Gravitation Fan Fiction ❯ Sweet Surprises ❯ Chapter Three - Realizations ( Chapter 3 )

“You were my strength when I was weak.
You were my voice when I couldn't speak.
You were my eyes when I couldn't see.
You saw the best there was in me.
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach.
You gave me faith because you believed.
I'm everything I am because you loved me.”
- Because You Loved Me, Celine Dion

 

K watched from behind the cameraman as Judy finished out the final scene for Death Roses. The show had not been doing too well in ratings and would not make it beyond fledgling status. When the news had come about the ax falling on the show nearly the entire cast had been upset and disappointed. Everyone but Judy, he had noted. If anything, his client had taken the news very well.

 

'I'll have to ask her about that,' he thought as the scene came to a close. Of course, when he'd heard the news, K hadn't wasted any time in lining up more auditions for his client. If there was anything he had learned over the course of his job was that you didn't remain idle when your client depended on you to keep their livelihood going.

 

Soon, the scene ended and the director called the final cut. Immediately, the cast began to mingle with the crew, tears flowing from nearly everyone. The women gave each other hugs and promised to keep in contact, the men shook hands and slapped each other on the back. K watched as Judy talked with everyone before finally excusing herself and making her way towards him. Though he had seen her smiling at everyone during the entire time, the smile that she gave him seemed . . . different, somehow. With everyone else, it had been friendly. Towards him, however, it seemed to outshine the sun, and he felt himself shiver slightly as he returned it.

 

“Hey, Claude . . .”

 

K just shook his head. No matter how many times he told her, she'd never call him K. She'd gotten hung up on his real name somehow, but it wouldn't stop him from trying to get her to call him that.

 

“Judy . . . you ready to go?”

 

“Yeah,” she nodded, her smile still shining at him and her arm looping around his. “I can come back later and pick up my things.”

 

“Then let's go.”

 

They quickly left the studio and headed for his car. The plan was to head to the Olive Garden for lunch and discuss what she wanted to do next, whether she'd start auditioning right away or if she wanted to take a break for a few weeks then start auditioning for parts. Judy lit a cigarette as he started the car then passed it him before lighting one for herself.

 

“Thanks.”

 

“You're welcome, Claude.”

 

“Hope you're hungry,” he grinned as they pulled into traffic. “I have a place reserved for us at the Olive Garden and they've got that special with the breadsticks going.”

 

“Sounds good to me,” Judy laughed, the wind whipping her chestnut hair around. “And there's something I want to talk to you about as well. Something . . . personal.”

 

“Personal?” he echoed. “Like what?”

 

“Let's wait until we get to the restaurant, Claude. I know that what I'm going to say will shock you and I'd rather not get into an accident before I've had a chance to eat.”

 

“I'm not that bad of a driver!” K protested.

 

“No,” Judy conceded. “But you don't handle surprises well when you're driving. I've seen you. It's important but it can keep until we get there.”

 

“All right,” he sighed then shook his head again. Like other women, Judy had a knack for confusing him at times. Just chalking it up to a woman's peculiarity, K turned the radio on, thankful traffic, though heavy, was actually moving. As long as nothing came up, they'd make it to the restaurant in time.

 

'I just hope she isn't deciding to replace me,' K thought as he kept his eyes straight ahead. 'I like working with her. She's not like any woman that I've ever met. I like being around her.'

 

For being a woman, K had discovered that Judy had absolutely no problems with the idea of a gun-toting manager, and that they had a lot in common. They smoke the same brand of cigarettes, they both preferred living in a house as compared to an apartment, they liked the same movies . . . little things like that. And he never had to give her one of his "special" morning wake up calls, either. If anything, she'd been the one to wake him up in the mornings by having the alarm clock up so loud that he'd fall out of the chair he slept in. She'd laugh every time it happened, too. He finally got wise to it and started sleeping on the floor . . . until his natural alarm clock got in tune with hers. Then he started sleeping in the chair again.

 

After several more minutes of smooth and nearly non-stop driving, the Olive Garden came into view and K pulled into the parking lot. Once the car was parked, he got out then walked to the other side to let Judy out. At some point, it had become a game for them when it came to getting in and out of his car. He'd open the door for her then close it behind her, and their arms always looped together. Judy had laughed in the beginning, saying they must have looked silly to everyone, to be so prim and proper when they weren't even dating. K had laughed, too. She'd had a point, after all, but then it just became routine, something neither really wanted to stop, it seemed.

 

“Okay, Judy, we're at the restaurant,” K stated as they walked towards the door. “What's this personal thing you want to talk to me about?”

 

“Ah ah,” she winked. “Not just yet, Claude. A little while longer . . . I'll tell you over a drink, okay?”

 

“Over a drink?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“All right then. I'm holding you to this,” he grinned. “Just so you know.”

 

“I know.”

 

They entered the restaurant and were seated as soon as K told them he had a reservation. Menus were given, their orders placed then K tapped his fingers as he waited for the waitress to bring them their drinks. Once they had them, he glanced at his client. She gave him a shy smile. Before he could ask her again, Judy held a hand up.

 

“Don't ask anything just yet, Claude,” she murmured. “I just want you to listen . . . because what I have to say isn't going to be easy for me. But I've thought about this a lot and I've decided I can't keep living without knowing . . .” She paused then drew a deep breath. “Claude, I . . . I love you.”

 

“What?” he blinked.

 

“I love you,” she repeated. “And it isn't because of the way you came out here to help me and to protect me from that director. It's . . . it's because of the way you make me feel . . . I just feel so happy whenever I'm around you. If you don't feel the same way, I understand, but I just had to say it . . . I couldn't keep it to myself any longer.”

 

K slumped back in his chair some, his mind reeling from her revelation, and his jaw going somewhat slack. What she had said, quite honestly, hadn't been too far from how he'd been feeling about her, and she'd been able to put the words to it when he couldn't. He glanced at her, noting her slightly apprehensive expression. Slowly, he smiled. Yeah, he loved her. Probably had since before he got her the audition for Death Roses.

 

“Does this mean you're asking me out?” he joked weakly, causing her to smile and relax.

 

“Yeah,” Judy nodded. “It means I'm asking you out.”

 

“Then I accept . . . on one condition.”

 

“And what's that?”

 

“You tell me why you'd want me over some other Hollywood actor,” K replied, reaching over to take her hand in his.

 

“Is that all?” she laughed.

 

“That's all.”

 

“Because you're just as handsome as those Hollywood actors,” Judy stated, leaning forward. “Because you let me be who I want to be whenever I'm around you. You're not like other managers, Claude. And,” she paused, an obvious attempt at a dramatic effect, “you have a nice ass in jeans.”

 

K couldn't help it. He started laughing.

 

“A nice ass in jeans, huh?” he teased. “I guess that's a good enough reason. In that case, I accept.”