I own nothing

Chapter 26

It was nice to have a day in, but when they went back to work, it was back to the hustle and bustle of regular life. Jude wished they could spend everyday out of G Major; she had to keep reminding herself that she was not Tommy's only artist. He had to work with Karma also.

Life sure got interesting after Karma won the third season of Instant Star.

Sadie had just taken her to the rehearsal space from the Bar Mitzvah. She couldn't believe she been exposed that way. Why did she stoop to Karma's level? She was supposed to take the high road.

"Quite a show." Sadie said as they were sitting on the fire escape steps.

"Oh my god. Everyone saw… my boobs." Embarrassment was laced in her voice.

"Just one of them." Sadie offered.

"Dignity."

"Huh, then what do you call lefty?"

She laughed she knew her sister was trying to help. "No, dignity was my mantra. As the new Jude. The one that doesn't stoop to Karma's level or wrestle in cake."

"Here's what I don't understand, why you didn't get up and deny what Karma said?"

"Because it's none of anyone's business."

"Right dignity. So have you?"

"Sadie."

"What? I'm your sister. I have the right to know." She said pushing her with her shoulder playfully."

"Nope. It hasn't happened yet."

"So what are you waiting for?"

Luckily Tommy and Kwest got there and Jude didn't have to answer that question. She felt better after talking to Tommy. She knew she was just being stubborn, and she wasn't ready to give him up. He didn't seem to be holding it against her.

The next day she had to make sure Darius wasn't furious with her. "Before you say anything, I stand by my decision to crash Bar Mitzvah." She told him. "I got dumped for all the wrong reasons. Which, I think I proved. Before I flashed a bunch of kids."

"Yeah that was interesting." Darius didn't seem too interested.

"So what now? You going to force me to Apologize to Gary's dad?"

"Why? He's a happy man." Jude felt like she barely recognized Darius.

"Are you serious?"

"His kid got what he wanted, the party of the year. Two dueling divas. They'll be talking about this for decades."

"Yeah, Jude Harrison, boobgate."

"Wardrobe malfunction. Learn to spin." Just then Maya was brought in. "Hey there's my girl."

Jude watched how Darius beamed while talking to her. She could tell she was his world. "She's cute." She commented.

"Yeah thank goodness for T going to get her. He was the only one I could trust."

That was when she knew she was right for dropping the subject and forgiving Tommy. "Oh D, before you go. Karma was wrong at the press conference. I didn't see why the media needed to know my virginity was still intact."

Darius just nodded and left. Even though they weren't openly together in front of him, she knew Darius wasn't stupid. She needed the right people to know the truth so they didn't take anything out on Tommy.

She went to find Tommy. It wasn't hard because she knew how much he missed working. He was in Studio B. "I talked to Darius."

"And? Did you have to promise your first born?"

"No, apparently everyone was happy. I'm so glad it was at my expense."

"It will blow over."

"Really? Darius thinks it will be talked about for decades."

"You know all of this just got complicated again."

"I told Darius in so many words that you've been honorable." She said with a hint of laughter.

"What about the press? It's not hard for them to realize you are with me."

"In a few weeks I'm turning eighteen."

"Yeah."

Tommy was wrong about one thing, it didn't blow over, it was on the front of every tabloid the next day. She was mortified because when she got to G Major, it was what everyone was reading. She hoped hiding in one of the studios would work.

"Feeling overexposed?" Tommy's voice said from behind her.

"Tell me you got that for the Botox ads." Of all people she thought he'd ignore it.

"Gotta keep up with current events."

"You were there. You're supposed to be my protective boyfriend. This is completely wrecking my nice girl image."

"I never thought you were that nice. Definitely weren't last night."

Jude blushed at the though of their intense make out session the night before. Tommy had excused himself to take a shower before taking her home.

"Besides you're talking to the guy who woke up dead center in the Strawberry Fields Memorial in Central Park surrounded by camera clicking tourists." Tommy continued.

"Sound pretty PG."

"Butt naked." He said scratching his neck.

"No way!" The first idea in Jude's head was she'd love to see those pictures.

"Way! Only one thing to do under the circumstance."

"Say cheese?"

"Use it. Channel it into your song writing."

"You want me to write a song about my boob?" She asked thinking he was insane.

"Could be a hit."

"Shut up."

"Or I could write a song about it." She wanted to wipe that smirk off his face.

Just then someone knocked on the glass beckoning him, and he started collection his stuff.

"I do have something bouncing around."

"Oh"

"In my head, pervert."

"Well definitely come see me later. I have a proposition for you." He said smiling as he got up. He bent down and kissed her quickly and was gone.

Jude wanted this over. She just wanted to focus on starting her next album. All of the publicity surrounding her was making her father question Darius on how he was handling her career. Darius assured him G Major would show her nothing but respect.

After her meeting, she wanted to go work with Tommy. She wanted to forget all the drama and work on a song. She was having a problem with part of the song in her head, and knew Tommy could help.

"When she found him, he was with Karma. It looked like they were flirting. "What's this?" She asked opening the door.

"Tommy's teaching me how to press his buttons." Karma answered her.

"Oh." She said and gave Tommy a look. He just gave her an iffy one back. "You wanted to talk about my new song?"

"Not a new one." He stated and flipped on the stereo.

"Yeah, that's Karma's version of Waste My Time. I've heard it."

"I think the whole world should hear it. Released as an official cover."

"Tommy said it's gonna be my first mega hit." Karma said. "Our first mega hit." She added as she placed her hand on Tommy's shoulder.

This flew all over Jude. The girl that made her look like a fool and a whore had her hand on her boyfriend. It took everything she had not to knock Karma down a couple of notches. "You're producing Karma?"

"Yeah. Jude having another artist record your song, it's a compliment."

"Sure, Tommy." It pissed her off that he would even think for a minute that she'd be happy about this. He was giving her a confused look. She looked at Karma then back at Tommy, and walked out before she said something she'd regret.

She went to make some tea. She thought maybe she just needed to calm down. It wasn't like she had an exclusive lock on Tommy professionally. It was just Karma that bugged her. She didn't want to seem like a jealous girlfriend. She never played that roll.

"Can we call a cease fire?" Tommy asked waving a white napkin.

"How long have you known?"

"Uh, Darius put me on Karma's album this morning. He needs to release a single fast before the Instant Star glow fades."

"Right. What ever it's not like I own you." She meant it, but not completely. It made her skin crawl to think of Tommy working closely with Karma. "But hang on to your clothes. She likes to rip them off." She had to remind him of what she did to her.

"You know where I'd rather be, any day of the week." He said, and she thought she recognized her boyfriend again. He leaned in and she thought he was going to kiss her right there in the middle of hospitality, but he took her mug and walked away.

She knew she had his heart and she could trust him. She needed to just face the facts that he's be working with someone new. She needed help with lyrics, so she went to her band. Talking to them, she found out Karma would need her permission to record her song. She decided to use that as leverage against Karma.

That seemed to work until the next day when Tommy was livid. "Karma told Darius she didn't want me on her album anymore, and I'm pretty damn sure you had something to do with it."

"You said you'd rather work with me. I was doing you a favor."

"I was trying to soften the blow."

"You lied?"

"I handled you."

"I don't need handled, thanks." Sometimes she wondered how they were even together.

"Right because you are so unpossessive and low maintenance."

"This coming from a guy who calls in sick on bad hair days."

"You want to know the truth? Here it is. I had to beg for this gig. I wanted to try something new. Grow a little, but I guess you are the only one around here that gets to do that." He walked away before she could respond.

She could understand where he was coming from. Of course he wanted to grow in his career like her, but why with Karma? That bothered her the most. She wished she could state her claim, but knew she couldn't. Karma would have to figure out on her own about them. But she did want to do the right thing for Tommy. So a girl-fight photo shoot later, and Tommy was back on Karma's album.

Jude thought everything would just go back to normal. Tommy would work with Karma, and they could go forward, but apparently Tommy felt differently.

"Uh somehow I am back on Karma's album." He said when she ran into him out side.

"I thought that is what you wanted. Oh my god! Can you like wave your arms in the air or something when you're lying?"

"I do not need your help."

"Well maybe I was trying to be a good girlfriend, huh? Ever thought about it that way? You wanted to expand your horizons, great. But you wanted to expand with the one person who called me a whore. Sorry I took it personally. But I'm trying to step up from that. And since you won't help me with my song, I will go find someone else who will." She stormed away form him. They were always hot and cold and she wasn't sure it was even worth it.

She decided she wanted a lot more to say in her new album, and if Tommy was going to be busy with Karma, she wanted to take matters into her own hands. She and the guys recorded a demo that she arranged herself. It was rough, but Darius seemed to like it.

Sitting on her front steps the next morning, she thought about her meeting with Darius. He's gone over a list of producers who would love to work with her. She was flattered, but heart told her Tommy was the only one she wanted to work with.

They were going on two years together, and she didn't want to give that up. Sometimes they were both too stubborn. She looked up and saw him in front of her house. "So you are up before noon to yell at me?"

"Can we take a break from the yelling. I saw your cover photos."

"What'd you think?"

"No comment." He said getting out of the car. "Just for the record, we didn't need your permission to record Waste My Time."

"Just for the record, I'm not high maintenance."

"And I don't skip work on bad hair days. I never have them." He said smugly. "Karma's album's not going to take that long."

"Karma!" Jude sighed still frustrated. She still felt like Tommy didn't see why this bothered her so much.

"Look, Jude It's not personal. You're my girl, but I need this professionally. I'm still here. I'm not going anywhere."

"I know, but Tommy why do we fight like this? Is all of this worth it?"

"Jude, you are worth everything to me. I love you. And who I work with doesn't change that. It never will."

"I love you too. I just get so caught up sometimes you know. I like having you to myself, but I understand. That's why I want to bring in someone to work with you, since you will be so busy."

"A co-producer. You got someone in mind?"

"Yeah, me."

Tommy smiled at her, and she remembered why it was all worth it; the butterflies in her stomach. She always got them when he smiled at her. He was leaning in, so she met him in a kiss that sealed their new partnership.

Jude could hardly believe that was just a few weeks ago. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Hey space cadet." Tommy said bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Hey. Are you and Karma done?"

"Just on a break. She got a phone call." He said off handedly.

"Oh she's not the only one doing that lately. You don't think… No." Jude was rambling on.

"What?"

"I think Spied and Karma are secretly together." She said in awe. "Ew." She added.

"Well if they are, they're so better at secret relationships than we are." He said smirking.

"Yeah we're not good at that, but in a few days it won't matter. I can't wait to be eighteen.

Tommy just shrugged. "Not much will change." He tried to hide his smile.

Jude hit his shoulder. "Shut up." She laughed.

"You wound me Harrison."

"You better get back to drama. Oh I mean Karma."

"Be nice."

Okay. I realize this is just a filler chapter, but I promise the next chapter you will not want to miss. Finally some insight to what Tommy has planned for her birthday. Keep the reviews coming.