Yours
Chapter Two – Party
"Tommy?" Jude was dumbfounded.
"You know Tommy?" Anna looked confused. Dania turned to look through the door.
"Oh. My. God." she said.
Jude got out of her chair and hid by the side of the door where he wouldn't be able to see her. "What is he doing here?"
"Simon told me yesterday he was going to be around for a while because the band he's producing wanted to record in some old building in town." Anna half explained.
"But why is he here?" Dania asked.
"Oh, Simon granted him use of the studio if he needed it and invited him to my party tonight."
"Oh shit. Damnit, I can't see him." Jude looked frantic.
"I thought you were over him ages ago?" Dania asked with concern.
"I am it's just… What if I'm not?"
"Okay, back up! You and Lil' Tommy Q had a thing?" Anna asked with surprised excitement.
"That's putting it mildly." Jude looked tense.
"They had a four year on and off but totally in love thing. Tommy proposed and Jude said yes but afterward she decided she wasn't quite ready to settle down. She had to get a life first, be a rock star and she had to do it on her own. They haven't seen each other in four years." Dania explained as quickly as possible.
"Wow, Jude-"
"Maybe I shouldn't go to the party tonight." Jude said nervously peeking through the glass door hoping she wouldn't be seen. He was still there; looking better than he ever had before to Jude's Tommy-starved eyes. God she'd missed him.
"You have to go!" Anna whined.
"I promise to help you avoid him." Dania tried to reassure her.
"I don't know." Jude hesitated.
"Please?" Anna begged.
"Fine," Jude finally agreed, "but I hold you personally responsible if I have to talk to him, Dania. Deal?"
"Deal."
--
It was an hour and a half into the party and Tommy still couldn't decide if he should talk to Jude or not. He didn't even know if he wanted to. Except that he did want to, so badly. He hadn't seen her in person in four years. For the first two years she was away they'd kept in touch every now and then with emails but their communications had died out eventually. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed her until she'd walked into the party, smiling her brilliant smile. It didn't help matters that she looked gorgeous in that slinky red dress with her blond hair pinned up loosely, a few pieces hanging down around her face. He'd been staring at her practically the entire night but every time he moved in her direction she seemed to get further away. He was starting to wonder if she was doing that on purpose. And besides the fact that she might be avoiding him, there'd been a girl at her side all night and he kind of wanted to talk to her alone.
Across the room Jude was getting antsy.
"He's been staring at you all night." Dania said giddily.
"I need a drink." Jude stated bluntly, brushing a piece of hair out of her face.
"Dania! Come over I want you to meet someone!" Simon called from a few feet away.
"The Hubby calls. Are you okay to get a drink on your own? I'll find you in a few minutes?" Jude looked unsure but nodded anyway and they went their separate ways.
--
Tommy watched as Jude detached from the girl who had seemed to be attached to her hip the whole night. This was his chance to catch her alone. He made his way to the bar where she'd stopped and walked up beside her.
"Jude." he said touching her arm lightly. A familiar jolt of electricity shot through both of them where their skin touched.
"Tommy!" She hugged him intending it to be a quick friendly one but once he wrapped his arms around her it lasted quite a few seconds past friendly. She pulled away finally and attempted to act casual. "It's been so long. How are you?" she couldn't help but notice that one of his hands lingered on her waist.
"I'm good. You?" They were so close in the crowded room that he could practically feel her breath on his face.
"Good. You're here producing a band?" the bartender handed her a drink and she quickly thanked him and took a sip.
"Yeah, 1-2-3 ROCKET. It's their second album."
"Great music, I've got the first CD." What she didn't tell him was that she'd bought every CD he'd produced since she left whether she liked the artist or not.
"Great guys too. I hear you're engaged?" He made it seem like it didn't bother him. "Or should I ignore the tabloids on this one?"
"Not exactly, I-" She was interrupted by Simon and Dania who were calling for her to come mingle with them. Jude let out a relieved breath. "Sorry, duty calls." and she walked away before Tommy could speak or stop her.
--
As the party started to die down later that night Jude looked through the significantly thinned crowd for Tommy but she couldn't find him. She guessed he'd already left and added the disappointment she felt at that thought to the list of things she was ignoring. This list also included the rush of excitement that had come with the panic when she'd first seen Tommy earlier that day and the fact that she could still feel his touch where his hand had rested on her waist. She went to say goodbye to Dania and Anna and they informed her that Tommy had asked Simon to ask Jude if she could meet him for lunch.
"Where does he want to meet?" Jude asked.
"Nine o'clock at Oh Cherie!, that little French café on the same street as Rob's hotel."
"Okay. I'll see you guys tomorrow before the concert." she waved and gave a tired smile as she turned to leave.
"Night, Jude!"
"Bye!"
--
Neither Jude nor Tommy slept well that night. Tommy wondered what she meant when she'd said not exactly and whether or not she'd come to lunch and what he should say if she did. Jude wondered if she should go to lunch and what to say to Rob and what to say to Tommy. It was a relatively sleepless night for both full of tossing and turning and worrying.
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