Brenda’s tiny apartment was less than a twenty-minute drive from the large condo Jax shared with Mike and Eric, yet the contrast between the places was so vast that they might as well have lived in different countries. The building in which Brenda lived was in a run-down neighborhood riddled with empty lots and strewn with garbage and overgrown weeds; whereas Easton Estates, where Jax lived, was an exclusive community of well-manicured lawns and clean, quiet streets; very much like the private and very wealthy community in which he’d grown up back on Long Island. But as Jax turned into the driveway of his condo he realized that he’d actually felt more comfortable in the short time he’d spent in Brenda’s tiny shabby chic apartment in the middle of that crumbling neighborhood than he’d ever felt here in his own upscale condo or even in his parents’ palatial estate, both of which were located on prime real estate.

And as he parked his car in the driveway and walked the short distance to the front door of his condo he suddenly understood why: Brenda’s neighborhood, messy and overcrowded as it was, was teaming with emotions – both positive and negative – making it both colorful and alive; whereas this community, as well as his parents’, felt sterile, emotionally numbing, and monochromatic. He’d once been ready to settle for that same dull, colorless existence for the rest of his life, but Brenda had been like a prism for him; opening his eyes to the kaleidoscope of colors that life is meant to be. Now he couldn’t imagine a life without Brenda or the full range of emotional colors she brought out in him.

But he’d come perilously close to losing out on that thanks to Mike and his cruel innuendo and outright lies. Jax could feel his blood pressure rising as he thought about how Mike had deliberately hurt Brenda like that, not to mention how he’d thrown away their lifelong friendship. And for what reason? Jealousy? Spite? Or simply because he thought he could get away with it? Probably a bit of all three, Jax figured, realizing that Brenda had been right to ask why he even associated with a lowlife like Mike, let alone called him a friend. Well, that friendship was definitely over as of tonight!

Mike had pulled some pretty crass stunts in the past, but never anything as downright cruel as this. There was no possible way that he could justify this – although he had no doubt Mike would give it the old college try. Mike was the master when it came to making up excuses for things, and he’d been that way all of his life. And he usually got away with his stunts with very little consequences for him, but not this time. This time Mike was going to learn a very hard lesson, and Jax was going to be the one to teach it to him!

Jax slid his key into the front door lock and opened the door, surprised to find Eric waiting for him just inside.

“Jax, what the hell happened tonight?” Eric pounced before Jax was even through the door. “Do you have your cell turned off or are you just not answering it for some reason? Both Liz and your father have called here several times, frantic to talk to you. They wouldn’t say what it was about, but they said it was urgent they reach you… Jax, Mike said that you went to see Liz this afternoon to break off your engagement – You didn’t really do that, did you?”

Jax was in no mood to be answering questions, especially about things that were none of Eric’s business. “Where’s Mike?” Jax asked coolly, walking past Eric and ignoring his questions. He headed down the hall to Mike’s room, slamming open the door so hard that it hit the doorstop and bounced back. The room was dark, so he flipped on the lights, but the room was empty. “Where is he?!” he demanded gruffly of Eric, who’d followed him.

Eric was shocked by Jax’s mood. He’d known the man all of his life, and he’d rarely seen him angry before, let alone positively livid as he was now. “I— I don’t know. He left about an hour ago – said he needed a change of scenery or something…”

“I just bet he did,” Jax murmured sarcastically, as he walked over to the closet door and threw it open. Mike’s suitcases and all of his clothes were still there, which meant he hadn’t moved out or taken off for any length of time.

Eric watched Jax’s hands ball into fists and the muscles in his jaw and neck tense as he surveyed Mike’s empty bedroom, and he wondered what had set the man off like this. This was all so unlike Jax – Jax was always level-headed and the one among them who could always be rational and calm in any situation. Had he and Liz had a fight? Is that why he’d broken off the engagement? But why was he still so angry now? And how did Mike fit into all of this?

“Jax, what’s going on here?” he asked, hoping to make sense of all this and help Jax calm down a bit. “Did Mike do something to split you and Liz up?” He knew Mike could pull some pretty stupid stunts at times, but they were usually harmless and involved other people, not his friends. He really couldn’t see him intentionally causing a rift between Jax and Liz.

“This has nothing to do with Liz,” Jax assured him. “But Mike did interfere in my life, and he’s not going to get away with it!” Jax shouted, punching his fist against the wall in frustration and anger, then wincing in pain.

“I don’t understand…” Eric stuttered, shocked to see Jax actually angry enough to punch something. It was a good thing that their roommate wasn’t here because Eric had no doubt that Mike’s face would have been on the receiving end of that punch.

“You don’t need to,” Jax retorted angrily, then he realized how unfair he was being to Eric. “I’m sorry, Eric. I’m acting like a real jerk,” he apologized; his voice and his demeanor both noticeably calmer now. “You’ve always been a good friend to me, and I had no right to take my anger out on you when this has nothing to do with you. It’s between Mike and me.”

He saw that Eric was about to ask again what the problem was with Mike, so he added: “I’m too angry to talk about what happened with Mike right now, but I can tell you that he and I will never be friends again because of what he did… And I can’t live here anymore either. I’m going to grab a few things and stay elsewhere for tonight. I’ll make arrangements to get the rest of my things tomorrow. Don’t worry: I don’t plan to stiff you or Mike on this place. Our lease is up in a few weeks, and my rent’s paid through that time. Call me when the utility bills come, and I’ll get a check to you for my share of those, plus any other bills that come, too.”

“There are just a few more weeks until graduation, Jax,” Eric pointed out, still shocked by Jax’s anger at Mike and his plans to move out like this over it. “And, like you said, your rent is already paid until then, so why pay to live somewhere else? Besides, Jax, the three of us have been friends forever. We both know Mike can be an ass at times, but he’s basically harmless. Is whatever Mike did really so bad that you can’t even stand to live under the same roof as him for that brief a time? – Not to mention throwing away a lifelong friendship over some little misunderstanding between the two of you!”

Eric’s last remark lit Jax’s ire once again. “This was no little misunderstanding!” Jax exploded. “This was a cold, calculated move on Mike’s part, and I won’t stand for anyone messing in my life or hurting someone I care about! Tell Mike that if he values his life, he’d better steer clear of me from now on!”

He stormed out of the room, racing down the hall to his own room to pack a few things for the night and get out of the condo before Mike returned. He knew that if he saw Mike now he wouldn’t be able to restrain himself and things would definitely get out of hand; and getting thrown in jail for assaulting that vermin wouldn’t be a smart thing to do with graduation and a law career within his grasp. Mike wasn’t worth it. Besides, he’d promised Brenda that he wouldn’t do anything foolish and he intended to keep that promise. He’d worked too hard to repair the damage that Mike had caused for him with Brenda. He wasn’t about to do anything stupid to possibly lose her before he’d even had the chance to win her heart.

Meanwhile back in Mike’s room, Eric’s head was spinning from everything that was happening around him. Apparently Jax and Liz had split up this afternoon, and now Jax was moving out because of something Mike had done to someone that Jax cared about, but that someone wasn’t Liz and Jax didn’t want to talk about it.

None of this made any sense! Yesterday everything had been great between them. Their friendship was as strong as it had been since they’d all met in kindergarten. Now there was a rift that Jax said was irreparable. Eric had to find out what Mike could have possibly done that would have been bad enough to destroy his lifelong friendship with Jax, to whom Mike had done it, and, most importantly, what Eric could do to mend things between Jax and Mike. The three of them had been friends for far too long to let a misunderstanding between Jax and Mike tear them apart for good.

He pulled out his phone and searched through his phone book until he found the number he needed, then hit “send” and waited for his party to answer. The call went directly to voice mail. “Dammit, Mike! Call me the minute you get this. I want to know what the hell is going on between you and Jax, and I want to know now!”

“What the hell is going on here?” Senator Donald Barnes demanded, as he burst into John Jacks’ study. “I’ve got a crying daughter, an anxious wife, and a few hundred thousand dollars in wedding plans about to go down the drain! Has your son taken leave of his senses or what?!”

Tall, athletic, and ruggedly handsome with a head of thick, white-blonde hair, Donald Barnes looked considerably younger than his 69 years of age. He’d been a commanding figure for years on the floor of the Senate, where he’d served the state of New York as its Senator for four consecutive terms before retiring from public office last year. He was loud and brash and used to getting his way, either by bullying or bluster, but John Jacks, his longtime friend and current business partner, knew exactly how to handle him when he became agitated as he was now.

“Calm down, Donald, before you have a stroke! Let me pour you a Scotch, then we can sit down and talk about this rationally,” John offered, as he opened the decanter of his best fifty-year-old Scotch and poured drinks for them both. “I can’t say that I understand what has gotten into Jax,” John shrugged, handing his friend the drink, then motioning for him to sit in one of the two leather wing-backed chairs near the window as he settled into the other. “All I know is that he’s decided that he doesn’t want to get married anymore. He came here this morning immediately after seeing Elizabeth to let us know of his decision.” He shook his head in bewilderment. “I don’t know what’s gotten into him. This is the sort of thing I’d expect from Jerry, not Jax. Jax has always been the more dependable of my two sons.”

“That’s true, which is why my money’s on another woman being the cause of all of this,” the Senator pronounced gruffly before taking a large gulp of his Scotch.

“That was the first thing that popped into my mind, too,” John mused. “He’s either sleeping with some little chit now or he did at some point…”

The Senator nodded, continuing their shared train of thought: “We both know that Jax has a noble streak a mile wide; the very trait that will make him so appealing to voters one day – that, and his incredible good looks and charm will get him elected. At any rate, I’m betting he’s been sowing his wild oats – which we’ve both done our fair share of in our time – but Jax is feeling guilty about it because of that damn noble streak of his. It would be just like him to feel unworthy of my daughter’s love after an indiscretion.”

John gave an ironic laugh. “You’re probably right there! Although he denied that there was anyone else. He claimed that he’d just come to the realization that he loved Elizabeth but he wasn’t in love with her… Hell, you and I both know that some of the best marriages around have been built on less than that! Love is fleeting, but compatibility is what will make a marriage last, and Elizabeth and Jax are perfect for one another.”

“I agree!” the Senator nodded.

“And Jax needs to realize that now is not the time to be rocking the boat as far as his future is concerned. He’s set to graduate top of his class in just a couple of weeks, then all he has to do is follow the plans we’ve set for him and he’ll have the world at his feet: marriage to Elizabeth and that plumb job at your law firm, followed in due course by a political career that will eventually lead to Congress or even the While House. And Elizabeth is a necessary part of that future. She’s as much an asset to Jax’s political future as a prestigious law degree or an impressive résumé… Dammit! I don’t understand why he’s doing this – especially now, when we’re so close to launching his career!” John exclaimed, looking to his friend for an answer.

The Senator shook his head in frustration; the ice cubes in his drink jingling with the force of his movement. “We need to get this situation handled quickly!”

John stood and walked to the window, staring out at the vast array spring flowers that glistened in the glow of the waning crescent moon. It suddenly occurred to him that it had been not quite a year ago that Jax and Elizabeth had announced their engagement in that very garden beneath a waning crescent moon. Things had seemed so perfect then… “I agree,” John finally sighed, “but I know my son, and if we pressure him right now, he’ll dig his heels in even further. We need to back off for the moment. I really do believe he’s just feeling pressured by everything now, and he’ll be back to his old self – and our plan for him – once finals and graduation are behind him.”

“Even if there’s another woman involved?” the Senator asked, rising to pour himself another drink.

“Even if he’s landed in another woman’s bed, I guarantee he won’t stay. If it is a woman who’s got him acting this way, I’m sure it’s just one final fling before settling down,” John assured him. “We both know that my son and your daughter are meant to be together – and they will be together eventually.”

“You’re probably right,” the Senator growled, “but that is going to be cold comfort for my daughter at the moment.”

“Well, we don’t need to tell her of our suspicions about there being another woman,” John offered. “We’ll contend that Jax is just feeling overwhelmed by everything right now – and, truthfully, he no doubt is. I also think we need to keep today’s events strictly within the families. No one else need know that Jax came here today to break off his engagement to Elizabeth. Elizabeth should act publicly as if she and Jax are still engaged, and she should continue as before with the wedding plans. I really think this is just a minor aberration for Jax; I believe that Jax will beg Elizabeth’s forgiveness once he’s made it through finals and graduation and he’s thinking clearly again.”

“He’d better!” the Senator grumbled. “I have a small fortune invested in this wedding; not to mention the sizeable political investment I’m making in Jax.”

“Oh, Donald, you’ve lost more money on junk bonds than you’re laying out for this wedding, and you shrugged that off with no difficulty!” John goaded his good friend. “But I do agree about the political capital you’re investing in my son, and neither of us can afford to let that fall by the wayside; which is why we need to proceed carefully here… Donald, you have to make sure that Elizabeth doesn’t try to contact Jax from this point on – same goes for you and Meredith. You may have been able to strong arm your way through the Senate, but Jax does not react well to coercion.”

Senator Barnes harrumphed, but said nothing; instead, taking another drink of his Scotch.

“Like I said,” John continued, “if he feels we’re trying to force him back to Elizabeth, he may bolt completely; throw away everything in one fell swoop! Let Jane and me talk to him. We’ll let him vent without pressuring him about Elizabeth or the wedding. That way we can find out for sure what is behind his sudden change of heart.”

“And if he confides that he has found another woman – someone he wants to marry and not merely bed now and again?” the Senator asked bluntly.

“Then we’ll handle that the way we’ve handled all the unfortunate skeletons in both of our closets, Donald. We’ll throw lots of money her way to get her to forget she ever knew Jax,” he replied, then finished off the last of his Scotch before coldly adding: “And if that doesn’t work, we’ll get ‘our man’ to make sure the problem disappears completely.”

“I just didn’t know where else to go,” Elizabeth sighed as she sank down onto the couch in Jane Jacks’ sitting room. “I can’t believe this is happening to me – to us,” she added wearily; still a bit numb from the day’s unexpected events.

Jane reached over and patted her lightly on the arm. “You were right to come here, dear. And you were right to bring her here, Meredith,” she nodded to Elizabeth’s mother, who sat in a chair just across from the two of them. “John and I are as shocked as you are about all of this,” she said soothingly.

John and Jane Jacks had spent the past few hours dissecting what their son had told them, as they tried to understand what had brought him to this turning point. They had come to the conclusion that it was simply pressure – pressure from graduation, his new job, the impending wedding. But they had also concluded that Jax had not fallen out of love with Elizabeth, as he claimed. The poor boy was merely confused, as John kept saying over and over.

Meredith shook her head. “It just doesn’t make any sense, Jane. What went wrong? Did he give you any indication as to why he changed his mind so abruptly?”

Carefully groomed with never a hair out of place, Meredith Barnes was an older, gentler version of her daughter. They were both tall and willowy, with the same pale skin and white-blonde hair – although Meredith’s was more white than blonde now. And while Meredith was timid, deferring to her husband in all matters public and private, Elizabeth was self-assured and self-centered; used to wrapping her father and every other man around her little finger.

At 59 Meredith was a decade younger than her husband and John and Jane Jacks, but the age difference hadn’t been a problem for Jane and Meredith. They’d become the best of friends in the nearly three decades that they had lived near one another, here in the same upscale community on Long Island. They had belonged to the same exclusive clubs, supported the same trendy causes, and raised their children in similar fashion. They had both felt early on that Jax and Elizabeth were well suited for one another, and both had been pleased when their children had begun dating in their teens, then ecstatic when the couple had finally become engaged late last summer. And now both mothers were as devastated as Elizabeth by Jax’s sudden change of heart.

Jane shrugged her shoulders. “He really didn’t say anything more than what he told you, Elizabeth,” she confided. “Just that he wasn’t happy…” Her voice trailed off as she realized that what she’d just said only made Elizabeth feel worse.

“That’s exactly what he told me,” Elizabeth said in a tremulous voice. “That he thought of me as a sister; that he loved me but he wasn’t in love with me! I just don’t understand how that can be. We’ve been planning our future together for years! How could Jax do this to me?... If I don’t have him, I don’t have anything!” she wailed; her eyes filling with tears again.

“Oh, dear,” Jane reached over and covered Elizabeth’s hand with her own, “I don’t believe for a minute that Jax doesn’t love you – and I’m sure Jax doesn’t believe it either! John and I both feel that Jax is just overwhelmed with everything he has on his plate right now: finals, graduation, then the new job in your father’s firm and the bar exam later this summer, followed immediately by your wedding. That has to be why he’s done this; this kind of rash behavior is totally uncharacteristic for him. He’s just being pulled in so many different directions right now. John and I are both certain that he’ll be back to his old self in few weeks – no later than graduation, I promise. And when he sees your lovely face at graduation, he’ll regret every word he said today and he’ll beg your forgiveness and ask you to marry him all over again – I’m sure of it!” Jane finished, glancing quickly at Meredith; silently encouraging her to help allay Elizabeth’s fears.

“Jane’s right, sweetheart,” Meredith quickly chimed in. She rose to stand over her daughter; smoothing her sleek hair in a comforting manner, just as she used to do when Elizabeth was a child and upset by something. “Jax probably doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going right now, with everything pressing down on him over the next several weeks and months. And, sweetheart, I’m not sure how to say this, but… sometimes men – especially when they feel pressured or trapped by extraneous things – go through a… I suppose you could call it a ‘phase.’”

Elizabeth dabbed at her eyes with the tissues from the box Jane had provided, then shot her mother a bewildered look. “A phase? What on earth are you talking about, mother?”

Once again Meredith and Jane exchanged glances before Meredith forged on: “Darling, men are men… Sometimes they feel the need to… sow some wild oats, as they say… It happens in the best of relationships – and even in a good many marriages. In fact, I’m willing to bet that nearly all of the women in our social circle have had to deal with their husband’s or fiancé’s head being turned by a pretty face or a comely body at some point in their relationship. But it’s usually a meaningless interlude; the man inevitably returns to his proper mate, just as Jax will return to you in due time.”

“You think Jax is in love with another woman! That’s why he dumped me!” Elizabeth shrieked; her shoulders shaking with grief and shame.

Jane was the first to jump in. “No one believes for a moment that Jax is in love with another woman. It’s just that it’s possible, with all of the pressure that he’s under right now, that he may have he may have … possibly… strayed into another woman’s bed. And you know how principled Jax is; if he had an affair – even a short, meaningless affair – it’s possible that he feels he doesn’t deserve your love now, which is why he broke off your engagement. No matter what he may have said to end things with you today, I’m sure that he still loves you and only you. He’s just confused now, that’s all. Once he’s graduated and moved back here again things between the two of you will go back to the way they were – you’ll see.”

Meredith took over from there: “And remember, we don’t even know that there is another woman. But if there is, you can be sure she’ll stay in Washington – or go back to wherever it is she came from – when Jax returns home. She’ll soon be forgotten, while you, Elizabeth, will be here as a reminder of the love you two share. He’ll come to his senses, I promise. Although men often stray, they inevitably come back to the one person who is most important to them, and you are that person in Jax’s life.”

“Your mother’s right, dear,” Jane agreed. “And I’m betting that Jax will remember how special you are to him the minute he lays eyes on you at his graduation. You are the love of his life, Elizabeth. His heart will find it’s way back to you – it’s inevitable.”

Elizabeth was quiet for a moment as she digested everything her mother and Jane had just said. Finally, sighing heavily, she raised her head to look Jane in the eye. “Are you sure that I should go to graduation now, Jane. I mean, with everything that’s happened today? I couldn’t stand to be rejected again – and certainly not publicly! I won't go where I’m not wanted,” she sniffed.

“I can’t imagine Jax not wanting you at his graduation,” Jane replied softly. “You two have supported one another’s endeavors since you were in grammar school. There’s never been an important event in either of your lives that the other hasn’t been there cheering them on.”

“That’s right,” Meredith quickly agreed. “I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to see you there. No matter what he said today, I’m sure he’ll come to his senses soon. He loves and wants you, Elizabeth; he has since you were young teens. As Jane said, you truly are the love of his life. His heart knows that… even if other parts of his anatomy may be momentarily questioning that… Just give him a little time to get whatever this is out of his system. Graduation is just a few weeks away; between now and then should be more than enough time for him to work through all of his angst and to remember how dear you are to him… But I have a feeling that he’ll be missing you long before graduation rolls around!”

Jane nodded. “Listen to your mother, Elizabeth; listen to both of us. This will all blow over soon, and everything will be just as it was before Jax showed up this morning. In the meantime, I think we should all continue with the wedding plans – as if today never happened – because I have no doubt that Jax will take one look at that beautiful face of yours on graduation day and appreciate that you’re there to support him, despite his bad behavior. He’ll realize how much he wants and needs you beside him for the rest of your lives. Then he’ll beg your forgiveness for all of this nonsense today and ask you to marry him, just as you’d planned. In fact, I’m so certain that Jax will marry you as planned that I think that we should keep all of this broken engagement nonsense entre nous; no one outside our immediate families need ever know.”

“Definitely!” Meredith nodded in complete agreement.

“Well, we all seem to be in agreement then!” John Jacks announced as he and Senator Barnes burst through the door of Jane’s sitting room.

The three women turned at his voice; Elizabeth once again tearing up when she saw the sympathetic looks on both her father’s face and John’s.

“There, there, sweetheart – please don’t cry!” her father soothed, as he knelt beside her, handing her another tissue from the box on her lap. He’d never been able to stand watching his little girl cry, and he wanted to throttle Jax for the pain he’d inflicted upon her today!

“I’m sorry – I just can’t abide your sympathy,” she sobbed, then quietly blew her nose.

“Well, no sympathy here, dear,” John replied, pasting on his best smile as he stood behind his wife, who was still seated beside Elizabeth on the settee. “I have all the faith in the world that this situation is temporary. Jax is just feeling a lot of pressure now – with finals and graduation upon him, then starting the new job at your father’s firm just weeks after that. On top of that he’s got the bar exam coming up at the end of summer and the wedding immediately after that. He feels hemmed in right now. And even if he didn’t have all these things hanging over his head, the prospect of marriage alone can be enough to reduce any man to a quivering mass of jelly! Both your father and I certainly were scared senseless and thought of bolting as our wedding dates grew closer! Isn’t that right?” He looked to Jane and Meredith, who both chuckled and nodded their confirmation of his story.

Elizabeth brightened a bit at that. “Well, that does make me feel a bit better – knowing that you both made it to the altar, despite having second thoughts…” She took a deep breath and attempted a smile. “I guess I have to believe that Jax and I will make it to the altar, too!”

”That’s my girl!” her father beamed; happy to see that his strong, resolute daughter was still there. Jax’s asinine behavior may have hurt her pride, but it hadn’t killed her spirit.

She dried the last of her tears, then stood, walking over to the French doors that led from Jane’s sitting room out onto a second-story balcony that overlooked the gardens below, where she had Jax had announced their engagement just nine months earlier. That day had been like a dream come true for her, while today felt like a nightmare. She turned back around to see that everyone was watching her intently. “You’ve convinced me that the wedding will go on as planned; now, how do you plan to convince Jax of that? I’ve tried calling him several times, but I keep getting his voice mail – and he has yet to return any of my calls. I even tried the condo phone, but he wasn’t there and Eric said he had no idea where he was or when he’d be back. How can I get Jax back if he won’t even talk to me?”

John spoke up first: “I think the smart thing for all of us to do now right now is to give Jax his space.” He saw that Jane was about to object, so he quickly added: “Jane and I will continue to keep in touch with him with our weekly calls, just like we always have. But, Elizabeth, you and your family must resist the urge to contact Jax from this point on – that also means you don’t call Eric or Mike either. None of us can appear to be pressuring him in the least. You know how stubborn Jax can be if he thinks someone is compelling him to do something – even if it’s something he really wants to do!”

“Yes, Jax can be rather pigheaded at times!” Elizabeth gave a small laugh, looking down at the flawless 3-carat emerald-cut diamond on her hand and remembering how Jax had the ring for over a month but he’d held off asking her to marry him because everyone kept pressuring him to propose.

“Which is why we need to tread softly right now and let Jax come around on his own,” John pointed out, and everyone in the room murmured “Yes” in agreement.

“All right, I can live with not contacting Jax for awhile, if it means I’ll get him back,” Elizabeth conceded, “but what about graduation?… Jane and mother both think I should go to graduation, just as we’d planned. What do you and father think, John?” she asked, looking up at John.

“Once again we’re in complete agreement,” John smiled; happy that everyone seemed to be on the same page here. That definitely would make things easier for them to handle.

“We think that it’s important for you to attend Jax’s graduation to show him that you’re there, ready to forgive him, despite his harsh treatment of you,” her father added. “And they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, so having not seen or heard from you in weeks will make having you at graduation all the sweeter for Jax. Once he sees you there supporting him, he’ll no doubt return to his senses.”

“That’s right,” Jane chimed in. “Besides, you’ve been his emotional rock throughout college and law school. This is just as much your graduation as his, if you ask me!”

Elizabeth gazed thoughtfully at Jane as she thought about what she’d just said. She had been incredibly supportive of Jax as he’d pursued his law degree; it was only fitting that she be there to see him receive it. She stiffened her spine as well as her resolve as she replied: “Then it’s settled. I’ll go to graduation and remind Jax just how important I’ve been to him. I’m a part of him, just as he’s a part of me. Deep down he knows that, so it’s inevitable he’ll return to me, no matter what his problem is now.”

Both Jane and Meredith nodded and smiled, rushing to give Elizabeth hugs. Meanwhile, John and Donald exchanged knowing glances. Jax and Elizabeth would get married as planned and on schedule; they would make certain of that. One way or another, Jax’s problem – whatever or whoever it was – would soon be permanently out of the picture.

Her eyes red and swollen, Elizabeth Barnes sat alone in her room, staring at the picture on her dressing table of her and Jax sailing with their families off Martha’s Vineyard a decade before. What a carefree time that had been for them, she thought as she picked up the picture and traced her fingertips across Jax’s youthful smiling face.

The Jacks and the Barnes families owned adjacent summer cottages on Martha’s Vineyard, and the families had spent two weeks each August together there for the past fifteen years. She and Jax had both learned to sail there, and they’d shared their first awkward kiss there, mere days before Jane Jacks had snapped this very photo. That had been the summer that she and Jax had both turned 15, and that had also been the summer that she’d decided that she was going to marry Jax.

From that day until the day late last summer when Jax had finally proposed, her sole focus in life had been to get him to commit to her, and she’d made no secret of that fact. Everyone in their families – including Jax – had known that, as did everyone in their shared social circle. And, since she was the only child of the recently retired senior Senator from New York and Jax was the son of one of the wealthiest men in the country, their engagement party had been last fall’s social event, with mention in every important social column in papers across the country and in Europe as well. So now everyone who was anyone knew that she and Jax were to be wed this September in opulent fashion in the Artesian Room of the Glenbrook Country Club here on Long Island.

That’s what made this whole thing so painful. She’d planned her entire future around being Mrs. Jasper Jacks, and now all of her plans were unraveling. Worse still, if Jax didn’t change his mind soon, then word of their broken engagement would inevitably leak out, then everyone who was anyone would know that, too, and she would be totally humiliated.

And it was the humiliation that she dreaded most. As she’d listened earlier to her mother and Jane Jacks talk about the great love that she and Jax shared and how that love would bring Jax back to her in the end and heal her broken heart, she’d realized something: it wasn’t her heart that was really broken in all of this; it was her pride. She was actually more upset about other people finding out that Jax didn’t love her than she was about Jax’s actual admission that he didn’t love her. She’d finally had to admit to herself that she was more in love with the idea of being Jax’s wife than she was with Jax himself.

It’s not that she didn’t love Jax – she did. It’s just that it wasn’t the all-encompassing, heart-stopping love that one read about in great literature. It wasn’t even the intoxicating love that she’d felt for Jax back when this picture had been taken; when they were both teens, just being around him had made her happy. But now – and probably for the last several years – she realized that she actually felt no more or less affection for Jax than she felt for her other close friends.

What she and Jax had was no great romance; their passion – what little there had been of it – had long ago faded. But they did have a longstanding friendship, genuine affection for one another, and common interests, not to mention common backgrounds, and that would make for a solid marriage. It was what her parents had and what Jax’s parents had and what she wanted, and she brightened as she realized that Jax would soon realize that it’s what he wanted, too. More importantly, he’d realize that it was what he needed.

Her parents and his were right: Jax was just feeling overwhelmed with everything bearing down on him now – finals and graduation in just a few weeks, followed shortly thereafter by his new job at her father’s law firm. Add the stress of the New York bar exam in late summer and their wedding less than a month after that, and it was no wonder the man had snapped as he had. But Jax was a sensible man, so he’d come back to his senses and to her soon enough. And when he did, she’d be waiting for him with open arms and no recriminations.

And until then she planned to follow her parents’ and the Jackses’ advice and carry on with her life as if this hellish day had never happened. She’d continue with their wedding plans, while Jax dealt with his momentarily tumultuous life. That way they could stay on track for their September wedding once Jax returned to her.

And Jax would return to her – she had no doubt of that. She and Jax were meant to be together, and he would remember that soon enough. She’d planned her entire future around that very fact, and nothing – and that included Jax’s current confused state of mind – was going to stand in the way of her spending the rest of her life as Mrs. Jasper Jacks.

Brenda set the teakettle on the stove, then walked to the window to look out at the deserted street below; checking for the umpteenth time for Jax to return. It had been nearly two hours since he’d gone home to handle things with his friend Mike, and she was beginning to worry. He’d promised that he wouldn’t do anything rash, but what one plans and what actually happens are often two very different things. Events of the previous night certainly were proof of that!

She had gone to Malarkey’s simply to wind down after the rally that afternoon. She’d had no intention of socializing with anyone other than her friend Jane, and taking a man home with her and having sex with him definitely hadn’t been in her plans – especially when that man was heir to the very business regime that she held responsible for her father’s emotional downfall and eventual death! But that’s exactly what had happened.

As she reflected back on the whirlwind of events of this past day, she felt slightly shell-shocked. Had it really only been 24 hours since this whole crazy episode had started? So much had happened; it felt more like weeks had passed instead of hours. And now everything was such a mess…

She’d always kept her life neatly ordered, just like her apartment; a place for everything and everything in its place. And since her father’s death she’d become almost obsessive about order in every area of her life. Her days were carefully scheduled: she got up, went to classes, volunteered a couple of hours a week with Students for Positive Change, worked several more hours a week on the student newspaper, worked as many hours as she could pick up at McGinty’s, ate on the run, and slept whenever she could fit it in.

She rarely partied and she never dated because, up until yesterday, she’d had no time for – nor interest in – anyone of the opposite sex. It had been a somewhat lonely, emotionally barren existence, but it had worked for her. But then she’d met Jax, and it seemed like her world had suddenly turned upside down, and now she wondered if anything would ever be the same for her again?

There was one thing that she knew for sure would never be the same: her hatred of all things connected to J&J Jacks. Sure, she still felt contempt for the company and the way it conducted business, but after meeting Jax she realized that his family couldn’t be as amoral as she’d always believed; because people who were totally unprincipled and unfeeling couldn’t have raised a son as compassionate and caring as Jax.

Of course, at this point she supposed it didn’t matter to her if Jax had been raised by wolves. He seemed to be a good, decent man, and the fact that his last name happened to be Jacks was inconsequential to her now.

But what wasn’t inconsequential was the fact that she’d lost her job because of her involvement with him. Not that it was Jax’s fault that she was now unemployed; but if it hadn’t been for his lowlife friend’s jealous snit at the restaurant this afternoon – and her own hotheaded response – she would still have an income through graduation. Granted, waiting tables at McGinty’s wasn’t her dream job and it didn’t pay top dollar, but it did pay enough so she could keep up with the necessities, like food and utilities.

The pay at McGinty’s may not have been the best, but the hours fit her schedule. As a boss Simon McGinty could be a tyrant about many things, but at least he’d been a flexible one, allowing his employees – many of whom were college students – to fit their work hours around their classes; even allowing shared and split shifts as long as the restaurant was adequately staffed at all times. She doubted any boss at a new job would be so accommodating of her schedule.

She’d spent a major part of the past couple hours scouring the classifieds, looking for another job, and she’d found a couple that sounded promising. But it was the middle of the night – on the weekend, to boot – and she couldn’t check out any of the jobs until Monday morning at the earliest. So she was making herself a cup of chamomile tea now to help her relax and momentarily forget her anxieties about being jobless now.

The sound of tires squealing as a car screeched to a halt drew her attention back to the street below, and she held her breath as she waited for the driver to get out. But the car sped off again as abruptly as it had stopped. She laughed then, as she realized that she was anxiously watching for Jax’s car despite the fact that she didn’t even know what Jax drove. How strange was it that she had no idea what make or model of vehicle that he drove, yet she could describe in vivid detail nearly every square inch of his face and body?

Maybe it wasn’t strange for others of her age bracket, but it was definitely strange for her. The Brenda Barrett of 24 hours ago would have needed to know every detail of a man’s life – including his world view and political leanings – before she’d even consider going out with him; yet she’d landed in bed with Jax after barely learning his name. What was it about the man that made her forget all of her relationship rules and lose all of her inhibitions?

The teakettle whistled shrilly, pulling her out of her musings. She turned toward the sound, but stopped as she glimpsed movement out of the corner of her eye. Was there someone hiding in the shadows in the alley across the way? She focused on the alleyway, but with very little moonlight and no streetlights close to that area she had a hard time discerning anything beyond the outline of the overflowing dumpster that sat at the mouth of the alley. Suddenly she heard a series of piercing shrieks that set her heart pounding. But just as suddenly two cats came flying out of the alley, one chasing after the other, and raced wildly down the middle of the deserted street. She shook her head and laughed at herself for fearing the worst.

Satisfied that there wasn’t anything sinister lurking in the shadows outside, she turned away from the window and walked the few steps to the stove where the teakettle continued its strident scream. Turning off the burner beneath it, she grabbed the teakettle and moved to the table, carefully pouring the boiling water over the chamomile tea in the metal tea ball already in her mother’s special teapot.

She glanced at her watch again: 1:15 a.m. It had been well over two hours since Jax had left, and she was now officially worried; worried that something bad had happened when he’d confronted Mike, as well as a bit worried that he’d suddenly come to his senses and wouldn’t be coming back here as he’d promised. Not that she had any reason to doubt Jax. From what she’d seen of him, he was definitely a man of his word. “So, where is he?” she murmured anxiously; once again glancing toward the window.

As if in answer, there was a light rap on the door, followed immediately by a hoarsely whispered “Brenda, it’s me – Jax.”

Relieved that he was finally there yet fearful of the shape he might be in, Brenda raced to the door, quickly unlocking it and throwing it open. There stood Jax – looking as neatly pressed and unblemished as when he’d left – with a bright smile on his face, a bag of groceries in each arm, a duffle bag thrown over his left shoulder, and a bouquet of mixed spring flowers in his right hand.

“Hey, did you miss me?” he teased, giving Brenda a brief kiss on the lips before waltzing past her into the apartment. Not waiting for a reply, he handed Brenda the bouquet and continued: “These are for you… I couldn’t find a proper flower shop open at this hour anywhere, so I had to get these at the 24-hour super mart down on Hudson. They didn’t have pink tulips by themselves, but they did have these bouquets already made up with a couple of pink tulips mixed in.”

He set the grocery bags down on the table, then slid his duffle bag to the floor; prattling on without missing a beat: “They aren’t what I had in mind when I went searching for flowers for you, but they’ll do until Monday when the real flower shops open… And at least they aren’t drooping,” he added, referring to the bouquet of tulips he’d brought earlier that had wilted as he’d waited for her to return home. “Hey, those look great. I didn’t think they’d recover!” he laughed, seeing the flowers in question looking amazingly fresh and standing straight and tall in a small vase on the window sill.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I picked up some groceries when I got the flowers,” he continued without pausing. “I wasn’t sure what you had on hand, so I just grabbed some necessities: milk, OJ, eggs, bread, meat, and some fresh veggies,” he explained, as he pulled those items from the bags and onto the table. He moved to the small refrigerator and opened it, placing the perishable items on the nearly empty shelves; finally turning to look at Brenda, who was simply staring at him; her mouth slightly agape. “Are you okay?” he asked; puzzled by the look she was giving him.

She quietly closed the door and locked it before walking over and carefully placing the bouquet on the little kitchen table. Finally looking up at Jax, she took a deep breath then let loose: “Am I okay? What about you? I’ve been worried that something bad had happened to you! … You were out for blood when you left here to confront Mike – that was over two hours ago, Jax. I’ve been imagining all sorts of terrible things, especially when it kept getting later and later and I still hadn’t heard from you – And all the while, you were out shopping?!”

Midway through her tirade she realized that she had no right to be lambasting Jax like this. They didn’t have a relationship; he didn’t owe her any explanation for anything he did or didn’t do – tonight or any other night. “I’m so sorry! I had no right to tear into you like that!” she apologized suddenly; embarrassed that she’d become so emotional with him once again; first last night when she’d told him about her father, and again now. She hated feeling so emotionally out-of-control! This was why she’d always kept herself emotionally walled off from everyone; never really allowing anyone into her neatly ordered life. Why had she ever allowed Jax to penetrate those walls?

Jax quickly closed the small gap between them and took her hands in his. “You’re right – I should have called,” he said quietly, “and I meant to call, but it didn’t work out that way… Here’s what happened— ”

“You don’t owe me any explanations,” Brenda interrupted; pulling her hands out of his and taking a step back away from him. “We aren’t in a relationship… We aren’t even friends,” she added softly. It was the truth, but, like her temper tantrum of a moment ago, she regretted it as soon as it came out of her mouth.

Jax was momentarily taken aback. He thought they had worked past all of this hours ago, just before he left to confront Mike. Yet, he supposed what she’d just said was technically true, but it wasn’t how he felt. He felt a very powerful connection to her – the most powerful connection he’d ever felt to another person his entire life, in fact. He may have known Liz all his life, but he already felt more attached to Brenda since meeting her yesterday than he’d ever felt to Liz. Chronologically, he and Brenda may have only known one another for a day, but emotionally he felt like they’d been together forever; like their souls had been linked through the ages. But how could he explain that to her without sounding crazy?

He took a deep breath, then smiled. “I know we’ve only known one another for a day, but it doesn’t feel that way to me. I feel… connected… to you in a way that I’ve never felt with anyone else in my life.”

Brenda was skeptical. “Not even your fiancée?”

Jax shook his head. “Not even my ex-fiancée – and she and I have known each other since we were kids.”

Brenda remained skeptical. “Then why did you ask her to marry you if you didn’t feel ‘connected’ to her?” she countered.

“I guess I didn’t realize that connection was missing for Liz and me until I met you,” he shrugged. “As for the marriage thing, to be honest I’m not sure that I ever consciously decided to marry Liz… I think I proposed to her simply because it was expected.”

“Expected? What do you mean – like an arranged marriage?” Brenda asked, thinking that sounded positively archaic.

“Yes, in a way I suppose it was…” Jax nodded thoughtfully. “Our families have been friends forever, and we’ve had homes near one another for as long as I can remember. Liz and I were practically inseparable growing up, and when we became teens we just kind of fell into dating. Neither family hid their excitement when that happened.”

He shook his head and laughed ruefully as he continued: “In fact, I think my mother and Liz’s began planning our wedding before we were even out of kindergarten. Everyone – especially Liz – just assumed we’d get married one day. I don’t think I ever really cared one way or the other, so I guess I just went along with it… But now I can see that I’ve been distancing myself from Liz and the wedding for months; finding reasons not to call her; cutting short our conversations when we did talk. It wasn’t a conscious thing on my part; I just couldn’t seem to get excited about her or the wedding. But it took being with you last night to make me realize that I can’t marry her.”

He reached for Brenda’s hands again, and she didn’t resist. “Brenda, last night was a turning point for me. For the past year I’ve felt like I’ve been living in a haze. My future has been carefully laid out for me for years: graduation from Georgetown law, work at a prestigious Manhattan law firm, marry Liz and have a family, then a few years down the road enter politics… For the past several years everyone has been reassuring me that I have such a bright future ahead of me. Everyone could clearly see that – everyone but me. For some reason I could never picture anything beyond next month’s graduation.

“But that all changed for me last night,” he continued, smiling happily at her. “It was like this dark curtain had lifted, and I could finally see with perfect clarity what I wanted for my life – but it wasn’t the future that everyone else has been envisioning for me... For the first time in my life I was picturing my future the way that I wanted it. It didn’t include Liz or the fast-track career as a corporate lawyer turned politician, as both Liz’s family and mine have planned for me – but it did include you, Brenda.”

Brenda was stunned by his revelation. “Me?! But… but you barely know me…” she stuttered. She couldn’t deny that last night had been important to her, too. She felt more for Jax than any man she’d ever known – and she was more than willing to explore where things might be headed for them – but slowly; this was moving way too fast for her! She once again tried to pull her hands from his, but he held fast.

“True,” he nodded, smiling, “but I very much like what I do know about you. And I think that you very much like what you know about me, too… I also think you wouldn’t mind getting to know me much better. Am I right?” he asked; his eyes twinkling and a broad grin on his face.

Brenda tried to hide her smile as she shrugged noncommittally, but Jax saw it.

“I am right!” he crowed, throwing back his head and laughing out loud.

“It’s true that I do like you very much,” she admitted, “and I would like to get to know you better – but all this talk about me being in your future is making me more than a little nervous!” she exclaimed. “Right now I’m barely able to wrap my mind around the fact that you're a Jacks and you’re in my life, let alone wrap my mind around the possibility of me one day becoming a Jacks, too!”

“Okay, you’re right,” Jax laughed, “I concede that it may be a tad premature for me to be planning for us too far into the future.”

“That’s good to know!” Brenda laughed nervously. “I’m for taking this relationship slowly – one day at a time.”

Jax raised an eyebrow at that. “Ah, so now you admit that we are in a relationship!” he teased, in reference to her earlier denial of that very thing.

“I guess we are,” she admitted, a small smile lighting her face. “But we’re at the very beginning of a relationship,” she quickly pointed out. “We’re nowhere near to planning a forever kind of future together. The fact that we were total strangers just over 24 hours ago proves my point.”

It was Jax’s turn to shrug now. “Point taken. We’ll take it one day at a time for now… No planning just yet for us being together in the far distant future.” He glanced down then at his duffel at their feet and gave her a sheepish grin. “But how do you feel about planning for our not-so-distant future together?”

Brenda followed his gaze to the duffel. “I take it you need a place to spend the night,” she observed dryly.

Jax nodded. “It’s just for one night – and I can stay on the couch,” he offered, casting a furtive glance toward Brenda’s small couch and inwardly grimacing. He was 6’2” and the couch looked to be no longer than 5’ from end to end. It didn’t take a math genius to figure that added up to one very uncomfortable night! “Or on the floor,” he added quickly; although he was fairly certain that Brenda wouldn’t make him spend the night either place when she knew how nicely they both fit together in her bed. At least, that’s what he hoped…

And Brenda didn’t disappoint him. “You know you can stay here for as long as you want – and in the bed, not on the couch or on the floor,” she smiled up at him.

“I was hoping you’d let me stay,” Jax said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Not that I wouldn’t understand if you didn’t want me here, after all the trouble knowing me has caused you. But I can pay rent and cover other expenses, so you won’t have to look for a new job so late in the school year… Just consider tonight’s groceries as part of my security deposit,” he grinned.

“Jax, you don’t have to pay rent while you’re here, and you certainly aren’t going to pay for my living expenses while you’re here either!” she argued. “You’re homeless because of me; it’s only right that I give you a place to stay.”

Jax shook his head at that. “It’s not your fault that I’m homeless, any more than it’s my fault that you’re jobless now,” he admonished her, smiling gently at her. But his tone and his face grew tense as he added: “Let’s put the blame squarely where it belongs: on Mike Malloy, my former best friend and roommate!”

Brenda grimaced at Jax’s mention of Mike. “He’s definitely a piece of work!” she shuddered, remembering how ugly he’d been at the restaurant. She paused for a moment, the she quietly asked: “So, what happened when you confronted Mike? What did he have to say for himself?”

“Mike wasn’t there, and Eric had no idea where he was or when he’d be back,” he replied. “But he can’t hide forever!”

“I’m glad he wasn’t there,” Brenda murmured, raising her hand up to gently touch his face. “Jax, just let this go… It isn’t worth any more aggravation.”

“But what Mike did was unforgivable! I can’t let him get away with intentionally hurting you the way he did!” Jax insisted. “He has to be made to pay!”

“And how exactly are you going to make him pay, Jax?” she asked. “Are you going to force him to apologize to me or make him go to Mr. McGinty to beg for my job back? You and I both know that is never going to happen!”

“He will when I get through with him!” he bristled.

Brenda folded her arms across her chest and glared at him; her dark eyes flashing with anger. “Violence isn’t the answer, Jax!” she argued vehemently. “I don’t want anyone’s blood spilled because of me – not Mike’s and certainly not yours!” She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself before continuing: “Look, I was worried sick about you tonight. I knew you were furious when you left here, so when you didn’t call and didn’t come back right away I began to imagine all kinds of terrible things. I don’t want to have to worry about you like that again, but I will if you insist on going after Mike.”

“You don’t have to worry,” Jax cockily assured her. “I can more than handle Mike!”

“I have no doubt that you could mop the floor with him, Jax – and that’s what truly scares me!” Brenda shot back. “If you go after Mike in the state of mind you’re in now, things could get very ugly very fast. You could get hurt or you could hurt Mike, which would be just as bad because you know that Mike is just spiteful enough to press charges! Jax, you have to think about your future. You’re about to graduate law school; a felony charge would end your career before it’s even begun!”

“You’re right,” Jax sighed, shaking his head wearily. “I have to calm down and deal with Mike rationally.”

“Can you do that – let the anger go where Mike is concerned?” Brenda asked, and Jax nodded. “Because I hate violence, and I won’t be with someone who settles his arguments with his fists.”

“I’m not a violent person, Brenda,” Jax promised her. “In fact, all my life I’ve always been the one among my friends who’d look for the peaceful, logical solution in any potentially volatile situation. Tonight was a fluke – I guess I was just so outraged that the guy I’d considered my best friend from kindergarten could be as treacherous as he turned out to be… But it won’t happen again – I promise,” he added, crossing his heart for added emphasis.

He took a deep breath, then continued: “Believe it or not, I’ve already considered the possible consequences of violence in this…While I was packing I realized that it was actually a good thing that Mike wasn’t there at the apartment because, in the state of mind I was in then, I would have beaten him to within an inch of his life – and thrown away my future the minute I’d landed my first punch. But knowing that didn’t help calm me down in the least; I was still just as furious when I left my place to come back here as I was when I’d arrived… That’s why it took me so long; I drove around to cool off before coming back here to you… As it was, I ended up punching a wall in Mike’s room in lieu of actually punching him!” he admitted with an embarrassed laugh.

“Ouch! That had to hurt!” Brenda winced, turning his hands over to look for any injury. The knuckles of his right hand were scraped and slightly bruised, and she gently kissed the area. “I’ll get some ice for this,” she announced, pulling away and running toward the refrigerator. She made it as far as the window in the kitchenette area when she felt Jax’s strong arms around her, stopping her.

“No ice needed; just more kisses,” he grinned.

Brenda laughed and lifted his bruised knuckles back to her lips. “How’s this?” she whispered softly.

“Mmmm... much better,” he murmured; his eyes closed and a blissful look on his face, as Brenda dusted baby kisses across his injured hand. “Did I happen to mention that I also hit my lips – hard – against Mike’s wall?” he asked, opening his eyes just slightly to gauge her reaction.

“Is that so?” she laughed, arching an eyebrow in mock suspicion.

“Yes,” he nodded, looking incredibly sincere. “And now my lips hurt far worse than my hand!” he added, closing his eyes in anticipation of her further ministrations.

“Well, I guess I need to treat that area, too,” she replied, giving an exaggerated sigh. She gently pulled Jax’s face toward hers and lightly kissed his lips – once, twice, three times – before pulling away.

“Hey!” he yelped; his eyes flying open the minute he felt her pull away. “Is that all I get?” he asked in mock indignation. “I’m in serious pain here and sorely in need of some intense therapy.”

“Is this more what you had in mind?” she purred, giving him a sexy smile as she pulled him in for a series of long, slow, blisteringly deep kisses.

Even as she was in the midst of kissing him, Brenda couldn’t believe how bold she was behaving here. The old Brenda Barrett would never have initiated any kiss, let alone several kisses so passionate they could be considered foreplay. What was it about him that made her lose all of her inhibitions?… Was it his sexy smile that melted her heart?... Or his crystal blue eyes that seemed to see right into her soul?... Or his rock hard body that made her own body experience sensations she hadn’t known were even possible?... She didn’t know, and at this point she didn’t care. She only knew that she felt incredibly alive when she was with him.

Jax was stunned and excited by Brenda’s unexpected ardor. He’d never been kissed like this before in his life! Liz’s kisses had always been polite and somewhat cool, and there were times that Jax found his mind wandering while kissing her. Liz was a wonderful woman – beautiful, poised, talented – but passionate was an adjective one would never use to describe her. Brenda, on the other hand… Well, Brenda seemed to be passion personified. The woman that Mike had labeled the “Ice Queen” had a fire within her that burned red hot, and being with her made Jax feel more alive than he’d ever dreamed possible.

They were both breathing hard by the time they finally broke apart, and they simply stared at one another; both momentarily overwhelmed by the nearly orgasmic feeling those kisses had aroused in each of them. As if mesmerized, they immediately fell into another series of kisses; these even more urgent and fervent than the last. Jax lifted Brenda off the floor and she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, pushing hard against him until they both felt ready to explode, as Jax headed into the bedroom.

All the problems that had been worrying them just moments ago were completely forgotten; now their sole focus was one another. Tomorrow they’d worry about Mike and Liz and what the future might bring, but not tonight… Tonight was theirs and theirs alone.

Mike Malloy hid in the shadows in the alley across from the apartment and watched Jax and Brenda’s intertwined bodies silhouetted in the window; his anger and jealousy growing with each kiss they shared. He’d been there for the better part of an hour – or at least the better part of a bottle of Jack Daniels; he couldn’t remember which at this point – first watching Brenda as she’d stood waiting for Jax; now watching Jax and Brenda as they made out; their kisses deepening; their hands roaming over one another in unmistakable foreplay. Brenda, the woman who’d humiliated him by rejecting his sexual advances publicly, and Jax, the lifelong friend who’d always gotten everything Mike had ever wanted in life – including Brenda – were practically having sex right in front of him, and in his drunken haze he felt as if they were intentionally mocking him.

In his wildest dreams he would never have imagined that this was how the day would turn out. He had set out to tear Jax and Brenda apart; instead, he had somehow managed to push them closer together. Once again Mike was on the outside looking into the winner’s circle, where Jax was claiming the grand prize. Jax had bested him, something he’d consistently done since their early grammar school years together.

Years ago having grown tired of always being an also-ran, Mike had simply quit competing in the same areas as Jax because it was always a given that Jax would be at the top of any class, the best at any sport – in fact, the best at anything that interested him. So Mike had put his energies into areas in which he was both particularly interested and adept: being both the resident jokester and womanizer of their little group. And, luckily for him, Jax had never had any interest in holding either title, especially not that of womanizer.

That was until last night and that woman! Mike thought bitterly, as he continued to watch Jax and Brenda’s passionate display.

What was it about Brenda Barrett that had made the ever-faithful, never-before-tempted Jasper Jacks stray in the first place, he wondered? Granted, she was drop-dead beautiful, but Jax had always been surrounded by beautiful women and he’d never given any of them a second glance. He’d always seemed committed to his long-time relationship with Liz Barnes – herself a beautiful woman – even before they’d become engaged.

Of course, Mike had never believed that Jax and Liz’s relationship was a true love match. Both he and Eric thought that Jax – who had always done his best to please everyone else, even at the expense of his own desires – had simply sublimated his own desires and accepted what his family and Liz and her family had so obviously wanted from the beginning: Jax and Liz as husband and wife. It was like that was one less thing he had to worry about on his way to the top. Not that Jax had to worry about anything; everything came easily for him. And what little that didn’t, his father could buy for him.

Mike’s family would be considered wealthy by the average American’s standards, but they had nothing when compared with the Jacks family. Mike’s father had started a small broadcasting company in the early seventies that got swallowed up by a much larger company for several million plus stock options in the mid-eighties. But a few risky dot.com investments in the late nineties had whittled the family’s net worth down to just under 30 million, and that included the family’s Long Island estate, which made up the lion’s share of that figure. The Malloys had very little in the way of disposable income, and what they did have was spent almost before it was earned in order to keep up with the lavish lifestyle that was expected for the social stratum in which they existed.

The Jacks family, on the other hand, was worth billions. John Jacks came from money back in Australia, where his family had been heavily invested in silver and land speculation; and he amassed an even greater fortune once he and his wife immigrated to the States in the late sixties. John Jacks appeared to have a sixth sense when it came to investing, and everything he touched seemed to turn to gold. These days his company, J&J Jacks International, was at the top of the heap when it came to corporate raiding. John had a knack for knowing which companies were ripe for the picking at a low price, then selling off all the viable assets for a profit before divesting himself entirely of the then shell of a company for even more profit.

As a teen Mike had once overheard his father and a friend discussing John Jack’s uncanny ability to make money in any market, and his father had joked that “John must have made a deal with the devil,” to which his father’s friend – whose own company had been recently acquired by J&J Jacks in a hostile takeover – had bitterly replied that his money was on “John being the devil himself.” At the time Mike hadn’t fully understood the man’s comments. After all, Jax’s father had always been nice to him whenever he’d been around him.

But since then he’d come to realize that John Jacks was indeed ruthless when it came to business, and Mike both appreciated and admired the man for that particular quality; a quality that he felt was sorely lacking in his own father. Perhaps if his father had been more aggressive, the Malloys might be as rich as the Jacks family now, and Mike would be the one looking forward to the guaranteed partnership in one of Manhattan’s oldest and most respected law firms, marriage into a political dynasty, and a bright political future; everything that Jax had impulsively tossed away today.

As he continued to watch the apartment window, Jax and Brenda quickly disappeared from view. But Mike knew where they’d gone and what they were doing, and it infuriated him. He had done his best to sully Jax in Brenda’s eyes – and she’d been genuinely hurt and angered by what he’d said about Jax – yet Jax had somehow sweet-talked his way back into her arms and her bed! He took another long swig from the nearly empty bottle he held tightly in his hands, as he resentfully ruminated about the injustice of Jax getting this girl on top of everything else that he’d been handed in his relatively young life.

Then, despite his drunkenness – or maybe because of it – it finally dawned on him how he could get a little justice in all this and revenge on Jax and Brenda at the same time… John Jacks’ ruthlessness in dispatching business foes was legendary, but it was nothing compared to his ruthlessness when it came to handling anyone or anything that he felt threatened the well-being of his golden boy, Jax.

Now for John Jacks, Jax’s so-called well-being meant that his son followed the plans for his life that John had mapped out for him – and those plans definitely did not include Brenda Barrett. In fact, he’d go so far as to wager his future earnings that John Jacks would view the lovely Ms. Barrett as a major threat to his son’s future, especially the lofty political goals he’d set for Jax; set with the help of former Senator Donald Barnes, a political heavyweight both locally and nationally, whose daughter Jax had just dumped for Brenda. Mike doubted that the good Senator would be so keen on backing Jax for any political office – not even dogcatcher – if his daughter wasn’t going to be the one sharing the spotlight as Jax’s adoring wife. And that position at the Senator’s old firm with the guaranteed partnership… Well, John had to know that, too, would be off the table soon enough if Jax didn’t marry the Senator’s daughter.

So the question was just how far would old man Jacks go to protect his plans for his sainted son’s future? The answer: as far as he had to go – and with a man as ruthless and single-minded as John Jacks that would be pretty damn far…

That thought made Mike smile for the first time in hours, as he envisioned the lengths to which John Jacks would go to banish Brenda Barrett from Jax’s life and the pain Jax would feel at finally losing something he dearly wanted. Sure, Jax would be back on track for the high-powered career and the society marriage, but he wouldn’t have Brenda Barrett – and Mike knew that at this moment Jax wanted Brenda more than anything else in his life; Jax had told him that very thing just before he’d left for Long Island that morning. Jax wanted Brenda in his future, not Liz or the high-powered career his father had planned for him.

He glanced back up at the now darkened apartment and laughed, raising his bottle in a mocking toast: “Enjoy her while you can, golden boy,” he sneered drunkenly. “‘Cause I guaran-damn-tee it ain’t gonna last once Big Daddy Jacks finds out exactly what’s going on – and I’m gonna be the one to tell him every last detail!” he growled, finishing off the last of the bottle before dropping it to the pavement below, where it bounced noiselessly across the pitted asphalt.

He pulled out his cell and turned it on; trying in vain to focus his bleary eyes on the small LCD screen as he searched through his phone book for the home number of the Jacks’ Long Island estate, but between the darkness of the alley and the alcohol fogging his brain he couldn’t see anything. He stumbled toward the streetlights beyond the alley, hitting the overflowing dumpster hard and falling unceremoniously to the ground with a loud thud.

“Ouch!” he howled loudly, as he righted himself and clumsily tried to stand; once again noisily knocking against the dumpster.

He heard a window fly open in the building to his left, then an elderly female voice call nervously into the darkness from somewhere above him: “Who’s out there?” She waited for an answer, but when her inquiry was met only with silence, she angrily warned: “I’m callin’ the police now, so you best be movin’ outta here fast!” The window slammed shut as quickly as it had opened.

“Dammit!” he swore under his breath. The last thing he needed was to be arrested for being drunk and disorderly – and especially not here in this neighborhood. He had to get out of here fast, but he’d parked his car several blocks away at Malarkey’s; Jax would have recognized his car if he’d parked it around here. A new Porsche anywhere in this neighborhood would definitely have drawn attention.

He heard the faint whine of sirens in the distance, so he took off running in the direction of his car; slowing only when he realized that he probably looked more suspicious running than walking. But slowing down did nothing to improve his drunken gait, and he found himself veering from side to side on the sidewalk. Thankfully, the only people he met were bar patrons emptying out of their favorite watering holes just before closing time, and many of them were nearly as inebriated as he was so no one paid him any attention.

When he finally reached Malarkey’s, the parking lot was nearly empty; there were only three other cars remaining, besides his own. He unlocked the driver’s door then opened it; gratefully sliding into the low bucket seat and leaning his head back against the headrest. He started to put the key into the ignition then thought better of it. He was definitely too drunk to drive – he’d almost been too drunk to walk! He needed to call for a ride.

He turned on the interior lights in his car and opened his phone and hit *5, then just as quickly closed the phone as he realized that he’d automatically called Jax. Ever since Jax, Eric, and he had all been old enough to legally drink, Jax – who didn’t drink all that much – had always been their designated driver for nights when he or Eric had had imbibed too much to drive themselves home. It was an arrangement that had worked well for years, but as of tonight it was no longer a workable arrangement.

He opened the phone again, this time hitting *6, Eric’s cell number.

Despite the hour, Eric picked up immediately. “Where the hell have you been, Mike?” he demanded angrily. “I’ve been trying to get hold of you for hours!”

“I had my phone turned off,” Mike replied in answer to Eric’s final comment; his words slurring, despite his effort to speak clearly.

Eric gave a disgusted snort. “I should have known – you’re wasted!”

“I admit that I’ve had a little too much to drink,” Mike interrupted testily. “That’s why I called you; I need a ride home… I’m in the parking lot at Malarkey’s.”

Eric seemed to ignore Mike’s request; instead, launching into the diatribe he’d been waiting all night to deliver: “Mike, what’s going on with you and Jax? He’s out for your blood! He’s so mad that he’s even moved out – and he said you’d better stay out of his way from now on or you’ll regret it! … What the hell did you do to him, Mike?!” he shouted; his voice rife with frustration.

Mike held his phone away from his ear, as Eric’s shouting was beginning to make his head throb. Of course, he supposed some of that could be blamed on the amount of alcohol he’d imbibed over the past several hours… Eric finally stopped yelling, so Mike gingerly put the phone back to this ear and spoke: “Listen, I promise I’ll tell you everything I know later – like after I’ve had some aspirin and some sleep. My head’s killing me and I feel like I’m gonna pass out… Can you just come get me?”

Eric should have known better than to expect answers from Mike now. He knew Mike well enough to know that he always needed to sleep for a very long time after one of his drinking binges. He sighed wearily as he realized it would be hours before he’d get any answers from him about the situation with Jax. “Just stay in your car. I’ll be there soon,” Eric promised, snapping his phone shut and ending their conversation.

As soon as Eric hung up, Mike began scrolling through his phone book; once again looking for the number for the Jacks’ Long Island home. But even in this light he was having difficulty focusing his eyes on his phone’s small LCD screen. Worse yet, he was having difficulty focusing his thoughts – and he knew his speech was slurred, having heard himself moments earlier with Eric.

This was not the time to call John Jacks. He had to be sharp and in control when he talked to Jax’s father; it might be debatable whether or not revenge was a dish best served cold, but it was definitely one best served sober. Besides, if he was reading the digital clock on his dash correctly, it was 2:15 a.m. He doubted John Jacks would be thrilled to be awakened at this hour, no matter what the news.

He hit the switch turning off the Porsche’s interior lights, then closed his phone and slid it into his pocket; finally closing his eyes as he leaned his head back against the headrest and waited for Eric to arrive. Despite the fact that his head was already throbbing and he knew it would feel even worse later, he smiled as he thought about the havoc that would be unleashed on Jax and Brenda once he spoke with John Jacks. “Revenge is gonna be oh… so…sweet…” he mumbled as he finally passed out; the smile still on his face.