Jude/Zero[Gideon] centric spin on 'Shattered Glass'~S2E5
Jude showed up bright and early at Derek's. The agency had been pleased with the way he had troubleshot the whole 'Dersha' situation. It had saved their client's reputation, and his agent was fielding a few clean-cut endorsement deals. Jude himself also just wanted to touch base and know where everything stood. Considering it was only a matter of time before Derek knew about Zero getting more court time and he less.
The housekeeper, Judalina, let him in and he made his way upstairs. "Derek?"
"Yeah, I'll be right out," he called from the bathroom. "Wait for me downstairs."
Jude heard a splash of water.
"Come here girl, what are you doing?" said Derek.
He could hear a woman's light laugh, Ahsha Hayes, of course. Jude with more than a touch of irritation, turned to leave, when he saw it…a slip of a red envelope in the fireplace. He quickly picked it up, swallowed hard and turned to look toward the bathroom door.
He swiftly made his way back down to the living room, as the two lovebirds continued…
After having thought long and hard about it, Jude decided it was best and safest to confront Derek. Not knowing what exactly Olivia had said to the baller, he couldn't risk it. He put on the closest thing he owned to club clothes, a black suit, shirt, and tie and swung by the opening of Derek's new venture, Club Rome. As he entered it was filled with people, loud music and buzzing press. Players, dancers, agents, hot girls, hot boys, everyone seemingly having a good time.
He noted that Zero and Jelena were there. They must have crashed Derek's club opening to steal some of Ahsha and his thunder. Posing for pictures, in front of a backdrop of Club Rome's black and silver logo, Zero gazed at a bored looking Jelena. She was looking toward the entrance obviously hoping, wishing, and praying for Terrence Wall to come sauntering in. She then abruptly left the 'black carpet' and headed for the bar leaving a slightly embarrassed looking Zero behind.
Jude didn't have time to worry about 'Zelena,' he had a bigger issue. He looked through the crowd and spotted Derek talking to a gaggle of attractive women. He quickly sent him a text. 'Meet me out back.' Derek looked up and Jude signaled to follow him into the alley, putting his cell phone in his breast pocket.
There was a shit ton of rain. So much for it never rains in southern California.
"Hey-Yo. You hanging out here in alleys, man, you're missing one hell of a party."
"Did you go see Olivia Vincent right before she died?" Jude stood on the bottom step, looking up at Derek.
"What? I- I don't know what you're talking about."
Jude then pulled out the slightly tinged slip of the red envelope and handed it to him.
"If you know what this is, that means you met with Olivia, too." Derek's face was suddenly serious.
"What did she have on you?" Of course, Jude suspected, but needed confirmation. The rain slightly soaked him as he stood on the edge of the step.
"She knew about the coke," confessed Derek.
"She knew I got it for you." Jude felt a rising panic and forced it down.
"She was willing to take everything from me just to make a play against Oscar."
"She wanted you to back her up at the groundbreaking?"
"I could have been banned for life. I would have lost everything!" Distress played across his features.
"At least you would have been free. Distribution? That's prison! Why didn't you come to me
with this first?"
'Yeah, I could ask you the same question."
Point taken. "I have your back, but you have to have mine if anyone starts asking questions."
"I've got your back." Derek seemed to reluctantly agree. He then turned and went back inside.
God, he needed a drink, thought Jude. However, he stayed outside in the brisk, cool rain-tinged air for a good 5 minutes to calm his antsiness. He then took a deep breath and headed inside toward the bar. He immediately recognized the trim and solid, grey clad back of Zero. Looking around, Jelena was nowhere in sight. A minute later, he was at the bar.
"Double bourbon, neat," Jude ordered, as he sidled up to the other man. "You look unhappy and pissed off."
With a conceding tilt of his head, Zero replied, "…and you look shadowy and tormented."
With that Jude clinked his bourbon to Zero's light beer.