by Angie
Three weeks later. . .
Jax gazed out at the clouds surrounding him as he began to approach the Port-Charles Airport. He was *finally* back. These past three weeks had felt like three years. Despite burying himself in work from the moment he had arrived in Paris, his every spare thought was with Brenda. Damn that woman! Why did she have to be so irresistible? He thought back to that night in Paris, when he had first arrived. He had been at a very hip, posh restaurant for dinner, and a beautiful blonde bombshell had been giving him the eye the entire night. She had finally walked over, and they had talked for awhile. Meaningless conversation to Jax, just words to pass the time. But the time came when they left the restaurant together. . .and nothing happened. She had been more surprised than him. Jax recalled briefly taking a walk with her under the moonlight, casually wrapping an arm around her waist, but when it came for anything more. . .something had stopped him cold. A force he couldn’t understand, but strong enough for him to make a feeble excuse and return to his hotel alone. Instead of the night he had anticipated, Jax remembered tossing and turning dreaming of a dark-haired beauty dancing with him in his arms.
He had been getting it from his brother as well. Jerry had caught him staring reminiscently at a picture of Brenda on the cover of "In Style" magazine, and had given it to him.
"Are you really that forgone on this woman?!" Jerry asked in utter disbelief.
"No!" Jax insisted. "I left Port-Charles didn’t I? She is simply a business competitor that is gunning for the same company as me!"
"Very convincing Jax. Did you have to practice that in front of the mirror to make it look convincing?"
"Jerry. . ." Jax said in a warning tone.
"Jax, give it up. You are so transparent. Have you not noticed that about two dozen gorgeous woman have been literally throwing themselves at you?! You’ve barely acknowledged any of them! At first I chalked it up to interest in your work, but you didn’t even say a word to Christy Turlington when she stopped in the other day!"
"Wait a sec. When was Christy in?" Jax asked, genuinely surprised.
"I believe it was when you were staring out the window of your office, dreaming of a beauty on another continent no less."
"Okay. . . so I’m slightly taken with Brenda."
"Taken? Little brother you are a goner!"
"Whatever! Now, what is your point to all this exactly?"
Jerry sighed, placing a hand on Jax’s shoulder. "Jax, all I’m saying is if you want her, Really want her, I’m not going to stop you. I. . .just think you should stop working on the ELQ takeover."
"NO!" Jax barked in defiance. "I’ve worked two hard to get out now Jerry. ELQ is going to be ours."
"It will be, just let me finish the rest of the project."
"It was my idea. I started it, and I’m going to finish it" Jax said firmly. "I do have strong feeling for Brenda" he admitted, "but I have *stronger* feelings for this deal. I’m going to win."
"Jax, you know that if you pull out this deal, you and Brenda may not have a chance at all" Jerry warned.
Jax knew. The tactics they were prepared to use included very deceitful maneuvers past Barrett industries. "I know" was all he could respond with.
Jax has just received clearance to land, and he began his descent
to the runway. . .struggling to think about something, someone
else.
**********
"I think he would look fantastic in a pair of tight blue jeans!" Lucy shrieked. She, Lois, an Brenda were sitting around the gatehouse, a now re-vamped version to include an office, and the beginnings of a recording studio for the newly formed L&B records. Lois and Brenda had decided to name it after themselves, as they would be partners for the entire venture. Lucy had agreed to help them with promotion, and the three were meeting for the afternoon.
"No, no. . .that’s just something I don’t want to picture" Brenda said making a face.
The three ladies were discussing what Ned, AKA Eddie Maine would wear on stage for his live performances.
"Ned is like my brother, I DONOT want to picture him as a sex symbol!" Brenda complained.
Lois giggled dreamily. "Well, I’ll think of the picture for the both of us. . .but not blue jeans. . .I prefer black. Black leather."
"Black leather pants!" Lucy said excitedly. "I love the idea!" she exclaimed as she reached for another cheese twist. "Now, what about--" Lucy’s ringing cellular phone cut her off. "Darn it!" she griped as she flipped open her telephone. "Hello?"
"Lucy Coe?" a smooth, masculine voice spoke out.
"Yes, who’s this?"
"This is detective Taggert from the PCPD."
"Detective Taggert! How nice to hear from you! How is your number with Garcia and Mac coming along for the Nurse’s Ball?"
"Ahh. . .okay, but I’m actually calling you on behalf of ADA Dara Jensen."
"Dara? Why do you have to call for her?" Lucy asked nervously.
Lois and Brenda both observed Lucy’s face fall, as she stood and began pacing around the room.
"What HAPPENED?" she shouted out loud.
"Well, lets just say she and Alexis Davis got in a bit of a shouting match at court today, and she has come down with a bad case of laryngitis, as well as being held in contempt of court."
"Laryngitis?! Well, she has a few days to recover doesn’t she?"
"Well, the doctor said to keep from straining her voice for two weeks, so that means the Nurses Ball is out. Dara is now strictly a spectator at the ball."
After a few more minutes of whining, Lucy hung up, defeated. "What am I going to do now?" she wailed. "My star singer has called in sick!"
"I’m sorry Lucy" Brenda consoled. "I wish I could help you in some way."
Lois’s eyes lit up suddenly. "Wait, Brenda you can! Why don’t *you* sing in Dara’s place?"
"what?!" Lucy and Brenda said simultaneously. Brenda in horror, Lucy in surprise.
"Brenda, you’re a singer?! You never told me!" Lucy burst out in shock.
"It’s because I’m not a singer!" Brenda protested.
"Yes you are Brenda. You sing like an angel!" Lois refuted.
"How would you know that?"
"Well, you know all those times you are singing along with Eddie Maine music when you think nobody’s in the room?"
Brenda gasped. "Lois!"
Lois continued, "in fact, I have one of your performances on tape. Want to hear it Lucy?"
"Yes!" she said excitedly.
As Lois rummage through her desk, Brenda began to fume.
"Wait a sec. You listened *and* taped me singing without my knowledge?!! Lois, how could you?!"
"Quite easily actually" Lois responded, as she found a tape, and popped it into her stereo. "Brenda, when I hear something I like, I tape it. You should know that by now" she explained as she hit the play button.
Soon, the air was filled with Brenda’s voice singing enthusiastically along with the "Eddie Maine" tracks that Lois had on tape.
"Brenda!" Lucy said in disbelief. "You have such a gift! Your voice is wonderful!"
"Thank-you, but I’m not performing in front of five hundred people at the ball" Brenda said, crossing her arms.
"What? What do you mean? Brenda, you know I need you to do this for me."
"Yes, but I can’t."
"Brenda please! You won’t be alone. Dara was singing with a pianist, you won’t be alone on stage. Come on Brenda. . .think of the cause!"
After a long while of persisting, and cajoling from both Lois and Lucy, Brenda finally agreed to sing. She was given a time to show up for practice where she assumed she would meet her partner. After another hour of brainstorming between the threesome, Brenda found herself driving back to her hotel suite.
The Nurses Ball. Brenda could not believe that Lois and Lucy had convinced her to perform! So many people would be there!! She thought a little longer realizing that Jax would be there. Perhaps that was the one saving grace of the Nurses Ball--she would finally see him again. She often found herself dreaming of him in the middle of the day, remembering the forbidden enjoyment they shared with each other. She didn’t really have anything else to do. From the very day Jax left, she had focused 100% on her work. While her sister approved, and praised her, Brenda was left feeling very empty inside. It had taken her a couple of week to determine what the empty feeling inside her was--she thought she was handling Jax’s absence extremely well. That is, until she realized the only time she didn’t have that empty feeling inside of her was when she was thinking about him. God, she missed him. She missed everything about him. His smile, the way his accent would pronounce certain words differently, the twinkle in his eyes when he had a secret, the way he could light a fire in her that still hadn’t been put out.
Still though, while she had tried to stop him at the airport a few weeks ago, Brenda had to wonder if that had been a sign. A sign that what she was doing was wrong. Maybe. . .what she was feeling wasn’t anything. It could be just lust, infatuation. She had to believe that not being with him was the right thing to do. For both of their sakes. How would they manage anything? Not being able to tell each other everything about their business, needing to keep certain documents away from each other. It wouldn’t work. She had to believe that. "If I keep on telling myself that, maybe I’ll actually mean it one day" she mumbled sarcastically to herself as she continued driving to her hotel suite.
Jax tossed his bag onto the desk of his penthouse suite. The flight to Port-Charles had exhausted him, and he had an appointment with Dara the next day. He almost instantly fell into a deep sleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
*********
The next morning, 8:00am, Port Charles Grille
Brenda lazily walked into the Grille as she took her seat to a table next to a man who seemed engrossed in his newspaper.
"Can I get you a drink ma’am?" The waiter politely asked.
"Yes, coffee. Black" Brenda requested as she reached for her menu. She heard the wrestling of the newspaper at the table next to her, and she looked up to meet eyes with that set of one-of-a-kind, blue/green eyes. Breakfast was a distant memory.
They sat there for a moment, drinking each other in. Jax thought he would be ready when he saw her again, but this had hit him like a lightning bolt. She was even more beautiful than before. Her hair was put up in a pony tail, and she was wearing a pair of tight black stretch pants with a big loose, stylish white collar shirt. Even in a basic ensemble she was the most breathtaking image he had ever seen.
Jax reached for her hand, his thumb caressing her wrist as he felt the speed of her pulse which made him want her even more. At an instant, they rose together, clinging to each others hands as they made their way out of the Grille.
Brenda couldn’t believe their hotel suite was so far away. How she had even managed to walk over to the elevator was beyond her. Her mind was racing out of control, desire spinning in her like mad. As the elevator doors slammed shut they lunged for each other falling into a deep, maddening, kiss that they had both been dreaming of for far too long.
Unable to wait any longer, Brenda pulled the cotton polo shirt off of Jax, moaning in satisfaction when she was able to feel the skin under his shirt. The elevator doors had opened, and Jax gently directed Brenda towards the door of his suite, lifting her up with one arm as his other hand went under her shirt to her breasts, caressing them as he pulled her against the wall. Brenda fumbled around with the belt on his chinos as he looked around hurriedly for his room key. Triumphantly holding it up in front of Brenda, his mouth descended on hers once more, tasting the sweetness of her lips, the softness of her mouth. Reveling in the sound of the tiny moans coming from her, as he finally managed to click the door open, taking Brenda in with him as he ripped the shirt off of her in a mad urge of desire.
As the door slammed shut, and Jax and Brenda continued doing the obvious, the door adjacent to them opened fully. Julia stood there, feeling an array of emotions. Disappointment, surprise, even slightly turned on. The scene she had just witnessed had been hot. Their kisses seemed to be hot enough to burn her, and the level of their lust for each other had not diminished in the slightest bit. She and Jerry had agreed that distance between them would be the trick to ending the relationship between their siblings. But she now knew that was not the answer. She needed something that would make them never want to see each other again.
Two and a half hours later, Jax and Brenda had finally made it to his bed after ravishing each other on the floor by the main door, the couch, the pinball machine, the floor of his kitchen, and a desk in his study. They lay tangled in each others arms, trying to let their breathing return to normal.
Brenda rolled over so she was now on top of Jax as she casually traced a path down his sculpted chest with her index finger. "I thought you weren’t coming back until next week."
"That’s all I get? No ‘hello, nice to see you Jax?’ just a ‘what the hell are you doing here?’" he asked with and amused expression.
Brenda leaned down to kiss the cleft in his chin. "I think I’ve welcomed you back quite well thank you very much."
"Oh, you’ve welcomed me home very, *very* well" Jax agreed as he took Brenda into yet another sizzling kiss.
Brenda broke the kiss however, a solemn expression appearing on her face. "Jax?"
"Yes?" he answered back seriously, noticing the somber tone in her voice.
"Where exactly do we go from here?"
"What do you mean?" Jax said carefully.
"Well, it’s been almost a month, and we seem to have the same amount of. . .ah *zest* for each other that we had three weeks ago. Doesn’t that say anything to you?"
"It says that I definitely had an attachment to you Brenda Barrett. What does it mean? I don’t know. All I can say is that I really like being with you, but. . .I also want ELQ more than anything."
"I feel the same way" Brenda responded, "but we cannot go on like this Jax. It’s either something, or nothing."
"Well, if we both want ELQ more, I guess we want nothing" Jax said softly, unable to look Brenda in the eyes.
"Yeah, I guess so" Brenda admitted, looked down at her pillow. She had been so sure of what she wanted to do a few weeks ago, why was so changed her mind? Why was she wimping out? She knew perfectly well why. It was because she was still his biggest, and best competitor and she refused to lose anything to him. That wasn’t going to change she told herself, so any chance of them was basically nil.
This was what he had decided on, so why was part of him trying to convince him otherwise? Jax knew he was doing the right thing. It was the only solution. They couldn’t be together as partners, and competitors. Glancing at his watch he jumped up suddenly. "It’s 11:25?!" he exclaimed.
"What?!" Brenda responded, equally surprised.
"I have to go!" they simultaneously said together, "I have to be at the hospital to practice for. . ."
"The nurses ball" they both finished together slowly.
"*Your* the pianist Lucy was talking about?" Brenda asked in disbelief.
"You’re not Dara Jensen" Jax said, arching an eyebrow.
"Dara has laryngitis, and I was filling in for her. . .but nobody said anything about performing with you!" she said in horror. How was she going to get through this?! Seeing Jax this one time was enough, but practicing with him, performing with him? She wasn’t made of steel!
Jax got out of the bed suddenly, the look on his face showing his obvious surprise at this revelation. "I ah. . . am going to change. I’ll be back in a few minutes."
Brenda nodded, as she watched him leave the room. The second he closed the door shut, she bolted for the phone, dialing Lucy’s phone number in lightning speed.
"Lucy Coe."
"LUCY!" Brenda hissed in a loud whisper. "I. . I can’t sing for you."
"What?! Why not?" Lucy demanded.
"You didn’t tell me *Jax* was the pianist!"
"Well, does it really matter?"
"Yes! I’m not singing with him!" Brenda said vehemently.
"Why not?"
"Well. . .just because!"
"Brenda, you are NOT really going to turn this down when I have no more time to get a replacement because you don’t like the pianist are you?!" Lucy asked in one breath.
"Lucy, please?!" Brenda wailed.
"Brenda, I-- oh wait a second, I have to answer my other line." Lucy changed lines swiftly to greet the her next caller. "Lucy Coe."
"Lucy? Jax."
"Let me guess. You don’t want to play anymore for the ball. Well guess what, you’re PLAYING!!! I am not going to go through the stress of looking for someone else when the Ball is a week away!! All I should be worrying about is if the food is arranged properly!" Lucy vented.
"Okay, I’m sorry Lucy" Jax apologized. "I . . .I’ll be fine" he finally said as he hung up his cellular phone.
"Yes, Yes Lucy. . .okay see you seen." Brenda let out a weary sigh. She was stuck. There was no way Lucy would let her get out of this performance alive. At the sound of the door opening, Brenda looked up.
Jax was standing before her, a pair of light blue boxers as his ensemble. "Well Miss. Barrett. Shall we get ready for practice?" he asked as curtly as possible.
Brenda nodded, and rolled out of the bed, resisting any of her urges wanted to ravish him right there.
It was going to be a *Lo-ong* week.
***
Nurses Ball is up next!! Thanks for all your continued
feedback!!! I love receiving it!!
Angie