punch before handing it to me slowly. Every nerve in my body felt on end as I lifted the cup up to my lips knowing that Tommy was watching every subtle movement, every tiny sip. I almost couldn't swallow the drink down the back of my throat as I gazed up at him from the corner of my eye, and I knew just from the way he peered at me and then up at the crowded room that it had become way too hard for him to pretend he didn't feel anything for me anymore. His words still rang through my head every night as I laid in my bed—'Sadie and I didn't work' he said. "Why?" I asked quietly. "You know why." He answered in torment.—Of course, I knew why. It was the reason I was having a harder and harder time allowing Spiederman close to me. Tom quietly excused himself as I watched him walk across the room to talk to Kwest, and I turned suddenly to find Spied standing directly behind me causing me to jump guiltily in alarm.
"I don't guess you'd like to dance with me, Jude?" He asked almost mechanically as I looked at him with a look of trepidation before smiling and nodding sincerely.
"I can't resist saying yes." I said with a chuckle as I raised a brow at Patsy and Jamie already moving around the center of the room like a really bad imitation of the 'Dirty Dancing' era. Okay, if I'm being honest, Patsy was rubbing up against Jamie like a content cat while Jamie was looking around the room nervously hoping no one would be the wiser. Boy, was he easy to embarrass. I couldn't help but laugh at the two, and I saw Jamie look up at mewith a pointed expression that read, 'Watch it, Harrison. I know dirty little childhood secrets about you that the tabloids would die to own.' I just grinned and wagged my brows at him as Spied led me out onto the floor. We were half way through the dance when I noticed Kyle and Wally going to stand inconspicuously on each side of Tom, and something told me by the way they were innocently sipping their drinks and by the way Spied kept edging us closer and closer to them that something was up again. I looked up at Spied warily but he didn't even glance down at me as he stared pointedly at his target. Damn, I hate when I'm right. Spied put out his foot then causing me to trip slightly almost as if it were an accident, and I managed to bump Kyle who 'accidentally' spilled his drink all over the front of Tommy's tux while Spied stumbled and fell into Wally whose drink did the same thing. I stared in horror as Tom didn't even flinch—just stared at Spied as if he better make a run for it. Spied threw his arms up in mock horror.
"Oh damn, Quincy! Can I get you some napkins?" Spied asked sarcastically as he grabbed a pile of paper towels and leaned in close to Tommy's shirt. Tom grabbed Spied's wrist firmly and held it away from his chest.
"I wouldn't if I were you." Tom uttered through clenched teeth as Spied lifted up on the balls of his feet, taking his arm and shoving at Tom forcefully trying to get him to back away. Tom released him just as Spied managed to land a small blow to the middle of Tom's chest. The people around us grew deathly silent as Tom edged close to Spied, and I realized rather belatedly that a fight was about to ensue between the two until someone suddenly pushed between them angrily.
"That's enough!" Darius shouted as Tom and Spied glared at each other from across the small barrier that Darius created. Spied spat at the floor as Tom shrugged in agitation while pulling on his suit jacket with a look of disgust. Darius just sighed before leaning in to whisper low enough that only those closest to him could hear.
" You guys really want at each other that much? Huh?" He asked as Spied looked at the ground while Tom stared Darius straight into the eye cynically.
"Why don't you ask kindergarten boy that question, D, because he's certainly one to play games." Tom remarked as I looked over at Jamie with a look of bewilderment. Jamie shrugged as Darius sighed.
"Fine boys, then let's make sure we profit some out of this strange, messed up feud you two have going on, huh?" Darius said cryptically as he stepped back and turned toward the crowd. Looking around, he cleared his throat before waving his arms in a commanding gesture.
"Alright folks! You guys were just privy to a very exclusive, very exciting preview of G Majors next major charity event—a telethon focused around a competitive fighting match between Tommy Q of the Boyz Attack fame and Vincent Spiederman of the Spiederman Mind Explosion." Darius announced before glancing back over his shoulder angrily as the rest of us just gaped at him in shock.
"And you two better make it good." Darius stated with a growl before turning to walk away.
Author's footnote: Okay guys, there it is for now. Will be posting more soon. I hope you are all enjoying this so far. Next comes the auction and the Tom/Spiederman face off before Jude's world suddenly explodes again as things take a turn for the worst. What happens when Tommy walks away and Jude discovers a secret about him that causes her to question her faith in him. And what happens when their forbidden attraction becomes a thorn in both their sides as stolen moments and stolen glances cause things to explode at G Majors Studio. Will Jude walk away or will she stay and fight for her place as an artist. And when tragedy strikes the Harrison household again, will Jude come back from it standing on her own two feet. Please read. Things are just heating up. Lots of smiles to you guys and please, please , please R&R.