It's homecoming at my school, and since I'm an RA, that means I'm glued to my building for an entire weekend. I haven't been out in the fresh air since Thursday afternoon. Anywhatsit, I decided to go back to my first story and write a quick chappy. It's not too long, but it's something. Later peeps.
Chapter 12: Castles Made of Sand
Finally, things were returning to normalcy…but, then again, what's normal? It's normal for Sadie to mope around about Tommy for a week, until she's latched onto her new flavor….which happened to be Kwest (go figure). It's also normal for Speed, Kyle, and Wally to buy a box full of orange traffic cones and reroute 9th street. But what was normal for Jude and Tommy Q?
For Jude, it was easy enough to jump back into what they considered 'friends' mode. She had, after all, trained herself for years to look at, and especially only think of Tommy as her pal and music confidant, convincing herself and those around her that Tommy's absence hadn't been like salt on an open wound. She had meticulously lived the past seven years of her life as a lie, the continuous practice only making her an expert in her field, which is why she didn't see any harm in continuing the charade for just a little while longer.
Tommy, on the other hand, found himself treading on new and unsteady ground. One wrong step and he could tumble into a never-ending existence.
"Okay, now go back to the chorus." Jude rested her feet on the edge of the soundboard as she sat back in her chair lazily, deep in thought. Her current lack of songwriting inspiration had forced Jude to find other means of making good use of free studio time, opting to edit those songs already recorded. In usual Jude Harrison fashion, she managed to rope Tommy along for the ride.
Not one to easily give into her demands or idly ignore the relentless behavior she often exhumed, Tommy continued to make his protests known to the drained blonde next to him. "Jude, for the umpteenth time, the song is flawless. I can't find a single thing wrong with the chorus…or any other part, for that matter."
Jude glanced at Tommy disapprovingly. "Well, then you're obviously not that great of a producer. Besides, there's no such thing as a flawless song."
"Is that the ugly head of insolence trying to make its way toward the surface?"
She waved off his insult as if calling her 'insolent' was a common term of endearment. "That's actually what we 'musicians' call perfectionism. It's an unfortunate habit that requires much time and effort, but being a perfectionist, I find, is one of my better traits."
Tommy looked over at Jude, suddenly wanting to take in everything that she was at that moment. She looked tired—most likely due to the impending sunrise--and yet her beautiful features radiated more than ever against the dull studio lights. "I won't argue with you there. You are perfect."
An uneasy feeling swept over Jude as she felt Tommy's eyes lingering on her. Now was not the time to look. Just because she couldn't be with him right now, it didn't mean she wouldn't completely come undone the moment she saw the love and desire in his eyes. Now was definitely not the time to look. "That's not what I said."
She was all too ready for this conversation to hit a dead end, and made the initiative herself by switching gears. Without being remotely considerate of Tommy's sensitivity toward the soundboard (and his overstated rule about never touching it), Jude swiftly leapt out of her chair and crossed in front of Tommy to push the playback button. She was back in her chair and tapping her foot to the intro of "Waste My Time" before Tommy had time to really process what had happened.
Once realization did set in, his eyes seemed to pop out of his head like a cartoon character. He constantly shifted his gaze from the soundboard to Jude, who was now glowing with amusement. "Uh…I'm sorry, did I miss something here? 'Cause I'm pretty sure I told you never to put your greedy little paws on my equipment."
"Okay, I'm not 'greedy', I'm just doing the job you're supposed to do since you're too busy arguing to actually do it. And last time I checked, this was not 'your' equipment. It belongs to GMajor, you whiney little brat." Jude stared Tommy down, daring him to come back with a retort.
Tommy smirked at Jude, her sassy comebacks a clear turn on as his anger began to subside. "Don't start with me, big eyes. You know this soundboard wouldn't live up to its full potential if my hands weren't doing all the magic."
Jude snorted, not caring if it sounded unattractive at the current moment. "You better have something to match that enormous ego of yours; otherwise people will just think you're hormonally unbalanced."
"Oh, I'd like to think I've got something…"
Jude kicked Tommy in the shin to impede his chances of finishing what seemed to be a very inappropriate comeback. "Shh! I'm trying to listen; I need silence and concentration." They sat quietly for a couple of seconds, drinking in and focusing on the music that reverberated throughout the room. "Besides, I'm not in the mood to hear about you and your 'enormously' dirty mind."
Tommy was amused, knowing she was not one to let conversations of this nature go unfinished. This just spurred on his need to get inside Jude's head. He leaned in close to Jude, his hot breath resting against her ear. "Then, how about I get you in the mood?" His words and low voice caused visible shivers to shoot throughout Jude's body.
Tommy had noticed her reaction, and she knew it. Old Jude would spit out ridiculous excuses like the cold air or that she tends to shiver when she's tired, but new Jude understood Tommy's intentions, and refused to give him yet another reason to gloat about his affect on her. "Are we still talking about your ego, or is your mind focused on the 'enormity' of something else?"
Tommy smiled slyly, wondering if Jude realized what she just admitted. "Well, I'm glad you think so highly of it. You do have first hand experience, after all, on the subject."
Jude felt her cheeks instantly flush, unprepared for where this playful banter seemed to be heading. She dug herself into a hole, and the opportunities to climb out were running thin. "Now that I think about it, the song sounds fine. I'm getting tired so I'm gonna head out." She practically jumped out of her chair to retrieve her things, fumbling to quickly untangle the strap of her purse.
It didn't go unnoticed by Tommy that Jude was uncomfortable and in a state of panic. He knew he wasn't supposed to make any moves on her until she was ready for a commitment, but being around her always made it so difficult for him. Tommy sighed and rose out of his chair to be at Jude's level. "Jude, you don't have to leave. I went too far, and I'm sorry."
She halted her rushed pursuit towards an exit and stared fixedly at the ground. "I understand that you just get caught up in it all, but you have to understand that it's hard for me too." She met his gaze, hoping she wouldn't break.
"I know all too well how that feels."
Jude immediately realized the implications of his words and practically shrieked. "Geez, Tommy! Can you keep it in your pants for just one second?"
"Okay. Okay. So, maybe that was slightly out of line, but…" He couldn't find the right words he was searching for, other than the truth. "Actually, you know what? I don't need to explain myself. This is ridiculous, Jude. You know it and I know it."
"Know what? That you have a hyper-active sexual drive?"
"That there's no use fighting it." Tommy looked deeply into her eyes as she remained silent, and grabbed her softly by the waist. "I want you, Jude, and I think I'm not far off when I say that you feel the same."
Jude pushed Tommy away from her, releasing herself from his grip. "Why are you doing this, Tommy?" She quickly turned around to avoid his gaze and catch her breath. His eyes said it all, and she couldn't deal with the overwhelming sensations looking in them caused. "I mean, did you not listen to a word I said? You told me you were okay with how things had to be."
"I was lying to you and myself. I thought I could handle it, but I can't." She had now distanced herself from Tommy, her back still acting as a brick wall between him. He tried to read her body signals, sensing fear and confusion, but mostly he could tell she was grounded, unwilling to negotiate the topic any further. Why did she have to be so stubborn and adamant in her convictions? Why was she so intent on fighting to win the battle, only to know she'd lose the war in the end?
His approach was now useless against Jude, but that didn't mean he should wave the white flag of surrender. So, what else could he do in this situation, but up his game and try to loosen her inhibitions?
He slowly walked up behind Jude, being so quiet and careful with his steps that she didn't even sense his presence until his breath began to tickle her slender neck. A wave of blissful sensations coursed through her skin as she relished in his proximity. Tommy reached up and let the back of his fingers lightly graze the length of her arm, all the way down to her wrist. He could feel goose bumps rising on her skin as he painstakingly made his way back up, passing her shoulders and letting his fingers dance along her collarbone.
Jude instinctively leaned her head to the side, giving Tommy better accessibility. Tommy took this as his cue to devour the soft skin that was exposed. He sucked delicately where her neck met her shoulder, and he knew Jude was enjoying it as much as he was. He didn't waste time, moving his other hand down her side and over to the top of her pants. As he slid his hand further down over the rough denim, a soft moan accidentally moved passed her lips.
Tommy smiled in satisfaction, because it was the sign he was hoping for; one that let him know she still needed him and would succumb in a heartbeat. "See, Jude." His whisper felt good against her ear. "You can't resist this, and you can't resist me."
Jude wasn't sure if it was his words or her conscience suddenly kicking in at that moment, but as good as she was feeling, she was still prepared to end it all abruptly. Grabbing his wrist before he could further his pursuits, Jude pulled away from him, turning around in the process. The ever present sexual tension fueled her anger on as she focused on the confused man in front of her. "As much as I want you, Tommy, I at least have the talent to resist that temptation; a temptation that I don't want to toy with right now."
She felt her confidence come back as she reached for her coat and purse, again. Before leaving the studio, Jude turned around to face Tommy once more. She artfully grinned at him. "And if worse comes to worse, a vibrator really can become a girl's best friend."
And she left. More accurately, he had let her leave. It was all his fault, and he regretted pushing her away so far.
But maybe he didn't have any other options. He acted this way because his feelings for her were so strong. Going from lovers to friends with Jude was one of the most demanding things he'd ever done. How did she make it look so easy? More importantly, what made her think an electronic device could accurately replace him? That was just a load of nonsense, something he needed to correct her on.
At this point, the only thing running through Tommy's head was that he wouldn't give up on her. He refused. Her frigid behavior this evening was a result of poor planning on his part. He would get her back…he just needed to figure out how.