by Judy
Part 5 Recap: Scummy just got his "comeuppins"! Yeah!
Part 6
Jax carefully bent over to place Brenda into the front seat of his car. He
had two regrets: first, he had driven here himself so now he would have to
be behind the wheel instead of cuddled up in the back seat next to Brenda
and second, he had driven the Jaguar which meant there were bucket seats.
Brenda resisted letting go of Jax's neck and snuggled her face into his shoulder,
breathing in the warmth of his skin and the scent of his cologne. It was
an earthy smell laced with the crispness of clean sweat. She knew how terrified
he had been. "Say it again," she whispered into his ear as she ran her fingers
through his damp locks at the nape of his neck.
He looked into her eyes straight through to soul. His face was intense and
open to her. There was no hesitation in his voice. "I love you with all my
heart."
They kissed with a passion and tenderness neither had known before. Trembling,
Jax released her into the car. She melted into the softness of the
leather.
He started the engine, still shaking. Without a word, he turned on the CD
player to cover the sound of his pounding heart.
"I never knew
If I could believe in you
I thought I was just a diversion
And you were killing some time
My friends they told me
To leave you
They said you would never
Be mine
But you gave me your love
And you said I'm the one
You want for the rest of
Your life . . ."
Brenda seemed gone in her thoughts and he let her drift away, absorbed in plans of his own. He glanced over at the sweet smile lingering on her face, lighting up her eyes, but before he could ask what she was thinking about, her head dropped softly to her shoulder. Warn out from lack of sleep the night before, a hard day at work and an exhausting encounter with Sonny she had fallen asleep. She deserved the rest. He, on the other hand, had plans to make and things to do.
"Now that I know
That you want me for me
I can be what you want
I can be what you need
Now that I know
That your love is for real
I can finally see
This is not make believe anymore
I was afraid
It was all a masquerade
That I was only a plaything
And you would leave me behind
But now I feel so secure
By your side
I can conquer the world
I gave you my love
And I know you're the one
I want for the rest of my life . . ."
He took this opportunity to make a few calls, being careful not to wake her and spoil the surprise. As always, he was masterful in his accomplishments.
"I really feel it
So much love
I really feel it
So much joy
I feel it
Sweet, sweet ecstasy
'Cause you opened my eyes
And I realize
Your love is for real. . . "*
As Brenda began to wake from her nap she turned to look at his face in the
darkness, the soft strains of the music filling her head. She saw the sparkle
in his eyes as they reflected the headlights of the oncoming cars and colored
lights that lined the roadway. Shadows crossed his face like pools of dancing
water. In the darkness, she was able to stare at him without his noticing
her, or so she thought.
Jax knew she was watching but didn't let her know. He enjoyed that she was
so intensely absorbed in him. For the first time he could see and feel her
commitment. So often before he had known he was merely a distraction. He
felt secure in her love for him for the very first time.
"Jax," she said in a whisper, "we're way passed the turn-off for the Grille and this is not the way to the cottage. What are you up to? Where are we going?"
"Back to the beginning," he said with such finality that she didn't ask for more information. She trusted him completely and snuggled back into the softness of the seat. The music playing on the radio helped her relax.
"Dreamlover come rescue me
Take me up take me down
Take me anywhere you want to be baby now
I need you so desperately
Won't you come around
'Cause I wanna share forever with you baby . . ."**
Her thoughts focussed on his words mixed with the lyrics of the song. The beginning - that could mean so many things. They certainly weren't headed toward Kelly's where they first made love. The yacht where they were married? She thought she remembered Jerry saying it was in dry dock for repairs. Australia? No, not there, nor Canada. She narrowed the list in her mind to two places: Malibu and New Orleans. She would be patient, let him lead her wherever he wanted without a question - though she was so very curious. She was amazed by her own self-control. It's all about trust, she thought to herself. Because she trusted him she didn't need to ask questions. How different from a life with Sonny.
Jax noticed the darkness that crossed her face. He was afraid her silence meant she was upset that he was keeping his plans secret or worse, that she was angry about the way he had handled things earlier. He cautiously broached the subject .
"I'm sorry I deceived you about the guard, Brenda. I was so worried. I hope you can forgive me. Trust means everything . . ." he paused at the sound of his own words haunting him. "Guess I've said that before, haven't I?"
"Oh, Jax, I'm not mad at you. When my car ran into the ditch all I kept thinking was that I wished I'd accepted your offer. Don't make a habit of it, but this time, your little lie by omission probably saved my life. There's nothing to forgive."
"Good," he sighed. "I didn't want to start this evening off with a fight. I want it to be . . .perfect." He glanced at her and smiled a mischievous grin.
"When do I get to know where we 're going? Can I guess?" Her eyes were dancing and she was finding it harder by the second to control her curiosity.
"Curiosity killed the cat," he teased.
"And it's saved your hide more than once or twice I am sure," she retorted. "But never mind, I can wait. This is the new and improved Brenda you are dealing with."
Her smugness masquerading as maturity made him more than little frustrated.
It would have been much more fun for him if she'd been begging for details
and he could tantalize her by withholding them. But it was Jax who couldn't
contain himself and gave in to dropping a few hints. "I'll tell you this
much, the jet is fueled and ready to go. We should be there before
morning."
She reveled in her containment. This is good, she thought. He really can't
wait to tell me. "That's nice," she murmured as she slipped back into the
music and thoughts of her own. She had plans to make, too, and the song on
the radio gave her the perfect idea.
"No more sadness
I wanna be the one to make you happy
I wanna be the one to give you hope
But in these days of conscious living
We've got to take it slow. . .
But you, you could be the one to change
My point of view
It's all up to you. . .
Give you love without the pain
Shouw you light beyond the rain
Gonna make you happy
Gonna make you happy now . . .
I wanna find a place where dreams
can happen
I wanna find a love who'll take me there
And in you eyes I see a vision
That makes me want to care
And if two people both agree
That only love can set them free
The together
Let us make a world
Of which others only dream. . .
Gonna make you happy Gonna make you
feel so good . . . ***
*Mariah Carey, "Now That I Know"
**Mariah Carey, Dreamlover"
***Celine Dionne, "Make You Happy", lyrics by Andy Marvel