"Hmm, what?" She sounded distracted as she continues to mil through the papers. "About the album?"
"No, Jude. About us, about last night."
She looked up for a second. "No." She stated, then returned to the folder.
"No? I think we really need to talk Jude." Tommy said, becoming frustrated when Jude wouldn't even look at him. He snatched the folder from Jude and set aside.
Jude raised her eyebrow at the action. "Fine." Jude huffed as she hopped off the counter. "You want to talk? Fine, let's talk." She said, suddenly becoming mad. "I'll go first. We need to forget about last night, about the kiss, about our history and just do the album, all right? For the next several months we're strictly producer to client, got it?" She said, her tone leaving no room for arguments.
Tommy felt angry as he turned around slightly to look through the clear glass. He swung around back to face Jude. "So, what. You're just gonna sweep the topic of 'us' under the rug for as long as you see fit?"
"Yes, that's what you did two years ago." Jude shot at him.
"That was a totally different-"
"How?" She cut him off. "Let's recap, shall we? Party, boyfriend breaks up with me, kiss. One wants to forget it, one doesn't." She recalled as if she was reading those things off a list. "Granted, the order isn't the same, but I think even you can catch on to the similarities."
"Damn it, Jude, I need to explain-"
She interrupted him again when she laughed. "I think I know what your problem is. The role reversal. That's it. I beat you to saying to 'forget it all', so you didn't get your chance to do it. Well, sorry about that, but it's over and done with. Next time it'll be your turn." She sarcastically bit out as she went to the side of the room and pulled out a CD. She threw it at Tommy. "That's the song we were working on before you came. I wrote it several months ago. It's actually quite good, but that's probably because Kwest produced most of it. We already established the beat and everything. We haven't recorded the lyrics yet because I hadn't finished them all, but last nights events, you know the whole thing with Chris, inspired me." She lied, knowing that the song was really about Tommy. She walked over to the discarded folder and pulled out the sheet of lyrics. "You can keep that. I know the words by heart." She threw that at him too as she went into the recording room.
Tommy sighed as he pushed the CD into one of the machines. He set up a tape and signaled for Jude to get ready. They both put on a pair of headphones, as music streamed out.
"I wont deny, I faked it, don't wanna lie, I'm jaded." Jude crooned out. "I wanna scream, Inside I'm breaking down."
"I've left the stone, I was under, I'm running home, you won't find her, She walks alone, all through this broken town."
Jude belted out the chorus. "Going the wrong way down a one way street, Where the feeling is criminal. Nobody helps me out when I bleed (just look, look) Looking for someone like me, Where the feeling is mutual, Can anybody see what I see, Cause I don't see me"
Jude began the next verse "I'll blow away these ashes, I'll clear his face, to look at it, He stole my name, while I wait in lost and found."
Tommy started to bob his head a little to the music, and Jude looked at him square in the face as she sang the next part. "I found a place, where I'll keep you, Cause I won't live through you or beneath you, I'll walk this way, where these winds wont bring me down."
Jude began to sing the chorus, but a frantic knock at the door stopped her. Jude's head moved to the door where she saw Georgia come in.
Tommy huffed. "Georgia, we're recording." He said through the mic. Kwest walked in then. Georgia waved Tommy off and started to talk to Jude in whispers.
"How's it going, man?" Kwest asked, taking the empty seat next to Tommy.
"Good, she's recording 'Criminal'."
Kwest quirked his eyebrows. "Really? She finished 'Criminal'?" He grabbed the lyrics off the desk.
"Yeah, she mentioned she had a trouble finishing it, but she said the whole Chris deal inspired her." Tommy said trying to keep the disgust out of his voice.
Kwest skimmed through the lyrics, then looked at Tommy. "Right," He grinned, knowing these lyrics had nothing to do with the actor. Tommy just shrugged as he looked ahead and saw Georgia handing Jude lip gloss.
He's here?" Jude hissed out, taking her headphones off.
"Yes, he just came into my office, looking for you. Normally I wouldn't interrupt your recording but considering the circumstances and who it was I figured you'd like to know." Georgia smiled. She had to admit she wasn't to shocked when Christopher line came into her office. She knew he'd be crawling back.
Jude nodded her head. "I should go talk to him." She quickly stood up and smoothed out her skirt. "Do I like all right? I should have put makeup on this morning." She took the rubber band out of her hair and ran her fingers through it trying to make it look nice.
"Here." She handed Jude a tube of gloss. "Put this on."
"Gee, I'd hate to interrupt beauty time, ladies, but I have an album to produce." Tommy's voice came through, annoyed.
Jude looked at Georgia helplessly. "Go, I'll take care of Tommy." Jude nodded and opened the door. She quickly spun around to face Georgia again and signaled with her hands, asking if she looked okay. When Georgia gave her the thumbs up, Jude hurriedly walked out.
"Where is she going, Georgia?" Tommy demanded.
Georgia walked towards the mic and spoke into it. "Someone's here to see her."
"Well, couldn't they have waited? Who was so damn important that she couldn't wait to talk to?"
"Hm, Christopher." Georgia said calmly as Tommy's eyes darkened. She saw Tommy was about get up and go to Jude and Chris, so she hurried out of the recording room and into the studio.
"Don't even think about going to find them, Tommy Quincy." She ordered, blocking the door, and his way out.
Jude quickly walked out of the recording room, smoothing out her outfit and fluffing her hair. She ceased all action though when she saw Chris standing there, looking at her. 'He looked horrible.' Jude said silently. She had never seen him so unkempt. His usually messy hair was just downright disheveled. The Band-Aid she had applied the night before covered most of the mark on his chin, but there was another angry bruise around his eye. She hadn't even noticed that last night. She silently motioned to Georgia's office and he followed her without a word.
She closed the door and put the blinds down for privacy. She motioned to a seat for Chris to sit which he took, while she opted to lean against a file cabinet. "You look like hell." She murmured.
"Thanks." He chuckled softly. He took her sight in. "Wish I could say the same about you."
She moved her shoulders a little then stared at him. She figured it be best to play it cool, even though her insides were swimming. "What are you doing here?" She asked in an even tone.
He got up out of his seat, and took her hands in his. "I came to say I'm sorry."
She couldn't look him in the eye, so she directed her attention to the left. "I bet you did."
"Hey," He said as he gently moved her cheek back so they were face to face again. "I was a fool."
Jude pushed him away. "Yeah, well whatever. It's over with. You ruined my birthday and broke my heart by getting all macho jealous on me. I'm done with you, okay?" She folded her arms across her chest, praying that her tears didn't leak out.
"Jude, I'm sorry! I realize now I overreacted, but at the time I didn't know what else to think. There you were standing in a room with Quincy, and then you admitted to kissing him! It made me crazy!"
"I never admitted," She corrected, even though what he said was the truth. "You assumed."
"So you didn't kiss him?"
Jude took a deep breath. "No." She lied, without breaking a sweat