A/N: You guys, seriously, thanks for the kind wishes. My eye's getting better, still not completely 100, but definitely way better than what it was. I go back Monday, so I'm hoping I get a clean bill of health. Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter and I hope to update like a fiend to get you all caught up on my update schedule. I had wanted to be at chap 19 by now, so yeah. Review like crazy and I'll keep writing like crazy so I can have updates ready and raring to go. :D

Chapter 17

Saturday Night

G Major Party

It was Saturday night and Darius was hosting a party for G Major employees and investors. Everyone was at the party, including Jude and her blind date, Ryland Michaels, the lead singer of the band Shattered. He was a nice guy, they were having fun, but she still couldn't see herself having 2.5 children and a house with the guy. Everyone had a date, Kwest was with Sadie, Jamie and Kat were together, Speed, Kyle, and Wally had their girlfriends, and Tommy was with Michelle, and Jude didn't want to go alone so Kwest and Sadie set her up with Ryland.

The party wasn't too glamorous. The women were all dressed in simple to extravagant cocktail dresses (depending on how rich the person was) and the men were in casual suits. Darius hired a DJ to play music from all of G Records' artists and over all, everyone was having a good time.

Jude and Ryland were sitting at a table, talking about song writing and inspiration when Sadie called her younger sister over to her Michelle, and Kat.

Jude apologized to Ryland and got up to go and meet her sister.

"Hey guys!" Jude greeted.

"Ssoo?" Sadie asked, her voice giddy. Jude shrugged.

"Ryland's nice…" Jude said, her voice trailing off. Sadie and Kat nodded in understanding and even Michelle seemed to know what they were all getting. Jude glanced back at the table she had left Ryland and she saw him talking adamantly with his band members. The turned back to the group, not feeling so bad for leaving him alone.

"Not boyfriend material?" Michelle asked, her eyes sympathetic.

"Not my boyfriend material. He's sweet and has a good sense of humor, but…I don't know. There's no chemistry." Jude admitted with a sigh.

"It'll all work out sweetie," Kat said, giving Jude a small hug.

"So, Sadie, how are you and Kwest going?" Michelle asked, a knowing grin on her face. Sadie got this really dreamy smile on her face and Jude realized her sister was truly in love with her former Sound Technician.

"Sades is in lo-ove." Jude crooned, grinning at her sister.

"I am. I love Kwest. He's the perfect guy for me." Sadie admitted, getting a dreamy look in her eyes. Sadie seemed to snap herself out of her daze and looked at Michelle. "So Michelle, how are you and Tommy doing?" Sadie asked, glancing out of the corner of her eyes at Jude. Michelle smiled and glanced across the room where Tommy was schmoozing a big G Major investor, her eyes soft and uncertain.

Jude perked up in interest and listened intently to what the older woman had to say. She hadn't had the opportunity before to see how Michelle felt about Tommy and Jude was interested in getting both parties feelings. Michelle looked back at her friends, smiling shyly.

"Tom's sweet…" She said, smiling. "I really like him, but lately, he's been busy working on his solo album and I don't really get to see him too much." Jude noticed the disappointed look on Michelle's face. Sadie nodded in understanding.

"Been there, done that. Trust me, don't get between Tom and his work." Sadie warned, wincing at the memory.

"It's not even that. I understand that this is what he wants, it makes him happy. He would never make me stop working graveyard shifts at the hospital, though I know he doesn't like me doing it. We both understand work is important…I just wish it was just producing or just solo work. It seems he spends most of his time in the studio." Everyone nodded, they all knew how Tommy was. He pulled long hours in the studio and it wasn't because he didn't care about the person he was with or suppose to meet, it was just he's passionate about his work and doesn't like to leave a project half finished for the day.

Before anymore comments could be made about the subject, Michelle and Kat, facing the opposite direction of Sadie and Jude, looked behind the sisters.

"Hey ladies!" a cheery voice said. The girls all turned and saw Kwest and Tommy standing behind them.

"Kwest!" Sadie said, her voice cheerful as she turned to her boyfriend and kissed him in greeting. Tommy moved over by Michelle, wrapped his arms around her waist and Jude noticed he whispered something to her before kissing her quickly and walking off again.

"Ouch." Kat said, watching Tommy walk off. Michelle shrugged in response and looked disappointed. Jude couldn't help but watch Tommy as he stopped by Darius and Liam. The three seemed to be having some kind of discussion and Jude turned her attention back to the group and noticed that Sadie and Kwest had made their way to the dance floor and were slow dancing to the music together.

"I'm going to go and find Jamie." Kat said to Jude and danced away from her and Michelle. Jude glanced at the older woman and sighed.

"Hey, Jude, can I…can I ask you something?" Michelle asked, looking nervous.
"Yeah, sure." Jude said, wondering what the woman would have to say to her.

"You know Tom pretty well, right?" Jude frowned, wondering where this was going.

"Yeah, Tommy and I are friends." Jude answered, feeling a pang hit her heart at those words.

"Well-"

"Hey, sorry about that." Jude glanced behind Michelle to see Tommy standing close to her, his arms circled around her waist from behind. He craned his head around and kissed her quickly and pulled back and set his head on top of hers. "Darius called…but now I'm all yours." Tommy said to Michelle and the woman turned her head and smiled at him.

"I have to leave for work in an hour or so."

"Then I guess we'll have to make it count." Tommy said, smiling brightly at her.

"Hold that thought." Michelle said, turning in his arms, kissing him long and soft. Jude looked away from the kiss, feeling her heart pull at the sight. Jude glanced behind her to see Ryland was talking to the investor Tommy had previously been talking to. She sighed and turned around to see Michelle pulled back and saunter off towards the rest room. Jude glanced at Tommy who watched her walk off. He turned his attention to Jude.

"Hey girl." He said, and moved next to her so they could talk without yelling over the music.

"Hey." Jude said, with a sigh. "You really love her don't you?" Jude asked him. Tommy didn't answer for a moment.

"Yeah…I think I might." Tommy said, a small smile on his face. Jude felt a pang hit her. It was a smile she had seen on him only a few rare moments in time. The look in his eyes when he looked at Michelle, the softness there…it was similar to the way he had looked at her. Jude just nodded in response and Ryland came up to Jude, followed by his band and their girlfriends.

"Hey, Jude, Tommy." Ryland said, nodding at the older man. Tommy's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Ryland and gave him a curt nod in response. Ryland turned back to Jude. "Can I have this dance?" He asked dramatically. Jude couldn't help but grin at him.

"I'd be honored." Jude said, trying not to giggle as Ryland took her hand and waltzed her to the dance floor. Tommy watched the couple a moment, a frown on his face. He shook his head and looked away from Jude and Ryland. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy at Ryland.

"Hey," A voice called to him. Tommy turned and saw Michelle had returned.

"Hey." Tommy said, smiling at Michelle rather forcibly. Michelle didn't notice the forced smile and grinned brightly at Tommy.

"So…we gonna dance?" Michelle asked, looking giddy. Tommy laughed at his girl and sighed.

"I don't know…I am retired." Tommy said, smirking.

"I thought you were coming out of retirement?"

"Touché." Michelle grinned and grabbed his hands and led him over to the dance floor.

"Can't have you performing and having rusty moves." Michelle said, her arms circling around Tommy's neck as a slow song started. Tommy smiled warmly at her and his arms circled around her waist.

"No, we don't want that do we." Tommy responded and Michelle lay her head on his shoulder as they danced. Tommy couldn't help but scan the floor for Jude. He saw her in a similar position with Ryland. She looked beautiful tonight and he longed to have her at his side again.

"Tom?" Michelle said and he realized she had been trying to get his attention. Tommy snapped his head back to Michelle.

"Hm?" Michelle looked annoyed.

"I said, I have to leave soon."

"Can't you call in sick?" Tommy asked, half jokingly.

"No…there's sick people that need me." Michelle said, smiling. "As much as I'd love to, you know I can't." She leaned up and captured his mouth in hers. They continued to sway to the music as they kissed, and they broke apart, and Michelle lay her head back on his shoulder and they continued to dance their time away until Michelle left Tommy's arms to change into her uniform in the bathroom.

About the same time, Jude and Ryland separated. "I'll be right back." Jude told him and went to walk away from him but he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. Jude turned her head to look at him. Ryland had a cheesy grin on his face as he looked at her.

"You are an instant star." He told her and Jude raised an eyebrow.

"Cliché much?" Jude asked.

"No, I was hoping it'd be enough to get to second base." Ryland said, joking. Jude could tell he was joking by the way his eyes twinkled with mischief and a small smirk formed on his face.

"Pervert." Jude commented, stepping away from him. Ryland just grinned as Jude walked away from him and into the bathroom to check her hair from the wild dips and spins she and Ryland were doing on the dance floor. She had to admit, the boy could dance and he had some awesome moves, but she didn't know if she could ever feel as if they were more than friends.

As she ran her fingers through her fly a-ways, trying to get them to flatten, she heard voices talking.

"I don't know Sadie…I think I want to break up with him."

"I thought you loved him?" Sadie responded, her voice questioning.

"I do…kind of. I mean, there's just nothing more we're going to accomplish together. We both got together after a big break up…we were what the other needed, but our need is pretty much past. Besides, I think he still wants Jude." Michelle stated, her voice not at all bitter, but matter of fact.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not going to do it tonight, no. It's just something I've been thinking about." Michelle said and Jude heard their voices stop and the sound of footsteps. She panicked slightly and kept her attention to the mirror, pretending she didn't hear what was just said. Sadie and Michelle rounded the corner and they both stopped when they saw Jude. Jude noticed Michelle was now wearing hospital scrubs and her clip-on nametag instead of her fancy dress.

"Oh, hi guys." Jude said, glancing at them.

"Jude, how long have you been there?" Sadie asked.

"Oh, I just came in…trying to fix my hair." Jude said, turning back to the mirror and feeling around for a bobby pin.

"Here, let me help you." Sadie offered, stepping towards her sister and taking inventory on her hair style before pulling out the right pins and replacing them with a precision a hair stylist would envy. Michelle said her goodbyes and left the bathroom. As Sadie continued to fix her sister's hair, Jude could only replay what she had over heard. Michelle wants to break up with Tommy…The thought repeated and echoed through her mind. I have to tell him…She added silently, wondering if he'd believe her words.