Thanks for all the great feedback…you all say such awesome stuff! I love seeing new replies from in my mailbox! Lol keep em coming
Song Credit- Breathe Michelle Branch and Sexy Sadie The Beatles
Italics- songs quotes and recalling what somebody said
Tommy followed Pedro as he made his way into the hallway. He went towards the conference room and turned the knob, wondering who was here to see him. As he opened the door Tommy's face filled with mild shock as he spotted the person who was waiting for him.
"What are you doing here?" Tommy tilted his head in confusion. He voice wasn't accusing or menacing, just questioning."Where's Jude?" Sadie asked getting up from the chair she was sitting in. She walked towards Tommy and reached behind him to shut the door for privacy.
"She's in the studio..." He began as he lifted an eyebrow at Sadie. "I thought you weren't getting home til later this afternoon?" He asked her as he folded his arms over his chest.
"I just told Jude that cause I needed time to talk to you...she won't come in here will she?" She wondered as she faced Tommy.
"No." He said slowly before he continued. He studied Sadie's body language. She twisted her hair with one hand as she wrung the handle of her purse with the other. "Something's up, Sadie. What is it?" He suspected it after the phone call the night before him and Jude left. When Sadie had asked to talk to him that night, he could tell by the tone in her voice that something was wrong. She had briefly mentioned that night she had ran into Chris while in the States, so when he had mentioned it on the late night talk show, Tommy wasn't surprised. Sadie had told him not to say anything to her sister about it, but offered no other information. He couldn't ask her with Jude standing there that night, so he let it die. Now as Sadie stood before him obviously bothered by something, his concerns were reaffirmed.
"Maybe you should sit down for this, Tom." She tried to suggest gently, but he just shook his head.
His heart started to beat a little faster. He could tell this was major. "Just tell me, Sadie."
She hooked her thumbs through her belt loops on her jeans and looked away as she blew out air through her lips as if she was preparing herself. "Chris knows." She stated, turning towards Tommy to catch his reaction. She watched a quick bout of confusion run across his face as he furrowed his eyebrows. Sadie could practically hear the wheels in Tommy's head spin to figure it out. She watched as his face turned from concentration to realization. Recognition filled his eyes as his face scrunched up in disbelief.
Jude sat in the studio as she hummed along lazily strumming the guitar. She had started to write the beginnings of a song when she decided music would help move her along the production. She plucked the strings as she curled her feet under herself on the black leather swivel chair.
"And I take a just a little bit, and I hold my breath and count to ten. I've been waiting for a chance to let you in." The lyrics that she had written just before flew out easily as she experimented with a few other chords. She thought for a minute trying to come up with the chorus."If I just breathe" She started slowly but paused, not liking the way it sounded with the guitar. She modified it slightly and tried again but sighed loudly, not liking that either. She made the chords a little faster and sang the four words again. "If I just breathe, Let it fill the space between, I'll know everything is alright," She sat up in her chair, letting the words and music absorb her. "Breathe, Every little piece of me, you'll see everything is alright, If I just breathe..." She trailed off and went in to the next verse.
Ten minutes later, she tapped the guitar excitedly before she pulled it over her head and placed it on the chair. She had gotten through the next verse, but she wasn't quite finished. It didn't matter though, the song already screamed radio hit to her. But she needed Tommy to help tweak it slightly and wrap it up. She glanced at the wall clock realizing Tommy had been gone for a good 30 minutes. She stretched as she walked out of studio in search of him.
"What?" Tommy managed to get out as he slowly fell into a nearby chair. He felt as if he had the wind knocked out of him. 'It's not possible' He silently reassured himself, but as he looked at Sadie's expression he began to have other thoughts. "How does he know, Sadie?" He tried to keep his breathing normal, but he was finding it difficult.
Sadie bit her lip as she surveyed Tommy. " I don't know Tommy, he didn't tell me that much. But when I ran into him in the States, he made sure I knew that he knew."
Tommy got up from his chair and went towards her. "What did he exactly say Sadie?" He asked evenly, trying to keep his emotions in check as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Tell me everything and don't leave a thing out."
Sadie walked away from Tommy and stared at the wall, folding her arms over her chest. "I saw him at a club in LA. It was one of those exclusive night spots, real posh, very VIP. Sometimes it really pays to be Jude Harrison's sister, even in the States." She spun around to face him, chuckling weakly hoping to break the tension that had suddenly manifested in the room.
When her attempt was met with a blank stare, she continued. "I saw him first. He was in one of those private rooms in the back." She explained as she remembered the events.
bFlashback- Over a week ago (the day before the phone smashing incident hehe)/b
"So you're an actor?" Sadie smiled coyly at the young man named Eric who sat next to her at the bar. They had been talking for the last half hour and Sadie could tell this guy was interested. Not to say she wasn't or anything. He was real easy on the eyes with his black shaggy hair and hazel eyes. And unlike half the guys she met tonight, she could have a conversation with him and still be appealing.
He gave her a grin as he nodded his head. "Yup, I'm filming my first movie here in LA. It's going to be huge." He predicted as he took a sip of his drink.
"Oh yeah?" Sadie leaned in a little closer. "So in a few months you'll be this big movie star and I can tell all my friends about how you tried to pick me up in a bar." She teased him slightly."Tried to?" He boldly asked.
Sadie pretended to consider. "We'll see if you succeed."
Eric grabbed her hand impulsively pulling her off the stool to him. "I guess I'll have to lay it on real thick then." He whispered in her ear as Sadie's hands went to his shoulders.
"I guess you have to."
He smiled at her as he surveyed the crowded room. "Come on, let's go somewhere a little more private." He whispered the last word insinuatingly as Sadie let him lead her through the swarms of people out on the floor.
"Where are we going?" She shouted a little as they made it past the center of the dance floor where the music could be heard the loudest.
He looked over his shoulder at her as he yelled loudly. "There's a room in the back that's closed off to everyone else!"
Sadie nodded her head as they maneuvered through the crowd. They dodged past people, making their way to the rear of the club. The music grew more distant with each step until it was just a low roar. They reached the closed door to the private room and Eric stopped in front of it. He turned to face Sadie and smiled. She peered past him to look at the closed off private area. She walked past the security guard as she followed Eric to the door.
"Come on, there's nobody in here. Well, at least I don't think there is. Me and few of the other guys from the movie were in here, but I think they all ventured out." He explained as he went towards the doorknob and jangled it.
"The less people the better," She said her voice low, putting an arm on his shoulder as Eric opened the door. She was about to say something else when she spotted two people off in the corner entangled together on the couch. "Oh, maybe they all didn't venture out, Eric." She whispered teasingly him as the couple seemed to be oblivious to their presence. She couldn't make out faces, but whoever they were it didn't look like they were coming up for air any time soon. Sadie turned her head away, amused.
Eric however wasn't amused. His costar had been pulling stuff like this since they've been taping. Eric figured his fellow actor was going after their married leading lady, even though he had a famous girlfriend. He hadn't actually seen them until now, but he wasn't shocked to see them together.
He gave an agitated huff and took a few steps towards the couple. He cleared his throat loudly, finally getting the couple's attention causing them to pull apart hastily.Turning her head to face the two, she was about to say something when all thoughts were erased from her mind when she caught a glimpse of the guy on the sofa. Her jaw dropped down in appalled astonishment.
"Chris?" She asked incredulously as she watched her sister's boyfriend straighten out his clothes.
He turned his face at the sound of his name and took in Sadie. He met her shocked look as he quickly buttoned his shirt. "Sadie, it's not what you think..." He began slowly.
She held up her hands to silence him. "Don't bother Chris it's exactly what I think. How could you?" Her tone was heavy with anger as her eyes burned into Chris accusingly.
Eric gave a puzzled look between Sadie and Chris. "You know each other? His voice was strong with confusion as he glanced directly then at Sadie.
"Yeah, he's my sister's boyfriend." She directed her statement towards the long lanky bleach blonde starlet who stood awkwardly off to the side. Sadie knew who she was; she'd have to be living under a rock not to. And she'd have to be living in a far off remote area to not know who her even more famous husband was. She then glared at Chris before she spoke again. "Well, past tense as soon as Jude finds out."
The woman shot a pleading look at Chris. The show of emotion wasn't lost on anyone in the room. This obviously was a secret that couldn't get out.
"Uh, can I talk to Sadie in private for a moment?" Chris kept his voice calm as he held Sadie's gaze. He'd do everything in his power to keep this from Jude.
The girl quickly scurried out of the room without a second thought. Eric stood there for a moment, considering. He could sense they needed some time alone. He wasn't sure of the situation, but he was sure that it wasn't his place to hear it. "I'll see you around, Sadie." He murmured as he turned around to exit the room.
Sadie could barely acknowledge him as she felt the blood pump through her body. She kept her eyes fixed on Chris. He opened his mouth to speak, but Sadie cut him off.
"How could you do this to her?" She repeated again but with more hostility.
"I thought you were good for her, that you wouldn't break her heart." And it was the truth. When Chris came into Jude's life, she was happy for her. She knew that he would never be 'the one' for Jude, but he seemed good for her. Sadie knew better than anyone that he couldn't replace Tommy in Jude's heart and that Tommy would always come first. She had always known it was only a matter of time before Tommy would come back, even if it was sooner than she expected. It infuriated her when he offered no explanation.
"How long have you been fooling around behind Jude's back? A day..a week...since you started filming? How long Chris, huh?" She demanded to know as her hands flew wildly through the air as she spoke.
"Since the beginning." His voice was even as he referred to the start of the shoot. There was no point lying now.
She huffed in disgust. "She's going to hate you for this." Sadie predicted stressing the verb 'hate'.
Chris exhaled, running a hand through his mused golden locks. "Jude can not know about this. She's not to hear one word of this." His voice was low and his mood was sullen. He was feeling nervous at the thought of Jude knowing. He couldn't lose her. He couldn't afford to.
She gave an unbelievable laugh. "You think I'm not going to tell my baby sister that the guy she thinks she loves is messing around with his married costar?" Her voice rose with each word. When he just stood there with a blank look on his face, she went on. "You're must be taking drugs too because you're delusional if you think I'll just keep your dirty little secret from Jude."
All of a sudden his demeanor changed. His shoulders straighten as a wave of assurance washed over him. With a small smirk on his face, he challenged her. "Why not, Sadie? You're pretty good at keeping 'dirty little secrets' from your sister, aren't you?" He threw her words back at her causing her mind to flood with confusion.
Her eyes narrowed as she shook her head in bewilderment. "What?"
He chuckled a little as he walked towards her. He knew he had the upper hand in the situation. "You don't know?" He slanted his head and mockingly asked her. "Oh come on, Sadie. Use that brain of yours." He was close enough to her to bring his index finger to the side of her head and tapped it as he delivered the last sentence.
She instinctively took a step back from him as she stared at him. Suddenly she didn't recognize the Chris that stood before her. He radiated an icy, calculated facade that she had never seen him exhibit before. His voice had been hard and threatening. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She managed to get the words out even though a lump was forming in her throat. She started to feel nervous and she didn't know why.
Chris gave a snort as he walked over to the wet bar the club had provided for the private room. He reached for the vodka and steadily poured it into a nearby tumbler. He was 19 and in the States the legal drinking age was 21. But things like that didn't matter when you were famous. Chris strongly believed that if you were a star there were certain rules that just didn't apply to you. He held up the bottle towards Sadie as if to offer her some.
She shook her head uneasily, watching his every movement. She wasn't sure what he was up to but all of a sudden the room felt very small to her.
He shrugged his shoulders as he casually leaned against the black marble mini bar.
"Listen Chris, I don't know what you're trying to pull or why you think you can somehow turn this around on me, but it's bull." She proclaimed furiously as she folded her arms ready for a battle. He still stood there but his stance had changed. It was no longer frozen or uneasy. It was confident, even somewhat indifferent, like he already knew the game was set, match, and won.
He appeared to consider her words before he brought the strong clear liquid to his lips and took a long drink. He brought it back down to his side as he swirled the remainder of the fluid around the glass. He looked downwards at the vodka, whirling it furiously causing some of it to spill over the sides. He stared down at it for seconds before he quickly looked back up at Sadie. "How was Europe?" He unexpectedly asked as if he was interested in the answer.
Sadie felt pressure in her chest at the word 'Europe'. When she just looked at him with a dumbfounded expression, he continued.
"Didn't you go several months ago?" He inquired as if he didn't already know. He went back to the tall bottle and refilled his glass. He turned around again to face her. "Run into anyone interesting?" A small smirk played upon his lips. When Sadie just stayed motionless, he took it as his turn to do the talking. "Europe's a huge country, so the chances of seeing someone you know..." He trailed off as he watched Sadie become unnerved. "What are the odds? I guess it really is a small world after all, huh?" He laughed at his own joke as he took another swing of vodka. He started to laugh harder. "I mean really, seeing Lil Tommy Q in Rome? You both being there at the same time 6 months ago? Jesus, if that's not fate what is?" He let it all sink in for her. "Sexy Sadie, you broke the rules." He said in a sing song voice, evoking the Beatles songs mockingly.
"What do you think you know Chris?" Sadie's words shook slightly as she asked. 'How was it possible?' She wondered frantically. She wasn't about to offer any information, she needed to know what Chris knew first.
"I think I know enough that tonight will pale in comparison to what happened in Rome." He confidently said as he walked towards her getting right in her face. "You think I don't know she's in love with Tommy? How stupid do I look? But it's okay, because she's with me, not him. And I plan on it to stay that way." He insinuated something Sadie didn't like.
"Are you blackmailing me?" She murmured, not quite able to believe it. Her disgust for the boy was rapidly growing into hatred.
"Blackmailing is such a vile word." He reasoned calmly.
"It fits, you're turning out to be a vile person." She threw back at him.
"No, no I'm just looking out for everyone's interests. Ignorance is bliss, isn't it? You forget what you saw, I forget what I heard."
Sadie bit her lip. If Jude found out about what went down in Europe with Tommy she wasn't sure if Jude could get past it...but could she let her sister date this slime instead?
Chris could tell she was contemplating it, but that wasn't good enough. He needed to make sure she just didn't consider it, she needed to agree to it. His hand unconsciously wrapped around the cup tighter. He needed to sell it. He came closer again and gave her a slow hollow smile. "Sexy Sadie, you'll get yours yet." He whispered in her ear, letting the Beatle's lyrics fill her brain. He held his stance for a moment before he turned around as if to leave the room.
"Wait!" She instantly regretted the word as it came out of her mouth. He slowly spun around and lifted his eyebrows at her. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, hoping that when she opened them it would all go away. She had a promise to keep and she had to see it through. When she did open them she was disappointed. She still found Chris standing there with that smug look. She took a deep breath before she answered him. "Fine..."
End of Flashback
"He knows everything, Tom." She reluctantly confessed. She eyed him, waiting for a reaction.
Tommy's blood boiled after Sadie had recounted the whole story. He couldn't believe that Chris had been cheating on Jude from the start of the movie. He remembered all the things he said to her or about her since. "That little.." He hissed before he turned his back and kicked over a nearby chair feeling the anger pump through him. "Damn it!" He yelled heatedly, balling his hands.. He took a minute to get his rage in control as he clenched and unclenched his fists.
Sadie was quiet as she surveyed Tommy. He rarely ever lost his temper- unless it had something to do with Jude. She watched his back rise and fall as he took deep breaths. He then spun around to face her.
"Jude can't know, Sadie." He almost desperately stated. He almost wanted to laugh out loud at the situation. Jude and he were finally where they should be. They were happy, they were together...and now this.
She nodded her head in agreement as Tommy closed his eyes and furiously rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand. He was trying to smother his emotions and figure out a solution. He sighed heavily. "Have you talk to him since?"
"No, that's why when I heard Chris had saw you two together that night, I got worried. I thought maybe he said something." She explained to him.'
Tommy bobbed his head up and down without saying a word. It was starting to make sense.
"Just so you know whatever happens from here on in, you helped put it into motion, you're guilty of it too."
That's what Chris had said to him the night he found him and Jude in the conference room. He didn't know what it meant then, but now he did. And he'd be damned if he what Chris say turn out to be true.
He'd would have to pay him a visit in LA, he silently figured. 'To make sure the punk keeps his mouth shut and doesn't do anything I'd have to kill him for' He angrily thought. He'd figure out something to tell Jude when he had to leave for a day or two. 'Another lie' He ruefully said to himself. He ran his hands over his face and rubbed it gingerly.
Sadie's eyes shone with sympathy. She knew how Tom was feeling right now. She took a step towards him. "Don't worry Tom. Chris has something to lose if he lets this out. You think he'd want the public to know about his...thing with his married costar? I don't think so." She pointed out.
Tommy knew she was right, but his insides were all in a knot. "I just..." He stopped to gather his train of thought. "Everything is so right between me and Jude." He gestured with his hands to emphasize his point. "Finally." He added for good measurement. "It's not perfect, but we're getting somewhere, you know? We're together." A small smile graced his lips. He liked saying that when it referred to him and Jude. He sighed heavily. "I don't want to mess everything up when it's finally going right for Jude and I." He confessed to her.
"You won't okay?" She put her hands on his shoulder in reassurance.
Tommy nodded as he took her into a comforting hug. "Thanks." He whispered in her ear.
Two quick knocks were heard on the door before it swung open. "Sadie," came Jude's surprised voice as she watched Tommy and her sister pull away from each other and look up at her.