Chapter 17

Stuart sat on the barstool, a drink in his hand and a timid smile on his lips. He felt nervous. Across him a very beautiful, thirty-something year old woman had taken a seat, and she was now smiling at him in a way that he had last seen on his ex-wife's lips shortly before he had asked her out for the first time. Dark long hair flowed in wavy strands when she pushed it back over her shoulder. Was she flirting with him? He was way past forty. His wife had left him, his affair had moved away, and his youngest daughter made more money in a month than he did in a whole year! This morning a colleague of his had pointed out that men past forty were less likely to find love again than women the same age. It had done the strangest thing to him. Suddenly, he had been overcome by a heavy sense of loneliness. Life-expectation for a middle-class man in his position was around 87 years. Was he really willing to spend the next, nearly thirty-something years alone? God no!

So he had decided to actively search for a new partner. He asked himself what he was requiring from a future girlfriend. Not much, had been the depressing answer. Female and single. Preferably attractive. He was too old to sneak around anymore. Now, as he admired and even a little stared at the exotic beauty across him, he noticed several interesting facts. One: She wasn't wearing a wedding ring. And two: She searched eye contact with him. That for itself was a very good thing, but sadly he was so nervous he repeatedly looked away whenever she found his eyes. One would expect that he, with his experiences, was a little less likely to make an idiot out of himself, but – as always – reality was a bitch. The next time she caught his eyes and he adverted them, she giggled and got up, only to take the seat next to him. "Hi, I'm Isabella. I hope I don't make you feel uncomfortable?"

Stuart mentally cursed himself. A dozen dates with different women, a wife, an affair, and a really strange party with a startling high amount of good-looking men that had left him to discover he was definitely not gay hadn't done anything to prepare him for this moment. As he gripped the glass of his cold drink he realized something very unsettling: He was mesmerized. Her words, soft and sweet as they had rolled from her mouth, carrying the hint of a spanish accent, had undone him. It wasn't love at first sight. No, at his age one knew that was a myth that didn't exist! But it was definitely something. Smiling back like a complete fool, he shook his head. "No. I'm cool. I mean, I'm not cool-cool – I'm just…" He sighed and took a heavy gulp of his drink. "I'm Stuart." He held out his hand and hoped she wouldn't comment on how damp it was. "I'm not always this weird."

Isabella responded with another very womanly laugh that triggered a reaction in Stuart he had half-feared was lost. Or at least, dependant on something small and blue that normally came with a prescription. "I feel flattered I'm the cause for the loss of your words. So, tell me Stuart – are you single? Or will you disappoint me?"

He wanted to giggle. Men did not giggle, and yet he wanted to. "Single. I used to be married. But, life didn't work out…" He had long ago discovered that being nervous made him talk as much as Sadie when she was excited. He didn't consider that a good thing. "Then Jude my youngest became famous. She's not at all the reason Victoria and I split, but her life, and foremost her relationship with her producer delivered a lot of material to start fights over…"

Isabella looked over her shoulder as she closed the clap of her bra. It was horrible. The first cute man she found in Toronto after her move, and out of all he had to be Jude Harrison's father! She put her shirt back on. He slumbered so peacefully. It was a shame. He had even taken her home to his own apartment. It had been adorable when he had explained how most of the time he'd live here, unless Victoria was out of town. Then he'd move back home for a few days because if there was one thing in this world not to be trusted it were teenage daughters! She could really imagine falling for him, and his cute rambles. Too bad this was the first week of her new job, and therefore she couldn't afford herself letting go of what he had admitted in his tipsy state. As she slipped into her cream white heals, she pulled out her Blackberry to text her boss. Maybe one day Stuart would forgive her…

'Meet me at 8 sharp. J. Harrison and Lil' T are going to make the headlines!'

Jude's mind was spinning in chaotic circles. Standing behind the mike inside the booth, she watched with interest how Tommy and Kwest weren't doing their jobs, but instead both hunched over Tommy's phone. Occasionally, one was slapping the other and then they'd start laughing. More than once Jude had walked up to them but each time they acted as if nothing were wrong. That again was a joke itself because between Tommy and her was something wrong, anyway! It was three days since their last sexual encounter inside his office, and since then she had deliberately ignored him at any given opportunity.

Tommy took that as an excuse to keep asking her repeatedly whether she was upset about something every time he did manage to corner her. He hadn't made another move on her, but she had a feeling that would change soon. There was something about the way he was looking at her!

Considering that singing was futile, given the fact nobody was even listening, she walked out of the booth and towards the kitchenette, where Darius was standing, fretting over someone who had dared to make himself a sandwich during work time. Hopping onto the counter, she found it amusing how he glared at her. "You don't have work waiting?" he wondered sharply.

"I would sing, but my producer and my engineer are too busy playing games on Tommy's phone." She wanted to add they weren't allowing her to join them, but she figured that'd be too immature. At least in front of Darius.

The big boss took immediate action and was halfway in studio A already, when Jude caught up with him, wanting to see how Kwest and Tommy were about to get punished. Maybe D would make them clean the toilets or something equally nasty, she hoped slyly. To her great displeasure though, Tommy only offered Darius his seat and his phone, and left it to Kwest to tell D what they were doing, while Tommy pulled a more than reluctant Jude with him into his office. "Get away from me, idiot!"

"Idiot?" Tommy rolled his eyes as he closed the door. "Is that the best thing you've got? Shimmer down, and take a seat!"

The order came so sternly she found herself following suit. Something entirely unfamiliar to her! "What's going on? Did something happen?"

Tommy smirked to himself. Who would have thought Jude could be that submissive once addressed with firmness. He definitely was going to remember that for the next time he'd have her over. "No, but you were my getting on my nerves."

The grin on his face made Jude cringe. "I hate it when you're smug. So, what's so important you're imprisoning me again? Don't expect a repeat from last time." She tartly crossed her arms and smirked. "I didn't shower this morning. I stink!"

"Didn't trust yourself around me, did you?" He crooked his head and bit his lip. "I think you're lying. You look too pretty to be un-showered. Not that I mind a little dirtiness."

"Tommy!" Jude huffed in annoyance. "Why am I here?"

"I don't know. I didn't expect you'd stay since the door isn't locked. You tell me! I can lock the door if you like."

How come she always maneuvered herself into these situations? Changing the topic swiftly, she asked: "What were you and Kwest doing on your phone? And why can Darius know, but I can't? You know I hate it when I'm not included!"

He shrugged. "Some Facebook-crap of Shay. It's not really meant for under-aged girls… D's going to put Shay into place, and I'm looking forward for that! What'cha doing tonight?"

Checking Shay's Facebook page. "Nothing. No," she corrected herself quickly, afraid he'd offer something. "Actually I'm not at home. I'll be at um…my Dad's! Yeah!"

"Don't worry," he chuckled, "I wouldn't have dropped by anyway."

Oh. "Well, what are your plans," she snidely countered, not liking she was disappointed by his last comment. "Are you dating some slut I haven't met yet?"

He loved when she got jealous. "No, actually I'll be staying home. I'm going to cook something, and then I'll be going to bed early. Alone." His eyes were on hers, searching for the hint of a smile. He found it quickly.

"That's too bad," she lied.

"Well, you can always keep me company!" Closing his eyes, he showed a dreamy smile. "You, me, and the chocolate sauce…"

A traitorous wave of heat flushed over her skin. "I hate chocolate," she bit back and stood up, tossing one of gummy bears that he had always in reach into his face.

"Whoa, what's got you so riled up?!" He was laughing at her little outburst. "Sexually frustrated?" His brows wiggled suggestively.

She'd never admit that maybe she was! It wasn't easy being around him all the time, knowing how wickedly amazing it felt to be with him, and yet having to stick to a promise she had made to herself that she'd never be in his arms again! She scoffed on her way to his door, what caused him to laugh harder.

"You are! Admit it already, Harrison! You want me. You liked it! I know I did."

"That's not the point," she flapped back, words flying as fast as she was spinning around to glare at him. "Sex isn't all, Tommy. I know you want me. I knew it from the beginning. And I told you it's not enough!"

That got Tommy to jump up in sudden anger. "I told you how I felt. I offered more, and you threw it back at me! You don't get to argue with that anymore, Jude. I'm in love with you. It's on you to believe me!"

"Well, I don't," she bit out. "Why should I believe you? You just think you like me. Maybe you honestly do so, but it's not going to last. The moment reality sets in, and you understand that I'm still sixteen-year old me, you'll be running so fast from me, I couldn't even catch you driving your Porsche!"

"That's not true," he protested with a heavy sigh.

"I will not date you."

"Fine. At least admit that you want me!"

"So you can win your stupid bet?"

"The Ferrari is totaled," he retorted, "You and David have broken up, and you and I had sex twice! I'd say the bet isn't even possible anymore. Stop hiding behind it!"

"I'm not hiding! It's just one part of a long list of reasons why I neither believe in the sincerity of your feelings, nor that dating you would be smart!"

"Out of all the things," he snapped as he took his own step towards Jude, "that you are, I never once believed you were a coward!

"I am not!"

"Yes, you are!"

Suddenly Jude stepped backwards. "So what? What if I am? I think I'm allowed to, after everything that happened! I got my heart broken so often, I got careful. Thank yourself for that!"

"Oh, for crying out loud," he grunted in desperation, "How often do you want me to apologize for that? I screwed up. Get over it! Not everybody is as perfect as you are! But, oh wait – you ain't that perfect, either. You played with another guy's heart because you couldn't handle being pitied. You don't talk to your best friend anymore, because he was honest to you. For a while, you hated your sister because she fell for me and wanted to act on it, but hey – so did you! Don't stand there, judging me, when you're not that much better! Go home, Jude. I really don't think we'll manage to work today!"

Dumbfounded, Jude did as told. "

Later that night Jude stood in front of Tommy's apartment door, with shaky hands, tumbled thoughts, and more confusion than she had thought possible. Tommy's words had hit a sore spot. As much as she had hated being pitied after his affair with Sadie had gone public, being called a coward now sucked just as much. She initially came to argue with him, wanting to clarify that she wasn't a coward at all, but simply careful when it came to matters that involved her heart. Then, on her way over here, she had however come to the conclusion that all that carefulness had indeed made her a coward.

Now, with that admission being made, she wondered not for the first time why she hadn't turned around yet. Why was she here? Maybe she wanted to stop being a coward, but at the same time, she wasn't ready to put her trust into Tommy's words, again. Just when she was about to turn around and leave, the door was pulled open and a startled Tommy stared back into what she was sure were her own, just as surprised eyes.

"Jude?"

"I was about to leave," she stuttered.

He frowned. "Without actually being here? Are you here for a reason?"

"No. Yes. No. I…" She rolled eyes at herself. Taking in his appearance, she noticed he was wearing a jacket. "Are you on the run? I'm on my way home anyway, so-"

She had not yet spun around when his hand tugged gently on her arm, turning her back. "I forgot my phone in the car. I'm not going anywhere. Why are you really here?" When he opened the door further, she subsequently entered. Why, she kept asking herself! "About earlier. After you sent me home, I sort of started thinking and the main reason I'm here is to prove you wrong, but on the way here I realized I can't do that because you're a little bit right. And that sort of confused me even more and…well, now I'm here. I wasn't going to knock, though. If you hadn't opened, I'd be on my way home by now!" As the words bubbled from her lips, she felt her throat running dry. "You have something to drink? Thinking makes me thirsty."

That got a laugh from him. "Well, it's hard work!" He took his jacket off and offered her a seat on the couch. "Water?"

"Please. Do you ice cream too? I haven't eaten all day." Her sheepish smile had him chuckling. A part of him was still angry because she was too scared to really open up to him. And that, though he had taken a huge leap of faith by admitting to his feelings for her! Didn't she know how big of a step that was for him? Remembering her plea, he went to get her a bowl of Ben & Jerry's and a glass of water. She didn't touch the water, but ate the whole bowl of ice cream, while watching him as he watched her. It was a weird moment. When she had finished with the ice, he gave a helpless smile. "What now?"

Placing the bowl on his table, she shrugged. "Are we okay? I mean – I know we're not okay, because of all that has happened, but there's a difference between being not okay and not okay. So…?"

"I really don't know what you're saying, but from my side, we're as okay as we could be under these circumstances." He hoped he had put it the right way. "Aren't we?"

"I asked you! I'm okay with not being okay-" The whole okay/not okay-thing was giving her a headache. "Come to think of it we're not at all okay. We had sex!"

Starting to feel a little warmer, he smiled uncomfortably. "I remember that. Twice, actually! I liked both times…" He added with his usual boyish grin.

"That's not what I meant," she mumbled with a deep blush. For a sixteen-year old ex-virgin who was already confused as it was, she felt relieved to know she at least hadn't screwed that up!

"Then what do you mean," he asked straight out, his tone serious. "Do you want to know what we are? You know what I want."

"And I told you it can't happen!" Facing away from his, she fell back against he backrest of his couch. This was exhausting and frustrating, and she had no idea how to change the situation. She wasn't ready to date him. It would mean putting her heart on the line again, and she just wasn't willing to do so. "But that doesn't mean I like the drama that currently makes our lives! I want to change something. I want to be in the same room with you without constantly wondering if I have to apologize for something, or if I'm supposed to be mad at you!"

"Neither," Tommy affirmed. "Look – I'm not sorry for having been with you, but I'm sorry for how I handled things the second time we…you know. Not really, though. Just – I get that you're reluctant about trusting me. And I know that's partially my own fault." He narrowed his eyes warningly when she was about to protest. She sheepishly closed her mouth again. "I want to convince you that I'm worth a try. That we're worth a try! And I know I shouldn't use sex for that," he repentantly admitted, "but the truth is, I can't stop wanting you."

"Me neither," was Jude's shy answer. "I don't want to give in because I know it makes things complicated. And, I know it's not fair because – whether I trust you, or not – you put yourself out there and – Sometimes I just want to be friends with you again! No drama, no other stuff, no sex. Just friends!"

"Yeah," he gave as a sigh, not sure if just friendship would ever be enough. But, she was right. The drama, the emotions, and all that other stuff was getting in the way of what used to be them. "So, you want to leave it all behind and start all over? No bet, no challenge of winning you over, no nothing? No car to win, no apartment to make into a rehearsal space, no…declaration of undying love?"

"I want you to be my friend. And, if that's the price I have to pay, then yes!"

He could see the sadness in her eyes. A part of him was rueful, too. Had they screwed it all up so much that just friendship was the last solution? He hoped that one day she'd change her mind about that. When her eyes grew misty, he pulled her into his arms and just hugged her. "This isn't goodbye."

Jude sniffled and laughed simultaneously, causing a weird noise to leave her throat, which in return caused Tommy to chuckle. The vibrations of his throat against her neck, the warmth of his face as it pressed against her skin, even the almost unnoticeable puffs of his respiration, it all did the funniest things to Jude's mind and body. Scooting closer to him, she gave into the urge of her soul to be in his arms. Little fists bunched his shirt, and somewhere between scooting yet another bit further and between forgetting every single word they had just agreed on, Tommy's lips began to suckle on her neck, and when she moaned in return, things were no longer able to be stopped.

He couldn't let go of her. She smelled too good for someone whom he just wanted to be friends with! Although, the term 'wanted'really didn't apply to that plan. When his mouth found the pulse on her long neck, a breathy "Tommy" filled his ears as though it was the most alluring melody. Something in his snapped, and he knew he couldn't let of her. And the way she was arching, stretching out the thin fabric of her shirt – was she even wearing a bra? – made it clear she wanted him just as much. Was this goodbye? A last time between two lovers not meant to be? He didn't know, but he swore to himself that whatever this was, he'd make it unforgettable for Jude. Parting from her beguiling skin, he leaned back, and tenderly brushed a curl that had glued to her dampened face from her forehead . "Are you sure?"

Her answer came in form of a kiss. She lunged forward, mashed her mouth on his, and erased every last bit of doubt he could have possibly still had. Strong as he was, Jude gasped when he effortlessly picked her up, looped an arm beneath her legs and her back and carried her into his bedroom. Jude's hands gripped his flexed, muscled forearms, her eyes taking in his handsomeness. Heat overcame her in rushes that came faster and stronger each time. Unable not to, she kissed his throat, then his neck, then his shoulder, biting down and soothing the arousing pain with her hot tongue. The groan that came from Tommy's lips felt more as an award of her skills than any of his words ever could. She stared up at him, his eyes clouded by a foggy, appealing darkness, when he placed her upon the comforter of his bed. The coolness of the material came into contact with her lower back, her shirt having rode up that far. Jude gasped at the sensation. Her chest heaved with each deep breath she took. Tommy's eyes were relentlessly taking her in as he got rid of his own clothes, doing so in record time. Unabashedly admiring his looks, Jude licked her dry lips. That gesture must have cut Tommy's poise, because within a split second the force of his ravenous kiss had her head pressed into the mattress. The devastating lip lock made her feel swoonish and lightheaded. Her slender arms curled around his naked, broad shoulders, while her legs wrapped around his middle. Needing every caress he was offering, Jude shamelessly begged him for everything she could think off, even going as far as using some rather unlikely words for her.

The sultry, yet insanely innocent "make me cum," had Tommy on the verge of an orgasm before he was even out of his boxers. How come a sixteen-year old could do that to him? Groping her ass through her jeans she rubbed along his rock hard erection, making him curse in surprise and pleasure. But, the little frisson wasn't even close to what he knew would come once he was inside her, and so his thriving desire to take things there had him lose his patience. First was her shirt, then her jeans, and then the rest. His lips traveled all the way from her neck to the juncture of her legs, kissing, nibbling, sucking, biting, and teasing her so much that she was fervently squirming when he reached the soaked black panties she was still wearing. Each pointer hooked around one side, pulling the material off her creamy legs, while she wiggled to help him. "Faster," she pleaded, fretting for a short moment when he took pleasure in letting her wait. Blowing hot air between her invitingly opened legs caused her to take matters into her own hands. With nearly tearful eyes, she begged as she pulled his hand against her core, leaning upwards to kiss him. "Please," she whispered, and he couldn't deny the request. First his middle finger, then the pointer slipped into her slick heat, and at last she was bucking when his thumb vigorously rubbed her most receptive nub. She clung to him for dear life as her bucking body surrendered to a hard release. "Oh…God…" Hazy eyes stared back at him as he crawled on top of her, his lips searching hers in a hurry. As he buried himself inside her, just strong enough to wait until he had pushed his underwear out of the way, he dug his face into the curve of her neck, breathing her in. Every limb of hers was around him; both so close together that there wasn't even room to tease each other as they rode towards the end. His teeth sank into her skin when she reached her second climax, her clenching walls so snug that his one followed immediately. It wasn't the last time they did it that night, the times Jude found herself in heaven being nearly too high to count in her satisfied state.

It wasn't until next morning that reality began to sink in again, and Jude would find herself faced with a rude awakening…

Chapter 18

As he was peacefully sleeping, Jude carefully scooted closer towards him. The room, pitch dark and only illuminated by the light coming from the hallway through the open door, was giving her a sense of protection. Secluded between the dark gray he couldn't see her misty eyes would he wake up. It was all so screwed up. As his arm subconsciously tightened around her naked waist, Jude gulped away the lump in her throat. This time there was no one but her to blame for this mess. After having begged him to leave her alone, to start over, she had given in to him. The irony? He hadn't even tried. Not much, at least. As she lay with her belly pressed against his rips, and her breasts against his chest, her eyes observed his closed ones. With much precaution, not wanting to wake him, she brushed her fingers through the thick strands of his gorgeous hair. She smiled at the smell of his shampoo. He'd never admit it, but she knew it was some fancy, expensive salon-shampoo – for women. His vanity wasn't a flaw though. To her, it made him even more attractive. Fingers froze when his eyes fluttered, but just as the beat of her heart had, the twitching stopped. Good. He stayed asleep.

It was time to go. If she waited until he was awake, she'd never make it out of his apartment without tears. Lifting herself as carefully as she could from his warm and manly body, she unwillingly licked her lips in appreciation. Lean and male as he was, Jude didn't have to wonder why his charm wasn't the only thing women were so fascinated about in his presence. In a mixture of relief and sadness, she proceeded to crawl off the mattress. Now the darkness was an obstacle, and it didn't help that, in his frenzy for her, Tommy had strewn her clothes all over the floor. She needed only jeans and a shirt. Everything else she could get another time. If he allowed her to come back.

Having one shoe in her hand, she cursed when suddenly a light went on, indicating he had woken up. The shoe hit the floor with a thud, and for a few moments the sound or her hasty breathing was the only thing audible in a room where his confusion overshadowed everything else. Finally he spoke up, and angrily on that. "I really hope you just want to get us breakfast."

Closing her eyes, Jude turned away. This time she reached for the other shoe. Tartly snapping, "It's only four a.m.," she regretted the attitude she showed to hide her true emotions. As her shoulders slouched, her voice fell too. "I'm sorry. Not just for snapping." With her heart getting heavier by each second she stayed, Jude acted fast. One hand shot out to grab the second shoe. She didn't bother putting them on. "I meant what I said last night. I'm not ready. I want us to only be friends."

Making a beeline towards the door, she didn't look back. But he was quick. Before she was in the hallway, Tommy's grip on her arm made her stop. Unable to believe she still preferred to steal herself away, he glared at her in unconcealed anger. "Stay. Talk to me. Give me a reasonable excuse why you need to leave right now, in the middle of the night, with half your clothes still on my bedroom floor. Is someone dying?"

"Of course not," Jude bit back. One didn't joke about those things!

"Then stay. It's that simple. Come back to bed right now, with me, and show me you didn't just try to sneak away. Because, if that's the case…" He let go of her, his intense eyes still entangled with her big, afraid ones. "Jude, I tried." Speaking as honestly as he could, he found that his heart and his patience weren't made to deal with this any longer. "The last couple of hours proved better than any words ever could that you and I will never be just friends. If that's all you can offer, it's not something I can accept. I can't sit in the studio, watching you all day, not wanting you all night. I can't help you writing songs about honest emotions, knowing your hiding yours."

The teardrops on Jude's cheek told him she understood what he was implying. He tried speaking it out, but it would make things final. And, truth be told, he was afraid of that finality. "I can't just…"

Looking away from him, she focused on the carpet in his hallway. She could almost count the seconds for one tear to make it from her eye into the depths of his floor. "That's what I didn't want to happen," came as a broken whisper from her lips.

It was funny in a weird way, thought Tommy, that he was even feeling guilty when for once she was the one breaking his heart. Cupping her sad face with a warm palm, he tilted it upwards. The thumb caressed it albeit the moment was requiring a more distant approach, instead of a physical one. "What's keeping you from saying yes to us?" With his own voice weakening, it dawned on him that he cared more for her than he had imagined being able to.

Jude's watery eyes found his with a last quantum of strength. "Me."

"The girl I know is stronger than to let her own insecurities get in the way of getting what she wants."

"That girl got her heart broken. You hurt me so much without even being my boyfriend. Do you have any idea how much you'll be able to hurt me if I really allow myself to fall for you? Like, really, deeply, crushingly, madly, and completely falling in love with you? Have you ever loved so much, Tommy? If you have, you must have lost her, because you're single now. Tell me how badly it hurt, and tell me you still don't understand why I'm afraid!"

Had he loved that much? He had loved. Angie. And after he had lost her, he had spent years with meaningless flirts to avoid getting his heart broken again. He did understand. But, he also knew that Jude was the girl he wanted, and needed, to be happy again. And he wasn't willing to wait another few years until she had had her own list of meaningless affairs to realize he was what she needed. "I don't know what to do anymore, Jude. I want you, but I don't know how to get you." It was defeat that spoke. Letting go of her face, he stepped backwards. "If there was just one thing I could do to make you have just the tiniest bit of willingness to give us a try, I would do it."

Was there something? Were there words he could say, or gestures he could make? No, she finally understood, because it wasn't about him anymore. "This is about me. I have lost something during those last months. I don't know what it is, or how to get it back, but last year I was willing to risk it all, and this year I'm no longer." With new tears threatening to fall, she practically ran away from him. A distantly sobbed "I'm sorry…" was all she left him with.

It started Sunday afternoon, but it wasn't until Monday morning that Jude found out why everyone kept looking at her as if she were an outer space alien with two almond shaped eyes. The first indication that something really big, really bad had happened came when she walked up to her locker in school, and two of the girls she used to consider rather friendly coughed 'slut' upon her bypassing. Then came the next hint in class when her math teacher, who never read gossip or other tabloid news, told her he was surprised she was brave enough to show up in school that day. That comment alone was subject of irritation. Jude and brave? The last weekend had shown more than clearly she was anything but that!

But, it wasn't until lunchtime that she found out why things this oddly kept happening. "You have guts to be here," commented David as he tugged her out of the cafeteria and into an empty classroom. "I assume you don't know what's going on?"

Jude shook her head. "No! But, everyone either calls me a slut, or stares at me as if I have some sort of fatal disease."

"That's one way to call it!" David pushed a tabloid in her hand. "I thought you wanted to stay away from him, and that it was a one-time deal!"

With a gasp Jude took in the first page's headline and its accompanying pictures.

'Quincy at his worst: New one-night stand only sixteen years old – his protégé!'

Next to the headline was a whole bunch of pictures showing her entering Tommy's apartment in a decently dressed way, and then leaving it in the middle of the night with tousled hair, smeared make up and barefoot. The small, explaining text below on the page said that Jude obviously had spent the night with Tommy, and afterwards had gotten her heart broken, because – as the pictures clearly showed – she was crying. "How'd they – why were they making pictures in the middle of the night if not expecting something like that to happen?"

"I assume they followed you." Sitting down on one of the desks, he lowered his head. "So you two are dating now?"

Jude angrily tossed the tabloid away. "No!"

"Well, it sure looks like it! I know you're not stupid enough to be his one – no wait – two-night stand, so you better be dating him!"

"We're not!" She barked. She was so riled up she could break a damn table. "God! I get pitied all over again! Why is it so hard for everyone to believe that it wasn't me, who got hurt?!"

That got David to stare in disbelief. "You hurt him?" Smiling at that idea was bad, he knew. He just didn't care. "Little T got his boy band heart crushed by you? How are chances you have that on tape?"

"David!" She rolled her eyes as she marched up and down to get rid of all the frustration inside her. "I told him we couldn't happen. I'm not ready! Yes, we had sex. So what? Just because I'm sixteen, it's making him the bad guy? How's that fair? And why am I just a one-night stand? Maybe I was a love affair and I left him?! No one ever thought of that? I really shouldn't have come today."

"Why did you," he wondered. "It's Monday. Don't you usually record then?"

"Duh! Look at the cover," she pointed to the tabloid, "And think! I'd rather have math than face Tommy. Now however…"

"Has he called yet? You think he knows already?"

Jude hoped so. If she had to explain first once she arrived at G-Major, she'd again rather endure math after all!

Stuart sat in the back of Darius's office, hearing with deep shame and guilt how Jude's boss was blaming Tommy for pretty much every word in the dozens of tabloids on his desk. Tom sat and listened, and Stuart had to admit a part of him admired Jude's producer for his calmness and his mute state. But, the rest of him simply wanted to knock Tom Quincy into coma for having touched his little girl! Once all this publicity stuff was dealt with, Jude and Tommy would have to face one hell of a lecture about being legal and not having sex before marriage! Or ever! Right now though there were more urgent things to cover and when Darius once again began to lash out at Tommy for being an irresponsible idiot, Stuart found the courage to step in between. "It wasn't him, whose fault this all is. Not fully, at least. I met this woman and…I didn't know she was a reporter."

Truth was, he hadn't known until this morning, when her name had appeared in the publishing information of one of the magazines they were about to sue. Not that any harm would come from that, but Darius had explained that suing tabloids was good because it helped clean one's name – something like a symbol of innocence. Given the pictures, Stuart wondered what remaining innocence there was left to fight for! For the first time since his arrival Stuart caught a straight look at Tommy's face, which looked empty. Out of all, he hadn't expected that! Blame maybe, or shame. But nothing?

The door opened; his daughter appeared. At least she looked sorry. "They said you wanted to talk to me…" As she took in the stiff uncomfortable moment where everyone seemed to hold their breath, and waited for the next thing to happen, Jude entered and closed the door behind her. "Tommy didn't do anything."

"Well, not nothing, right?" Stuart gave his daughter a look that made her flush into a deep red tomato. As if ordered out loud, she sat down at his silent request, and stayed mute. "I know he didn't sell you out. And I'm sorry I took me so long to come forward with this. But as I said, I honestly didn't know the woman was a reporter." He ignored the confused look on his daughter's face. Right now, he couldn't even talk to her, afraid he'd end up blaming her for being recklessly stupid! "Did you two have sex?" Stuart asked Tommy flat out.

Jude's muttered protest he shut up with a mirror gesture of his hand that even had Darius impressed. "Did you?"

Barely caring, Tommy nodded. He was used to Darius's tirades at him, scolding him for the all the evil in the world. He was also used to angered fathers. "More than once," he added. It was giving him a twisted satisfaction of admitting that to everyone. If Jude could see his face, he was sure she'd find a little smug smirk. No one else could see it, but she would find it.

Even Stuart seemed baffled by that reply. After a moment of trying to process it, he turned towards Darius. "What now? Press conference? A Solid-story about Jude being used by Tommy, who exploited her naivety?"

"My what?" Jude wasn't able to sit still any longer. "What makes you think it was him, using me?"

Shocked, Stuart turned away from Darius, who was rolling his eyes, and Tommy, whose interest suddenly sparked. "Don't lie to me, Jude! You're sixteen. He might have made you believe it's you who pushed him, but I know guys like him!"

From what felt like the second row, Tommy scoffed at that. "Oh please! Like anyone could make Jude do something she doesn't want! Lately, she isn't even doing the things she does want! She blames it on cowardliness."

Not quite sure she had a right to take offense, Jude focused on her father instead. "No one pushed me into anything! I'm sixteen, not six! And in case you hadn't noticed, they followed me, not him! It sucks that it got public, but this isn't Tommy's fault. He didn't hurt me."

"See, that's why I tried to tell you about an hour ago. I doubt I could hurt her even if I wanted to." Tommy chimed with sarcasm as he stood up. Reaching for his jacket, which hung over the backrest of the chair he had sat on, he put it on with his natural, charming easiness that followed him with everything he did, before walking out of the office without one more look at anyone. Jude had never felt so bad before. It was as if everyone had just seen cocky Tommy at his best, but she had seen a man with the same empty expression she was carrying these days.

"Did you use a condom?"

Too appalled by her father's words, she decided to ignore the question, and instead follow Tommy. "Quincy wait!"

He stopped. With a posture screaming 'annoyance' he gave her yet another one of those fake, bothered looks. "What now?"

"I don't know! Don't you think we have to talk about this? Everyone believes you're an asshole. That's not fair! I want to do something about it – like, holding a press conference, telling how it really was!"

Laughing at her suggestion with cutting derisiveness, he leaned closer. Unexpectedly, his lips were on hers. The kiss wasn't the least bit like any kiss they had ever shared. This one was hard, and fast, and a mockery of her feelings for him. When he let go, he gave her a haughty grin and pinched her ass. "You were a good fuck, Jude – nothing more!" Then he turned around with his usual, self-confident behavior, placed on his sunglasses in an Oscar-worthy, smooth move that screamed badass, and left. She couldn't remember having ever seen him like this. Not even during the beginning of their friendship, when he had still partied every night, and had gone home with girl after girl had she witnessed him this arrogantly.

Jude, and also every other female employee of G-Major who had listened, hated him for that comment, but it was a given fact that Tom Quincy was the hottest when being the worst! This time was no different. She'd bet both of her hands that two out of three women who had just watched him, had secretly wondered whether they'd manage to score a date with him. Heartbreak included. She ignored the audience that had built to watch his show. Jude also didn't acknowledge the sickness in her stomach, or the pain in her tongue from biting down on it in rage. She wanted to run after Tommy, punch him, yell at him, kick him, and then…kiss him. Damn, he was so contradicting! But also, he was devastatingly irritating! What was she supposed to make out of what had just occurred?

As she was about to drown in the inner battle between being angry with Tommy and feeling sorry for him, two women from the PR department walked up to her, giving her reassuring smiles. "Hi," She warily said, skeptically awaiting their reason for having come over.

"Hey," The leggy brunette smiled warmly. "Don't take his words too serious. That's what he tells them all. I got them last year, and so did Rachel." She patted her colleague's shoulder. "He's an asshole, but a devilishly handsome one."

About to protest, her father, who tugged her with him out of the building, cut Jude short. "Home. Now. Your Mother is waiting."

"Great!" The pity-spending females were forgotten.

"Damn right," Stuart spat back upon hearing sarcasm. "And when she's done with you, look forward to explain to your sister why you're having sex with her ex-boyfriend! And don't believe you'll be working with Tommy again anytime soon. Darius agreed that-"

"No." Jude pulled away from Stuart, and crossed her arms defiantly. "Lock me up for what I care, but Tommy stays my producer! Or, otherwise, I refuse to sing!"

"Good." Stuart countered with a stern glare. "Then you'll be going to college after all!"

Jude didn't get her press conference. She also didn't get to speak with Tommy, because he refused to pick up the phone. So, after the third day of being imprisoned into her room along with a flat screen TV and a bowl of popcorn, Jude decided she had enough and dialed the number she had Google'd on day one of her incarceration. "Isabella? This is Jude. Jude Harrison. You're still interested in an interview?"

"I'm sorry we have to meet in the middle of the night, but that's the only time I can sneak out of the house. Being a number one selling artist can't save you from everything I had to learn! Anyway, I called to set things straight. Most of the stuff written in the tabloids is complete crap." Sitting down in the booth of an all-night diner, Jude zipped her jacket open and shrugged it off. Then her hands curled around the hot mug of coffee, and she started sipping on it. "I'm not the victim."

"Really?" It hadn't been hard to make Tommy the bad person in this tangled story. Tom Quincy had a track record of bad decisions, and an even longer list of exes. Any given opportunity a few of those scorned once-been die-hard fans used the opportunity to catch another few minutes of fast-fading fame to bitch publicly about their most famous affair. "So you didn't have sex?"

She shouldn't answer that question, Jude knew. She could spin this into something entirely different – if she didn't answer. She could lie and tell that she was having a breakdown from all the pressure she had to endure and that she had only been at Tommy's because he was a good friend, and he understood. But that wouldn't help him the least, and no one would believe it either. "We did have sex."

Isabella smiled. Now she shrugged her own jacket off, a crème white coat with golden buttons. Expensive, Jude assumed. Looking over the rim of her coffee mug, Jude crooked a brow that showed of disapprove. "Gossipers seemed to make good money these days…"

Feisty little slip, Isabella thought, and smiled. "You don't really hide your opinions, do you?"

"Why should I? If there's one thing I learned this year then it's to always be honest. Lies only make things worse."

"True. So then, be true: Do you and Tom Quincy have an ongoing affair?"

"No. And there never was an affair. He likes me and I like him. We gave into what we felt, but we both knew it wasn't the right time."

"Wise words from a sixteen-year old. Was he your first?"

"Why? Are you planning on making me an industry whore? Or do you just want to sell me as easy?" The waitress finally delivered the fries Jude had ordered what felt like ages ago. While covering the whole plate with ketchup – purposely shaking the bottle a little harder, hoping a drop or two might make it on the white silk blouse her across was wearing – Jude considered that so far, she was not doing bad! She had given worse interviews. "I hope you're taping this interview. I wouldn't want to be quoted wrongly. About the things that were presented in a false way: Me being a pity-case is one of them!"

"So you don't mind being nothing but a fuck? There were reports of Tommy saying exactly that to you after the story came out. So let me make a wild assumption here: You're in love with your producer, and by giving this interview, you're trying to show everyone that you're so mature and wise, and completely worth being the girlfriend of a guy that has troubled past and so many uncovered ghosts in his closet the press still tries to unveil them? Because if that's the case, you really are to be pitied! It's sad that you're so young. A woman of his own age might have realized that the guy is incapable of having a real relationship. His marriage with Portia Mills, his passionate affair with Angie Parker, her death, the subsequent end of Boyz Attack, his thousand and one one-night stands, and a couple of paternity sues – all that really makes him the perfect boyfriend to someone who is naïve enough to believe a tabloid reporter ever quotes someone right! Jude, take this as an advice from someone who is not taping this because – lucky for you – I owe your father an apology! Never offer someone like me an interview again! All of what you've just told me – right or wrong – would have been squashed into a story with a title near the lines of – lets see… 'Snotty rock-wannabe tells all: "Tommy loves me. I wanted sex. Am I an industry whore?"'

Significantly paler, Jude began to comprehend that she was so far from being ready for reporters it was scary! "Wait – you owe my Dad? You know him?"

"Only briefly."

While Jude was still trying to comprehend what her Dad hadn't told her yet, she was puzzled even further into a state of utter confusion when suddenly Tommy sat down next to her. "Hey Izzie. So you're working in Toronto now?"

"Yep. Arrived last week. Sorry about the headline, but I had to prove myself in front of my new boss. I made it a good one though, so guess you owe me."

Jude felt completely at loss. "What's happening?"

"You got lucky, Jude." Isabella put her coat back on. "Tom's an old friend. We know each other from New York. You really are naïve! With the pictures I've got of you leaving Tommy's apartment I could have made this one hell of a rape-story! For crying out loud, remember you're always on view! Tom, good seeing you again. Call me and we discuss how to make you the good person again."

"Will do." He stood up too, and gave her a quick hug that immediately sparked jealousy in Jude. Then he sat down across Jude. "She called me. Told me you were about to commit industry suicide. I told you you're not ready to deal with the press alone. Christ, have you ever listened when I tried to tell you something important?" Rolling his eyes he leaned back, but not before stealing Jude's half-emptied mug of coffee. "Hey, this is good one."

"Uh…I know. It was mine." She stared at him in a mixture of chagrin, and irritation. And a tiny bit of awe since he was wearing that leather jacket of his, which made him look like the ultimate bad boy. "So…you know her? Do you know her well?"

"Define well," Tommy chuckled, handing her the coffee back. A waitress had shown up, something he never had to wait long for, and he ordered his own, as well as two donuts. When Jude's little nose scrunched into a furious round thing, he laughed. "Friends. Just friends. Not even very good ones! So, how are you?"

"Not good. Everyone keeps looking at me as if I've been shot and tossed into a garbage can!" Tommy's brows rose. "Sorry," Jude sheepishly mumbled. "Sopranos was on a lot this week. How are you? If I even have the right to ask, since I'm just a good fuck!"

His face remained stoic. "What was I supposed to do? Tell the whole staff of G-Major I'm madly in love with you? They had believed me even less than you did. Be happy. You're everyone's darling again, and I'm being left alone. We all win!"

"That's not-"

"I didn't come to fight! So keep it, I'm done hearing about how we will never be together and bla bla bla. I tried to quit, but D nailed me to my contract. Your album is done in a few months, and then I'll be taking a leave of very long absence. Until then we'll have to handle. But, I told you before: Right now I can't do the friends-thing with you. So we'll have to give this whole strictly-professional thing a try. Kwest offered to take you home or pick you up from now on, in case you need a ride. I also won't help you with your songs anymore. I'm sorry, but you know why I can't." Taking the two donuts and the coffee he had ordered to-go, he stood up, and gave Jude a last meaningful glance. "I'm sorry for everything. Maybe one day…"