Oooookay folks, here's another chapter for you. Thanks to all who reviewed; you give me warm and fuzzies inside! Hopefully I'll be able to crank out a couple more this week, because now that I'm a few chapters in I'm starting to get the hang of things. Hugs, cookies, and I hope you enjoy it!
Tommy sat down hard in Georgia's office, sweat starting to bead up on his forehead. Did she hear me talking about it? He ran through the conversation that he'd had with Kwest in the studio, trying to remember whether or not he'd revealed any incriminating details. Oh yeah, I'm definitely screwed. Georgia took a seat across from him, opening a drawer in her desk and taking out a stack of brightly-colored tabloids.
"Can you explain this?" she asked, tossing a few of them at him. Tommy's eyes widened in shock as he looked at the covers, each one emblazoned with pictures of he and Jude out in the alley behind G-Major on her sixteenth birthday. A few of them featured them talking, but most of the snapshots showed them kissing passionately. Shit shit shit shit…Tommy looked back up at Georgia, mouth open and poised to offer some sort of explanation, but he couldn't think of a single thing to tell her that would make this disaster disappear.
"Jesus, Tom…I don't even know where to start about all this! You're her producer, and I know that line has been crossed before but you know the G-Major policy about inter-office relationships! Let's not even start about how she's underage…" Georgia started, her voice more weary than angry.
"Georgia, I…it was…" Tommy sputtered, his eyes still glued to the front page of Star magazine that featured a close-up of Tommy and Jude's intimate kiss. The headline screamed "Tom Quincy Consoles Instant Star After Her Big-Time Breakup!" Silence filled the air in the office, until a small knock sounded on the door.
"Come in," Georgia called, still keeping her eyes trained on Tommy's face. Kwest popped his head in through the door, worry etched into his features.
"Uh…there's a huge group of paparazzi outside, and they're screaming for Jude"
.o.o.o.o.o.
Jude ran for what seemed like hours, not caring how far or where her feet took her. The image of Stuart wrapped up in the arms of another woman burned into her brain, filling her eyes with tears that she didn't know she still had in her. The sky had darkened to a deep navy blue, and a chill had settled into the air and coated her bare arms. She was just so tired.
A cacophony of shouting voices pierced the angry haze in her brain, and she had just enough time to duck behind a car before the huge group of paparazzi camped out in front of G-Major studios saw her. Jesus, what now? Jude thought wearily, sliding down the back of the Dodge Durango and sitting on the asphalt. The tears had ceased, and an icy coldness seeped down her spine in its stead. She was done; done with Shay, done with Tommy, and definitely done with her father. If the men in her life had all decided to abandon her, then Jude would be damned if she let them see just how much it got to her.
.o.o.o.o.o.
G Major was in full panic mode; security was attempting to hold off the throng of reporters pushing at the doors of the building, the secretary was screening the hundreds of phone calls that had started pouring in, and Georgia stood in the midst of it, rubbing wearily at her temples. EJ had been alternating between badgering Tommy for details and exclaiming gleefully about all of the publicity Jude was getting until Georgia had finally gotten tired of it and sent her out to run errands, and Kwest and Tommy had been sent back to the studio to work on Jude's album, under strict orders to stay in the building. Kwest was the only one listening, so Tommy had slipped out the back door for a smoke.
He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, letting the nicotine seep into his lungs and take the edge off of his frayed nerves. He and Georgia hadn't gotten the opportunity to finish their little talk, but he had the feeling that it wouldn't be good when they did. I'm screwed. So completely screwed, he thought to himself. Just as he was beginning to wonder how Jude was faring back at home, a garbage can crashed to the ground near the mouth of the alley and revealed the less-than-stealthy redhead crouched behind it.
"Nice hiding place, Harrison," Tommy called out. She ignored him, brushing herself off and walking towards the back door. He eyed her as she approached, taking note of the tear and mascara trails dried on her cheeks. She tried to slip past him and reached for the door handle, only to be stopped short when Tom's hand took hold of her arm. "Jude-"
She turned around suddenly, and he flinched at the look she gave him. "Let go of me, Quincy," she hissed, her hazel eyes hardened into twin chips of ice. She jerked her arm out of his grasp, walking into G-Major and slamming the door behind her. Tom sighed, dropping the barely smoked cigarette on the pavement and stubbing it out with a sneakered toe. This day is turning out to be a hell of a lot longer than I thought it would be, he sighed to himself, opening the door and hurrying after Jude.
