Chapter 3: Someone's Coming

So sorry this took an unbelievably long time. You would think with it being summer break that I would have a considerable amount of time on my hands, but that isn't the case. I'm the only one in my family currently employed, which is an interesting turn of the tables, but a lot of work at the same time. Anywho, here's the next chapter. It's pretty long b/c that's how I usually write them. Hopefully it won't take me a year and a half to write the next chapter.

Chapter 3: Someone's Coming (btw…all my chapters will be Who songs b/c I'm weird.)

July 23, 2008

If there's one thing I'm proud to say I've learned, it's that you can't expect everything to be perfect. When you're 5 you tend to think you're Queen of Everything and if something goes wrong you throw a tantrum until it is righted. Sixteen years after that age, you kinda have an epiphany about your life and how it's supposed to go. Because of this, I can come to terms with the fact that things will happen whether I want them to or not. I also know that Darius will continuously place blame on my head and G-Major artists will always complain about the way I make their coffee. C'est la vie, right? I mean, if I didn't tolerate these things, I'd end up like those crazed postal workers you used to see on television.

Now, I know what you're thinking, but I'm not trying to be selfish or gain pity. However, as a side note, I'd like to mention that I have put up with a LOT of crap dealing with G-Major, and let's not forget Sadie, who has been in my life for too long to remember. With all of that in mind, the only favor I ask at this time is that I don't get anymore surprises. The last thing I need is an addition to my list of Cinderella-like responsibilities. Her story ends victorious and she gets a prince…but somehow I don't think I'll be as lucky.

Jude lackadaisically swiveled in a black leather task chair, knees pressed tightly against her chest, as the vibrations from the music echoed around the studio walls. A bourgeois indie band Tommy had begun producing finished recording what would become their first single. Tommy did all of his usual fine tuning, but still felt there was something missing. Naturally, he had asked Jude for her input, and she was more than willing to accommodate.

Tommy was sitting impatiently in a chair next to Jude, sporting a 5 o'clock shadow and attempting to hide the sullen look in his eyes due to the loss of sleep over this one song. As the song progressed, he stole frequent glances her way, hoping to notice the smallest of grimaces on her face. When Jude would make a face during a song, it tended to pinpoint exactly where a song needed work. He loved the brilliance that was Jude Harrison, but for once he wanted to be able to actually take credit for the music he produced.

"Okay," Jude began shortly after the song had ended, "for starters, I don't see any harm in softening the bass a bit." She continued to spin in her chair, nonchalantly staring at the ceiling. "And with a subterranean band similar in sound to the Violent Femmes, you should really focus more on what makes them unique. After listening to the song again, what do you think that could be?"

Tommy grabbed the arm of her chair in pursuit of halting her distracting motions. No longer spinning, Jude suddenly felt her head start its own dizzy tirade. "Whoa. Hold on a sec. I didn't ask you in here to play stupid mind games with me." Tommy sighed in frustration, the worry lines on his forehead emphasizing his already exhausted face. "Just tell me what I gotta do."

Jude watched Tommy reluctantly beg. "Wow. Desperation makes you positively adorable." Seeing his eyebrows furrow at her comment, Jude dropped the subject and let him have his way in order to avoid yet another petty argument. "Alright, I surrender. The white flag has been raised. Look, the song is good, but if you just slightly hallow out the vocals it'll separate the music from his voice. Most music is better unified but not in this case. They need to be heard as distinguishable entities, if that makes any sense." Jude scrunched up her face and wondered if her proposition was clear to Tommy.

Tommy reached over the soundboard to rewind the track. He stopped midway through the song and listened intently for a few seconds. He found himself nodding his head to the beat. "Yeah. Yeah, I hear it. That could be really cool." He stopped the song and looked back over at Jude, who was innocently sitting in the chair with her legs crossed. "Once again, Harrison, you've managed to outdo yourself. I bet Darius would have fired my ass a long time ago if I didn't have you as my loyal assistant. You do know you're the reason these albums turn out so ridiculously awesome."

Jude hated when Tommy bragged about her talent and downplayed his. "Not true. It's not like I help you with every song. You do all the hard work, and I just make a couple suggestions here and there. Besides, you always recognize if there's a problem with a song, which shows how attuned you are to the music." Jude lazily kicked Tommy's foot with her own. "Don't sell yourself short, dude."

"I'll sell myself for as much as I want, thanks."

Jude lucidly smiled at Tommy. "Alas. My unwavering suspicion that you live a double life as a prostitute has finally been confirmed. Kudos to my incredible detective skills."

"You're one smart cookie, Sherlock. I'll have to keep a look out for you the next time I extort money from the mob." Tommy turned off the soundboard, more than willing to take a break. "But enough about my always adventurous other life. I want to hear all about your wonderfully stimulating week having finally attained the title of 'corporate chattel'." Jude had told Tommy about Darius making her do extra chores for all the G-Major artists. He was considerably pissed off the fist few days, but Jude held him back until he was calm enough to be near Darius without attacking him.

Tommy swung his legs up to rest them on the arm of Jude's chair. Slightly affronted by his territorial maneuver, Jude retaliated instead of arguing over it. She hoisted her feet up much like Tommy did, but let them find solace on his lap. He didn't mind much. He was accustomed to Jude using him shamelessly. In fact, that's probably why their friendship has lasted for so long. They both took advantage of each other's weaknesses without ever crossing the line. It was something they were equally content with.

"If you must pry."

"I must, I must."

"Okay. But, you brought this upon yourself. You can't get angry at me if two hours later were still sitting here and all I've done is complain."

Tommy gave Jude a look of sympathy. "That bad, huh?"

"Well, I could say that what Darius makes me do is worse than being a laxative tester, but at least with this job I can sometimes make it work to my advantage. Besides, I've always been a 'glass half-full' kind of gal, remember?"

Tommy smiled; glad she was still being ambitious about the whole thing. "Of course. So, what perks did you find in being the handmaiden for every G-Major artist?"

"Okay. Give me a minute to think." Jude rested her elbow on the arm of her chair. After a few seconds of mulling things over, Jude removed her crossed legs from Tommy's lap and promptly began her story. "For starters, I found a nifty short cut between G-Major and Bellgrio's, that Italian restaurant you like."

Tommy placed his hand under his chin and mocked Jude with a seemingly riveted expression on his face. "Ooh. I'm intrigued."

Jude ignored Tommy's side comment. "I discovered the short cut after going to the restaurant three times in a row. It has to do with that all-girl rock band, Valley of the Drones…"

"The lesbians," Tommy stated matter-of-factly.

Jude rolled her eyes. "You know you can't say that for every band that features brunettes who like Seattle grunge music."

Tommy feigned offense, putting a hand over his heart. "How dare you accuse me of stereotyping women? I treat every human being with the respect that they deserve." Jude's eyes shrunk to form dark slits and she grabbed the nearest pencil before aiming it at Tommy's head. It narrowly missed as his quick reflexes enabled him to veer away from Jude's war path in time. "Lower your weapons, Napoleon. I called them lesbians because I have proof. At least for two of them."

The instant Jude connected the dots, she freaked out and changed the subject. "Ew. I don't want to know what happens here after hours. Anyway, back to my story. Brenda, the drummer for the band…"

"Oh, she's the butch one. Likes to take control, from what I saw."

Jude changed her ammo from a pencil to a spiral notebook, and luckily hit her target directly in the torso this time. A loud 'oof' sounded from Tommy after being physically assaulted by Jude. "Tommy! I'm not in the mood to hear about the sexual preference of everyone in this building. Now, are you gonna listen or should I leave and let you daydream about lesbians that are on your 'convert' list?"

Tommy was already getting bored of teasing Jude. "I'm done. So, you were talking about Brenda…"

Jude waited until she was sure Tommy was done talking about lesbians. "Yeah. Brenda's actually the only person that complicates things for me in that band."

"Well she's…uh, I mean, how so?" Jude didn't know what he was originally going to say but decided not to care.

"Part of the band's appeal is that they're vegans and avid animal rights activists and…well, I found out that Brenda's a closet carnivore, considering she makes me drive to Bellgrio's every other day and order Chicken Parmesan. And then I have to sneak it in for her so the other band members don't find out that she can't give up meat."

"Oh. I get it now." Tommy nodded his head, deep in thought. "So what you're trying to say is that she's bi."

"Screw you, Quincy." Jude swiveled her chair around so that her back was facing Tommy.

Tommy reached for Jude's chair and pulled it up against his. He leaned his chin on top of the chair, hovering over Jude. "Hey, Pouty Lips. I'm sorry. I was just goofing around; it's been a long day for me. I understood every word you said and I think that it sucks Brenda makes you do all her dirty work. But like you said, on the plus side we can get to Bellgrio's in less than 10 minutes now." She was budgeting so Tommy tried another tactic. "I'll buy you lunch their tomorrow if you flash me that infamous smile of yours.

After Tommy pushed away from Jude's chair, she turned around to face him again. "You know you've got to do better than that." Jude was a clever woman and knew she could weasel a little more out of her best friend.

Tommy knew all too well where this was going. He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms and staring at Jude directly. "Name your terms."

Jude considered her options carefully. "Okay, how about…I get to choose the theme for the next movie marathon, and it can be a repeat of a past theme."

Tommy put his hands up in defense. "Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Hold on there, partner. First of all, I believe you chose the theme last time, and, secondly, why do I get the feeling that this is just an excuse to force me to watch all those Jane Austen flicks again?"

Jude grinned at Tommy like a child about to get its way, her shoulders and head conspicuously hiding her neck from view. "Because it is."

"Well, as much as I admire your honest, I'm compelled to say no to that one. Good try though."

Jude switched her security mechanism to pity mode. "Please, Tommy. After all, you did ruin my perfectly good story because of your fascination with girl-on-girl action, and I already have to deal with the idiocy of Darius and his needy artists. It's the least you could do, really."

Jude's doe-filled eyes were piercing Tommy's. "The best answer I can give you right now is that I'll think about it." Jude slumped in her chair and overdramatically pouted her lips; Tommy was always a sucker for her signature look. But he didn't want to give in just yet, and decided to move the conversation along. "So does Mason have any quarks I'd like to know about?"

Jude easily forgot about the previous topic and beamed. "Nope. He didn't make me get him anything because he knows Darius is being an ass. He tried to mess with me the first day, though, by handing me a list of things that he 'wanted'. It had something to do with a box of Fritos, chocolate chip muffins with half of the chocolate chips taken out, and earl grey tea. I don't remember it all, but it was a real complicated jumble of words and I knew the second he gave it to me that he was kidding."

Tommy smiled at the fact that Jude was talking positively about a G-Major employee. "Feels good to have someone else on your side, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. Maybe one day you, me, and Mason can take over the world."

Tommy's thoughts were focused more locally. "Or G-Major."

It was obvious to Jude where Tommy was trying to make this conversation go and, personally, she wasn't in the mood to talk about 'the Man'. She opted to change the topic, yet again. "So, I made Charlotte cry."

Tommy could tell Jude was intentionally avoiding talking about her future at G-Major, and he wasn't willing to start a fight over it. "Anyone can make Charlotte cry. She saw me take the last blueberry pop-tart one morning, and her eyes welled up and she ran away. I felt guilty about it for two days. She is one crazy lady."

"Wow that's a lot better than the reason I made her cry. All I did was tell her how she could fix her song. I don't think she was expecting criticism. So, what artist do you want to hear about next?"

"Um…ooh, how about that new rap group I always hear down the hall, Torr n' Chill Reign. I heard they know how to get into some serious hijinks."

Jude closed her eyes and put a hand to her forehead. "That's a freaking understatement. In laymen's terms, let's just say that any rumors you've heard about Torr and Chill are most likely true."

Tommy didn't have to fake intrigue this time. "Jude, you can't leave me hangin'. What'd they do?"

"It's not what they did, per se. It's what they made me do." Tommy sat up straight in his chair, Jude's comment leaving him on pins and needles. "Ugh. I still feel completely mortified about it." At this point, Tommy had refused to speak until Jude explained in full detail. "Grr, fine. So, I walked into the studio as Kwest was working on a song with the guys and I tell them that if they need anything I would be their go-to girl, or whatever. Anyway, one of the guys, I think he was 'Chill', said there was something I could do."

Tommy made a gesture, prompting Jude to continue. "Well, he told me that to make their song 'flow' better, they needed…inspiration, something to create the right mood."

Tommy broke his vow of silence. "Please tell me they made you hire a stripper."

"No. I wish that was it. They…theymademebringgirlsbacktothestudio." Jude talked so quickly and softly it was nearly impossible for Tommy to understand. She purposely ran her words together because she, truthfully, didn't want him to understand.

Tommy placed a hand behind his ear. "Come again."

Jude rolled her eyes and let out a deep, mournful sigh. "I said they made me bring girls back to the studio. And because they needed to record the song soon, they told me just to find the 'hottest' girls in the area and bring them in." Jude couldn't believe she was actually admitting this happened. She put her head between her legs. "Oh my gosh, you should've seen it! I literally walked up to 25 year-olds on the street and asked them if they wanted to see what a recording studio looked like and meet some rappers. I felt like a child-molester luring kids into my home with ice cream."

Tommy stared at Jude with a vacant expression on his face. Why is he just staring at me like that? Does he feel bad for me? Does he think I might have made up this story? Or is he going to be an ass and purposely not tell me how he feels? He knows that bugs the crap out of me. Give me something to work with here, Quincy.

Without warning, Tommy burst out laughing. Within seconds his laughter grew more hysterical, making it difficult for him to sit upright in his chair. Jude could even see his eyes start to tear up he was laughing so hard. Jude had ran out of objects to throw so she had no other defense but to shake her head in disgust. "Go ahead. Laugh. Because it's so funny that I made a fool out of myself in front of complete strangers. And then it got worse when Torr and Chill rejected half of the girls I picked because they weren't 'fun' enough. I know what they really meant by 'fun'. Some of the girls looked at me like I just ruined their lives. All because some low-budget rappers told them they were ugly."

By now, Tommy's laughing fit had died down to a low chuckle. He wiped away at his watery eyes with his sleeve. "I'm sorry, Jude. I know you were embarrassed but you have to admit, it is pretty funny." He continued to laugh until his sides were sore; Jude sitting idly as her best friend added to her humiliation. Tommy's thoughts were eventually interrupted. "Oh, I almost forgot. How was working with Karma?"

"Karma." Any ounce of embarrassment Jude was feeling had vanished in an instant. Tommy knew Karma was a sore spot for Jude. She is the Lex Luther to my Superman. "Karma was an aneurism waiting to happen."

"That's a given."

"No, Quincy, this isn't a joke anymore." Jude aggressively massaged her temples. "The woman is like Sideshow Bob on Ritalin. I mean, first she makes me bring bottles of Dasani, not Ice Mountain, water to work everyday because she refuses to drink from the water cooler. I believe she said, and I quote, 'drinking from that cooler thing is like so cliché and makes me feel like I'm at work. Besides, I think we all know I'm not one for sharing.'" Jude stared wide-eyed at Tommy with her hands gesturing out. "What does that even mean, Tommy? It's like she has a thousand random words just spinning around in her head and decides to spit out whatever comes to mind first."

Tommy gave Jude a sympathetic look. "Hey." He lightly grabbed her chin so that she was looking him in the eye. "We all know Karma can be an extremely high maintenance chick, but you gotta stop letting her get to you like this." He reached down for Jude's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Jude wasn't even fazed by his attempts to calm her down. "Oh, it gets better." She nodded intensely. "Yesterday, I had the pleasure of hearing Karma scream my name from across the hall. I ran down to the studio as quickly as I could and she tells me that she needs a Blue Coconut slushy from Sonic or she isn't singing. Kwest had a deadline for recording Karma's CD, so I couldn't say no." Jude paused, waiting for Tommy to respond. When it was clear he wasn't going to, she continued. "Tommy, do you know how far the nearest Sonic restaurant is?"

Tommy thought for a moment. "Well, I haven't been to one of those in like five years so…"

"It took me 45 freaking minutes to find one! I practically crossed the border into Minnesota. And by the time I got back, Karma said that because I took so long, they would have to wait to record the song the next day. I can't believe that heinous witch blamed her mood swings on me!" By the end of her tirade, Jude was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling at a rapid speed. The pigment in her face had also turned into a light rouge due to the furious rage building up inside of her.

It was rare for Tommy to see Jude this angry. But it would be even rarer if someone else had witnessed this violent display of emotion. Because Tommy knew Jude better than anyone, he knew that Jude did not make a habit of telling people how she really felt, unless it was to him. These hidden feelings are what silently give Darius and other G-Major artists, like Karma, permission to walk all over her.

"Okay, Jude, I know what Karma did was wrong but I think it's time you start turning down the dials." Tommy leaned in closer to Jude, hoping this would force her to only focus on him.

Jude couldn't contain her need to blow up again. "What's the point? She's just gonna make me mad again! That selfish, venomous little snake. I hope someone has the decency to rid her of the giant pole shoved up her…"

"Jude!" She snapped out of her nightmare when he shouted her name. She gaped at her friend, slightly embarrassed by her sudden outburst but still in a frenzy. Tommy came up with a plan to calm Jude down. "Now that I got your attention again, something's been bugging me. When did The Who's Quadrophenia come out again?"

Jude found herself easily alert to his question. "1973. Why?"

"I wasn't sure." Tommy thought of another trivia question. "And where did Thom Yorke first introduce 'No Surprises' to the band?"

"Are you slow today, Tommy? I know I've told you this before. It was in Norway when Radiohead was on tour with REM." Jude paused. "Remember that conversation we had about how "No Surprises' is one of the few that feature a glockenspiel?"

"No, guess not." Tommy did remember this conversation. He remembered all the times Jude provided him with useless music trivia, mainly because she looked so cute when her passion for music took over. "Oh, and one more thing. How many bands has Dave Grohl been a part of?"

Jude contemplated the best way to answer this question for Tommy. "Well, that's kind of a trick question. I mean, essentially, Grohl has been an a member of Scream, Dain Bramage, Nirvana, a brief stint with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Foo Fighters, but he's also helped out on at least nine albums for other bands like Queens of the Stone Age and Garbage." A wave of confusion flooded Jude's brain. "Tommy, why are you asking me all this?"

The smirk forming on Tommy's face was undeniable. "Because I know you can answer them." This response didn't clear up any of Jude's confusion, and Tommy quickly caught onto this notion. "Let's put it this way, do you think Karma knows the answers to any of those questions?"

Jude's attempt at laughter turned into a snort. "Please. That chick doesn't know anything about her own music. The only question she can answer with certainty is why she buys size 2 dresses when she's a 4."

Tommy was afraid Jude might go into another Karma rant, so he got right to the point. "Jude, you know everything and anything about the music that matters."

"Now that's a given."

Tommy was glad she hadn't lost her humor yet. "And I bet you anything that Pete Townshend, Dave Grohl, and Thom Yorke would choose to work with you over Karma any day of the week. Do you know why?"

Jude pretend to put careful thought into her answer. "Because my breasts are real?"

"Jude." Tommy wanted Jude to consider his words seriously. "It's because you have the heart of a true musician." Against her protests, Jude couldn't avoid the smile that crept onto her lips. "You know what makes music better than 'good' and why it should be heard. You have the potential to be anyone you want to be in this industry…while most people have money on whether Karma's gonna be the next Britney Spears." Tommy silently stared at Jude, waiting for her to admit that he wasn't wrong in his judgment.

Jude sat with her arms folded across her chest, glancing around the studio aimlessly. "Now that I think about it, I did dream once that Karma shaved her head and went all psycho on us."

Tommy smiled confidently. "That's my girl."

Unfortunately, Jude wasn't able to stay in her serene state for long. The studio door burst open with a loud thud, causing both Jude and Tommy to come back to reality. The person who so aggressively opened the door was Darius. Oh, no. No. No. No. Why does he always have to find me? He must have put a homing device on me somewhere. That crafty devil. Upon noticing her super scary and demanding boss, Jude leaped out of her chair and, like The Flash, ran to cower behind Tommy in seconds.

Her superhero-like instincts were not quick enough, however, and Darius Mills knew exactly where she was. "You're little game is childish, Jude, and I don't have time for it." There wasn't a hint of amusement in his voice.

Okay. So now is obviously not the time to get in touch with my inner child and play hide-and-seek. Besides, I can probably talk him into giving me a swift execution if I just face him like a man…or a woman with strength like Xena, Warrior Princess. Man, she's cool. Jude eventually found her courage, and slowly rose out of her crouched position behind the occupied chair. When she finally decided to speak, her voice was soft and timid. I feel like the Cowardly Lion, only my wicked witch is a six-foot karate expert with a nasty temper. "Is there something you need, sir?"

"Yeah, actually, there is." Darius began barking his command without any hesitation. Please don't make me check on Karma. Please don't make me check on Karma. "I need to see the both of you in Conference Room A in approximately four minutes. Emergency meeting's been called and I need everyone there." Darius didn't leave any time for either Jude or Tommy to respond before swiftly exiting the studio and moving onto the next room filled with obedient associates.

"Well, I guess that means we have two minutes," Jude stated knowingly. She slowly and begrudgingly got out of the chair where she'd been so happily fixed for the last hour. Getting up just seemed like a chore. Jude stretched her arms over her head and glanced at Tommy.

He was grinning from ear to ear, staring at Jude like he knew something she didn't. "First one to the conference room gets to choose the next theme for movie night." The words came out of his mouth so fast that Jude barely had time to react. The second he finished speaking, Tommy was out the door of the studio and heading toward their destination. Jude was only a couple paces behind him.

As they both cautiously sprinted down the hall, Jude managed to catch up to Tommy. Her small, slender frame proved to be an advantage to her at this moment, as she began picking up speed. The door was open to the conference room, and Jude and Tommy were seconds away from reaching it. Jude could already envision herself gleefully clutching the imaginary trophy.

When it seemed the end was near, with Jude fortunately ahead in the race, a frightening figure stepped in Jude's path, causing her to abruptly slam on the brakes as her shoes squeaked to a halt on the linoleum floor.

An angry Karma stood directly in front of Jude with her arms loosely crossed over her chest, a prominent scowl on her face. That witch with a b just destroyed my chances of watching the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice with Tommy again. This is why I loathe her. I don't think I need to mention how grotesque it is to see her glower at me. That's just not a good look for her.

"Karma," Jude began, trying to remain composed through gritted teeth, "do you have a question?"

"Um, yeah, I got a couple questions for you." Karma has more attitude than a rent-a-cop on a power trip. "Firstly, where were you today? I was all out of water bottles and had to record a song with a dry throat. I don't think that's gonna go over well with Darius." And now she's threatening me. Perfect.

"I'm sorry, but I was really busy today." Well, that's a lie, but what else can I say instead of 'I was hanging out with my best friend all day and not doing my job.' Jude peered over Karma's shoulder and saw Tommy sitting comfortably in the conference room. This race was a fix. He must've known I'd get bombarded by someone along the way. What a spineless cheat. Jude resumed explaining herself to Karma. "Besides, if you remember, I told you yesterday that I bought a 12-pack of Dasani and stuck it in the bottom cupboard in the kitchen. I even wrote your name on them so people didn't think they were a free-for-all item."

Karma opened her mouth like she was going to retort, but decided against it. The two women stood in silence as Jude waited for Karma to continue her lame diatribe. "So, you said you had a couple of questions for me?"

This somewhat startled Karma, making it evident that she didn't have any other questions at the moment. "Right." Karma feigned confidence and briefly stalled to come up with another question as soon as she could. "Um, bring me one of those water bottles. I'm thirsty."

Jude stared at Karma strangely. It amazes me that she made it past the 5th grade. "That's not a question, so…"

"Ugh, you know what, nevermind!" Karma shouted in frustration. "You won't have time before Darius starts the meeting anyway." An obnoxious huffing noise come out of Karma's mouth before she forcefully turned around and marched into the conference room. Her short skirt bounced up and down as she walked, almost showing Jude way more than she ever wanted to see. Jude stood in her spot and reflected on her previous conversation. Yep. I love my life.

Jude finally made it into Conference Room A with seconds to spare. She was fairly confident Darius was glaring at her back as she retreated to the other side of the room to sit in the chair Tommy had saved for her. Darius stood by the door, waiting for anymore stragglers before starting the meeting.

Tommy turned his head to face Jude and spoke softly. "So how did…"

"I don't want to talk about it." Jude stared at the back of the employee's head in front of her, refusing to look at Tommy.

"I'm just saying that…"

"I'm pretty sure I said I didn't want to talk about it."

Tommy got the message and sat back in his chair, changing his gaze to something else in the room. "That's cool."

Once everyone had piled in, Darius closed the door and the room went silent—either out of fear or curiosity. Darius took long strides toward the front of the room, refusing to look at or talk to anyone until he made it to his center stage position. He slowly gazed around the room, still not breathing a word and taking in the silence that surrounded him. Jude began to feel weary. He's not gonna fire me in front of all these people is he? I mean, that's low even for him. Oh god! Maybe if I crouch down in my seat he won't see me…which means he can't fire me! I don't know how that makes sense at all, but it's still a plan.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tommy could see Jude gradually slipping down her chair as if it were greased with butter before she occupied it. He nudged Jude in the arm to get her attention. She looked back at him like a small and meek child would, and saw him mouth the words "What are you doing?" before motioning towards Darius. Putting everything into consideration, she soon realized it was a stupid idea, and hurriedly sat up before Darius thought she wasn't at the meeting.

"Okay, people. Remember when I told you that we were gonna catch our big break soon?" He didn't give much pause to respond since his question was meant to be rhetorical. "Well, that break has finally arrived." Whispers and light chit-chat sprung out amongst the group as they ooh'd and ahh'd over what their boss could be referring to. "Hey, quiet!" The crowd did as they were told without a moment's hesitation. Darius Mills was, to all G-Major employees, the abusive father they never wanted in their lives, but couldn't avoid, nonetheless.

"I've been hoping this would happen for over a month now, and my prayers were finally confirmed this afternoon when I received a phone call from a friend in the States. He informed me that Melinda Collins, the rising singer from New York, is looking to start fresh with her second album due to… 'complications' with her former recording company." Many people in the room were in engrossed by Darius' speech.

"She was released from her contract this week and has decided, upon much persuasion, to head north and see if G-Major is the right place for her." It was inevitable the whole room would be in an uproar after this news. Melinda's fame had already reached Canada and was growing by the day. Jude didn't have any particular emotions she felt like displaying but was anxious to see Tommy's reaction to this news. She briefly glanced at Tommy, only getting a glimpse at his profile, and could already tell that he moderately liked the idea. Give me a break! This just means I'm gonna have another whiney baby to feed and burp. Because if there's one thing worse than Canadian artists, it's U.S. celebrities.

Darius raised his hands in the air to regain authority, though inwardly happy that his employees were as excited as he was. "Alright, settle down, people. As much as I enjoy this positive response to Ms. Collins' arrival, I must stress the severity of what needs to go down." Darius quickly got into serious mode again. "We need to live up to her expectations and cater to her every whim when she comes to visit next week, because she hasn't made a concrete decision yet. Kwest." Darius' eyes peered around the room until he found who he was looking for.

"Right here, man." Kwest lazily put a hand in the air to get Darius' attention.

"You're gonna make a demo with Melinda when she gets here so she can get a sample of how we make our music. I want the best to come out of you for this one. Got it?"

"No prob." A couple people near Kwest offered congratulatory pats on the back, knowing he was given an awesome amount of responsibility for this momentous occasion. Jude saw Tommy's shoulders involuntarily slump in response to Darius' words. Aw. Tommy wants this. I guess this could've been a golden opportunity for him to shine as a producer. Crap. Now I'm depressed for him. Jude was staring at Tommy sympathetically as he turned his head to look at her. He read her eyes and could tell exactly what she was thinking. He gave her hand a light squeeze to assure her that he was okay.

"Where's Jude?" You've got to be kidding me. Darius had once again brought her out of her reverie. She quickly released Tommy's hand and looked up at the man standing in front of the room.

"To your right, boss." Jude really wasn't sure what to expect. If he makes me be Melinda's shadow while she's here, I won't think twice about quitting…or maybe I'll just go home and cry and drink for a couple of hours.

"Alright, Jude's gonna make a detailed list of changes that need to be made before Ms. Collins arrives August 1st. She'll have that memo out to you guys by tomorrow afternoon." Oh, and thanks for asking me to do this instead of dictating it to me in front of all these people.

"I want to see organization, respect, and smiles from everyone in this room. Prove to her that you're happy to be working here." In other words, lie through your teeth. "Alright, you're dismissed."

A throng of people hastily filed out of the conference room to openly talk about the events of the meeting. There were a couple stragglers left, Tommy and Jude being among them. Darius approached the pair before they could leave. "Now, Jude, this is more authority than I'd usually give you." Wow. Don't make yourself sound too nice. "Normally I'd do it myself but I've got other stuff on my plate right now to worry about. To make sure you do this memo right, don't come into work tomorrow. I need your full focus on this task."

"You got it, Darius." Darius gave a curt nod before exiting the conference room. Huh. Now that I think about it, this is a pretty cool responsibility. The other plus is that I don't have to deal with anyone from G-Major tomorrow.

As they made their way back to the studio, Tommy was the first to speak. "So, it looks like we both have the day off."

"Oh that's right. I forgot you weren't working tomorrow. The memo shouldn't take me too long, so what do you have in mind?"

"Hmm." Tommy placed a finger over his mouth, appearing as if he were concentrating hard on the subject. "Well, this may sound strange, but for some reason I'm in the mood to watch a little Mansfield Park and Emma."

Jude's eyes immediately lit up. She grabbed Tommy's arm, hoping to stop him in his tracks. Jude looked up at Tommy with elation blatantly displayed on her face. "Are you serious?"

Tommy shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I am. You see, I haven't been in touch with my feminine side in a few months, so I could use a good dose of estrogen by way of period dramas."

Jude had to be irresolute in her happiness. "But I lost the race?"

"Yeah, because the evil fembot got in your way. I'd call that intentional interference."

Jude linked arms with Tommy and continued walking to the studio. "See, this is why I still keep you around. And to show my gratitude, I'll let you pick 1970's horror movies for the next marathon…including Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

Tommy looked at Jude shocked. "But you told me you'd never watch anything with Leatherface again."

"What can I say? I make sacrifices. You of all people should know that, Quincy."

Tommy shook his head and smiled. "Touché."