Chapter seven
A week had passed since the day in the restaurant and to say things had turned a more normal way would be the biggest lie ever told. No, things had not gotten easier. They had gotten weird. Tommy didn't know how to react around Jude, and Jude didn't know how to see Tommy as nothing but a friend who also was having an affair with her sister. Yes, they were still dating. Reasons? Jude didn't know. She claimed she didn't care. Now she was sitting in the lobby of G-Major, staring at Tommy's office door, waiting for Sadie and Tommy to emerge from it again.
"Must be one hell of an interesting door," David quipped when he plopped down next to her on the bright red couch. "What's going on behind there?"
"No idea. But," she pointed out with gesturing hands, "Tommy and Sadie are behind there."
"Interesting. The guy you don't care about and the sister that hurt you by demonstrating the ways of sex in your living room are in there, and you stare at the door like a hyena watching her prey. What does that tell me?" he mockingly asked himself with a single finger tapping on his chin.
Jude rolled her eyes and turned away from the door, even stubbornly refusing to reply to that.
When he raised an eyebrow, quirking it just the right way to crack a smile on her face, she offered a giggle. "It means nothing! Tommy and I have stopped fighting. He's living his life, and I'm living my life. Maybe one day he and I will be friends again, but for now he's just the person dating my sister. See," she asked, pointing a proud finger at herself, "I'm not crying, I'm not emotional, I'm not even fazed!"
David nodded unconvinced, looking over his shoulder towards Tommy's office door. "What if I told you he and your sister just came out, and are now making out in front of the door?"
"Still nothing," she assured. An invisible flame began to burn under her butt. It was making sitting almost impossible! Like a million bees swarming all around her, and she was ordered to sit still and do nothing. She couldn't imagine Tommy would possibly do that, after all those apologies he had made, and yet – were they kissing? "Damn it," she shot and whipped her head towards the door. The brown wood was still closed, as if it mocked her by its unaltered state. "Idiot," she muttered.
"Loser," he flipped back, grinning. "You're still caring. I'd be shocked if you wouldn't! Amanda and her new guy strolled around in school today, and I admit it made me sick in my skin. I really cared for her. Knowing I'm not the first thing on her mind any longer makes it really tough to be around her right now!"
Jude's face turned a pitiful shade. "Oh… Isn't the big game tonight? The one where you have to play and she's the head-cheerleader and has to be around?"
"Yes," David chuckled, "But she's around during each play. Cheerleaders usually are. What's the annoying part is that her new guy is part of my team! He's not even a senior! She's trading me for a little kid!" His voice rose slightly, not agitated, but annoyed. Jude responded with a teasing grin.
"Poor you," she belittled playfully. Her hand patted his thigh and he tilted his head towards her, knowing she was making fun of him. "Want me to come to the game, too," Jude asked in sympathy.
"Would you?"
When he honestly pleaded, she started laughing. "No biggie."
"What's no biggie," Sadie Harrison asked, interrupting the conversation by that. Tommy was trailing behind, uncomfortably shifting his weight from one foot to another. His eyes were far from Jude's and she wanted to roll her own ones, maybe even scoff at the more than obvious effort he took to ensure that.
"The game," David answered while Jude was busy pretending not to look at Tommy while doing exactly that. "Big one tonight. Amanda will be there, and you know how she and Jude never got along well. I asked Jude to come despite that."
"We should all go," Sadie suggested so nonchalantly that it rattled each one. Now both Tommy and Jude shared a look full of objection and the mutual feeling that that was a very bad idea.
"You want to go to a high school game?" Jude asked Sadie incredulously, subtly playing with her sister's laughable fear of doing anything that was even remotely considered 'kiddie-stuff'. "Can't you and Tommy go to some fancy club or something? You know, where only 'cool' people are allowed to go?"
"Yeah," Tommy agreed, "There's this club and…it's high school! A place full of groupies!"
That got a scoff from the younger Harrison. "Not everyone is a groupie," Jude muttered under her breath, catching the little glare Tommy sent at her. "Some people actually have taste."
Sadie ignored Jude's words as she turned to Tommy, who looked all but happy. "Pretty please? I've been meaning to go for so long. Amanda always bugged me, and now I've just the right boyfriend to put her into place! My life is awesome right now, and I want to show off!" That, and Jude rigorously ignored her at home and while she wasn't necessarily a fan of Jude right now, either, she yet wanted to have at least the tiniest bit of part in her little sister's life.
Tommy hardly listened, his focus on Jude. Her face grimaced almost artistically at Sadie's words, and he had to bite down on his cheeks to keep from laughing. Suddenly, Jude's head spun around and he was startled by the sudden capture of his eyes that were locked to hers immediately.
"She's right. You should come."
"See," a very surprised Sadie tried to agree, "even Jude thinks so."
"If you want me to," Tommy mumbled, not addressing Sadie though. He was more than reluctant, but if Jude wanted it, than he was going to do it. A part of him laughed at himself, having always found hilarity in jumping at demands, but this was Jude so his actions really shouldn't surprise him. "Fine."
When the couple left, David nudged Jude as if he wanted to test whether she was herself, or a cardboard copy that could speak. "Are you really you? Did you just invite Tommy and Sadie to the game? You're aware that they will probably sit with you, and then you'll have to endure it all alone, because I'll be down on the field, trying to stealthily foul a man from my own team." He was so going after Amanda's new boy toy!
"I'm aware," Jude stated fiercely. "Cold turkey. That's what junkies do. Spending time with them will help me get over him!"
"Or break what little, healed heart you've got in there," he countered, tapping his finger just above her chest. She squashed it away chidingly.
"I can handle. I'm a fighter. I go headfirst into things, and I don't hide. Cold turkey. That's the motto for tonight." And that aside, maybe it would take her mind of the fact that she had finished recording her new single today. Deep down she was cowed to no end, fearing another failure. She couldn't afford the new album to flunk again!
David warily looked at her, wondering just how much she was overestimating herself. "If you say so…"
###
"You never told me they are selling popcorn at games these days," Sadie observed as she tried to find a way towards an empty spot on the bleachers. She had two giant bowls of popcorn securely hugged to her chest, and a diet coke wrapped in slender fingers while her four-inch heels made walking almost impossible. Not that Sadie cared about the latter.
Jude, who wore her favorite pair of Chucks, could only shake her head. She was trailing right behind her sister, with Tommy trailing behind her. He was wearing sneakers, and had also no problems in walking. "Popcorn came with the new student council," Jude explained, taking a very close look at her sister's steps. The way she was tapping along the wooden stands had Jude fearing she'd stumble any second. "Why are you wearing high-heels? You know how sucky these stands are!"
"Amanda is taller than me."
The flat comeback had Jude rolling her eyes. Finally, they reached a free spot and of course, given the limited space, Jude found herself squashed next to Tommy. Thighs were pressing against each other, the warmth of their bodies mingling, and she tried to remember if she had ever been so close to him before. Of course, she had seen those legs naked already. He had well-built legs, Jude recalled from when she had seen said legs supporting his weight while giving it to her sister.
"Isn't this nice?" Sadie asked with a big smile and a fist full of popcorn. "All three of us, having fun? A week ago, I didn't think that moment would come and now look at us! Jude's okay with you and me," she stated happily, nudging Tommy's side with her arm, "And I'm trying to become part of your friendship, so I'm not feeling so lost when I'm around you two. Life's great!"
"Very," Jude agreed, clearly sarcastic. Lucky for Jude, Sadie had never been good in making that out. Tommy stayed completely silent, and despite not wanting to pursue any sort of conversation with him that night, since it was hard enough to be part of this twisted sort of date, she couldn't help but ask. "You're okay there, Quincy? Looking stiff tonight."
"I'm good," he stated. His words were dry, and his eyes were firmly aimed into the air in front of him. "I'm good." With growing awareness he felt Jude's warm leg pressed against his. The air was warm that night, and she was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and jeans. Not the normal sort of jeans though. No, these were the skin tight ones, slightly ripped in front and on the back of her thigh, giving him torturous and teasing little opportunities to peek glances at her creamy legs. Those jeans were solely designed to tantalize him. Sadie was wearing a short skirt, and he couldn't even find a tiny amount of interest in that fact.
"You don't look very good," Jude pointed out without looking at him. "You look weird."
He was feeling weird! And her constant questions weren't helping the least bit! Lately, he had discovered how attractive Jude could look, if she tried. Not that he minded the fact, having always loved the occasional candy for the eye, but now he was cramped between two sisters, one he was dating, one he couldn't – even if he wanted to. This was the very last moment his mind should be remembering the way Jude's legs looked without denim covering them! And of course, the various dreams of a writhing, arousing, and begging, naked Jude whenever he closed his eyes weren't doing him any good either. He felt like a teenager again, always thinking about girls and how they looked naked. It had gotten him into enough trouble those days! Why did he even care how Jude looked naked?! Since the first time she had shown up in one of those short skirts that had played havoc with his mind, his thoughts kept drifting back to her body, intrigued just how equally good the rest of her looked without clothes, and how close his dreams matched the reality. He had a sick mind, he knew very well! And he'd be laughing at himself for his pathetic behavior, wouldn't he already be preoccupied with pitying himself!
"Popcorn," Sadie asked, holding the bowl in front of Tommy. Jude tried to make sense of the game that was unfolding down on the field when her arm reached out to grab the salty food. Tommy stiffened, feeling trapped between those sisters. Breath hitched in his throat, and he wanted to shut his eyes as tightly as possible to drown out the fact that Jude's hand was entirely too close to certain, anatomical parts of him that started to play against him! Why was he sitting in the middle, anyway?
Usually, he was cool; he was always on top of a situation. He was the one making everyone else uncomfortable by his smug grins and his cocky attitude. He was charming, and had a smile to die for! His skin had the ability to glow, he had been told that more than once. Women had equaled him to ancient greek Gods! He was the seducer, the big man, the dominant figure in any given situation! Now he felt like an idiot, unable to come up with even one smart thing to say or one reasonable gesture to make. Like an elephant in a store full of bone china he reached for the popcorn, coming into contact with Jude's hand while she just pulled away. A split second later, the bowl was empty and popcorn all over the stands. "Damn it," he murmured self-chidingly as he whisked the remains off his jeans, hoping he hadn't caused too much of a scene to be noticed. That was yet another thing that was wringing his nerves dry that night. He was surrounded by at least two hundred girls, all teenagers, and if they knew he was here, they would overrun him!
Sadie worriedly asked him if he was alright, while Jude couldn't help but snicker at his idiotic behavior. Just when he was sitting back up, trying hard to relax, two of Amanda's friends came up to them. Panic once more flashed his eyes but to his greatest relieve they seemed not to be here for him.
Jude already wrecked her brain about a good reason to leave, one being to get new popcorn, when Steffy and Rachel came to a stop right in front of her. "You're Jude, right?"
She looked up, quirking her brow quizzically. She had expected them to be there to ask for Tommy's autograph, or phone number, and she had secretly wondered whether or not he'd hand it over. The phone number, of course. "Yes, it's me. You should know," Jude quipped, "since you only live two houses away from my house. Or, because of the fact that we have three classes together."
"I usually don't bother to remember names of those who'll never be something else than a waste of space in the yearbook," Rachel sneered. "Amanda wants you to break up with David. Understood?"
Jude didn't even fight the laughter that bubbled up at those words. "What?"
Rachel turned to Steffy. "I hate when they are stupid." Readjusting her smoky eyes to Jude, she smiled full of fakeness. "You will break up with David. Amanda said so."
"Well, Amanda isn't Simon, so I say she's out of luck."
"Who is Simon?"
"Never mind," Jude sighed. "Look, deliver your boss a message from me. Tell her I don't care what she wants me to do. Oh – and tell her she's a bad cheerleader! A very bad one!"
"Oh my God," Steffy began to say as she squirmed next to Rachel. "Look! Look! It's little Tommy Q!"
Tommy, who had so far pretended not to listen, now flinched and suddenly found himself cornered by a bunch of other girls who had heard his name being mentioned, too. Jude took this as her golden opportunity to leave the bleachers. Maybe she could hide underneath Quincy's H2 until the game was over. This was getting too ridiculous for her!
###
"You fled and left me alone," Tommy accused when he found Jude sitting on the hood of the H2, her journal in her hands in which she aimlessly flipped the pages. He assumed she was looking for an empty one since a yellow pencil was in her mouth, trapped between her lips, waiting to be used. Not that he could blame her for preferring solitude over hideous crowds screaming over a lame game.
She took the pencil out of her mouth, but didn't look at him when he came closer. "I'm sure Sadie made sure no one laid a hand on you. How did the game go?" She had heard occasional screams, rows of applause, but also some severe booing. The car was parked only a couple of meters away from the stands, and she enjoyed the cooling air of the darkening night. She had never been a fan of school events, this being no exception.
"No idea. Whose team was David's?"
"The red one."
"I think they won."
"Ah." She cracked a smile, knowing Tommy was just as disinterested in watching games as she was. Last year, during the Super Bowl, he and Kwest had made a big show out of watching the game in the lobby of G-Major, and while everyone had believed they were die-hard fans, Jude had known they were faking it when the blue team had scored and they had cheered, despite wearing orange shirts to show they were fans of the other team. "Got bored too?"
"Severely," he confessed with a chuckle. He unlocked the car and a moment later music came from the speaker system inside. "Sadie is lost though. She went to talk to Amanda, and I haven't seen her since."
"Quincy," Jude scolded playfully, "I think you were supposed to go with her! She wanted to show you off!"
"I don't let myself get shown off," he stated as a matter of fact. "I'm done being someone else's arm candy. Those days are over. What'cha working on?" He found it odd she yet hadn't looked at him, and so he leaned back against the hood himself, next to where she sat, trying to sneak a peek at what she was writing.
"Nothing." Jude closed the journal again. Jumpiness laced her voice. "I'm just…you think 'sooner or later' needs a change? I know we finished it today, but I'm not sure if it's done. What if it's a crappy song?"
Suddenly it dawned on him. She was nervous. Today they finished recording the song, which would become her new single. The song was due for release by the end of next week. "It's a great song," he assured, turning around and propping his upper body up on his arms as he leaned over the hood, tilting his head up to look at her. "It'll be hit, don't worry."
"I've heard that before," she murmured self-consciously. Playing with a torn edge of her journal, she looked at him, frightened. "What if my album fails again? Darius might be nice to me now, but then he'll fire me and I'm out of the biz for good."
"You're giving up that easily," he questioned in disbelief. "That's not the girl I know. See, the Jude Harrison I used to produce made music no matter what." His lips curved into a soft smile. "The record deal is just a tiny little part of it. Promise me something," he asked carefully, not knowing if he already had the right to demand promises for their friendship was on unsteady feet these days. Jude didn't say yes, but opened her big blue eyes just a little more openly to him. "Don't sell yourself for a number one hit."
The self-doubting lines on her face dissolved into a smiling expression. "Never."
"Good." Eyes caught, and Jude felt a heavy load of unwelcome emotions weighing her shoulders down. There it was again. The look in his eyes. It was a little more than friendship, and so much less than what she wanted it to be. No, she suddenly told herself. It was NOT what she wanted it to be! There wasn't anything, as a matter of fact, that she wanted there to be!
Sadie, who walked up to them with a clearly angered expression on her face, interrupted the moment. "Let's go. Right now!"
"What happened," Tommy asked, holding out a hand for Jude to help her off the car. The gesture came so naturally that Jude could only stare at the hand for a long second before ignoring it, and his confused look that he aimed at her for not taking it, before she jumped off the hood. "What got you to leave already? David isn't here yet!"
"He's not coming. Enter the car!"
Both Tommy and Jude did as told. Tommy started the car, and parked out while Jude kept staring at Sadie inquiringly. "What's going on? Where is David?"
"Jude," Sadie sighed, turning around with deeply sorry eyes. "I need to tell you something."
"That being," Jude impatiently asked.
"I saw something… I saw David…doing…"
"Sadie," Jude snapped, "Spill it already!"
"I saw him kissing Amanda," Sadie confessed.
"He what?!" Tommy's hiss came along a brief moment of losing control of the car. He was clearly angered, and Sadie was so caringly staring back at Jude that the younger Harrison could only laugh. Within seconds she had tears in her eyes, not out of hurt or betrayal but simply because this whole moment seemed absolutely absurd.
In front of the car was Tom Quincy, getting the vehicle back under control, along with his temper that she could see was still flaring in his suddenly midnight blue eyes. He was the one who had broken her heart most recently, and next to him sat her sister, the girl whom he had broken it with. And now here the couple was, at Jude's every demand. If she'd ask him to, Jude was fairly certain Tommy would knock David out. Repeatedly. And Sadie…she'd probably stay awake all night, with ice-cream and tissues in reach, to soothe Jude's splintered heart. Laughter was bursting from so deep in her that she had troubles remaining in her seat. Water leaked from her eyes while a mixture of giggles, pants, and plain amusement covered her face. "He's making out with Amanda? Seriously? Ha ha ha…" Hands went to hold her stomach, her midriff hurting under the lack of oxygen. "Poor David!"
"Poor David," Sadie repeated, struck by utter confusion.
"He's cheating on you, Jude," Tommy reminded her. A part of him was clearly mad, but not at the little punk, but at Jude. He had gotten hell from her for doing much less, or…well – he hadn't really cheated on Jude! David clearly cheated, and Jude laughed? How was that fair?!
Jude tried hard to calm down. "Oh right," she sputtered between laughter, "I'm supposed to be the victim here! Ow," she mocked by grabbing her chest where her wounded heart was throbbing, "ow, it hurts so much. I'm going to die now… Ha ha ha…"
The car came to a halt, and Jude found they had reached her home. Tommy turned around, facing her lost as he was. "You find that funny?"
"I told you David and I are not in love," Jude reminded him, "It's just…physical."
Sadie gaped. "What?"
"Everyone pitied me for days," Jude explained in irritation, not getting the problem. "With David at my side, they stopped doing so. He's a good kisser, and we have fun together. I'm just surprised he took his ex back! Were they just kissing, or going at it?"
Sadie's jaw fell open, and she had no idea how to close it again. "Um…I think Amanda kissed him, and he just responded. There wasn't really any groping." She stared at the girl in front of her. "Are you really my little sister?"
"Yep," Jude replied with rolling eyes. "And I'm going inside now. I've to call David and get some facts! Thanks for dropping me off, Quincy. See ya tomorrow, Sadie."
While Sadie was too busy trying to understand what Jude and David had and how she couldn't have noticed before, Tommy was shocked about something entirely different. Jude had just told them both goodbye, and not even flinched. She assumed he'd take Sadie with him and probably do what they had done before and what had started the whole mess, and she seemed completely okay with that. "What just happened?"
"No idea," Sadie admitted. "But that's not the Jude I know."
"No. Maybe you should stay at home…" he suggested, making it more of a strong advice. "She might change her mind and be heartbroken after all."
Sadie didn't believe for one moment that he meant those words. "You haven't been with me since that night. Don't you think it's time? I mean, even Jude thinks I'm staying over!"
"You should stay here," he dryly tipped off. There was no way he'd take her with him. Even if it weren't for Jude's feelings that he absolutely didn't trust, he also didn't trust himself. What if he'd start saying Jude's name, instead of Sadie's? "Good night," he said without going as far as kissing her. Sadie got out of the car, and Tommy found himself more than delighted that the evening was finally over. Though, the brief moment with Jude alone hadn't been too bad.
###
Jude sat in the back of Studio A, on the couch with bent knees. David was slouched down into the cushions next to her. "What have I done," he groaned. "God, why didn't you stop me?"
A grin widened on Jude's face, and she let herself fall backwards, sprawling out next to him. "Because I wasn't there to stop you. So you don't want her back?"
"No! I don't know what happened! One moment I see her kissing her new guy, then there's this fight over why I'm with you and suddenly she's raping my lips. I admit, I should have pulled away at some point during those…ten minutes of kissing," he mumbled full of shame, "but… Damn, now she thinks we're back together!"
"You're truly to be pitied," Jude agreed.
"Mock me, Harrison. I can handle that. But, if I break up with her tomorrow and she sees me with you, you'll be dead meat!"
"I can handle some cheerleader," Jude protested, not liking to be underestimated. "I'm a rock star! I eat cheerleaders for breakfast," she laughed. "What the kiss really that good? I mean if it lasted ten minutes…"
"Not as good as what you and I do," he smirked, shifting to his side and propping his head up on one arm. "Which, I may remind you, has been quite a few days…" Jude's grinning face turned into a challenging look. "You expect a kiss after you made out with another girl?"
"Yes," he smugly stated. "Cure my lips from her evil ones! Give me a taste of your plum sweet mouth…" He begged dramatically. She thought about laughing, but his eyes were more intent than Jude had ever seen, and she felt it hard to catch a deep enough breath to fill her lungs with air. She had no idea he could look at her like that while being mocking. One hand reached up and began to twirl a curl of her hair around his index finger, giving her a softer smile now. Jude felt the familiar thrive for some good making out returning to her. It had been so many days since she had gotten a good kiss! Where was the harm, anyway? Pressing her hungry mouth against David's, she allowed her body to be pulled into his arms. His hold was firm and warm and even a bit arousing as she felt the heat of their bodies mingling. His muscled, strong chest rubbed along hers when she adjusted to his position and she found herself on top of him, still engulfed in a feverous moment.
He now shifted to rest on the couch, his fingertips trailing up her thighs as his tongue no longer licked along hers, but along her silken neck. One hand ventured to familiar territory, boldly cupping one buttock. The other hand dared its way beneath her shirt. Jude was completely lost in the sensations, and she found herself astounded when the growing bulge in David's pants that had reached a proud size didn't scare her away, but made her thrust herself against it. A deep growl slipped from his throat. He sat up swiftly, pulling her legs around his waist to have better access to the V between her legs, wanting more of that glorious friction she was creating. Teeth sank into her neck, playfully biting down to trigger a soft but keen moan from her. "David…" she purred, gripping tightly down his arms while a new form of heat began to bewitch her. She didn't even notice how her skirt had hitched up, now being merely a belt of fabric that pooled around her waist. His hands roamed her bare legs, making her mewl his name once more. Her head lolled back, and her eyes opened very slowly and with delight when a fearless fingertip ran over the thin fabric of her plain black panties, just at the right spot, feeling how they had significantly dampened...
The gasp that followed wasn't one of joy though. Once her eyes were open, she caught Tommy's staring back at her in…was it disgust? "Oh shit," she began to ramble, jumping off the couch and straightening her clothes. Her producer had already stormed off, and Jude was left wondering if she was supposed to apologize. Had she done something wrong?
Chapter eight
Jude had not apologized. Ten minutes of confusion after he had caught her, he had shown up, calm and quiet, had resumed working, and had not mentioned it again. He hadn't even remarked at David's departure. The next day, he had looked a little less introverted and two days after that he even seemed to have smiled again. Not at her, though.
Three days had passed since then, and now she sat in front of the PC in the lobby of G-Major. It was Friday and eleven fifty-nine pm. Only one more minute and she'd know whether or not her new song was officially a flop or not. Most of the staff had gone home, not caring that for Jude midnight would define her future. Darius was still there, waiting for the very same chart to appear online. It was an industry-only website, and it summed up the numbers of each sold hard copy or download made within twenty-four hours.
Last night, at midnight, her song 'Sooner Or Later' had officially appeared on every music download platform and since this morning it could be purchased on a shiny silver CD. Sadie was sitting in the studio, watching Tommy and Kwest use the time while they waited with her for some mixing. Jude wasn't so sure why her sister was there. Was is support, trying to be a better sister, or was it the longing for Tommy? Rather the latter, she concluded bitterly.
Catching a glimpse of the time, she set her forehead into wrinkles and placed her fingertip on the refresh-button. Was she ready to be hit by the harsh truth? No. The finger retreated. She sat silently, trying to figure out if Darius had checked by now and whether or not she could hear curses or prays. Only silence. The finger traveled towards the keyboard again. So what, she wondered. What if the song failed? It was only a day. Some of the biggest hits of the century had become a hit after being stuck at the chart's bottom for months! If she failed today, she could still be a hit by the end of the year! Unlikely, but it was possible!
So far the song had gotten good reviews, and the three times she had performed it live on radio this week had been good, too. That had to count for at least a bit, right? She wasn't a complete failure!
Suddenly, and before she could stop it, Tommy's hand appeared from behind her, his head hovering over her shoulder, and his index finger hit 'refresh'. Two seconds later he was gone, heading without a word towards the hallway in the back and while Jude was torn between his retreating figure and the screen in front of her, she suddenly heard a soundly 'Yes!' coming from D's office. Tentatively she took a closer look at the screen…
###
"Hey." Leaning over the metal banister, Jude couldn't help but recall unpleasant memories. "This moment seems familiar…"
"I'm not crying over Shay," Tommy quickly countered, a teasing grin edging its way up his face. "Nor am I crying at all! And the way I remember, you stood on my left side," he added with a less playful tone, "dripping wet from rain."
Jude's eyes drifted upwards, a clear full moon visible, and no single cloud. "No rain coming tonight."
"Nope."
"Are you mad at me? You haven't talked to me all week. Don't get me wrong, I'm not necessarily your best friend these days but we did settle into a comfortable 'get-along' mood."
"I'm not mad at you. Why should I be?" He asked so honestly, so sincerely, that the words that were anything but meant as an insult left a bitter stinging pain. Right, why should he be mad? It wasn't that she had cheated on him. They were hardly good friends! He was with Sadie, she was 'with' David, and technically, he had simply stumbled upon a scene he wasn't meant to witness.
"You're right," she admitted, her voice audibly smaller, maybe even shy. "Why would you?"
"Yeah…why would I?" he asked himself, entirely too afraid to delve into this question any deeper, scared of what answers he might find. But then again, it was still his studio!
Simultaneously the started…
"I'm number one."
"I am mad at you."
"Number one?" Tommy gave a genuinely happy smile.
Jude however, glared at him. "Why are you mad at me?"
Tommy groaned, suddenly wishing he'd have just stayed mute. "I'm having a feeling we'll be yelling at each other in a few moments, so let's get to the good stuff first." He smirked smugly, not caring for her agitated fire-spilling eyes. Arms reached out, and he swiftly moved to give her a short, firm hug, startling her so much she almost stumbled. "Congrats, girl. You earned it!"
Jude pushed away from him, not listening. "Why are you mad at me?!"
"You nearly slept with David in my studio, although he cheated on you!" Now his voice matched Jude's in attitude.
"What's bugging you more?" Jude reposted dryly. "Me, being in his arms, or us, ruining the couch you never sit on?"
He scoffed, leaning back over the banister, not in the mood to endure her stare any longer. It outdid him. It made him feel she knew his answers before he was giving them, maybe even knew more than he allowed himself to say. "Funny. Ha. Ha. Why did you do it, Jude? Why did you need to do that in my studio, knowing I could drop by any second? Did you want me to see?"
To his utter surprise, Jude's acrimony took a break and instead she mirrored his actions, looking up into the sky as he did, leaning against the metal. "Sucks, doesn't it?"
"What?"
"The questions. Wondering why I did what I did. Wondering if I did it on purpose. It's killing you, isn't it?"
He waited answering, not sure if he wanted to admit to either of them. "Killing me… That's a big term! But, what if it does?"
"Then," Jude told him with a sad smile, a sign of a long wanted satisfaction, "You finally know how I felt when I saw you with Sadie in my living room."
"So you did do it on purpose?"
"No. It just happened. Told ya, he's a good kisser."
"Rub it in, why don't you," he scoffed full of annoyance. "I'm having it up to here," he proclaimed with gritted teeth, holding his hand to the top of his forehead to add the gesture to his words, "hearing about David! He's kissing some cheerleader, and you end up letting him feel you up, while I – as just your producer and friend – get to endure your tears, accusations, and harsh words?"
Jude gaped at him, waves of hate and shock alternating inside her. "I'm not sure what you just said to me. Do you want to 'feel me up', too, or are you just whining about the fact that I merely pointed out some facts to you?"
He certainly did not want to feel her up! Maybe a chaste kiss… Oh hell, he inwardly chided himself, he was letting his words get spun around again, from no one else but Jude! Sixteen-year old bitchy and unreasonable Jude! "Be assured I do not want my hands on your body in any sort of way!"
"You're whining then," she concluded sharply. "How very mature of you. You screw up and can't handle losing your toys for that!"
"My what?"
"Toys?! You know, when you put children into time outs, and keep them from playing with their favorite toys because they did something bad?" She sighed heavily. "I watched The Kindergarten Cop last night! The point is I'm not your best friend any longer and you're whining about it."
"I'm not whining!"
"You just did exactly that!"
"I pointed out- What the hell am I doing?" he murmured in self-despise. "You asked me if I was mad about what I saw. Yes, I am. For the future: Stay out of my studio when you feel the need to be 'felt up' again!"
Jude's eyes went wide. "Excuse me? I do not have to ask for your permission when I want to make out with someone in the studio! But hey, if it bugs you so much, we can always take your car again! Or simply go to David's big penthouse. The one in the big tower! And when we're there, we'll look out of the window and laugh at you for you're stuck in the little tower!"
"Better stay away from that guy completely! He's bad news for you, Jude. He's already making out with other girls, and that though you two have this whole 'no strings attached'-thing going on! What does that tell you?"
"That I'm a good enough kisser for him to constantly find his way back to me!" She smugly folded her arms in front of her chest. "Unlike other people, he knows the difference between a talented woman, and someone who is dating the most sex-obsessed guy I know and hardly knows how to arouse him! I saw Sadie trying to sneak into the house last week, after the game. What – couldn't she get Little Tommy Q to rise?"
He wasn't sure what was happening, or where his Jude had gone, but this feisty slip of a girl was starting to piss him off! "Watch it, Jude. You're speaking of things you don't know anything about!"
She hated when he reduced her to a young, naive, little girl! It had her blood boiling each time. "You think?" Jude grinned slyly. "David and I were making out a minute at most, before I could feel his want for me hard and clear. When was the last time someone did that to you?"
You. Last night. In a very exquisite dream that frustratingly had yet again no satisfying finish! "That is absolutely non of your business," he countered with every bit of control he had left. Either he'd be yelling at her in a minute, or ravishing her against the fucking door, but if she kept arguing about sex with him, he would lose it!
"Evasive answer," Jude commented. "Guess I hit home."
"You didn't hit anywhere near it!" His eyes went small, and his jaw hardened. "You want to know why you had your little boyfriend all hard? Because he's a frickin teenager! It has nothing to do with actual talent. And getting someone hard doesn't equal being good. It takes a lot more than that. Not that you would know, considering you're an innocent little virgin!"
Not sure what overcame her, she suddenly stepped forward, roughly grabbed his crotch and gave it a deep squeeze. Shocked, he winced in pain – and apparently something else for Jude could clearly feel movement! Tommy stared at her, speechless. When she let go after what felt like the most defining moments in her life, she could without a doubt see the bulge forming in his pants. She didn't know how she managed to keep from blushing into the shades of a ripe tomato, or from squealing in victory, but she found the strength of staying cool and smug. "Hardening in less than ten seconds. Either you still are a teenager yourself, or I'm just not that bad! See ya tomorrow, Quincy…" With that she swayed away, leaving him behind, mute and probably startled out of his skin!
The moment she reached the studio, Sadie and Kwest gave her weird looks. "You look flustered," her sister stated, slightly worried. "Did you have another fight with Tommy? We were all getting along so well!"
"Don't worry. It wasn't a fight," she smirked, no longer able to hide a blush though. "Just a little demonstration of power. I made my point. Actually," she mumbled slyly, "I think I made a huge explanation point! Can we go? I'm getting tired."
"Sure. Congratulations, you're number one!"
"Thanks," Jude smiled, her mind still outside, with Tommy. Oh how badly would she want to be inside his brain right now, to find out just how much she had really shocked him!
###
"You're seriously not telling me what she did to you?" Kwest looked a lot like a pouting child. "Whenever she crosses your path, your face turns tomato red! Don't get me wrong, the color suits you," he chuckled, "but I know you for about a decade now and I've never seen you blushing like that. What the hell happened last week?"
It was Monday afternoon, Jude was currently with Portia, and Tommy had taken the moment to hide in his office, to enjoy some much needed solitude. Apparently, Kwest hadn't gotten the cue. "Nothing. We talked, we argued, I lost."
"You fought about what? The thing in the studio?"
"Among other things," Tommy vaguely admitted. "I'm not telling you!" It was already humiliating enough as it was, and the fact that Jude was so damn cool about the whole thing made it that much harder for him. If she'd be a nervous and ashamed wreck around him, he'd probably feel a lot better! But no, Jude was a bundle of confidence and he could have sworn when she had arrived two hours ago, she had made a gesture with her hand, subtly reminding him of last Friday.
"Why not," Kwest almost whined. "I'm your best friend. I should know those things! After all, it's most likely you'll be begging for my advice anyway."
"I don't beg!" At least not when he was awake. Last night though… Yeah, that was a whole other story. Jude was – as usually – naked and writhing beneath him. Again, he had found himself aroused to no end, his hands had taken in every single curve of her glorious body and of course, just when he had wanted to take things to the next level he found himself stuck – in his pants. He had called out to whomever it was that controlled his dreams, screaming and begging to let him just once take this dream to a good ending. No reply. Had he expected one? He began to wonder if maybe he was in need for some major psychotherapy.
While Kwest watched in annoyance how Tommy drifted away as he constantly did lately, lost in thoughts, it knocked on the office door, and Jude's head appeared through the crack. "I'm done with my fittings. Are you…" Jude stopped and entered the room fully. "Is he okay? Quincy looks…creepy."
"He's not creepy. He's lost in thought. Happens a lot lately."
"Must be some deep thoughts if he doesn't even notice us talking." His eyes were closed, and a suspicious grin grew on his face. Jude leaned closer to Kwest and whispered, "Is he having a dirty dream?"
Kwest rolled his eyes, and hoped his friend his friend wasn't. "I wish I could tell you." Taking Tommy's jacket that sat next to Kwest in another chair, he threw it at him. "Wake up, T!"
"Huh?" He opened his eyes, clearly startled. He had just wanted to close his eyes for a small moment, but all of sudden an image of Jude had appeared out of nowhere, leading him through the darkness towards a bedroom. Oh yeah, he needed therapy! Then he noticed that Jude was in the room, too. Jumping up and busying himself with his jacket, though not quite sure why suddenly it was in his lap, he wondered, "what'cha doing here?"
"Telling you I'm done with my fitting," she carefully spoke, not sure if he was able to comprehend. "I'm getting worried here, Quincy. You're my producer and if you decide to go mental or sick or whatever, warn me so I get replacement in time."
He laughed curtly. "I'm just fine."
"Okay," Jude nodded, clearly unconvinced. But, she remembered that she currently didn't like him and therefore didn't care. "Then we can start recording, can't we? Unless you want to get some fresh air? Maybe go to the stairway in the back? We could argue some more, and I could show you just how good I am at that…" Inwardly smirking full of pride at how easy it was to rattle him, she looked completely serious.
"Why should you two want to argue? Some more?" Kwest gave a suspicious frown. "I thought you simply made a point," he said, recalling Jude's comment from last Friday. He hated being left in the dark!
Jude grinned innocently. "I say I made a very big point. I think you could even say–"
"You done?" Tommy asked sharply, a clear warning in his glaring, dark eyes. "Or do you really want to argue? Be aware, the next time I'll make my own points!"
Forgetting about Kwest's presence, Jude stepped closer towards Tommy, trying to show off she didn't fear him, nor hesitated to defy him. "Is that a challenge?"
He wasn't so sure anymore about what they were talking, but had a distinctive feeling they were entering dangerous territory. "Jude, you should watch your words."
"Afraid," she baited.
And he snapped. "Never. But, just so you know, last Friday I wasn't prepared. That won't happen again! I admit I underestimated your guts, but I'm still miles ahead of you when it comes to leaving points!" Dark eyes met dark eyes. "Enjoy your little victory as long as you can. It won't last."
Unsure about what he meant, she scoffed smugly. "That's loser talk. Trust me, Quincy. If you and I were being outside, I'm damn sure I'd make another, very big point just like I did last Friday! Prepared or not, I told you I'm good!"
Oh just how badly did he want to find out if she was right! "We should really get back to work." No one moved though, and his expression was just as sharp and hard as hers. He knew she never backed out first, which occasionally had already led to unpleasant moments, like her almost-fight with Eden on stage of the Benefit-Concert last year. Only this time, the stakes were higher and while he wasn't even sure what they had said or suggested during the last two minutes, it had seemed dangerous and far from what they ought to be talking about.
"Fine," Jude reluctantly agreed, her face softening when she spun around. The proximity of her, as well as the swift and powerful spin had her blond curls hitting his face like a whip when her back faced him.
He closed his eyes, counted to ten and then took a long, deep breath. She was a sixteen-year old bundle of utter annoyance. Why could she bring him to the boiling point so easily? Usually, he was a master of keeping his emotion in check! With Jude, he was helpless and a victim to his own cockiness and arrogance.
"What just happened," Kwest asked, eyes following Jude out as she left.
Tommy, noticing grimly how his friend was staring at Jude's butt — though in that skirt and with those swaying hips, it was hard not to — only grumbled. "No idea."
###
David was sitting in the studio, waiting for Jude's day to be over. Both Kwest and Tommy had left to have a talk with Darius when Jude came out of the booth, and sat down next to him, her head falling tiredly on his shoulder. "I got Quincy hard."
He started laughing. "What?"
"I got him hard," she repeated, shy and remorseful. "We were fighting, and suddenly it was about the thing that happened between us, and he basically insulted us both, saying we were just horny teenagers and then he went even further and called me unable to excite someone. Something snapped in me, and…I stepped in front of him and grabbed his…things. I squeezed, I felt movement, and I won. Now he's all weird and twisty when he sees me. We were just getting along again."
"So he thinks you're not hot enough to arouse a man? That guy is nuts! You're more than hot, Harrison, and I think I proved that last week!"
She grinned bashfully. "I thought so." The last weeks with David had definitely boosted her confidence. "It's not even the fact that I did it that unnerves me. It's that he still gets me to get mad so easily."
"How about we get him mad," he suggested quickly, seeing Tommy and Kwest returning. David could clearly see that there was more than protectiveness in Tommy's eyes whenever he and Jude were together. "Pretend you're giving me head."
"What?!" Jude was startled into a state where wit and better judgment didn't exist anymore.
"Just do it, I'll explain later. They're coming in every second and so far haven't looked over. Just bend over me and let your hair fall over my lap. When they enter, we'll jump up and they won't notice you faked it."
Jude saw how close Tommy and Kwest were and just acted. While she pretended to bop her head, she dug her nails into his left knee. "If you get hard, I'll bite!"
He would have laughed, but for the purpose of this whole thing he let his head fall back, closed his eyes and moaned. Jude would have giggled but in that moment Tommy and Kwest entered and just as David had told, both jumped up, pretended shame and faced away. "I should go now," David muttered, playing like there was some 'urgent' matter he needed to take care off, and then hurried out.
Jude brushed her hair out of her face, had no problems blushing and then looked up in annoyance. "Knock next time!"
"I'm out," Kwest grinned, leaving the room right away. As much as he loved overhearing their arguments, this one seemed to become a big one and he feared he might get pulled into it. He rather watched from afar.
Tommy stared at Jude in shock for a moment, simply gaping at her and at the things she did he had never thought possible he'd ever caught her doing. "Knock? This is my studio!"
The blush on Jude's cheeks faded. By now she was a master in telling when a fight was brewing up and this one promised to become a good one! "Are we back to that?"
"What the fuck were you just doing?!" Tommy barked, still shocked. All those years that he had argued with her youth seemed worthless now for she was apparently anything but the innocent little girl he had tried so hard to see in her.
"Being good," she claimed, taking a firm stand in front of him.
"Jude," he hissed.
"Oh come on! Don't tell me you don't know what I was doing! I'm sure as hell it's nothing new to you!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing!" She shot defensively. "I'm simply saying you're in no position to judge me!"
"I wasn't judging! I am shocked!"
"Why?"
"Because you don't do that!"
That confused her, and she asked promptly. "I don't do that, or people don't do it in general?"
"You don't do that! The girl I used to know does not give head in public, let alone in my studio!" His mind added that she did not give head in his studio to anyone but him, but even he knew that was one sick thought!
"What the hell is it with your possessiveness? I'm not being in your office, or your car, or even your apartment! This," she said, while pointing around the room, "is just a studio, not your studio. And even if it were, what's so damn important about that?" It was then that she wondered why she had even agreed to David's ridiculous idea in the first place. Here she was again, fighting pointlessly with Tommy while she could have been on her way home! For the love of Pop Tarts, why had she agreed to it?
"Why did you do it?"
Could he read minds? "What?"
He scoffed. "I'm not speaking it out again. Why did you do it here?"
Good question, she admitted. "It just happened. He's a horny teenager – remember? He doesn't even need me to get hard, if I understood you correctly last Friday. I simply offered my help."
"How very generous of you," he snarled full of disgust.
Jude began to get angry by the fact that he made such a big deal of it. Who was he to care? "Actually, I think I was! Jealous?" she found herself smugly asking.
"What?"
"Jealous?" Jude stepped closer towards him, not knowing why, but then again, she did a lot of things without knowing why, lately.
Tommy crossed his arms in front of him, not defensively but in a gesture of blocking her. He would never admit it, but there were moments when he was scared of the things she could do to him, or make him do to her. Eyes turned into thin slits, and he decided to be blunt. She had no problems doing so, why shouldn't he? "Why should I? If I wanted to cum in a mouth, I wouldn't need your generosity for that!"
Jude was taken aback by his clear words, but didn't dare to show it. Instead she stepped closer, her expression challenging. "Maybe you want my generosity."
His teeth gritted. "Careful, Jude."
"Why?" Her eyes darkened further, and he could tell she was under no circumstances backing away now. He had obviously struck a nerve and now wondered just how far she'd go. "I thought a lot about the things that happened between us last year. Maybe I really was foolish to believe you had feelings for me, but I think I can safely say you did like kissing me."
His hard lines broke for sudden belittling laughter. "One kiss, Jude. One kiss."
"One you initiated. And like I said, you went for my lips twice. Was it the red hair you found sexy? I've been told it's doing wicked things to men's heads. Or, maybe it was the way my dress was wet and clinging to me. Come to think of it, I was a lot more innocent last year and I've never spent a thought about it until now, but I must have been quite a catch for your eyes. I mean I was literally barely legal, and you had fire in you when you kissed me! Let alone in your lips!"
"It was pity," he lied.
"I think I was aroused in that moment."
Like this whole damn moment wasn't hard enough for him already! No, she just had to bring that comment, didn't she? Tommy growled on the inside, mutely staring at her.
"Did I render you speechless? Guess that means I win again. I didn't even have to use my hands for that," she quipped. "Unless you want me to," she offered, her voice more sultry than he knew was possible. Had it ever been sultry before?
"You should go, Jude." He didn't trust himself around her any longer.
"Nice way of admitting defeat," she boosted on her way out.
###
"Okay, tell me why I made myself the talk of the building?" Jude sat in David's car, looking confused and lost. "Even if Tommy and Kwest won't tell, I'm sure they all watched me and him arguing!"
"And doesn't that tell you something?"
Jude gave him a blank face. "Like… Discuss your matters in private?"
"He keeps on arguing with you. He's dating Sadie, and I know she's not opposed to giving the favor he thinks you gave me."
"EW," Jude shot, shuddering.
"The point is, he has a willing girlfriend but as you said isn't taking advantage of that. She's hardly catching his interest! You though make him constantly lose his temper!"
"Are you complementing me?"
"He's jealous! I told you before."
"He's not jealous! He's pissed off because I almost christened his studio! He's mad because I'm not worshipping him like I used to. He might be hurt in his pride that someone 'had' me while he has no chance on ever getting that far, but trust me – that's it!"
"He is jealous," David insistently proclaimed.
"He is Quincy. He doesn't like anyone touching something that he believes is his. Like I said, he probably just wants me because he knows he can't!"
"Last year he could."
"No, last year I thought he could. He never hid that he's a firm believer of not dating anyone younger than eighteen. Though, at some point twenty-one was more likely."
"Say what you want, but he IS jealous."
"He is NOT," Jude stated, "Let's change the subject. How's Amanda?"
"Still believing I date her," David murmured.
"Loser."
"Indeed. Why don't we finish what we started in the studio," he grinned. "It'll sure as hell lighten my mood!"
"Dream on!" Jude laughed.