Chapter 6
The crowd had been huge—by far the biggest they had encountered on tour. Tommy could feel the cheering of the fans, their excitement contagious, sending adrenaline coursing through his veins. The night was drawing to a close, SME had performed their usual set, with a three-song encore thrown in at the end. Then, he and the Boyz had done their thing, performing all of the classics and some of the updated songs that had gained a huge following. They had already done two encores, and now, the rest of Boyz Attack was walking off the stage. Nerves began to take over him as his band mates left his side and he really took in the size of the crowd. Being that it was the last concert of the tour, and the last concert he would ever perform as a member of Boyz Attack, Tommy felt that he had to mark this occasion. And, what better way to remember this night than to sing his newest song.
As the lights on the stage came down and he was illuminated, Tommy took a deep breath. He wasn't used to being the only one up there, only the guitar to keep him company. Looking at the audience, he could feel his heart quicken and his palms sweat. Knowing that he had to get ahold of himself, he moved his gaze to stage right to find his best friend. Seeing her smile brought a smile to his face, and Tommy knew that it would all be okay. He had called Darius that day as soon as they had touched down in Toronto, making sure he would still have a job after his somewhat impromptu performance. One more deep breath and Tommy was ready. He began stroking the strings of his guitar, then beginning to play a quirky melody. Giving his girl one more smile, Tommy began to sing.
When everything is wrong I'll come talk to you
You make things alright when I'm feeling blue
You are such a blessing and I wont be messing
With the one thing that brings light to all of my darkness
You're my best friend
and I love you, and I love you
Yes I do
There is no other one who can take your place
I feel happy inside when I see your face
I hope you believe me
Cause I speak sincerely
and I mean it when I tell you that I need you
You're my best friend
and I love you, and I love you
Yes I do
I'm here right beside you
I will never leave you
and I feel the pain you feel when you start crying
You're my best friend
and I love you, and I love you
Yes I do
You're my best friend
and I love you, and I love you
Yes I do
Yes I do...
Yes I do
The crowd was on their feet the moment he stopped singing. Pure adrenaline coursed through his veins, so much so that he could barely stand. Quickly bidding everyone thanks and a good night, Tommy rushed off stage and into the waiting arms of his beautiful blonde friend. Letting out a massive sigh of relief, he relaxed into her arms and held her more tightly. After a few moments, he leaned back and looked Jude in the face, excited to see her smile.
"Babes..." After a few seconds, she started again. "That was beautiful, Babes. I loved it." Jude leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.
Tommy felt the need to explain the song to her, but simply said, "I know that the tour was a bit crazy, and coming home to Sadie's wedding will be even more crazy and stressful. I just thought you should know that I'm always here for you. You're my best friend and as such, it is my job to take care of you. You know that I love you, right?"
Not able to form a verbal response, she nodded and gave him a sweet smile; one that made him smile in return.
Grabbing her arm, Tommy led her to a set of doors that led outside. "What do you say we grab everyone and head to Avenue over by the studio?" By "Avenue," Tommy was referring to the Avenue Open Kitchen—one of Jude's absolute favorite places. It was the classic greasy diner, but the food was amazing, and all of the wait-staff knew exactly what they liked. Plus, it was located on Camden Street, only a few blocks from the studio.
"Oh that sounds perfect! I am totally craving their chicken poutine!"
Tommy could literally see her mouth begin to water, and he could relate. Avenue Open Kitchen made a poutine that was pretty incredible; something about their gravy was perfect, and he was never able to stop eating the fries. Stepping outside into the cold air, Tommy could see Jude shiver. He put his arm around her shoulders, holding her close, and trying to shield her from the frigid breeze. The pair walked to Tommy's car—Kwest had brought it over earlier that day—and texted their friends along the way. Getting confirmation that they would be joined by Kwest, Sadie, Spied, and Bruno, Tommy and Jude quickly drove to the diner.
…
Not surprisingly, Tommy and Jude were the first to arrive; after greeting the owners, they sat down in their favorite booth. Soon, they were joined by the rest of their group and plates of poutine and a variety of sandwiches made their way around the table. Jude sighed in contentedness: squished in between Tommy and Sadie, resting her head on his shoulder, eating the leftover french fries from everyone's plates.
Tommy felt her movement and looked down, catching her eye and raising his brows in an unspoken question. She knew that he could tell how tired she was, but she didn't want to move. Shaking her head, he only kissed her forehead before responding to a question Bruno had asked.
Eyes opened wide at the feeling of someone shaking her, Jude turned to glare at her sister for bringing her out of her almost-sleep. After a moment, she rolled her eyes and asked, "What?"
"No need to be harsh, little sister!" Sadie slapped her on the arm before continuing, "I have something I need to tell you."
Jude could see her sister's expression change into one full of concern and hesitation. Snapping out of her sleepiness, she grabbed one of Sadie's hands and asked what was going on. After a moment of silence, Jude fully sat up and immediately felt a coolness at the loss of contact with Tommy. Brushing that feeling off, she took hold of both of Sadie's hands. "Sades? What's going on?"
Jude could see her sister take a deep breath and open her mouth. Finally, she began. "We're pregnant," she whispered. After her confession, Sadie looked down at the table and wouldn't meet Jude's eyes.
"You're...I mean...Wow!" The last word was said in a hushed voice, not wanting to catch the attention of anyone around the table. Tommy being the perfect man that he is, looked over at Jude after her quieted exclamation. She didn't acknowledge him, so he put an arm around her and gave her a quick squeeze. That was all Jude needed to shake her out of the stupor Sadie's news put her in. She smiled at her best friend gratefully, and turned back to her sister, glad that Tommy's arm was still around her.
Smiling, Jude confirmed what her sister had told her a moment before. "So, you're really pregnant?" At Sadie's nod, she hugged her, "I'm so excited for you!"
At her comment, Sadie's face transformed into a glowing beacon of joy. "I know, right!"
The sisters separated after another moment, and Jude looked over to Kwest, congratulating him with her smile. Looking back at Sadie, she asked, "When did you find out? How far along are you? What does this mean for the wedding?" Jude selfishly hoped that the wedding would be pushed off, but realized that was pretty far fetched.
Sadie confirmed her suspicions, "I have to look amazing, so we're thinking about three weeks. As for when..." Sadie paused as a blush formed on her face, "well, I've been feeling a little sick for the past couple of weeks—nauseous, sore throat, weird cramping. I went to the doctor a few days ago to get some medication, and officially found out three days ago. Can you believe it?"
"Sadie, I'm so proud of you." Jude was genuinely excited for her sister and Kwest. Smiling at him again, she turned back to Sadie as she continued her talking.
"And I want you to be my maid of honor. Will you?
"Of course! I would love to!"
"Good! I have so many ideas. You can help me plan everything and put the details together. We have so much to do!" She paused again, thinking to herself. Abruptly, she continued again, "We should start with dresses. How does tomorrow sound? After I get off work, say 4:30?"
Jude could only nod in agreement as her sister rambled on for a few more moments. Eventually, Kwest caught her attention and the two began to make sappy, googly eyes at each other. Because the couple were so wrapped up in each other, they didn't notice Jude look away and lay her head back on Tommy's shoulder, nestled into the crook of his arm. Sure, she was excited for Sadie, but what did this mean for her? Closing her eyes, she scooted closer to Tommy and let the exhaustion take over.
A while later, Jude felt someone maneuver her out of the booth; upon slowly opening her eyes, she found that she was wrapped in Tommy's arms and he was carrying her to his car. She relaxed into his grip and closed her eyes again, content to go wherever he was taking her.
Eventually, Jude felt a comfortable mattress beneath her and a comforter pulled over her. With barely a conscious thought left, Jude stripped her jeans off and curled next to Tommy who had crawled into bed next to her. However, sleep would not come and Jude's thoughts were filled with weddings and the anxiety started to kick in. She felt Tommy turn toward her and lay a hand on her cheek. "Babes? Relax. Everything will be okay. Yes, the wedding will make things a bit crazy. But, Kwest already talked to Darius and he said we can wait until after the wedding to work on your album. But don't worry, we can work on music here. Sadie and Kwest will be happy, you and I will be along for the ride, and then, we'll make a hit record. Give it a few weeks and everything will go back to normal. Now, it's nearly one in the morning, we need sleep." Placing a sweet kiss on her lips, he then rolled onto his back and began to drift off.
Jude smiled at his actions, and snuggled close to him. She knew that, if she got to lay next to Tommy in this heavenly bed every night, everything really would be okay. With Tommy next to her, Jude felt a calm take over her body and a sense of peace relax her mind. As long as he was with her, life was pretty much perfect.
"You know I'll always be right next to you, Babes." His voice was barely audible, but enough that Jude understood what he was saying. She heard his breaths lengthen as he finally fell asleep.
Before she could stop herself, Jude whispered, "And that is one of the many reasons I love you Tom Quincy." Exhaustion took over and she closed her eyes, sleep consuming her almost immediately.
…
3:00pm came far too soon for Jude. The obnoxious beeping of Tommy's alarm clock woke her up moments before. Thankfully, Tommy had set his alarm for them, knowing that they would both be able to sleep for days on end now that the tour was over. Jude pulled the pillow out from under Tommy's head and held it to her face.
"Nope, babe. You have to get up."
"Tell Sadie to pick out my dress for me. It's not like I'll get to choose anyway." The loud groan that followed her complaints caused Tommy to chuckle.
"Sorry, sweets. No can do." He got out of bed and pulled the pillow off of her. At his action, she pulled the comforter over her head, hiding from her impending fate of getting up. "Now, if you get up now, I'll make us some coffee. By the time you get out of the shower, it will be ready."
The way she peeked her eyes out from under the blanket brought another smile to his face. "Coffee?"
"Yes, coffee. If you don't take all of the water, I'll even have a pop tart ready for you." He knew that Jude's weakness was her pop tarts. Though he didn't have the same appreciation for them, he understood her love of the simple pastry treat.
"Fine," Jude remarked exasperatedly. "I'm up, I'm up." She crawled out of bed, still in her shirt from the day before and her lace panties. Tommy's breath hitched in his throat seeing her get out of his bed. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to throw her back into the bed and screw her senseless. Ever since their night in Paris, he had barely been able to keep his thoughts away from her. Yes, they had a good time just hanging out and making music. But he would be lying if he said that his thoughts were strictly platonic. Every time they fell asleep with each other—after watching TV or talking or playing music—he would be plagued with dreams of her. In many, she would be naked and writhing beneath him. In some, they would be curled in bed together, watching something on TV. In a few, they were in various states of undress in the studio, a closet back stage, or a restroom in their favorite restaurant. All of the dreams had left him hard and in pain, needing to release his pent up...frustration. However, there was a very strange one when he had dreamed that he was woken up by a little boy and girl jumping on top of him and Jude. Later in the dream he had realized that the kids were his...his and Jude's. That had left him completely confused, not because it was such a radical idea, but because it had been so normal. When he woke up, he had been almost disappointed that the dream had only been some figment of his imagination.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Tommy walked over to his closet to grab some clothes and change. In a little over an hour, he would join Jude, Sadie, Kwest, James, and Portia at one of the finest formal wear stores in Toronto. Sadie had gotten a private appointment for the group because of Tommy and Portia's connections, and she was determined that everyone would find their wedding-wear. He was thankful that all he had to do was be fitted for the tux—Sadie had already picked out what the guys would be wearing, which only made his life easier. But, at the thought of Jude having to try on dress after dress, Tommy couldn't hold in his laughter.
His girl had never been much of a shopper, but especially hated shopping for formal wear. Every year all G Major employees had to go to the annual black tie benefit that Darius held in support of some local charity. Jude complained for weeks on end and made up various diseases and afflictions in hopes that she would be spared the night. In the end, she always had to be a part of the event, and if it wasn't for Portia's help, she would look like a ragamuffin.
Portia had been the stylist at G Major since Jude had started interning there. She was Darius' sister, and Tommy's ex-wife. Thankfully, the pair had moved on from their rocky past, and had developed a sort of friendship over the past few years. Their conversations never got too deep, and their lives never intertwined too much, but they were able to interact together and enjoy the little time they spent together. He was grateful that they were on good terms for this wedding.
Dressed for their shopping excursion, Tommy went downstairs to start the coffee he had promised Jude. Without it, she would be a bit of a disaster, and not fully able to function for the rest of the day. Finally, he heard the shower turn off and jogged up the stairs to his room. The only thing he had left to do was his hair, meaning that he would be done about the same time Jude was. Yes, he cared a good deal about his hair, but that was only because he wanted to look good—he had an image to maintain.
…
An hour later, Tommy and Jude were walking in to the store, ready to shop until they dropped. Sadie's squeal pierced Tommy's ears, making him cringe. He looked at Jude, and saw the same pained expression on her face. Once she glanced up at him, they burst out in laughter. Finally getting ahold of themselves, Tommy grabbed his girl's hand and dragged her over toward her sister.
"I'm so glad you're here!" Sadie exclaimed. "We have so much to do! I have about ten dresses I want to try on you, Sis. And there are at least that many dresses I've already set aside. I'm not sure if I want white or ivory. But then again, maybe the cream would work better..." Sadie stopped her rambling for a moment to consider her options. Looking back at the pair, it was like she noticed Tommy for the first time, "Oh, hey Tom. Kwest and his brother are over there. I already had the store set aside what you guys are going to be wearing, you just need to be fit." She waved her hand behind her and turned back to Jude. "Now Jude, we really have to get going. We only have three weeks, so we have to find the perfect dress today. Let's go." Grabbing Jude's hand out of Tommy's grasp, Sadie pulled her off into another area of the store, leaving Tommy by himself.
Shrugging his shoulders, he walked over to where Kwest was standing. Shaking hands and giving him a "man-hug," Tommy asked, "So, what has Sadie picked for us?"
Kwest smiled and showed him the mannequin displaying the tuxedo that they would be wearing. "She thought this would look best with a navy blue vest and bow tie. Something about how it would bring out her eyes to be surrounded by people wearing a little bit of blue."
Tommy laughed at his comment, knowing how like Sadie it was to think about that. "Man, you are so whipped."
"I know, T. But look at it this way. I give her navy vests and bow ties and she gives me the rest of our lives. I think its worth it." Kwest turned toward the dressing rooms, bringing his suit with him.
His comment caused Tommy to stop for a moment, considering the implications it had. Was it worth it to spend the rest of your life with someone? Was there anyone who would make it worth it to wear a bow tie and go through the giant ordeal this wedding was turning into? Tommy couldn't think of anyone he would do that for. The only person who came close was Jude—he would get dressed up in a monkey-suit if it made her smile—but he knew that she would never go through this big of a production. Her wedding would be simple and elegant, with close friends and family, not everyone and their mother dressing to the nines. Hearing Kwest call his name, Tommy turned his head to face one of his closest friends. Kwest looked a little goofy, but the smile on his face was evidence that he was happy—even if it meant wearing that suit. He smiled at the groom-to-be and shook his head, "so whipped, Kwest."
Laughing, Kwest only responded, "Put on your suit, man. You have to look snazzy too."
Tommy picked up the pieces to his wedding attire and walked into a dressing room. "Snazzy, huh?" he asked before closing the door.
After about 45 minutes of being pinned, poked, and fitted to look "snazzy" for the wedding, Tommy was back in his regular clothes and was ready to walk out of the store with Kwest and his brother, James. He hadn't seen or heard Jude the whole time he had been there, and to be honest, he was a bit worried. The Jude he knew would be complaining nonstop after being tortured for hours trying on dresses. Telling the guys to wait for him, Tommy walked over to the dresses section of the store. "Babes? Where are you?" At the funny look he received from Sadie and the sales clerk standing next to her, he quickly looked away and called out, "Jude?"
"What?"
The abrasive tone of her voice made it completely clear that she was not happy. "Calm down, hon. It's just me. What room are you in?" Looking at the wall of dressing rooms, he was trying to figure out where her voice had come from when he saw one of the doors crack open.
"Right here." Tommy walked closer and tried to open the door. He was met with resistance, and, when he raised his brow in question, she told him, "I was attacked by this dress and got tangled in the straps and now I don't have anything on." She closed the automatically locking door and came out a moment later in a silk robe.
He didn't know why, but he was disappointed that she didn't let him in the dressing room. He would have been happy to help. Tommy's thoughts were interrupted when a set of arms encircled his waist. Automatically, his arms went around her, holding her as close as possible.
After a moment, she let go and looked up at him, "Thanks. I really needed that."
The way she spoke to him, quiet and worn out, made him want to take her away from this place. He knew she didn't like dress shopping, but she seemed almost defeated. "Is it really that bad?" he asked.
Jude looked back at where Sadie and Portia were discussing a couple of different dresses. "It wouldn't be so bad except you know how Sadie is. I've only tried on two dresses so far, and was told I was too short, had boy hips, had funny looking shoulders, a stumpy neck, and weird knees." Looking back at him, she said, "Am I really that ugly?"
She asked with such a sincerity that Tommy wanted hit Sadie. Of course, he would never hit a woman, but to make his beautiful best friend question how breathtaking she was, something had to be seriously wrong.
Jude must have sensed his thoughts, because she immediately put a hand on his upper arm, "Babes, stop. It's not worth it. You know she's hormonal and a perfectionist when it comes to this wedding. She just wants everything to be perfect. In a few weeks, it will all be over, and life will go back to some semblance of normal." She took both of his hands in her own, "Now be honest Tommy, do I really look that bad?"
Pulling her into another close embrace, he tried to settle her question, telling her, "Sweetheart, you are beautiful. I don't care if you are in a fancy dress or a potato sack, you are stunning." He paused, and pulled back from her. Wiggling his eyebrows, he finished, "You know, I think you would look beautiful with nothing on. Want me to take a look?" His question, though said in slight jest, brought on an assault to his thoughts, conjuring memories of when they were in Europe, Jude's strip tease, the way she seemed to fit so perfectly against him. The smack on his arm brought him back to the present and he looked back at her. "What?" He masked his slight unease with a smirk, but quickly changed his expression. "Don't let Sadie make you question anything. You are beautiful and that's all there is to it." Hearing the guys call his name, Tommy put up a finger to hold them off another moment. "Now, we're done, but I think we're just going to go back to Sadie and Kwest's place and play some cards. I'll see you after, okay?"
"You mean you aren't going to save me from this madness?" Jude asked with mock surprise. She gave him a quick hug while saying, "Just kidding, hon. Have fun with the boys. I'll see you later...if I make it out alive, that is." A smile graced her face and she gave him a small laugh.
Feeling like she was back to her normal, joking self, Tommy smiled back at her and turned to leave. Looking at Sadie, he decided to give her a bit of advice, "Sadie, don't kill her please." With a smirk, he continued to the door and met Kwest and James before the three left the store, off to a night of cards and beer—male bonding.
…
After Tommy left, Jude endured over three more hours of dresses—long ones, short ones, ugly ones, beautiful ones. In the end, Sadie decided that she would wear the very one she started with. She had to admit, the dress was beautiful. It was a deep navy color with a hint of metallic sheen. The dress was one-shouldered, and showed off her well-defined collarbone. It hit just above her knees, and had a slight flair to the skirt, hiding the pockets it had built in. Jude would be happy to wear it at the front of the elaborate church Sadie had booked for the ceremony. However, it was the fifteen dresses and countless criticisms she had to endure along the way that had Jude irked. Portia too had found a dress, the same color as Jude's, but a simple strapless sheath.
Sadie had also found her dress—a beautiful off-white ballgown with a wide skirt and lots of tulle and sparkles. She had tried on at least thirty dresses, each with a slight variation that required literally hours of debate. The white gown ended up being over $8,000.00, and Jude had nearly suffered a heart attack when she was told the price. A 25% deposit was required, which Sadie had gladly handed over, and finally, around 9:00pm, the girls were headed home. Portia went to her own place, and the sisters walked into their childhood home, now occupied by Sadie and Kwest.
Tommy, Kwest, James, Bruno, and Spied were sitting in the living room on the floor, each with a hand of cards and a beer in front of them. Sadie was on the phone, leaving a message for their father asking him to add more money to her wedding account. Jude walked in, nodded to each of the guys in greeting, and moved in the direction of her best friend, sitting in between him and Spied. But, before her ass hit the ground, a strong arm snaked around her waist and pulled her onto its owner's lap. She smiled at the familiarity of his hold on her, and the kiss he placed on her cheek widened her smile even more. Turning so she could look Tommy in the eye, she asked, "So, how are you doing? Are you winning?"
His smart-ass response was, "Of course, Babes. It is me, after all." Picking up his cards, Tommy showed them to her, "You want to help me take the rest of their money? We're playing Seven Card Stud."
"Hell yes!" Looking at his cards, she whispered her thoughts in his ear as they began to play again. She missed the knowing glances that went around the group. No one was surprised at the closeness the best friends exhibited.
Not thirty minutes later, Jude and Tommy had swept the game, winning everything in the pot, James' sunglasses, and Bruno's new iPod touch with photo capabilities. Jude had taken the iPod—hers was lost somewhere in Asia—leaving Tommy with the shades and money. But, ever the gentleman, Tommy gave Jude an amount just over what her dress had cost, telling her that's what it should be used for. "You know you're the best, right?"
"Only for you, Babes" was his simple response.
Jude's heart felt like singing at his statement. She knew that it was not likely that he meant it, but for a moment, she pretended that it was love that prompted his words. Not wanting to dwell on those thoughts further, Jude stood up, going into the kitchen to find her sister. She had to stop allowing herself to think like that. She knew that Tommy would always be her fest friend, but nothing more. What would he want with her when he had been with models, actresses, and musicians?
Seeing her sister sitting at the island in the kitchen, head in hands, Jude knew something was wrong. "Sades, whats up?"
"Dad said that he couldn't give me any more for the wedding. I've already put a down payment on the dress and I can't get that back. But, I can't afford to pay for the dress and still get the cake and flowers. I don't know what to do!" Tears welled up in Sadie's eyes and the look on her face was one of pure desperation. "What do I do, Jude?"
"Sadie, calm down. I'll talk to Dad in the morning and see if we can work something out, okay?" She knew that this wedding was incredibly important to Sadie, and didn't want to see her so sad.
"Thanks, Jude." Sadie's face instantly brightened with her offer. "And hey, maybe we could sell a couple of your guitars. You don't need all seven, do you?" She got up and walked into the living room where the guys were still hanging out.
Too shocked to say anything, Jude watched her walk away in horror. How the hell could Sadie suggest she give up a couple of her guitars for the sake of the wedding? She knew how important music was to Jude, and she knew that each of those guitars were like prized possessions for Jude. She knew that she had to do something to help Sadie, getting rid of her guitars was just not an option.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Tommy came in and put his arm around her shoulders. "What's up, hon? You look like you saw a ghost."
As much as Jude didn't want to "tell" on her sister, she was still processing what was suggested, and so told Tommy what Sadie had said.
"She said what?" Tommy had a look of shock on his face, eyes wide, mouth open.
"I know. I think she was serious too!" Jude turned to face her best friend, desperately needing his comfort at that moment. "Can you believe it?"
Shaking his head, he told her, "Don't worry. We won't let that happen. You can hide your guitars at my place for now."
A bit of relief washed over Jude. "Thank you," she whispered. "Do you think we could take some of them over tonight?"
"For sure. Let's go up to your room and grab some more clothes too. I think you're pretty much out and we don't have time to do laundry."
"Seriously, what would I do without you Tommy?" The pair linked their hands and walked up the stairs to her room. Tossing a duffel bag at him, Jude started pulling out some clothes and setting them on her bed. Twenty minutes later, they had two bags packed, and three guitars ready to take back to his place.
Both still exhausted from tour and their late night the night before, Tommy and Jude got to his home and got ready for sleep. After washing her face, Jude was sitting on his bed telling him about her time at the dress boutique. Her eyes were beginning to droop, and at one point, she felt him pull her down next to him and throw the comforter over her. The large yawn muffled her "Thank you," as she scooted closer to him. Snuggling into his arms, she quickly fell asleep, wrapped in his comforting and loving arms.
The next morning, a loud pounding on the front door woke Jude far too early. She groaned and pulled the comforter over her head, trying to block out the noises invading her sleep. When the hammering hadn't stopped nearly ten minutes later, she reluctantly threw off the covers and grabbed an old pair of Tommy's sweatpants. Briefly, she wondered where he was, noticing he wasn't in the room or adjoining bathroom, but forgot that when the pounding invaded her senses once again. Stomping down the stairs, she yelled, "I'm coming, I'm coming! Hold your horses!" Finally arriving at the door, she peeked through the peep-hole and saw her sister on the other side. Flinging the door open and walking into the kitchen, she grabbed a mug from the cupboard, needing coffee right away.
Sadie followed her into the kitchen, closing the door behind her. "Why aren't you dressed, Jude? We have to get going...now!"
Closing her eyes and cringing at the sound of her sister's voice, Jude took a huge sip of the coffee, letting the caffeine take over. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes and looked at the clock on the microwave, "Sadie, its only 9:00! We didn't leave your place until close to midnight, and I'm still exhausted from the tour! Where do we have to go anyways?" Jude continued to greedily gulp her coffee, still trying to wake up.
"We have to find the cake."
Though she didn't say it, Sadie's response was clearly meant to say "Duh!" Jude rolled her eyes and refilled her now-empty mug. For the first time, she saw a note in Tommy's familiar handwriting sitting on top of the coffee pot.
Jude,
I had to go to the studio to get some paperwork done. I would love to work on your album a little though—how does 3:00pm sound? I'll swing by here around then to pick you up.
Call if you need me:)
T
Jude smiled after reading the paper, then turned her attention back to her sister. "Give me a few minutes, okay?"
Only getting a nod in response, Jude rolled her eyes and ran up the stairs. Not ten minutes later, she came back down, ready to go. She had thrown on a pair of skinny jeans and one of Tommy's thermal tees. Because it was cold outside, she had decided on her leather jacket and scarf to keep her warm. The look was completed with some flat riding boots and a fedora she had found in her closet the night before. A little eye liner and mascara, and Jude was ready to go. She may not look as glamorous as Sadie, but to be honest, she just didn't care.
The sisters were off to the cake shop. Jude had asked why she was going and not Kwest, but her question was not answered. Instead, Sadie had asked if she had figured the finance things out yet. "No, Sadie. But have you thought about asking mom? I know you guys keep in touch."
Her sister scoffed in response. "No, Jude! I can't ask mom for money. She's happy with Don and can't spend their money on a wedding. They are thinking of investing in a winery in the south of France, so they don't have a lot of extra cash right now."
Jude was horrified. The potential of starting a winery was more important that Sadie's wedding? And on top of that, did Sadie mean to imply that Jude's music and guitars weren't as important? Years later, Jude still couldn't understand how Sadie still talked to their mom. Victoria had left her girls to gallivant across the world with some man. How dare the woman say that some prospective investment took precedence over her favorite daughter's wedding. Trying to stifle the anger that began to rise up at the thought of her estranged mother, Jude focused on thoughts of going to the studio later.
Darius had given her time off to help her sister with the wedding, but the studio had always been like a second home to Jude. She was excited to work on her own music—something she had only dreamed about for years. She couldn't wait to create an album full of her own songs. Before she knew it, they had pulled up in front of the bakery; Sadie was already out of the car and waiting on the curb, glaring at Jude. Hurriedly, Jude got out of the car and rushed into their destination.
An hour later, Jude was ready to puke. That much cake in the morning was not so good—sure, she loved sweets, but this was crazy. Sadie had discussed designs with their consultant for the whole appointment, but had made Jude taste at least thirty combinations of cake, frosting, filling, and fruit. They were on their way back to Tommy's after running by Sadie and Kwest's place to pick up a couple more guitars. Jude had felt inspired partway through the appointment and had used three different napkins to capture her ideas. For some reason, the way their consultant had begun describing the cake as if it had human emotion had sparked something in Jude—and now she was on a roll. The phrase "You've got the love," was playing over and over in her head, and the moment she ran into Tommy's place, she threw her stuff on the floor and grabbed her journal. She had a couple of hours before Tommy would pick her up, and she wanted to get as far as she could.
Approximately two hours later, Jude had gotten pretty far in her song and was thrilled. She couldn't wait to show it to Tommy—it would be perfect for the wedding, and if she played her cards right, maybe she could get him to play piano for her. The thought of the wedding reminded Jude that she had to transfer money into Sadie's account devoted to all things wedding. After much thought and consideration, Jude decided that she would give money to Sadie. Over the years, she had built up nearly $15K in her savings. It was her dream to one day open a studio of her own, so once she had been hired at G Major, Jude had begun a "studio-fund" as she liked to call it. The only one who knew of her plan was Tommy—they had often talked of opening it together and how they would run thing different from how Darius did.
Calling her bank, Jude was sad to close the account. She put just over $13K into Sadie's wedding account, to which she had gained the access information earlier that day, and the other $2K she put into her personal savings account. Once she built up more reserves, she would start a new "studio-fund." As much as Jude wanted to tell Sadie to get over herself, she was her sister, and Jude felt a responsibility to help make her day perfect. After hanging up with her bank, she accessed the accounts online to make sure that everything looked correct when she heard the front door open.
"Babes?" She heard Tommy's voice break through the silence as he walked in.
"In the kitchen!" she yelled back at him. A moment later, she felt his fingers tickle her side and she burst into laughter, trying to get away from him. "Stop! Stop!"
Thankfully, he did stop and Jude walked over to get her notebook off of the coffee table where she had left it. "You ready to go?"
Tommy didn't respond, instead looking at the computer screen intently. Thinking that he was upset with her for using his computer without asking, Jude quickly said, "I'm sorry for the computer! I know I should have asked, but I just needed to check something real quick. I promise I didn't get into any of your stuff." She had learned her lesson after looking at some files on his computer and finding some pictures from his past. They were only childhood memories from a better time, but Tommy hadn't talked to her for at least ten days because he was so upset that she had invaded his privacy. While that might not be such a big deal now, then she had only known him for a month and he felt violated.
Shaking his head, Tommy quickly responded, "No hon, I don't care if you use my computer, you know that. What I am concerned about is why this random account has so much money in it and why your studio-fund is apparently closed." He looked at her, eyes intense and dark, "Want to tell me what's going on?" Yes, Tommy knew her account information. He had been there to help her open the right kind of account for her studio fund, and had even helped her set up a partial direct deposit of her paychecks to go into the fund.
Taking a deep breath, Jude looked up at him. "Don't be mad."
"Right, because every normal explanation begins with 'Don't be mad'."
"Well, Sadie needed some more money for the wedding. Dad didn't have it and mom wouldn't give it to her because of some vineyard. You know how much this wedding means to her; and with the baby coming, her and Kwest didn't want to put more money to the wedding. I didn't give her the whole studio fund, just some of it."
"How much is some?"
"About $13."
"Jude!" Tommy threw up his hands, and looked at her like she was a bit crazy. "Why would you do that? What about our studio?"
The last comment bugged Jude. It wasn't like he was putting money aside, and they had only ever talked about it in the "what if" sense. "Tommy." After getting his attention, she stopped. As much as she knew it was the right thing to do, she wasn't sure how to put it into words. Eventually, she continued, "Tommy, I had to do it for Sadie, you know that. Since our so-called mother is being ridiculous, someone had to step in. This wedding is something she has looked forward to since she knew what a wedding was. She has literally been dreaming of this day forever. She deserves to have the best." Seeing Tommy calm downs a little, she quickly continued, wanting to difuse any leftover anger. "And as for the studio, don't worry. I'll start the fund again in a few months. And you didn't have any money in that account, so you didn't lose anything. It's not like we would have started the studio next year."
After she finished speaking, Tommy looked at her again, then took her hands in his. "Babes, you know I'm not concerned about the money. I know you feel like Sadie deserves this, but what about what you deserve? And what about the studio? And what about when you get married? You know she would never do that for you!"
"I know, I know. I just felt like it was the right thing to do, ya know? Besides, now I can consider it an investment into Baby Taylor's future." The mere thought of "baby Taylor" brought a smile to Jude's face. She was totally excited to be the fun aunt—always ready with games and music and candy. Of course she wanted her own kids someday, but who knows when that would happen. She had always wanted to be a young mom, but she certainly wasn't the type to get pregnant just so she could have a kid. "Now, let's forget about all of this wedding drama and get to the studio. I need your help on a song—the one Sadie demanded I write and sing at the wedding."
Not letting Tommy get in another word, Jude grabbed his hand and led him toward the front door, pausing only briefly to grab her purse. Not even a minute later, they were on the road to G Major, ready to get back to what they love. Jude was excited to get started on her album, even if it was at a slower pace. The studio was truly a second home to her; now that they were back in Toronto, she wanted to spend as much time there as possible.
The song Tommy performs is My Best Friend, by Weezer
Avenue Open Kitchen is an actual diner in Toronto, located on Camden Street.