Jerry set his empty glass on the coffee table in front of him and once more settled back into the creamy soft leather of the couch, continuing to gaze longingly at the pictures that lay scattered around him. They were all of Brenda and him and their all-too-brief time together four years before.

After he had left Brenda's apartment and followed Andrew until he'd had gone back to his office at the Agency, Jerry had returned to his own apartment to immerse himself fully in anything and everything that he had that reminded him of Brenda. The first thing he had done was to unpack the latest series of photographs of Brenda's that he had purchased.

He had always known she was talented, but this particular series was truly inspired. It was as if she had somehow managed to capture the souls of each of these people along with their images. Despite their wretched surroundings, none of these people looked crushed. In fact, each of them seemed to have a look of pride in their eyes; life had dealt them a low blow, but they were far from defeated - you could see it clearly in their eyes. Even the little girl had the look of childhood innocence and mischief, despite the squalor of her surroundings, and he suddenly felt a pang of empathy shoot through him for this girl and her parents that they were reduced to living like this. And then he felt a sense of pride as he thought about Brenda's donation of the proceeds of this sale to the city's homeless coalition. Not many artists would donate all of the proceeds of a sale to a charity, but Brenda had always been one-of-a-kind.

That thought had led him to pull out the boxes of photographs of their time together that Andrew had recovered for him after Brenda had thrown them out. He had spent the evening reminiscing about each and every moment that had passed between the two of them - moments filled with laughter and love. Since he had left her in Monaco, his life had been noticeably devoid of both laughter and love, and he had filled that hole with anger and ruthlessness. By yanking Brenda out of his arms and dangling her safety in front of him like a carrot, the Agency had succeeded in transforming him into the perfect agent - calculatingly cold and intractable. By using Brenda as collateral, they had programmed him to do exactly what they wanted when they wanted it. And he had been their obedient drone for the past four years - but no more.

He wasn't sure what it was in him that had given him the courage to rebel now; he only knew that something inside of him had been telling him for weeks that it was now or never if he was to ever have a life with Brenda. He thought back to the roses in Brenda's apartment and the comments exchanged between Brenda and Andrew, and he was more certain than ever that Brenda had finally become involved with another man. Had his instincts been warning him that he could lose her forever if he didn't act now to leave the Agency and go to her? He had no idea; he only knew that he couldn't go on like this for a moment longer. He needed to make his escape from the Agency soon, or he'd lose himself to the Agency forever and he'd lose her forever to another man.

Losing her forever… He had known for years that this was a very real possibility. After all, she was young and beautiful, and it was wrong for someone as vibrant and sensual as she was to go through her life alone, as she had done for the last four years. But there was a part of him that had always been comforted by the fact that she had never moved on from him, just as he had never moved on from her - at least not emotionally.

True, he had bedded several women in the past four years, but that had only been in the line of work, and he had only managed to do that by fantasizing that each woman had been Brenda. Before Brenda, he had enjoyed the sensual part of his job - using his body to get what he needed when he needed it - but after that summer with her, he had a completely different view of sex. She had changed him completely, and it had only taken one time.

That first time with her had been his first time to truly link his soul with another human being, and every time after that with her had been about sharing all of themselves with one another - body and soul. And since he had left her, his sexual experiences had been hollow at best. He had been with countless beautiful women since her, but none had reached his heart or touched his soul as she had. He was more certain than ever that she was the only woman he would ever love, and he was more certain than ever that he had to let her know that he still loved her before he lost her completely to the man who'd sent the roses.

He began gathering up the pictures to put them back into storage, when his eyes settled on the picture on the coffee table of Jax and him that his mother had snapped the last time the family had been together, at Christmas a couple of years before. He picked up the framed picture and smiled, remembering their mother's excitement at having both of her sons home together again for the holiday. She said that it was so rare that they were ever together anymore, let alone at the holidays, that she needed to immortalize the moment for posterity. She had sent the framed photo to him and an identical one to Jax, as a reminder to each of them to stay in touch with the other, but they hadn't - not until Jax had called earlier in the evening…

His thoughts were drawn back to Jax's call and his request for help in delving into his mystery lady's past. He was more than glad to help Jax in any way that he could. Jax was his little brother, and he'd give him the world if he could - not that Jax needed any help in conquering the world on his own. Jax had always been pretty self-sufficient and independent since he was old enough to toddle. And the fact that Jax had asked him for help meant so much more because Jax was always so independent. Of course, in that respect Jax was just like him. He had always been very independent, too, which is what had made him an ideal agent.

He smiled, as he realized that Jax's comments indicated that he was ready to shed his personal independence, just as he was. He was talking of love and commitment, something that had always seemed foreign to both brothers, but no longer. For the first time in their lives, he and Jax both wanted the exact same thing at the exact same time - marriage and a family with the woman of their dreams.

He put the Christmas picture of the two of them back onto the coffee table and tried to imagine what future family Christmas pictures might look like with both of them and their wives, celebrating together as a family. But for some reason, Jerry could only imagine Brenda's face between them. He hoped that wasn't some kind of an omen for his brother's chances of marrying the woman he loved. "I just hope that what you find out about your lover's past won't stand in the way of your future happiness together, little brother," he whispered softly, then headed for the shower before heading out for the evening to assure his own future happiness.

"It's so nice to see you back here again so soon, Ms. Barrett, but it's been a while since we've seen you here, Mr. Ashton. You and your beautiful wife have both been missed." Antony Vincinzo said as he ushered Brenda and Ned to their table at Luigi's, the restaurant that Ned had chosen for their "celebratory" dinner.

"I know, Antony. Lois has been wanting to come back here ever since the last time we were here, and she'll probably kill me when she finds out I brought Brenda here and not her," Ned answered, and he and Antony both laughed, knowing how much Lois loved nearly everything about this place. "I imagine that she and I will be here within days of her return home, however, once she finds out about this little excursion of mine!"

Antony once again laughed at Ned's statement, as he smoothly moved his tall, thin frame through the maze of tables that filled the room. Antony was the current owner of Luigi's, a family-owned-and-operated, Italian restaurant in the Village. Antony's grandfather, Luigi Vincinzo, had opened it in 1934, just a few years after he had emigrated from Sicily, and each generation of the Vincinzo family had proudly operated the restaurant since its grand opening. The restaurant had a fine reputation throughout the city for its superb cuisine and its wonderful, Old World atmosphere. It was frequented by locals, which Brenda was, but it was also a haven for lovers citywide, who favored the romantic atmosphere that permeated the building and was further enhanced by the ministrations of Antony and his staff.

"Ms. Barrett, you are looking as beautiful as ever, and we are truly honored to be graced by your presence twice in one week," Antony said, as he finally stopped at a table in the far corner of the restaurant - one to which he generally ushered those whom he either knew or assumed were lovers. In fact this was the very same table at which Antony had seated Brenda and Jax just a few nights before when they had been here.

Brenda blushed slightly as she slid into her seat, remembering that night and her behavior here with Jax. She had been unusually forward with Jax here that evening; her scandalous behavior was brought on by the heady combination of too much fine wine and too close proximity to one fine man. And it had been obvious to everyone - Antony and everyone else there that evening - that she and Jax were lovers.

She regretted her actions that night, just as she regretted allowing Ned to choose the restaurant for their dinner tonight. That had been her concession to him since he had allowed her to change the dinner from tomorrow night to tonight. She wondered why he had chosen this place, of all the places in the city that they could have dined? She felt totally mortified, especially when Antony opened his mouth again.

"So, will anyone special be joining you and Mr. Ashton this evening?" Antony asked, and he saw Brenda's blush deepen at his obvious reference to the handsome young man who had been her dinner companion just nights before and with whom she was obviously in love.

"No, Antony, it will be just the two of us," Brenda gave Antony a pleading look that clearly showed that she didn't want any further discussion of her dinner or of her dinner companion here a few nights previously.

"Yes, of course," Antony said quickly, running his dark hand through his well-coifed, salt-and pepper hair. He was suddenly ashamed that he had embarrassed Brenda in such a manner, but he was also slightly confused. "I guess I was must have misread the handwriting of whomever had taken the reservations. I thought there were to be three for this evening."

But Antony knew that he had not misread anything because he had taken the reservation himself not more than an hour ago. The man who had called had clearly told him there would be three for drinks and asked for this particular table. He had also said that Mr. Ashton would be leaving shortly after drinks and then there would be only two for dinner. The man had a very distinctive Australian accent and called him by name; he was sure it was the same young man, Jasper "Jax" Jacks, who had been there with Brenda earlier in the week. Perhaps he wanted to surprise her, he thought, and his bright smile returned easily to his face, as he imagined that must be exactly what the young man had planned.

The sound of Ned's voice brought Antony out of his romantic daze. "Actually, Antony, I am expecting someone to be dropping by in a few minutes, so if you could show him back when he arrives, I'd appreciate it." He flashed Antony a dimpled grin and Antony immediately understood that both Mr. Ashton and Mr. Jacks must be in on this surprise.

"Yes, of course… Taylor will be your waiter for the evening. I'll send him over in a few minutes to get your drink orders while you await your third party," he said, smiling, first conspiratorially with Ned, and then congenially at Brenda, who was totally confused by Ned's mention of a third party for dinner.

Brenda waited just long enough for Antony to get out of earshot before she began grilling Ned. "I don't understand. I thought we were having a quiet dinner alone, celebrating the fact that the new series sold so quickly and brought in the money for the coalition… Who are you expecting to join us?" she asked, her eyebrows already arching suspiciously as she waited for his explanation of all of this.

"Don't get all bent out of shape, Brenda," Ned answered, recognizing the storm clouds that were already beginning to cloud Brenda's dark eyes. He knew that she hated surprises, and he should have anticipated she would have a fit at finding out about this. "There was a prospective buyer at the gallery this afternoon, who was particularly taken with your 'Displaced Souls' series and was very disappointed that it had been sold before he arrived. He even tried giving me double what you had asked for it in order to try to secure the deal for himself. I told him that you were donating 100% of the selling price to the Homeless Coalition, and that so impressed him that he wrote a check to the coalition that matched the selling price," Ned said, leaning across the table to emphasize his point. "And the only thing he wanted in return for that check was a chance to meet you for dinner, to discuss your work. He's interested in collecting your work."

"Really?" Brenda mused, still very suspicious about this unknown, but obviously very wealthy person, who insisted on having dinner with her and Ned. "And just who is this mysterious art collector, who writes $100,000 checks at the blink of an eye?" Brenda suddenly had an uneasy feeling about the identity of this wealthy gentleman.

"Well, he wished to reveal his identity in person, but I can assure you that he is legitimate," Ned smiled, hoping that Brenda wouldn't bolt from the restaurant before Jax arrived. "Brenda, he really was moved by your series and seems to have a genuine love for art."

"And you're hoping that if I'm nice to him that he'll not only buy my work, but he'll be more apt to return and buy other works from the gallery as well… Am I right?" Brenda asked, staring intently into Ned's eyes, the anger already apparent in her face. Ned blanched at Brenda's accurate assessment of the situation. "So, in effect, you're pimping me for your gallery!" she fumed, moving to stand and stalk out of the restaurant.

"That's not what this is about at all, Brenda!" Ned said, his voice a harsh whisper, as he grabbed her arm to prevent her from leaving. "Sure, it would be great if this guy would buy something from the gallery and then tell his wealthy friends where he got it, but he really did want to meet you and discuss your work. He was genuinely impressed with the emotions you captured in your series. He wanted to meet you, and he was very persistent about that. All I ask is that you meet him, and if you aren't comfortable with any of this after talking with him, you can make some excuse and leave right after the salad course - but at least give him that long," Ned pleaded. True, he'd love to have Jax's patronage of the gallery, but he also thought that Jax and Brenda might be well-suited for one another personally, and he really felt Brenda needed to be getting into the dating pool sometime in the coming years.

Brenda could tell from Ned's tone and his eyes how important this mystery man was to him and possibly the gallery's future. She knew that meetings such as this were standard for most galleries, and she had only been spared this side of the business because her work had always sold without hesitation, for which she was forever grateful. And she owed Ned a lot. He had taken her on exclusively when she was just finding her way in this business, and he had always managed to sell her work almost immediately after displaying it. She had never asked the particulars of how that happened, or even the identities of those who bought her work; she was just always grateful to get the checks so that she could continue to live and work without the worry of wondering from where her next paycheck was coming.

So she decided to quash her growing unease at this situation, and grin and bear it - for the moment, at least. She just hoped that her feeling about the identity of this mystery man was wrong, but Ned's description of this man's persistence had sent a chill through her. But it couldn't be him - could it? Of course not! She just seemed to have Jax on the brain - that was all. And it really was understandable. After all, she had just finally gotten rid of the last of the roses he had sent her, and now she was sitting in the same restaurant at the very table where they had spent an extremely romantic evening just days before. Yes, it was only natural that she would be filled with thoughts of him at this point. But the odds that this mystery man that Ned was expecting was Jax were about as likely as her being struck by lightening in the next few minutes - pretty astronomical, to say the least!

She just needed to relax and enjoy the moment. He was probably some harmless, old millionaire, who would have a heart attack if she even flirted with him, and she doubted that he had any designs on her personally at all. This meeting would not involve compromising her virtue - what there was of it these days, after her reckless affair with Jax - although it would most likely tax her tolerance for obsequiousness, having to watch Ned's fawning behavior with this man all night. Then again, that might be rather amusing in the long run…

"Okay, I'll stay - at least through the salad - but after that, I'm making no promises," Brenda warned Ned, although she really had nothing better to do tonight, and this man would certainly be a welcome distraction from her seemingly constant thoughts about Jax. Then in a teasing tone, she added: "I just hope he's not so old and feeble that we have to cut his food for him!"

Ned smiled broadly at that. "No, I assume he's still quite capable of cutting and chewing his own food - and a few other things as well." He glanced up and saw Antony once again approaching the table, this time with Jax following closely behind. "Of course, I'll let you make your own assumptions, as it appears he has finally arrived."

Brenda watched as Ned quickly stood to greet their somewhat late dinner companion and turned her head to catch a glimpse of the man, but both her heart and her mouth dropped as she saw who it was. This simply could not be happening! What was it she had said about astronomical odds? With the way this night was going, she fully expected those lightning bolts to begin striking any second now…

"I thought I wasn't 'honorable' enough to do business with anymore," Rick Jackson taunted, as he leaned back in the leather chair across the desk from Andrew Buxton, puffing on one of Andrew's expensive Cuban cigars and thoroughly enjoying making Andrew squirm in his own office. "…And yet, here I am, just days after ya ordered me never to show my face here again - and at your invitation, no less. Ain't life interestin'?"

Andrew could feel his blood pressure increasing at astonishing increments the longer Jackson prattled on. After his last dealing with Jackson, he had had no intention of ever employing the man again, but things had changed drastically over the past few days, and drastic times called for drastic measures - and Jackson could certainly be classified as a drastic measure. But first, Andrew had to restrain himself from killing the man - at least until after he had outlived his usefulness.

"Yes… well, I was a bit hasty in dismissing you, and I do apologize for being so uncivil with you in our last dealings, Mr. Jackson. But I had not expected the rather graphic nature of the pictures you supplied the last time we did business," Andrew said, trying to sound as calm as possible, despite the fury he still felt toward Jackson because of the pictures Jackson had taken of Jax and Brenda in the most intimate of acts.

"Well, I just did whatcha told me to do - kept an eye on her and snapped some pictures of what she was doin' and who she was doin' it with - or in this case, who she was doin' - period!" Jackson chortled crudely, his vulgar reference to Jax and Brenda's lovemaking infuriating Andrew's sensibilities. But Andrew suppressed his urge to throttle the man, and instead clenched his fists and said nothing as Jackson continued.

"Well, ya know, my price has gone up since we last talked. And since you're wantin' a lot more than just pictures this time, and I could be arrested and sent away for a long time, too, if I got caught - or maybe even killed if the wrong people get wind of this…" Jackson whined, as he took another puff on the cigar and purposely blew the smoke in Andrew's direction.

"I'm prepared to triple what I have paid you in the past - half up front; half later - with a hefty bonus once your job is successfully completed," Andrew said, as he waved the noxious smoke from the equally noxious Jackson away from his face. "But I expect absolute secrecy and no loose ends whatsoever - There can be nothing that links this back to me or to the Agency. Do I make myself perfectly clear here, Mr. Jackson?"

Jackson inhaled again and then blew out another puff of smoke before he showed Andrew that oversized, toothy grin that Andrew detested. "Perfectly, Mr. Buxton… I've always given ya yer money's worth, and ya know it - sometimes even more, if ya can remember back a few years…"

Jackson left the sentence unfinished, but Andrew knew exactly to what he was referring, and he involuntarily cringed at the unpleasant memory. He had hired Jackson to do a similar job for him before, but Jackson had been a bit too enthusiastic in his assignment, and if Andrew hadn't stepped in… But then, if he had allowed Jackson to continue unchecked that night, he wouldn't be in this position once again, trying to find a way to handle an equally problematic situation… But things could still work out acceptably without having to involve Jackson again in anything more physical than surveillance. In fact, this whole incident might still be avoided if he could pull off his first plan, which was far more civilized, in his estimation. "Yes, well… you understand that this little assignment is a backup plan only, and you are not to do anything more than shoot a few pictures until I give the okay to go further."

Jackson nodded and took another puff of the Havana before fixing his cold, beady eyes once again on Andrew. "Ah, but I can always hope, now, can't I?"

That remark sickened Andrew to the core. He had known that Jackson had absolutely no conscience, but that remark stunned even him. He really did hate Jackson and all the others like him that he had used through the years to protect the Agency in one way or another, but their employ was a necessary evil if things were to continue running smoothly. But while Andrew only did what he had to do to protect the Agency and his agents, Jackson and his ilk did what they did for greed and greed alone - and, in Jackson's case, to satisfy some sick fantasy life he had.

At this point, Andrew couldn't think about the end result of his plan with Jackson, if and when the time came for it to be put into motion. If this plan involved anyone else, he could be discussing it as coldly as Jackson was, possibly savoring it as Jackson was, but he had allowed himself to get too close to the players involved in this one - in fact, he was one of the players. JD was far too smart not to eventually suspect him in all of this, so he needed Jackson's cooperation to come out of this looking like a victim, too. And as for Brenda…Well, he just hoped that his first plan worked because Brenda would not be coming out of this backup plan at all…

"Jax, it's good to see you again," Ned said, standing and extending his hand out to Jax as Jax reached the table and a smiling Antony left them to once again summon their waiter.

"I'm sorry I'm a bit late. It took me a little longer than I expected to rearrange my schedule to meet tonight," Jax said as he grasped Ned's hand firmly and shook it. Then he turned his gaze to Brenda, who looked as though she had just been struck by lightening. He had a hard time suppressing the smile that he felt well up in him just at seeing her again, even though he knew that once she recovered from the shock of seeing him that she would most likely try to strangle both him and Ned. "And this must be the talented Ms. Wilding," Jax said, before Brenda could say anything or Ned could "introduce" them.

"Yes," Ned smiled, as he turned to Brenda. "Brenda, I'd like you to meet Jasper Jacks, the man who was so intrigued by your work that he generously donated $100,000 to the Coalition for the Homeless, just to have the opportunity to meet you."

"Please call me Jax, with an 'X,'" Jax winked, then he snatched a stunned Brenda's hand off the table and drew it to his lips, kissing it gallantly. "It's so nice to finally meet the woman behind the impressive photographs I saw this afternoon at the Ashton Gallery. And I must say that you are as beautiful as you are talented," he purred, flashing her his most beguiling smile.

Brenda could feel the panic rising up inside her. This cannot be happening, she thought. Tonight was supposed to be a distraction from thoughts about him, and now, here he was, in the flesh and charming as hell! How was she supposed to forget about him when he was her dinner companion for the evening? She wanted to get up and run out, but she was afraid to even try to stand at this point because her legs had turned to rubber at the sight of him. She decided that she would just have to grin and bear it, and try to act as if Jax were a total stranger whom she had just met, instead of the man she longed to be with day and night…

"Thank you, Jax," she said coolly, but she could feel her entire body flushing with the heat that was coursing through her at the mere touch of his lips on her hand - the memory of those lips as they had grazed ever so gently over nearly every square inch of her body suddenly fresh in her mind. She withdrew her hand from Jax's grasp and immediately reached for her water glass, hoping to douse the sparks of those passionate memories before they erupted into full-flame and engulfed her completely.

Ned watched in amusement as Brenda visibly flushed at Jax's actions. He had never seen Brenda so rattled by any man before. She was trying to appear nonchalant, but he knew her well enough to tell that Jax had stirred something in Brenda - something that no man had ever done in the years he had known her. He could almost feel the electricity in the air already. This evening was going to be very interesting indeed, he smiled to himself.

"I was surprised when you suggested this place for dinner, " Ned said, as he and Jax settled into their chairs; Ned beside Brenda, and Jax across from her. "I had no idea that many, outside of the locals, were aware of this place. My wife, Lois, and I love this place, and this is a favorite of Brenda's as well."

"Is that so, Brenda?" Jax said, his blue eyes sparkling, as he continued to smile at her. "This place has wonderful atmosphere. I've only eaten here once before, but it was an unforgettable experience. I'm hoping that tonight is a repeat of that night."

Brenda could feel herself begin to flush once again. She had to get herself under control here, or this evening would be disastrous. Salad - she had only promised Ned that she would stay through the salad, and that was as long as she was staying. But for now, she had to appear unaffected by both Jax and his references to their last evening together.

"Yes…well, if you are referring to the food, it's always superb here." She picked up her menu and opened it, pretending to scan the list of entrees. "In fact, I'm ready to order already," she announced, shutting her menu and looking around for their waiter.

Jax gave her a small smile. He knew she was remembering their dinner here the other night - and then "dessert" at her place afterwards. He sensed that she was close to bolting from the restaurant, but he had the feeling she didn't want Ned to suspect anything, so she probably planned to make her exit a bit later in the evening - perhaps somewhere between the salad and the entree. "I was hoping we could enjoy a little wine before dinner, actually." He looked toward the front of the restaurant and nodded, and Antony was immediately at the table with a bottle of wine.

"The Brunello di Montalcino you ordered, sir," Antony smiled, as he poured a small amount into Jax's wineglass for him to taste.

"Excellent!" Jax proclaimed, after sampling the wine and setting his glass back down for Antony to fill. "This is the perfect way to toast this evening."

"No, thank you, Antony," Brenda said, clamping her hand over her wineglass, just as Antony moved to fill it. "I think I'll stick with water tonight." She needed a clear head tonight if she was going to be able to withstand Jax's charm.

"But I thought we could toast both your inspiring work and the continued good work of the homeless coalition. You don't have to drink more than a sip, but I wish you would at least toast with Ned and me. It really is an outstanding wine," Jax coaxed, looking from Brenda to Ned for support. He had hoped that the wine would help to relax Brenda enough that they could at least make it through the dinner.

"Just a sip, Brenda?" Ned's eyes were pleading with her. He really wanted this evening with Jax to go well, not only for his gallery professionally, but for Brenda personally. He could see that she and Jax were both attracted to each other. But he couldn't understand why Brenda was fighting this evening so hard, even refusing to drink a toast with them.

Brenda saw the imploring look on Ned's face, and she knew he would hound her forever if she didn't at least have a toast with them. Ned knew that Brenda loved wine - especially this particular wine, although it was out of both of their price ranges for more than just the rarest of special occasions. And Jax had just donated $100,000 to one of her favorite charities, so she decided just a sip wouldn't hurt anything. Besides, she thought, smiling as she schemed for an easy way out of the rest of this evening, red wines are known to trigger migraines in some people, and I can almost feel that killer migraine coming on now!

"Okay," she relented, removing her hand from the glass and allowing Antony to fill it for her. "To the homeless coalition and to your generous donation," she offered, raising her glass, as Ned and Jax did the same.

"And to your continued success - may you always get the best in life," Jax said as they clinked their glasses.

Brenda looked at Jax over the top of her raised glass, wondering if he meant that sincerely? She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and trust that he was sincerely wishing her the best, with or without him. She raised the glass to her lips and took a sip, as Jax and Ned did the same.

"That wasn't so terrible now, was it?" Jax asked, once again smiling at Brenda.

Brenda tried hard not to smile back, but she couldn't stop the involuntary giggle that escaped her lips. Damn! I will not let this man affect me like this, she thought, taking another sip of her wine to calm her frayed nerves, forgetting completely about her earlier pledge to herself to take one sip and no more.

Well, she's laughing, so that's a good sign, Jax thought, as he took another sip of wine before setting his glass down to pick up his menu.

"So, you never did say what brought you to town, Jax," Ned said, as he opened his menu and scanned the choices for the evening. He knew that he probably shouldn't be asking such probing questions of Jax, since they barely knew one another and Ned knew that he was only here because he was Jax's conduit to Brenda, but he decided he couldn't let this opportunity pass by him. It wasn't often that he had the opportunity to spend an evening with a man who was recently listed among the world's richest men, and he was genuinely interested in learning more about him and his world of high finance.

"I came to put the finishing touches on a business deal," Jax answered simply, as he pretended to study his menu, when in reality he was casting furtive glances at Brenda, studying her instead.

"And were you able to close the deal?" Ned prodded.

"Yes…yes, I was," Jax replied, and then he smiled, "but while I was in the midst of closing that deal, I was approached about another, far more intriguing deal." He looked up at Brenda just as she was looking at him and their eyes locked for a few seconds, before she dropped her eyes from his and reached for her wineglass for yet another sip. "In fact, this intriguing offer came from out of the blue and from a total stranger, while I was jogging in Central Park, no less. Now, most people would think the prudent thing to do would be to just ignore such a proposition, but I've found that the most satisfying deals can often come from out of nowhere." He continued to stare at Brenda, but she refused to return his gaze, instead scanning the room for their waiter.

"And did this particular offer lead anywhere?" Ned asked, hoping that Jax might inadvertently leak the name of this person and he'd have a little inside information about an upcoming merger for J&J Jacks International.

"Well, the preliminary meetings went extremely well," Jax said, turning his gaze from Brenda to Ned. "In fact, everything looked perfect for a very successful permanent merger between our two parties, but then the other party balked at what I was bringing to the table, and I'm afraid things have cooled a bit now between us. But I still very much want that merger to happen." He once again turned his gaze back to Brenda.

"Perhaps the other party had good reason to back down," Brenda offered softly, as she and Jax once again locked eyes.

"Then they should come out and explain those reasons to me, instead of just trying to ignore that we ever were close in the first place," Jax answered quietly. "I at least deserve an explanation for their change of heart."

Brenda swallowed hard, as Jax continued to hold her gaze, but said nothing, instead taking yet another sip of wine. Where the hell, is Taylor, she wondered? She wanted their waiter there now as an interruption to this increasingly uncomfortable situation.

"Well, you're known as the king of the hostile takeovers," Ned said, oblivious to the real conversation that was taking place here. "Couldn't you just sneak in the backdoor and buy them out?"

"In this instance, I want no force or even hint of force. I want the other party to want this as much as I do, so I have to find a way to convince the other party that this merger will be beneficial and pleasurable for both of us," Jax said, as he continued to look at Brenda. He was sure her eyes seemed to be softening toward him, and he hoped it was his words and not merely the wine that was affecting that change in her.

Just then their waiter, Taylor, appeared. "Are you ready to order now?" he asked as he looked around the table.

"I am," Brenda said eagerly, as she handed Taylor her menu. "I'm not really very hungry tonight, so I think I'll just go with a simple, green salad, with a balsamic vinaigrette on the side."

Taylor nodded and looked to Ned, who gave his menu one last look and then announced, "Well, since Lois has been gone for days and I haven't eaten well since she left, I am hungry, so I'm going for the veal scaloppini and a side salad with Italian dressing."

Taylor once again nodded, as he took Ned's menu, then turned to Jax. "And you, sir?"

Jax sat there, once again pretending to study the menu, but actually trying to figure out if he should play Brenda's game and only order a salad, so he could be finished with his meal when she was ready to bolt. He had no doubt she planned to leave the table quickly; he just hoped he could either follow her or convince her to stay to talk to him - especially when she reacted to what he knew would happen shortly. He opted for the salad - something light that wouldn't weigh him down, just in case he needed to do some sprinting after her later. "I think I'll just have the Caesar salad tonight, thank you," he finally said, smiling at both Ned's and Brenda's surprised reactions. "I hate to eat too heavy a meal this late in the evening," he explained. "Besides, I may be going out for a run later this evening," he added, giving Brenda a look that warned that he was ready for any move that she made to run from him.

Brenda took another drink of her wine and was about to make a comment to Jax when they were interrupted by the shrill of Ned's cell phone.

"Excuse me," Ned apologized to Brenda and Jax, who both nodded while he pulled his phone out and flipped it open. "Ashton, here," he said quietly into the phone. He listened for a few seconds, while the calling party spoke, finally replying, "We have a terrible connection. Let me call you back from another phone," he said, then shut the phone and put it back into his pocket. "I'm sorry," he said, looking first at Brenda and then at Jax, "but I need to find another phone to use. That was Sarah at the gallery, and the connection was so bad that I couldn't understand what she was trying to say, so if you'll both excuse me for a minute," he said, as he rose from his chair to look for the house phone.

"You're welcome to use my phone," Jax offered, trying to hide his smile as he reached inside his coat to retrieve his phone.

"Or mine," Brenda chimed in. Please don't leave the table and leave me alone with him, Brenda's eyes pleaded with Ned. But Ned was too busy wondering about the urgent call from his gallery to notice any unspoken messages Brenda was trying to convey.

"Thanks anyway, but I think I'll see if I could use Antony's phone in his office," Ned said, as his eyes scanned the crowded room for Antony. "It's rather noisy here, and I want to be able to clearly understand everything Sarah was trying to say. If you'll both excuse me for just a moment…" he added as he headed toward the front of the restaurant to find Antony.

Jax and Brenda sat staring at each other after Ned left. Brenda felt like running after Ned, but her knees still felt as if they'd buckle beneath her at the slightest attempt to stand, so instead, she finished off her glass of wine, hoping that it would calm her frayed nerves at being alone with Jax.

Jax smiled as he watched her quickly empty her wineglass. For someone who had wanted none in the first place, she certainly seemed to be enjoying it now. Perhaps if she drank enough, she'd open up to him as to why she had ended their relationship just as it was beginning to blossom. In vino veritas, he smiled to himself as he poured Brenda another glass of wine, while she was busy looking for Ned to return. "I hope there's nothing wrong at the gallery," Jax said smoothly, setting the wine bottle back onto the table before Brenda even noticed that he had refilled her glass.

"Yes, well, if there is, we'll just have to leave and get it taken care of," Brenda answered, as she unconsciously reached for her wineglass once again, taking a drink, not noticing that her once empty glass was now filled nearly to the brim.

"You will have to leave also?" Jax asked, thinking that this little scenario he had planned might not work out after all. "Why would a problem at the gallery necessitate both Ned and you to leave?"

"We both know the answer to that one, Jax," she said, giving Jax a pointed look. "We're alone for the moment, so you can drop the pretense of having just met. You can also drop the pretense of being interested in buying my work - you merely want to buy me," she added sarcastically.

"That's not true - and you know it," Jax defended himself, although he understood how this probably looked like he was trying to buy her affections. "I told you from the beginning that I was impressed with your talent - and I am. I admit that I went to the gallery today with ulterior motives, but I was truly moved by the depth of emotion you captured in your work. I really did want to purchase your series - and not just to impress you. It's a beautiful series - both stylistically and emotionally - and I wanted it because it touched something inside me," he said sincerely. "I would like to impress you, but that's not what motivated me to try to outbid the buyer of your work. I love you, Brenda, but I won't try to buy your affections."

Brenda had wanted to throw back a sharp retort, questioning his truthfulness, but she couldn't. She wasn't sure whether it was the wine that was affecting her judgment or what, but she truly believed his sincerity in praising her work. And she wanted to believe that he loved her, as he said, but the memory of JDs empty promises of love were still too fresh in her mind.

"Jax, please…" she began, but she was interrupted by Ned's return to the table.

"I'm sorry about this," Ned said as he stood behind Brenda, touching her gently on the shoulder, "but it looks like I need to be getting back to the gallery. Sarah said that there was some sort of a mix-up for the Sloan showing we have opening Friday - some of the paintings were delayed en route, or something - and we're having a devil of a time locating exactly where they even are at this point."

Ned couldn't believe how easily the lies rolled off the tip of his tongue. There was no problem with Jim Sloan's upcoming showing. In fact, all the paintings had arrived safely at the gallery the previous Friday, and most were already prepared to be hung over the next few days, but he needed a plausible excuse to leave Brenda and Jax alone for their meal. He had just learned that Jax had asked Antony to call the gallery once they had finished their toast and before the meals were served, and he had arranged with Sarah at the gallery to call Ned with some excuse to draw him away from the table. It was then that Antony had explained that this was all a ruse so that Jax could be alone with Brenda for the evening.

Normally, Ned would never have agreed to this deception - leaving Brenda alone with a man she'd just met, no matter how well-known the man was - but since leaving the table, he had learned that Jax and Brenda were very well acquainted with one another. Antony had told him that Jax and Brenda had been here just two nights ago, acting very definitely like two people in love, and here they were tonight, pretending not to know one another, when the intensity of their exchanged looks belied that fact. He could clearly see that both Jax and Brenda were attracted to one another, the intimacy between them was so overwhelming. He hated lying to Brenda, but in this instance he felt that a little white lie was best for both his gallery and for Brenda.

Brenda looked up at Ned and realized that this was the opportunity she had been hoping for - a convenient excuse to flee this restaurant and this man, whose mere presence invoked such strong feelings in her that she felt completely out of control. "I'll go with you," she said, reaching for her purse as she started to rise.

Ned saw the immediate look of disappointment cross Jax's face. "No, Brenda, that's not necessary," Ned said quickly. "At least stay and finish your salad. I'm just going to run to the gallery and see if I can get those paintings tracked down. I may be back here before you're even ready for dessert... Besides, it's really not fair to Jax here to have both of us leave him in the lurch for dinner."

Just then Taylor returned to the table, bringing Jax and Brenda their salads. Antony followed him, carrying a takeout bag, which he handed to Ned. "Mr. Ashton, please enjoy your veal scaloppini, and there is no charge. I want you to bring in your beautiful wife here very soon, and then I expect you both to stay for an entire meal." He turned to Brenda, who was still attempting to stand to leave. "I hope that you aren't all planning to desert me this evening. It's bad for business for other patrons to see a table leave without eating. One customer going away without eating can be easily explained, but more than that cannot be so easily explained."

Jax smiled secretly as he realized that Antony must have noticed Brenda's deer-in-the headlights look when Antony had seated him and figured that she'd be ready to bolt once Ned was out if the picture. He hadn't asked Antony to do this, although he had given him the number of the Ashton Gallery to call after the toast. When he'd first arrived and ordered the wine, he had explained to Antony that he and Brenda had had a slight misunderstanding and that he hoped to smooth things over tonight, which was why he was having Ashton pulled away for the evening. Being a romantic, Antony was only too happy to do whatever he could to 'further the course of true love,' as he had told Jax earlier. Jax had smiled at that. Even Antony could see that he and Brenda were in love and meant to be; why couldn't she admit it as well?

Brenda was startled by Antony's words. She had been so intent on getting away from Jax that she hadn't even thought about how their mass exodus before eating might appear to the other customers and ultimately affect Antony's business. "I…umm…" she stuttered, looking from Antony to Ned, purposely avoiding looking at Jax, "I don't feel right staying here and enjoying my meal, when you'll be stuck working at the gallery, Ned. "

Ned shook his head and laughed. "Brenda, you told me that you were going out with or without me - remember? There's no need for both of us to mess up our evenings, so stay here and at least eat your meal."

Brenda stood there, unsure what to do. You know you want to stay, her heart told her. But if you stay, he'll think you want to let him back into your life again, her head argued. You do, her heart replied. Brenda sighed. This was her one opportunity to get away from Jax and the magnetic draw his body seemed to have for hers, and her head was screaming that she needed to run as far and as fast as she could right now and never look back. But her heart was telling her that if she did, she'd regret this moment for the rest of her life. Besides, she thought, Antony was right; it could look bad for his business if they all ran off so abruptly before they'd even had their meals. You know that's ridiculous, her head told her - you've had too much wine, too quickly, on a very empty stomach to be allowing yourself to make any rational decisions. Then follow me, her heart retorted. And she did.

She sat down, much to both Jax's surprise and his delight. "I'm only staying for Antony's sake," she said defiantly, noticing the pleased looks on all three men's faces. "I'm leaving as soon as I've finished my meal. In fact, Antony, if you'd be so kind as to call a cab for me the minute Taylor brings the check, I'd really appreciate it," she added. Antony suppressed a smile as he nodded and then headed back toward the front of the restaurant, where the hostess was beckoning him.

Brenda turned her attention to Ned, reaching her arms up to him so that she could hug him. He bent down to meet her embrace. "I have my phone. Don't hesitate to call me if you need me to come in to help you," she said aloud as she kissed him lightly on the cheek. Then she lowered her voice so that only Ned could hear what she had to say next. "This call from the gallery had better be legitimate, Ned, or I swear I'll kill you - or better yet, I'll tell Lois, and she'll kill you!" she whispered tersely into his ear.

Ned pulled back from her embrace and smiled nervously, knowing that Brenda would be true to her word if this evening with Jax did not turn out well. But his gut told him that leaving her alone with Jax was the right thing to do; he just hoped that Jax's obvious charm would win out over Brenda's legendary stubbornness. It was apparent that she was attracted to Jax - why on earth was she fighting it so vehemently? "I promise I'll call if I need your help. Besides, I may get it all taken care of and be back here before you even miss me," he lied, knowing full well that he was not coming back to interfere with Jax's plans for the evening. "Why don't you just enjoy your meal and the company, and try to let me handle the problems at the gallery?" he said, as he nodded toward both Brenda and Jax, and, picking up his takeout meal, he headed for the exit, leaving Jax and Brenda alone at last.

"Well, at least I'll enjoy the food," Brenda muttered acridly under her breath, as she picked up her fork and stabbed at the greens of her salad with a vengeance.

Jax watched her with a slight smile on his face. "Is that Ned or me?" he asked, wondering which of the two of them Brenda was picturing as she thrust her fork so vigorously into the heart of her salad?

"What do you mean?" she asked, trying to avoid looking at him as she stuffed a forkful of salad into her mouth. She'd be able to survive this meal alone with him as long as she didn't look into those electric blue eyes of his and as long as she kept a wall of hostility between them.

"It appears that you're attacking your salad as if you were trying to kill it," he smiled at her, watching as she purposely tried to look everywhere but at him. "I thought perhaps you were imagining that you were stabbing me instead of the Romaine."

"I'm just hungry," she answered, taking a sip of wine to wash down the oversized bite of salad she had just swallowed. "But how typically egocentric of someone like you to assume that my appetite had something to do with your presence."

"What exactly does that mean - someone like me?" Jax asked, his voice taking on a much harder edge, completely losing the teasing tone with which he had started this conversation. He knew that she was angry with him for secretly arranging this dinner, and he accepted that he owned that anger, but he certainly didn't want to be lumped into accepting her anger for anyone else's transgressions. He had an idea that some of this hostility she was feeling toward him was actually residual anger for whomever it was who had hurt her so badly in the past. He had tried being gentle and loving with her in order to get her to open up to him, but that had failed; perhaps if he showed her his own anger, then she'd talk to him about why they could no longer see one another.

Brenda noticed the change in Jax's tone as well. He's finally angry with you now; this is your opportunity to end things with him completely, her head shouted. But you don't want to do that, so tread lightly, her heart warned. Get angry and leave, her head told her. Apologize for being so rude, her heart responded. You have every right to be rude to him; he secretly arranged this dinner and probably even arranged to have Ned called away so he could be alone with you, her head argued. But he did it because he loves you and he doesn't want to lose you; you owe him answers, her heart answered.

Brenda sighed, putting her fork onto her plate and wiping the corners of her mouth with her napkin before finally looking Jax straight in the eyes. She wasn't sure if it was the wine talking or her heart taking control, but she needed to apologize to Jax and explain a few things as well. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that… I probably shouldn't have said half the things I've said tonight or acted the way I have tonight, but I did, and I apologize for that. In fact, I apologize for everything, including the way I broke up with you the other night… You didn't deserve any of what I've been doling out to you, and I think I owe you an explanation for my behavior tonight - and the other night as well…"

Jax was stunned. He had hoped that she'd finally explain things to him, but he had expected a scene from her first - perhaps even her storming out of the restaurant with him in hot pursuit - but he had never expected her to calmly open up to him like this. She was so full of surprises.

Looking across the table at her, he saw the vulnerability in her eyes - something that he had not seen in her since the last time that they had made love. He knew that this was difficult for her, but she was still willing to explain things to him - that had to mean that she felt something very deep for him. At that moment, he knew that he loved her beyond a shadow of a doubt and he wanted her in his life more than he'd ever wanted anything else. He reached his hand across the table and took hers in his. "I'm listening," he said, his voice soft and soothing.

Brenda nodded slightly, then quietly began, "His name was Jarrod, and I was 21 when I met him…"

Jerry stood in the shadows just beyond the nondescript back door entrance to the Agency's Manhattan offices and watched as a small, dark-haired man emerged from the Agency's private entrance. He didn't recognize the man, but that didn't mean anything. He knew the Agency employed a number of non-agents for various jobs that they considered too menial or too conspicuous to risk getting the Agency's hands dirty. He had never met any of these outside contractors, but he had seen their work. He knew that the pictures of Brenda that Andrew sent him came from an outside contractor, like this guy, but looking at the sleazy man, Jerry hoped that this was not the man whom Andrew had hired to occasionally keep tabs on Brenda. The thought of that lowlife even looking at Brenda in passing, let alone as a concentrated effort through the lens of a camera, made Jerry's skin crawl.

The swarthy-looking man cast a quick glance back at the door as it closed behind him, and then, whistling happily, strode jauntily past where Jerry was hiding. Evidently, whatever this man's business at the Agency had been, it had gone as he had wanted because he had the air of a man who had just grabbed the brass ring. Jerry remembered that feeling - it was the same feeling he had felt when he thought that his plans to leave the Agency and spend the rest of his life with Brenda were actually coming to fruition. But then the cold grasp of reality hit him, and he felt the pain of feeling that brass ring slip through his fingers. But that was nearly four years ago. This time he planned to grab Brenda and run, and he was leaving no clues to anyone in the Agency as to what he was planning or where he was going - and this time, that included Andrew.

Jerry had come here tonight, hoping to inconspicuously slip into the Agency and look around Andrew's office for any information he might have on Brenda and him. He was especially looking for anything Andrew might have in his possession pertaining to Brenda's agency-inflicted injuries of four years ago and anything else about Brenda that Andrew might be trying to hide from him - like the identity of the man with whom she was involved. But the activity here at the Agency tonight indicated that, in all likelihood, he would not be able to slip in and out of the office undetected, as he had hoped.

Jerry had already been to Andrew's apartment, looking for anything that might relate to him or to Brenda, but a persistent neighbor, knocking at Andrew's door, had interrupted him. He decided that it was too dangerous for him to continue looking then, but the trip had not been a total waste of time. Jerry had never visited Andrew's apartment before, and this excursion there had given him a new insight into another side of his mentor. Andrew's apartment was in a nondescript brownstone on the Lower East Side, and he masqueraded as a retired professor of English literature, which Jerry now realized, fit him perfectly.

Andrew had devoted his life entirely to the Agency since the day he'd signed on with it, decades before. He had been the consummate agent, living and breathing his work, never even taking time for a personal life. And evidently what time he took away from the Agency was spent wrapped up in his astounding collection of books that filled the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that lined the walls of his apartment.

Jerry had always known that Andrew was a voracious reader, but he had no idea to what extent until he had broken into Andrew's apartment. Andrew loved the written word like most men love a beautiful woman, but Jerry remembered that Andrew had always quipped that a book could never betray your trust, but a woman invariably would. Jerry wondered what encounters with women in Andrew's lifetime had made him so cynical about them? He decided that was a mystery he would ponder at a later time, once he had made his break from the Agency and he had the luxury of slow and deliberate contemplation.

He thought about how easily he had entered Andrew's place. He had assumed that a man in Andrew's position and used to the latest in protection would have all the bells and whistles available to him in order to secure his personal property, but Andrew had nothing more than a deadbolt on his door. His simple wall safe was readily opened as well, although Jerry had found nothing of substance there, other than a couple of legal documents. He had only been able to search Andrew's bedroom and his desk, before he'd been interrupted by the neighbor's knock at the door, but he had found nothing concerning either Brenda or him there. Perhaps he was being paranoid about Andrew, he thought. Perhaps he was as trustworthy as Jerry had always assumed - or perhaps not, his gut told him.

If Andrew had been straight with him about Brenda over the past four years, then he would have understood everything he'd overheard Brenda and Andrew discussing in her apartment earlier in the day. Instead, it was as if they were talking in some code that only they were privy to. Jerry's instincts told him that Andrew was hiding information about Brenda from him, and most likely had been from the beginning. He was sure that whatever Andrew was hiding from him was documented somewhere, and, packrat that he was, that Andrew had kept those copies in his possession, either in his apartment or in his office here at the Agency.

Jerry looked back up at the building in front of him, noting the lights that continued to burn in the office on the fifth floor, center of the building - Andrew Buxton's office - and sighed. It looked as though Andrew planned to make a late night of it tonight, which prevented Jerry from searching the office right now. Perhaps he should return to Andrew's apartment, since he knew Andrew was still here? But he realized that his heart was no longer into finding out what Andrew was hiding; instead, his heart returned to what had driven him for the past four years - Brenda.

She had been on his mind continuously for the past few days, and seeing her and hearing her today in her apartment - the apartment that should have been theirs together - had made him hunger for her more than ever. It was as if that brief connection with her, though unseen and unknown by her, had whetted his appetite for her even more, if that were possible. He knew that he should just go home and pull out her pictures once again, but something inside of him was driving him to go to her. He had a physical ache inside of himself, more agonizingly acute than any that he had felt in the four, long years that they had been apart, and he knew that no mere memory of their time together would suffice tonight.

No, tonight he had the overwhelming need to take her in his arms and tell her once again that he loved her and that he always had. And something deep inside him told him that if he didn't tell her tonight, he'd never again have the chance…