Sorry, this is a shorter chapter, but probably definitely going to be a fan favorite. And it also gives a little clue to something that may, or may not, happen in the future. Yay. Reviewers, who so faithfully review every chapter, I love you. Mucho. Ha, I'm so not Spanish; I took Latin. Anyways, I hope you like it and I'll post again before the weekend is over, for sure.
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.
Jude decided she wanted to take some initiative with Tommy and asked him to escort her to lunch Sunday afternoon. He agreed in a heartbeat.
"Tom, you've been on dates before," Kwest explained as he sat in Tommy's room while he was getting ready for lunch. "What's so different about this?"
Tommy eyed his best friend. "Are you really asking me that question? This isn't just any date here, Kwest; I need this to be perfect."
"Yeah, yeah," Kwest muttered. "So, what are you wearing?" he joked.
"Not that," Nic spoke from the doorway. "Tommy, you're wearing dark jeans and black shoes. That's a major no-no."
He rolled his eyes. "What would you like me to wear, Nicole?"
She walked to his closet and began sifting through his clothes. "No, no, no, definitely not. God, Tommy, have you bought anything in the last year?"
"Sorry I'm not a fashionista like you are," Tommy apologized sarcastically.
"You kill me," she sighed, looking down at his shoes. "Here, wear these brown shoes, the jeans you have on, and your white Oxford over a plain black t-shirt. And there will be no ifs, ands, or buts about it."
"Who died and made you the fashion police?" Kwest laughed.
Nic glared at him. "Let me have this. Spiederman is in New York, I'm sad, but clothes make it a little better."
"Yes, ma'am," Kwest saluted. "Have you heard from him yet?"
"Do you think I'd still be this bitchy if I had?" she shot back quickly. "No, they were gonna land at JFK, jet over to the hotel, do some phone interviews, and then conference call with Portia. Plus, Darius was supposed to be calling to make sure they carry-out 'the G-Major name' with class and dignity."
"That's Darius for you," Tommy nodded. "All business, all the time."
"Indeed," Kwest agreed. "So, Romeo, where art thou taking fair Juliet for lunch?"
"Don't," Tommy shook his head. "It makes you sound so stupid."
Nic giggled. "Tommy's going on a date."
"I haven't been a date in so long," he admitted. "Like, with Megan, we went out like, three times and then we were just together and it was boring."
"I hate dates," Nic announced. "It's like, they're so cheesy and there's so much expected from them."
"So when the Boy Wonder wants to take you out, you won't go?" Kwest assumed.
Nic sat down on Tommy's bed. "Depends on his idea of the date, I guess. And what's with calling him 'the Boy Wonder?' I mean, I know he's wonderful, but even you two think so, as well?"
"More like he thinks so," Tommy explained, changing his shoes. "We call him that to mock him. And amazingly, he's intelligent enough to understand."
"He hates that everyone thinks he's stupid," she told them. "He won't say anything about it, but he really doesn't like it."
"Yeah, well, whatever," Kwest shrugged indifferently. "He's got it and it's stuck. Besides, until he grows a pair and tells us he doesn't like it himself, too bad."
After a few more minutes of getting ready, Tommy checked his reflection in the mirror once more and then walked downstairs to the living room.
"Now what are you doing?" Nic demanded. "Jude sent me a text saying she was ready five minutes ago, so I recommend you not make her wait any longer."
"Well, why didn't you tell me that?" he asked, picking up the keys to her Ferrari. "By the way, I'm taking your car."
"Well, if it's below a quarter of a tank, you fill it," she told him. "You've driven it more than I have since we got here."
He took a deep breath, left their house, and walked over to Jude's.
"Hi," Jude smiled when he entered the foyer. "You look nice."
"You look much better," he complimented.
Jude was wearing a white cotton skirt, a dark brown tank top, and dressy sandals. Her blonde hair was in its typical soft curls and Sadie had applied subtle makeup to finish off the look.
"Ready?" she asked him. "We can take the Range Rover."
"Well, Nic offered the Ferrari, but we can take whatever you want," he explained.
Her eyes lit up. "Let's take the Ferrari."
They rode in a comfortable silence to the Old Seafood Factory, one of Tommy's favorite local restaurants, and kept the fan-frenzy to a minimum, signing only a few autographs, as they were ushered inside to a table in the corner, near the windows looking out at the water.
"How many magazines do you think will report in the morning that we were seen having lunch together?" Jude smirked, browsing the menu.
"Oh, a Jude Harrison/Tom Quincy semi-date?" he mused. "I'm guessing at least four."
She raised an eyebrow. "A 'semi-date?' I don't even count as a whole date?"
"I wasn't aware you were letting me take you on a date," he admitted shyly.
"Neither was I," she scoffed lightly. "Until we were seated and I saw how good you look today and I realized I've been acting stupid." She paused. "I can't fight you anymore because you're my weakness, Tom Quincy, whether I'm ready for that or not."
Tommy was silent. For the first time in his life, he was speechless. After practically raising Nic, he figured he'd always be able to channel her and speak what was on his mind, but he couldn't.
"Well, say something," she urged him.
"I'm speechless," he sputtered. "I mean, you don't know how good it is to hear you say that, girl."
She reached under the table and took his hand. "I'm willing to really let you back in, but can we keep it between us for just a few days? I'd like to ease everyone into it as much as possible."
He couldn't help but smile. "We can do things however you'd like."
"Aww, already letting me wear the pants in the relationship," she joked. "How chivalrous of you."
"Funny," he smirked. "Will I be able to kiss you?"
"If you're a good boy," she told him sternly, acting like the mother of a rambunctious child. "And if you're bad? Well, maybe then still, too."
Tommy laughed. "So, Harrison, what will you be ordering?"
Her eyes browsed the menu. "I think I'll have the crab legs as long as you're buying."
"You invited me and I have to buy?" he joked. "Hot date."
"You're the boy," she pointed out. "Boys should always buy."
After a nice, relaxing meal, the two of them decided the best way to get some privacy would be to go back to his house because Sadie and Kwest were at the other one and Nic was out doing God knows what.
"We could watch a movie?" she suggested, kicking off her sandals. "I know Kwest brought a bunch."
"That's fine," he agreed, settling onto the overstuffed suede couch. "But aren't those all at the other house?" He pointed to a drawer on the entertainment center. "There's some in there."
She pulled the drawer back and scanned the titles. "Seeing as most of these are chick flicks, I'm really hoping their Nic's?"
"Yes, they are," he chuckled. "But there should be some non-romantic comedies in there that are mine."
She pulled out Old School and Fight Club. "Here are our options unless you'd rather watch something called Drop Dead Gorgeous?"
"Nic's favorite movie," he explained. "It's about beauty pageants or something. And we can watch whichever you want," he offered.
Jude chose Fight Club, stuck it in the DVD player, and settled down next to him, putting her head on his shoulder. "I've never seen this movie but Spied loves it."
"Oh, God," he muttered. "That just makes him more perfect for my sister. She loves Brad Pitt in this movie."
"She's already planned how we're watching TRL Tuesday," Jude reported. "We all have to be inside at ten till 1:00 to make sure we're ready for it. There's to be no talking during the show, only on commercials. If we even move, we're practically asking for a slap in the face."
He laughed. "I believe it. You know, I've been worrying about them moving too fast."
"Oh, they're practically kids," she said. "Let 'em go."
They spent the rest of the day together while Sadie and Kwest spent the day out around town and Nic locked herself in her room and worked on some new articles for the various magazines she often wrote for.
"So, how was lunch with Tommy?" Sadie asked that night as she and Jude sat in the hot tub. "Still hating him?"
"No," Jude shook her head. "I agreed to being friends for now and seeing where things go from there."
"That's a definite start," Sadie stated. "And I'm sure he's dancing around his bedroom right now just knowing you don't hate him." She looked up at the Quincy house and frowned at the sight of Nic's light still being on so late. "She really misses him and he only left this morning."
Jude sighed. "I know. He called me tonight after all of his interviews and made me promise not to tell her cause he was afraid that if he talked to her and heard how sad she was, he'd hop the next flight back to Savannah and skip out on MTV."
"God, they are crazy in love, huh?" Sadie breathed, pulling her hair up into a messy bun. "It was so fast."
"I'm afraid to tell Tommy this, but at the rate they're going, I can totally see a quickie wedding while we're here," Jude laughed. "He would murder me on the spot for just thinking that."
"He would," Sadie confirmed, "but I agree. We know Spied's impulsive and from what I can tell so far, Nic likes things spontaneous, so I don't know."
Jude dunked her head under the water. "How was your day with Kwest?"
"It was probably one of the best days we've had in so long," Sadie gushed. "We had lunch at some random little seafood place and we shopped around Coligny and it was just good. We're really making positive strides at this point."
"Good," Jude smiled. She was genuinely happy for her sister. "That's good."
"Do you ever think you and Tommy will be in a real relationship?" Sadie wondered. "Like, committed and married?"
"Sadie!" Jude cried. "I don't know! I'm only 20; I'm focusing on my career and we're moving at a glacial pace to re-build whatever we could have."
"It's just, well, you haven't dated really since he left and it's obvious you're sorta destined for him, ya know?" Sadie replied. "It's a freakin' fairytale, Jude. It's like, the rock goddess and her producer white knight? The story practically writes itself."
Jude gagged. "You've been reading too many romance novels. I told you those would corrupt you someday."
"Oh, Jude," Sadie rolled her eyes. "Like the Goo Goo Dolls say, 'just let love in.' It's fantastic."
Instead of responding, Jude just splashed her.