“Boyz Attack and Beyond –IS Fan Fic”
Chapter 20: Don’t Wanna Lose You Now
We manage to get dressed in record time, Jude hastily running her fingers through her hair and reapplying make-up as a speed along a thankfully empty highway. I still have twelve minutes remaining on the fifteen minute timeline Darius had given me to get to G Major; unfortunately we are still at least twenty minutes away from the studio. I look down at the speedometer: 115 miles per hour. At this rate we have at least a slight chance of making it on time. Jude, now finished making herself look slightly more presentable and slightly less like she was in bed with me only minutes ago, nervously clenches to her seat and shuts her eyes at every turn –probably expecting to crash at any moment. She should know me well enough to know that I’m a pretty good driver at high speeds.
I spot our exit and veer onto the city streets. We still have four minutes to get to the studio, but the traffic and streetlights make it impossible to make it in time. I speed as much as I can and take back streets to avoid traffic, but as we’re walking into G Major I look down at my watch –we’re six minutes late.
I cautiously open the door to Darius’s office, knowing full well that he should be good and furious by now. I tell Jude to wait outside until it’s safe to come back in. I walk inside, shutting the door behind me. I spot Darius sitting at his desk, angrily tapping his fingers. He clears his throat as I approach him, but he says nothing.
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t fire your ass right now,” he finally utters. “I gave you permission to date Jude on the sole condition that you keep it private for the time being and you fuck it up. Honestly Tommy, how do you expect me to ever take you seriously? Do you have any idea what it’s going to take for me to clean up your mess? This could cost Jude the new American distribution deal I was supposed to sign tomorrow.”
I feel like punching him, like putting his bald head straight through his desk –but I don’t want to get dragged out of here in cuffs and lose my job, Jude, and my freedom. I clench my fist and attempt to maintain my calm. “First off, I don’t need your permission to date Jude. You don’t own her and she can make her own decisions.”
He cuts me off, “I do own her; I’m her manager.”
“No you don’t. Second, you were the one that magically set me up with me psycho ex-girlfriend. What did you think she was going to make me forget Jude or something? Third, I don’t need you to clean up my messes. Jude’s a big girl, she can handle the media, and I don’t need you holding my hand –we both know I’ve gotten out of worse.”
I turned to walk out, feeling like I’ve had more than my fair share of drama for the night. “So you’re just going to walk out of here and pretend nothing happened.”
I turn back around to reply to him. “Exactly,” and with that I walk out, grabbing Jude on my way.
We walk back to the car in silence. She looks uncomfortable and I haven’t quite cooled down from my conversation with Darius. After a few minutes of driving, however, I feel the blood in my veins cool and I look over at her, smiling softly as I do so. “Don’t worry about what happened back there. D’s a smart man; despite his bad temper I know he won’t fire me or you. He knows you and I are making him big bucks, he isn’t stupid enough to throw that away over a little scandal.”
“You sure, I mean he seemed pretty serious when he almost dropped me from the label earlier this year,” she responded with a nervous chuckle.
“He wasn’t serious then either. It was just a scare tactic to get you to do whatever he wanted. Besides now that you’ve given him a number one single, he’d be pretty stupid to let you go.” A smile finally crept across her face, though it was almost immediately followed by an expression of panic.
“Shit! Tommy I haven’t even called home since we ditched the party –Dad is probably pissed by now. What time is it?”
I look down at my watch. “Ten to midnight.”
“Shit! Think you can take me home? I’m going to call Sadie, let her know I’m on my way home.” I prepare to speed for what feels like the millionth time tonight. I swear I’m very lucky I haven’t gotten pulled over –though I mustn’t speak too soon. Might curse myself. “Hi. Sadie? Are you home?” I hear Jude say in the background as I turn on the radio. “Is dad with you?” She pauses, “Yeah I’m on my way right now. Just try to cool him down until I get there. Okay, thanks Sadie. I owe you big. Bye.”
“Sadie got you covered?” I ask without taking my eyes of the road.
“Yeah, but dad isn’t very happy with me or you right now.” She lowers her voice. “He wants to have a talk with you.”
“You mean the talk with me –the one where he goes all overprotective ‘I will kill you if you break my little girl’s heart’ mode on me? The perfect end to this night.”
“I’m sorry Tommy. I know that this night has been a nightmare –mostly thanks to me.”
“No need to be sorry. If it means that we’re together at the end of the day, I don’t really care what else happens. But I am holding you to a rain check on what we started before Darius called me.” I smirk at her as we reach her house.
“We really shouldn’t be thinking about that right now,” she says as she opens her door and is immediately met by her father. Suddenly I see her point –I should not be imagining her naked when I’m trying to convince her father that I care for and respect her. I block the image, as much as I enjoy it, from my head as I walk around the car to meet her and her father.
“Mr. Harrison,” I say as I extend my hand out to him. He pretends not to notice and crosses his arms across his chest. “Tommy.” I put my hands in my pockets and stand quietly until he or Jude speak.
“Let’s step inside; it’s a little cold out tonight,” he says wrapping an arm around Jude and leading us into the house. As soon as we get inside his tone changes. “Jude, kitchen, now. I want to talk to Tommy in private.” She walks off, shooting me an apologetic look as she leaves the room.
“Look Mr. Harrison, I know that what happened at the party wasn’t exactly the way you wanted to find out about me and Jude . . .”
“You’re damn right that’s not how I wanted to find out. You are Sadie’s ex-boyfriend and Jude is only seventeen. Excuse me if I’m not exactly ecstatic to find out that you’ve been dating my youngest daughter.”
“Mr. Harrison, I care about your daughter. I know I don’t have the best track record and that the age difference is pretty big, but I really care about her and I think she feels the same about me.”
He sighed, and scratched his head. “Well it’s not like she’d listen to me if I tried to keep her from dating you.” He paused. “She’s so stubborn.”
“And implusive, and pretty amazing.”
“Just don’t break her heart, got it?” he said finally extending his hand out toward me.
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” He walks out of the room toward the kitchen, obviously going to have a similar conversation with Jude.
I sit on the couch and wait for Jude to come back out, wanting to at least have a chance to say goodnight before I head home. After about five minutes, Jude walks out still wearing my jacket. “Let me walk you out,” she says with a smile as she heard for the door. We reach the car and she hands my jacket back.
“Keep it for now; just make sure you give it back tomorrow before I return the suit to Portia.” She puts the jacket back on and moves slightly closer to me. “So is everything okay with your dad?” I ask.
“Yeah, he was still pretty mad that I didn’t tell him myself but he likes you Quincy. But if you break my heart he might have to beat you up,” she says jestingly.
“Well there will be no need for that.” I hear her dad calling from the front door. “Well I guess it’s time for me to say goodnight Ms. Harrison.” She leans in for a hug.
“I love you Tom Quincy.”
“I love you too Jude,” I say, leaning in for a kiss. I hear her dad clear his throat from his place on the front steps of the house. “I’ll see you at the studio tomorrow Jude.”
I get into my car and drive off slowly and calmly for the first time tonight. The whole night feels like a blur of high points, low points, and lots and lots of drama. Going home to a nice hot shower and falling asleep never sounded so good.
