Keeping his distance from Brenda proved to be an impossible task for Jax. As he’d planned, he started to date Amber again to discourage Brenda’s attentions, but that proved disastrous as it was too difficult for Jax to act truly interest in Amber for more than two and half seconds and Brenda saw right through him and told him as much. On top of that after just one dinner date with Amber, Jax had been ready to put a bullet in his head and he knew there and then that he would never make it three days let alone three months with this charade. And so he had come clean to Amber telling her he was only trying to push Brenda away but this was not working and he would find another means to achieve his goal. Amber had her usual histrionics and for the zillionth time professed her undying love for Jax and stated her case for why they should get married. When Jax told her he didn’t share her feelings on any level except friendship (and that was stretching it) she had put on her over the top Scarlett O’Hara expression and vowed never to give up on him until she wore his wedding ring.

     It was the same old story he’d been hearing from her ever since he was sixteen years old. It blew his mind that she would really go on deluding herself all these years, her vision fixated on only him, not even giving herself a chance with any other men. He must have told her 200 times that he had no interest in marrying anyone until he was way into his thirties and he was definitely not going to marry someone who he felt was more like a sister to him than anything else. But she just didn’t get it, or didn’t want to. She had seemed relived, however, to learn that Jax, while admitting to being seriously attracted to Brenda had no intention of acting on those feelings and was in fact trying to steer Brenda away from him. Amber had pitched Chad as a possible distraction for Brenda, but Jax had not seemed enthusiastic about that at all which had appeared to infuriate her.

     And now, he had to confess that he was following Brenda around more than she was following him lately. He didn’t see her as often as he would have liked in the past four days because Justin had persuaded her to take a part in his musical play and Brenda had been thrilled and delighted that he wanted her to be a part of it. She spent a lot of time with Justin practicing songs while Juliet, was not nearly as dedicated as she was far too busy spending as much time with Devon as possible.

     Brenda’s being so busy with the play made her so scarce in the house that Jax actually missed her. A lot. He missed her bugging him and flirting with him and trying to think of new ways to get him to kiss her. He missed her endless questions and her ridiculously gorgeous face. He just missed her, plain and simple. And so it was that he found himself actually setting foot in the 100 seater sound stage theater that Justin had had built on the property last year. Jax had never gone in there before, having no real interest in Justin and Juliet’s love of theater and song. But knowing that Brenda was spending most of her time there these past few days and that going there would be the only way to see her, he finally went stepped foot inside.

     He stood in the doorway and saw his brother on the stage giving Brenda direction while JoAnna and Halle watched from the front row and the rest of the cast Justin had assembled were practicing their lines silently. Brenda was casually dressed in snug fitting blue jeans, an equally snug white top and white hi-top Reeboks. Her hair was in a ponytail and yet she still looked like she had just come from Mt. Olympus. Extraordinary.

     Justin was telling his pianist to take something from the top, the ensemble took their places as did Justin and Brenda, and Jax quietly went inside and took a seat in the back to watch them, unnoticed.

     The first song they did was a song called "Facade" performed by the entire group. It was a rousing number, very funny & ironic, sort of narrating the routine of the main characters played by Justin and Brenda who were con artists hobnobbing with the London elite in search of a certain diamond necklace of a certain aristocrat (that was the absentee Juliet’s role) which would bring in so much loot that whomever stole it could retire from the life of crime forever. Justin and Brenda played off of each other fabulously as competing thieves who disliked each other but were brimming over with chemistry.

     The following song was a ballad with the two would-be thieves who are obviously at this point aware of their growing feelings and the hollowness of being alone, bare their souls to each other in a moment of sweet honesty.

     To say Jax was amazed when Brenda opened her mouth was an understatement. Her voice was beautiful. Not quite as operatic as Juliet’s but Jax actually liked that about it. And as for Justin, well Jax had always known that his younger brother could sing the pants off just about any world renowned theater star so hearing Justin did not astound Jax as it seemed to astound some of the ensemble who were not familiar with his gift. When the point came for Justin and Brenda to do a duet with the ensemble humming in the background, it sounded like the combined voices of angels. Had his mother been here watching she would have been moved to tears by that last number, Jax thought.

     And then his thoughts reverted back to Brenda. Everyday he seemed to learn something new about her that amazed him. Four days ago it was several things, her cleverness in scheming her way into going to the island with him, her total lack of fear with his daredevil planet stunts, and of course the way she kissed . . . . Two days ago it had been seeing her race Jerry on the horses and on the third attempt actually beat him which to this day had Juliet, who had taught Brenda how to ride, crowing like a rooster and Jerry muttering in disbelief. Yesterday it had been watching her get their butler Niles, a man who was the epitome of the stereotypical stiff, non-smiling bluebood Brit, to dance like an energized teenager to "I Get Around" by the Beach Boys at an impromptu all-girl pool party that JoAnna had thrown together for just the women of the house. As if watching Niles hop around and shoot his hips left and right with vigor to the Beach Boys wasn’t enough, Brenda and Halle both got him to get down to a bass-heavy rap song by Snoop Doggie Dog afterwards which had the men of the house looking on in utter disbelief as Niles gyrated, head bopped and funky chickened his way across the pool deck. And then today, what amazed Jax about Brenda was that voice of hers. He had known her a total of six days now and her ability to get to him, be it in a battle of the wits or a merger of the lips, was the most amazing thing about her of all.

     And it wasn’t just him she had gotten to judging by the way everyone in the household from his father to the maids lit up like a Christmas tree when she entered a room.

     Someone tapped Jax on the shoulder disrupting his thoughts. It was Juliet who wore a bikini top and a sarong type skirt and was wet obviously having just come from the pool.

     "I think you missed you cue," Jax told her.

     She smiled at him and shook her hair wetting him. "I know. I’ve been awful about rehearsals but I made this bet with Devon that I could beat him doing backflips in the pool from end to end and I wasn’t about to leave until I won."

     Jax nodded. "And so I take it you won."

     "Naturally. Persistence always overcomes resistance. You told me that when I was 11."

     "I did?"

     "Yes. Hey, move over."

     He moved to the next seat and Juliet sat down next to him, draping her pink towel on the arm of the red velvet chair. "And since I won guess who’s taking me out to dinner tonight at Emerils?" she said clapping her hands in delight.

     "Poor Devon. You know Jerry and I have both already warned him that you’re on the prowl, so to speak."

     Juliet shrugged. "Hey I admit it. And guess what, I don’t think he minds. In fact I think he rather likes it," she said smiling impishly and then she poked her brother’s shoulder. "And what about you my brother the heartbreaker?"

     "What about me?"

     "Well how come you’ve been home so much lately? I mean, normally I don’t see hide nor hair of you on my summer vacations. You’re always off somewhere doing something insane in some location I can’t even pronounce. What exactly is keeping you here by the home fires this summer Jaaaxxx?" she asked with a raise of her slender blonde eyebrows. She knew the answer of course, and she knew he would never in a million years confess to it.

     "It’s only been six days, pest."

     "Yes but normally you can’t stay in the same place for six seconds let alone six whole days. Why aren’t you off surfing in Maui with your crazy friends or digging for that non-existent treasure at the bottom of the sea in Greece or excavating the Mayan ruins in Mexico or something?

     "Well I have to make sure all the renovations are done for the riverboat first."

     "Devon just told me everything was completed. Next excuse?"

     "I also have to hold up my end with pushing this merger with Hallmark through."

     "Jerry and Justin can do that."

     "Justin is too wrapped up in this," Jax said gesturing towards the stage where Brenda was chatting away merrily with Halle and JoAnna while Justin worked with some other cast members. "And Jerry can’t handle it alone. He has to go to Hong Kong as it is to do some PR with that Matsushita fiasco as it is."

     "So you’re telling me what’s keeping you from your usual summer wanderlust is just . . .business?"

     "Yes," Jax responded. "Would it ever be anything else?"

     "Is umm . . business going to keep you here all summer?" she teased him.

     "Look, I know what you’re getting at, and just so you know, my whereabouts and what I do and when I do it have absolutely nothing to do with your friend Brenda, okay?"

     "Ooookay, Jax."

     "All right I admit there was some serious flirting going on between us initially but in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been trying to distance myself from her," Jax reminded her.

     "Ahhh . . . yeah. And that’s why you’re in here right?" Juliet laughed.

     "I just wanted to see what my little brother was up to."

     "Jax!" Juliet laughed harder. "You are so funny! You expect me to believe that? Justin’s been up to this for the past four years and you never showed any interest. In fact dragging you to the theater was tantamount to pulling teeth. Aren’t you the one who said you’d rather have multiple root canals than go to see the Phantom of the Opera when it was in town for mum’s birthday?"

     "Well I went didn’t I?"

     "Only because Dad threatened to have Amber move in with us if you didn’t. And as I recall you and Jerry played gin rummy the entire time."

     "We had to do something to keep from falling asleep," he muttered.

     "My point is that you have no interest in musical theater. You never have . . . until Justin asked Brenda to be in his play."

     "So a little curiosity on my part is what you equate with me planning my summer entire around your friend? Give me a break." Jax asked with a dismissive shake of his head.

     "You, my brother the heartbreaker, have got it bad. I know you, and I know this is true. I know you’ll never admit it so that’s fine. But let me just say this . . .you’re not the only one who wants her and . . ."

     "I don’t want her," he denied, tossing his little sister a look of irritation.

     Juliet sighed and tousled his hair and continued on as if he had no interrupted her with his ridiculous denial. "As I was saying, you’re not the only one who wants her and if you snooze, you lose, Jax. Just remember that, okay? Cause I don’t want to have to say I told you so while you’re crying in your beer somewhere because Brenda got snatched up by somebody else when you blinked. Ta!" she said kissing his cheek as she dried herself off and ran up to the stage full of apologies for her constant tardiness.

     "I don’t blink," Jax murmured to her retreating back as he got up to leave and ran right into Chad who was as much of a constant visitor to the Jacks mansion these days as his annoying sister Amber.

     "Hey there Jax," Chad said shaking his hand.

     "Hey."

     "I was just looking for Brenda and Niles told me she was probably in here."

     "She’s busy right now," Jax said.

     Chad looked over at the stage. "Yes I can see that. Not a problem," he said taking a seat. "I can wait."

     "They just started," Jax told him.

     "It’s all right. I’m good at waiting for things that I want. My sister and I share that particular Stanton trait."

     "I wouldn’t be bragging about that if I were you," Jax said under his breath.

     "What was that?" Chad asked.

     "I said I have to go meet Devon at the riverboat. I’ll see you."

     "All right then. Say, Jax, do you think it would be okay if I invited Brenda out to dinner?"

     "Why are you asking me? I’m not her father."

     "No. But you do seem to have this thing about protecting her – brotherly I’m sure – and she does seem to listen to you – well for the most part anyway. If you put in a good word for me I think I’d have a better chance of getting a yes out of her."

     "If you want her to go out with you ask her yourself. I don’t control what she does or doesn’t do."

     "Oh I know that. But you must admit she had a little crush on you that did give you some level of influence over her."

     Had? Jax thought. Why was he saying that in the past tense? Was he saying Brenda’s crush on him was cured?

     "You don’t have a problem with putting in a good word for me, do you? I mean, after all I’ve practically known you all my life. We’re friends Jax."

     Jax didn’t get a chance to answer because Brenda saw him and was thrilled that he'd actually set foot in the theater. One of the ensemble members helped her of the stage and she ran over to Jax which immediately set Chad off.

     "Hey!" she said, bumping Jax’s leg with her hip and then she saw Chad. "Oh hey Chad," she said before turning her attentions back to Jax. "So Jax did you hear me up there?" she asked him.

     Her smile was positively contagious and he could do nothing but smile back at her. "Yeah I heard you. You were fantastic," he said.

     Her smile got brighter and it’s beauty blinded him. "Are you just saying that?" she asked quirking a suspicious eyebrow at him.

     "You know I don’t say things I don’t mean," he responded.

     "You know, Justin is so talented," she said excitedly. "I don’t understand why he wants to be a corporate raider when he can be like the biggest thing that ever hit Broadway!"

     "Well us Jacks boys have the spirit or raiding firmly embedded with us passed on genetically from our fake pirate ancestors."

     Brenda laughed. "Hey, I happen to believe your mom when she says that her ancestors were pirates."

     "Well you’re the only one," Jax said giving her a grin that made her heart leap around.

     The exciting dynamic between Jax and Brenda annoyed Chad to no end. Tonight, that would change, however. Chad had every intention of taking Brenda out to a wonderful dinner out on the town and engaging her with his tales of growing up in New Orleans, making sure of course to have minimal mention of Jax. He had made up his mind to change his tactics in his pursuit of Brenda and not to come on strong with this fetching, innocent creature, but instead to go slowly and court her. But each time he saw her with Jax he was more convinced that taking it slow would never work. The girl was all but tripping over herself to get to Jax and the slower Chad took things the more time it would give Brenda to fall that much deeper under the Jax spell. That same spell that had Chad’s own sister fixated with nothing except marrying the man for the past eight years. Unlike Amber, however, Chad was convinced that if Brenda ever got such a notion she would meet with far more success in achieving it than his sister ever had. No, going slowly would not work. Something of a more drastic nature was needed in order to turn the tide in his favor, he realized.

     "Well, I have to go meet Devon by the riverboat," Jax said excusing himself.

     "Why?" she asked.

     "You really never cease to amaze me with the sheer amount of questions you ask in a day," Jax told her.

     "Sorry. What I meant was, I thought the opening wasn’t for another whole month?"

     "It’s not."

     "So then . . . .do you really have to go there now? I mean I wondered if you could do me a favor?"

     "What kind of favor?"

     "Umm . . .I can’t really talk about it right now, but I would need you to be here at five o’clock."

     Jax checked his watch. "I can be back by then. Why won’t you tell me what this is all about?"

     "I’m just . .. I’m kind of embarrassed. You’ll understand when you see. Just make sure you’re in the house at five okay? Oh, you know what? Make that six because I forgot I’m going to have Vince’s wife read my fortune at 5."

     "It won’t take an hour," Jax said, referring to the fortune telling and then he changed his mind, "Actually, since it’s your fortune and factoring in the probability of your asking Sheree a litany of questions after her every prediction, it may very well take the rest of the year."

     Brenda laughed at his making fun of her inquisitiveness and then she impulsively hugged him. "Wow, you smell great," she murmured into his ear, sliding her hands along his chest as she pulled away from him, and then with a friendly wave to Chad she raced back towards the stage where Justin was calling for her.

     Jax got a look at Chad’s irritated expression and wanted to laugh but didn’t. "Well I guess she’s got some sort of plans for tonight," Jax said with a shrug. "Maybe you can ask her out for brunch tomorrow or something?" he suggested. He didn’t mind making the suggestion since he was fairly sure that Brenda would turn Chad down.

     Chad just smiled and nodded but all the while he was stewing with aggravation. Brenda had barely acknowledged him while she had shamelessly flirted with Jax right in front of him. Obviously she had no idea how serious Chad was about her and clearly she was not looking at any other options besides Jax. How ridiculous for such a bewitching angel to limit herself that way. Chad would not hear of it. Forget this going slowly nonsense. Drastic measures were indeed in order. And the first order of business was assuring that Brenda would be his date for Mrs. Jacks party celebrating the re-opening of the Orpheum this Saturday night. And in order to make sure that Brenda was his date, he would have to make sure that Jax was someone else’s date, he realized.

     As Jax left the theater, his mother came in along with Lilith Taylor and her granddaughter Ava. Seeing the way Ava looked at Jax as he passed by her gave Chad a sudden inspiration and he smiled as he stroked his chin and then got up out of his seat to greet the women.

     At five o’clock Brenda and Juliet were in the parlor with Vince’s wife Sheree Pontrain. She was a beautiful, exotic looking woman – a Creole with flawless bronze skin, wavy dark brown hair and luminous gray eyes.

     Brenda sat directly across from her as Sheree laid the tarot cards out on the table. Juliet sat next to Brenda looking on with interest as Chad, who was intentionally hanging around the mansion curious as to what favor Brenda wanted of Jax at six, spotted the threesome in the parlor and hung around by the door listening.

     "Oh my," Sheree said raising and eyebrow as she looked at the cards. "Brenda you have the most complicated life I’ve ever seen. The cards tell me that this summer is an escape of sorts for you."

     Juliet and Brenda both laughed. "Yeah, I’m escaping my wicked step mother," Brenda said. "She thinks I’m at summer school boring myself to death."

     "Well . . .my cards tell me you will not be returning to her," Sheree said.

     "Really?!" Brenda nearly shouted. "Oh PLEASE let that be true!"

     "Maybe she’s going to croak and that way you’ll get your money and be free of her?" Juliet thought out loud.

     Sheree smiled. "I don’t see the death card anywhere in sight. No, she isn’t going to pass away. The cards show that you are an exceptionally clever young lady, Brenda, and you have the gene of mischief in you. This is what will free you from this woman." She turned over another card. "Ah, you have many male admirers."

     "Would you happen to see one who’s blonde, six foot two, dimples, muscles, great laugh and eyes the color of the ocean in winter?" she asked so matter of factly that it made both Sheree and Juliet laugh.

     "I’m afraid I can’t get quite that specific, Brenda. But," she said turning over another card. "This is definitely going to be a summer of discovery for you. And a summer of love."

     Brenda blinked. "Discovery? You mean like Christopher Columbus?"

     Sheree laughed. "No, I think this will be a discovery of a different kind altogheter. IT will be very personal for you. A great awakening."

     "And Love? You said love, right?"

     "Yes, love. I can’t say with whom, but this summer will change everything for you."

     Brenda furrowed her brows. "Everything?"

     "Everything. Your life will never be the same."

     Brenda bit her lip. "Is that bad or good?"

     "I don’t know," Sheree told her. "I only know that surprising changes are coming your way. One right after the other. Love is hunting you down, Brenda, but something or someone is hunting the love down too. They want to kill it before it finds you."

     Brenda looked confused. "Hmmm," she said. "Any suggestions or advice?" she asked.

     "My advice is to just hold on tight, always go with your heart and put that cleverness of yours to good use," Sheree said.

     Outside the doorway, Chad was smiling at the information he had gathered from his little eavesdropping session. So Brenda had a stepmother whom she detested and from whom she was more or less hiding from with the lie of being at summer school. Clearly this stepmother was someone Brenda was desperate never to return to. Desperate enough that if a good friend, like Chad, approached her with an idea on how to be rid of her stepmother permanently, she would in all likelihood be very receptive. He just had to phrase his idea the right way so as not to alert her to his true intentions. And if she needed a bit of a push to give him the response he sought, he could always locate this stepmother and covertly bring her to town, let Brenda find out the woman was here thus causing such panic in the young goddess that she would immediately seek out Chad and eagerly agree to his plan to ensure her freedom.

     It was a bit drastic. But, as he had now discovered when attempting to capture the most beautiful of butterflies, from the gentle hand it would fly away. From the solid grip, it could not escape. All he had to do was make sure she always saw him as the savior in this scenario and that should not be difficult. He left the mansion to go do some investigating on Brenda’s step-mother and how the woman could be of maximum use to him in his plan. And then tomorrow, he would have a little chat with Brenda that would, as Sheree had predicted, change her life forever.

     Six o’clock.

     Jax was home.

     The sun was setting over the Mississippi River which one had an amazing view form from every angle within the Jacks mansion.

     Juliet was out to dinner with Devon and Justin was off flying Halle to Los Angeles for the start of her movie shoot. Jerry and JoAnna were dining alone at the guest house tonight and Jax had a good idea that food was not on their minds at all. His mother, and she had been most days this week, was out on the verandah discussing the last minute preparations for the Orpheum party with that old Taylor woman and her tag alone granddaughter who, although seeming slightly familiar to Jax, held no interest for him whatsoever, and his father was in the den with Jax’s Uncle Robert, who wasn’t really a blood uncle at all, but his father’s oldest and dearest friend who had stopped by on his way home to Phoenix. The two of them were blaring their beloved jazz records as they sipped cognac and reminisced about the old days.

     So for all intensive purposes Jax and Brenda were more or less alone. Actually he was alone. He was in the second level living room, which overlooked the first level living room from elegant white and brass railings.

     He had no idea where Brenda was or what she was doing, only that she had asked him to wait there and she’d be right back. That was over twenty minutes ago.

     Finally he heard footsteps and she entered the living room wearing a dress that quite frankly left him speechless. It was a dynamite, curve skimming fire-engine-red dress with sparkly gold and ruby jewel straps. Her tanned legs were bare and unbelievably gorgeous in a pair of red leather pumps with diamond studs running along the back.

     "Okay," she said bounding into the room with amazing grace considering how fast she was moving and how high the heels of her shoes were. "Your mom – she’s so sweet – well she took me shopping down at the Riverwalk yesterday because I really didn’t’ have anything all that nice to wear to this fabulous party she’s throwing in a couple of days, right? So I picked out this dress. I thought it was really beautiful. But then your mom picked out a dress for me too, which his also really beautiful. So I need you to tell me which one you like better and that’s the one I’ll wear. Oh, and tell me if I look relay stupid in them or something okay? I’m really not used to dressing up or anything. So do you like this one? Oh and, hey does this lipstick look totally weird? It’s fire-passion red and Julie said it fit my complexion. Is that true? Or do I just look like my lips are glowing in the dark?"

     Jax filtered her extremely long sentences through his mind as his eyes drank in the sheer beauty of her. "Yes, I like that dress. Very much. No, your lipstick does not look weird. You look perfect. Like the cherry on top of the cake. Actually," he said his blue eyes roving over her, " you look like the whole cake."

     From his tone of voice and the way his eyes were glued to her Brenda knew for sure that that was a compliment.

     "You really like it?" she asked him, just to make sure.

     "Mmm Hmm." he said nodding. "Where’s the other one?"

     "In my room. I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere," she said smiling at him.

     "I won’t."

     When she was gone he went over to the bar and gulped down a shot of Tequila. No woman on earth had any business being that beautiful, he thought. Had she known the thoughts going on in his mind as he was looking at her she would have fled from the room. But then again, this was Brenda he was talking about. She probably would have jumped into his arms and encouraged him to go for it. He recalled their Iguana conversation and was sure that he was right in thinking she would not have fled from his steamy images of passion. In fact, fleeing from him was something she had never done and in all likelihood never would, and he had to admit that knowing this pleased him. A lot.

     Twenty two minutes later she was back, this time wearing a beautifully designed midnight black dress with satin trim, a daring, very sexy lace up back and a graceful, full length trumpet style, body hugging skirt with back slit. This dress showed off every flattering aspect of Brenda’s body – which was everything as far as Jax was concerned. Her legs were once again bare and this time her feet were crowed with elegant sling-back style black leather pumps with glittery dark gold bows patterned on the back. In it she made a great impression both going and coming.

     "What do you think?" she asked, unsure what his silence meant.

     He could see why his mother had picked this out. It was elegant and yet incredibly sexy whereas the red dress was amazingly sexy but a little too sexy for the kind of party this was probably going to be.

     "I think Mount Olympus must be missing you very badly about now," Jax said.

     She smiled. "So you like this one, good. Do you like it better than the red one?"

     "I wouldn’t say I liked it better, but I think it’s the one you should wear to the Orpheum party," he told her.

     "You are a life saver! Thanks," she said walking over to him and kissing his cheek. Obviously, not satisfied with that, she moved her lips over to his.

     "You are so bad," he admonished her.

     "You’re so good," she murmured, kissing him again.

     "How many times have I told you not to do this?"

     "Who’s counting?" she said as her arms encircled his neck and she kissed him again, longer.

     "I don’t think you’re listening to me," he said as they kissed again.

     "You’re right," she said as her finger slid into his hair and their lips slid over one anther’s sensually.

     "Brenda, you have to cut this out," he said, his hands sliding in back of her and actually punning her closer to him.

     "Say it like you mean it, soldier," she teased him.

     He laughed. "Well, that’s sort of impossible to do at the moment," he confessed.

     "I know," she whispered giving him several kisses in a row. "Will you go with me to the Orpheum party?" she asked.

     "I can’t," he told her. "I’m taking someone else."

     She rose an unhappy eyebrow. "Is that so?"

     "That is so."

     She snuggled up to him and gave him a kiss of stunning sensuality that nearly made him lose his balance and fall over the railing into the living room below.

     "Are you still taking someone else?" she asked, her brilliant dark hazel eyes holding him captivated in their kaleidoscopic beauty.

     He had to wait a moment to get his wits back before he could answer her. "Ahh. . . yeah. I’m sorry, I have to. It’s a favor for my mother. But if you want to keep trying to convince me you just go right ahead," he murmured, brushing his fingertips beneath her chin and giving her a devilish little smile.

     She grinned. "Oh, so you liked that kiss, did you?"

     "I did."

     "Well I had a really good teacher."

     "I don’t recall teaching you that one." He suddenly looked concerned. "You haven’t been taking lessons from anyone else have you?’

     She shook her head. "Nope. That one was just my very own invention."

     "Well you should definitely get that one patented," he said.

     "You think so? I think I need to perfect it first."

     "It was pretty perfect to me."

     "Really? I thought maybe if I did this," she rolled the tip of her tongue in a circular motion along his lips, "it would make for a better ending." She said.

     Jax let out a long, slow breath. "Ahhh . . yeah I see your point."

     She laughed and was about to kiss him again when Jax’s pager went off. "Saved by the bell," he said as he checked the number. "Well it’s about time. Excuse me, I have to make a private phone call," he said.

     "To who?"

     "Brenda," he said exasperated by the way she questioned everything.

     "Well is it to this woman you’re supposed to take to the party for your mom?"

     "Why would I be calling her?" he asked as if it were absurd.

     "I don’t know. Maybe you want her to model her party dress for you?"

     "I don’t think so," Jax said.

     "So who are you taking anyway? Amber?" she asked as she slipped out of her shoes.

     "Please. No, it’s the granddaughter of Mrs. Taylor. Which, actually, isn’t much better."

     "Oh, you don’t like her?" Brenda asked smiling.

     "I don’t have any opinion of her."

     "That means you don’t like her."

     "I didn’t say that."

     "She’s not your type you know."

     "And you know this because . . . ?"

     "Because I’m your type and she’s nothing like me." She paused. "Is she?"

     "No," he said answering the second part of her response first. "Who told you that you’re my type? Sheree?" he asked remembering that Brenda had seen for fortune teller.

     "No, your dad actually."

     "Was he sober at the time?"

     "Jax!"

     "I don’t think my father has any idea what my type is. But if he picked you, he’s at least in the ballpark." He said as she left the living room and walked towards one of the four studies. Brenda followed him inside.

     "I’m in the ballpark?" she asked excitedly.

     She was the ballpark, he thought.

     "No, actually, you’re in the study, and I need you to leave. This call is to my extremely insane friends Shane and Danté and it definitely won’t be suitable for your immortal angelic little ears. Bye-bye, beautiful," he said gently leading her out of the room and then shutting the door.

     Brenda opened it back up. "If I should get the urge to test out a new kiss on you, will you still be in here?" she asked thoughtfully, tapping her fingernails against the door.

     "No."

     "No you won’t be in here?"

     "No don’t get any more urges."

     "I’m bound to get them, Jax. I’m 19. Would you rather me test them out on somebody else?"

     "No. I mean that, Brenda. No."

     "So then if I happen to get such an urge will you be in here?"

     He sighed. She was absolutely impossible. "Why don’t you just get it all out of your system right now," he said. "That way you won’t be bother me for the rest of the night."

     Brenda scurried back into the room smiling that smile that stirred something deep in his soul. "Okay!" she said, tossing her shoes to the carpet. "Sit down."

     He sat on the edge of the Louis XIV chair.

     "Okay, now what do you like better. This," she kissed him sensually while raking her fingers through the back of his hair. "Or this," she gave him another arousing kiss while slipping her hand beneath his shirt and raking her nails gently across his chest.

     "Both. Maybe the second one a little better," Jax said, resisting the urge to toss her on the couch and do what they both so obviously wanted to do. And then he decided to teach her a lesson and also get her to leave him alone so he could make his phone call. "I have one for you. Which do you like better, this," he kissed her hand, turned it over and kissed her palm, kissed her wrist right where her pulse was leaping around, kissed her arm all the way up to her bare shoulders so, so achingly, deliciously slow, then the kisses trailed further up to her throat by which time she was shaking like a leaf. She had never felt anything quote so subtly sensual. "Or this," Jax continued before she could catch her breath and regroup. This time he took her face in his hand and kissed the top of her hair, her forehead, her closed eyelids, her cheeks, the tip of her nose, her chin, the corners of her mouth, everywhere but her lips and then when he finally did kiss her lips, it was a kiss so erotic that it left her a breathless quivering mass. A beautiful, breathless quivering mass, he noted.

     He had gotten to her enough that she knew she needed to get away from him right now. The feelings inside of her were overwhelming at the moment and she didn’t want to make a fool out of herself in front of him.

     "So?" he said as he watched her struggle to pull herself back into reality. "Which one did you prefer?"

     "B . .both. Yeah, both. Umm . . maybe the second one a little better," she said as she picked up her shoes. "I think I need to get out of this dress."

     "Need help?" he asked with a suggestive raise of his eyebrows.

     Her heart practically jumped out of her chest and she could have sworn her electrified hormones were having a high jump contest inside of her. "N..no. No. No. That's okay. I’m fine, It’s cool. Everything’s cool."

     "Everything's cool," Jax repeated giving her a smile that sent her reeling once more. How the heck could he do that?!?!? she wondered in amazement.

     "See you later, okay? Okay. Okay. Bye." She said as she quickly departed from the room, nearly tripping over the edge of the rug as she shut the door. She leaned against the door breathing out in controlled breaths and trying to calm down. What had just happened in there? She knew how to kiss now, pretty darn well too, she thought. She knew how to turn him on as much as he could turn her on now. But whatever he had just done had made her go right back to being the stunned, blissfully aroused but unsure of what to do, love novice scared of her wild, fascinating surge of powerfully erotic feelings, she realized. He had done it on purpose of course, to get rid of her. But that was okay, because of all the ways he could have chosen to get her to leave that room, the fact that he chose to kiss her out gave her a lot of hope. Still shaky but feeling very, very, very good and with his kiss still lingering on her lips, she went into her bedroom and changed back into her jeans and loose fitting pink summer sweater just as the Niles rapped on her door to tell her there was a call for her.

     Brenda picked up the phone praying it was not Iris. "Hello?" she asked apprehensively.

     "Hello Brenda, This is Chad speaking."

     "Oh Chad! Hi!" She was so relieved that it was not Iris that she sounded thrilled to hear from him which only served to boost his already deep desire to have her.

     "I hope I'm not disturbing your mysterious six o'clock plans with Jax."

     When she made no attempt to answer him one way or the other, he continued. "I was wondering if you might not join me for brunch at Emeril’s tomorrow. I have something I’d like to speak with you about. It concerns you and it’s rather important."

     "Ummm . . well . . ." she hesitated.

     "It’s very important," he said, not about to allow her to say no.

     "Oh. Well okay, sure then. I just need to be back by 2 for rehearsal."

     "Splendid. I’ll see you at 11 a.m. tomorrow. Good night."

     "Yeah . . okay, bye."

     She hung up with a puzzled look on her face, wondering what on earth he could possibly want to discuss with her that sounded so important . . .

Song Credit: "Take Me As I Am" from "The Complete Work: Jekyll & Hyde." Music by Frank Wildhorn, Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse