Neither Jax nor Brenda said anything the entire ride back to the hotel. They sat cuddled together in the backseat of the limo, each lost in their own thoughts about what had happened.

Jax couldn't stop thinking about the cruelty both Sonny and Tracy had shown to Brenda. He knew that Sonny was not really the issue this time. For all of his blustering, Jax was convinced that Edward did care deeply for Brenda. He also knew that Edward would keep his word and force Sonny to behave appropriately toward her at future board meetings or be forced to give his proxy to Jason and stay away. Tracy, on the other hand, was another story. He did not like Tracy's animosity toward Brenda. At this moment he didn't really care why she had said what she had. All he cared about was making sure she didn't do it again! He tightened his arms around Brenda as he promised himself that whatever it took he would make sure that Tracy never hurt Brenda or anyone else he cared about again!

As soon as they had walked out the front door of the Quartermaine house Brenda stopped to take a deep breath, trying to clear her head. As they followed the guard to the waiting limo her mind was racing, trying to sort out everything that had been said.

Edward was holding the door open for them when they got to the car. Once they were in the car Brenda immediately snuggled close to Jax, resting her head on his shoulder and her hand flat on his chest. She could feel how tense he was as soon as she got close to him. He immediately wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her even closer, as if he was trying to protect her.

When she looked up into his face, Brenda could see the wheels in his mind turning. It was obvious that he was replaying everything that had just been said. She couldn't help doing the same thing as she snuggled her head back against his shoulder. She was not concerned about Sonny because she knew that Edward would keep his promise to throw him out of any meeting where he disrespected her. She couldn't help shuddering though when she thought about Tracy. At this point she wasn't sure if it was anger for what Tracy had already said or fear of what she would say or do next.

By the time they reached the hotel, Brenda decided that she had shuddered in anger - partly for what Tracy had already said about her but even more for the way she had leered at Jax. As the car came to a stop in front of the hotel she realized THAT had bothered her more than anything either Sonny or Tracy had said about her.

Glancing up to look at Jax when she felt him give her a squeeze, she suddenly realized that for the first time in her life she felt the need to protect someone. Since she knew Tracy and Jax didn't, she found herself wanting to protect him from her, as if Tracy was a predator of some type.

When Edward opened the door and helped her out she stood and watched as Jax got out. He immediately wrapped his arm around her. As they walked through the front door of the hotel with the guards in front and behind them, she realized that for the first time in her life there was someone more important to her than herself - JAX!

As soon as they closed the penthouse door behind them, Brenda threw her purse down on the table behind the couch and started pacing in front of the fireplace. The more she paced the more confused she became. This was all new to her. She had never felt like this before and she had no idea how to handle the feelings. Even with all the confusion she was feeling, there was one thing she was sure of - Tracy was NOT going to get near her husband! She suddenly stopped pacing and looked over at Jax, whom she was surprised to see, had been watching her pace. The longer she looked at him the clearer things became until it finally dawned on her what she was feeling - JEALOUSY!

Jax stood silently by the desk and watched Brenda pace. The longer he watched the angrier he felt. He could see a growing sense of confusion on her face that only added to his anger at the person who had obviously put it there. He wasn't sure what Brenda was thinking about, but seeing the affect her thoughts were having on her made him want to either take her mind off of them completely or get her to talk to him about them.

"A dollar for your thoughts," he said with a smile as he walked over to her.

Brenda smiled back at him. "You'd be overpaying this time," she said with a chuckle. After wrapping her arms around his waist she rested her forehead against his chest for a moment before looking up at him. "I was thinking about Tracy," she said disgustedly as she leaned her forehead against his chest again.

Jax lifted her chin with the side of his finger as he looked down at her with a reassuring smile. "Forget about her luv - she isn't important."

Pulling away from him, she walked over to the couch and turned back to look at him. "Do you know what IS important Jax?" Brenda asked, her confusion now obvious in her voice.

"I think so," he said as he walked over to her. He took both of her hands in his and sat down on the couch. When he didn't let go of her hands Brenda sat down on the table in front of him. He looked into her eyes, a slight smile on his face, "Do you?" he asked softly as he looked down at their joined hands for a moment before looking back into her eyes.

Before answering, Brenda stared deeply into Jax's eyes. What she saw there took away any doubt she may have had about his feelings for her. "I do now," she said softly as she looked down at their hands. While still looking into his eyes, she slowly lifted his left hand and ran her thumb gently across his wedding band before bringing it to her lips for a kiss. "For the first time in my life I really think I do," she said seriously. She put his hand down and reached up to cup the side of his face.

Jax smiled at her as he put his hand on top of hers and squeezed it for a moment. "And what would that be?" he asked as he stared into her eyes.

"What I have right here, right now, with you," Brenda said proudly as she leaned forward to kiss his lips and hold his face in both of her hands. After several more kisses she leaned back and looked into his eyes for a moment, rubbing her thumbs across his cheeks before finally letting go of his face. "Give me twenty minutes," she said invitingly as she suddenly jumped up for the table.

"Brenda!" Jax said with a frustrated look on his face as he grabbed her hand and looked up at her.

"Okay, okay, fifteen minutes, give me fifteen minutes!" When Jax just tilted his head to look at her and arched his eyebrow she took his other hand and pulled him to his feet. "Ten minutes, please?" When he nodded slightly she stood up on her toes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before she turned and ran up the stairs. She stopped when she got to the last step and turned to look back at him. "Ten minutes - no more!"

Jax smiled up at her. "Ten minutes," he said with a wink. He couldn't help chuckling when Brenda did a little dance before running down the hall to their bedroom. When he heard the bedroom door open and then close Jax laughed softly as he walked over to the bar and poured himself a glass of water. He took his drink and sat down on one of the couches to wait the ten minutes he had promised. He used the time to think over what Brenda had just said about what was important to her. He finally glanced at his watch and seeing that Brenda's ten minutes were just about up, he set his empty water glass on the table and got up from the couch. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top few buttons on his shirt as he headed up the stairs.

Just as Jax got to the top step there was a knock on the door. He stopped for a moment to look toward the bedroom before turning to go back down the stairs. When he got to the door Jax stopped, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly before opening the door to find two of the guards holding onto Tracy Quartermaine, who was standing in front of the elevator. Clay, the senior guard on duty, was standing in front of Jax, nervously opening and closing his hands.

"Sorry to disturb you so late Mr. Jacks but this woman insisted on speaking to you." He pointed over at Tracy. "I've already notified Ben to let him know that she got up here without authorization. She refused to give us her name to check for authorization on the visitors' list so it was necessary to disturb you." He looked away from Jax for a moment as if to figure out how to say what he wanted to say next. "This should not have happened Mr. Jacks - especially not on my watch! I apologize for disturbing you and Mrs. Jacks," Clay said with a look of embarrassment for the security breach.

"It's okay Clay. I know this woman. You can let her in." Jax looked over at Tracy, his anger and disgust obvious on his face. He nodded slightly to the guards to release their hold on Tracy. "What are you doing here at this hour?" he asked as he stepped aside slightly to let her into the apartment.

Tracy smirked at the guards as she walked away from them and into the apartment. Jax leaned close to whisper to Clay. "Find out who let her up here without authorization and tell Ben I want them replaced IMMEDIATELY!" He started to turn into the apartment but stopped and looked back at the embarrassed guards in the hall. "I want to thank all three of you for your attention. I'm glad to know that I can at least count on the three of you to keep my wife safe!" Jax nodded slightly to the three men before turning and walking into the apartment, closing the door behind him.

Jax leaned against the door and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to sort out his thoughts and control his anger. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before opening his eyes. What he saw when he did infuriated him. Tracy was standing by the fireplace holding the little yacht with a smirk on her face. It only took a moment for him to cross the room and grab the yacht out of her hands. "Don't touch that!" he said angrily as he glared at her.

"My, my, what's so special about a plastic boat?" Tracy asked sarcastically. "And what's with all the security? Are you afraid somebody is going to get in or that your wife is going to get out?" She looked up at him with a smirk on her face.

Jax ran his thumb gently across the hull of the yacht as he checked to make sure Tracy had not damaged it. "THIS is none of your business!" he said angrily. He gently put the yacht back on the mantle before turning to look at her, his eyes once again the steely blue that had unnerved her at the board meeting. "As to the security, they are here to protect Brenda from people like you! Now it's your turn. What are you doing here and HOW did you get past security?" he demanded as he stood glaring at her.

Tracy looked up at him. "Getting up here was not hard. When your guard refused to let me up to the penthouse I simply went to the manager and 'reminded' him that my family owned this hotel. Then I told him that my father had sent me here to see you. He told the guard it was okay for me to come up since I was here on ELQ business." She reached up to caress his cheek. "As to why I'm here - I wanted to see you. After all, I couldn't exactly say anything in front of the others - especially your wife - you know. No sense in tipping them off to our plans before we're ready," she said as she leaned forward in an attempt to kiss him. Jax pulled her hands away and stepped back. "What's wrong Jax? No one will see us here. Besides, we've waited long enough." Tracy stepped closer and tried to wrap her arms around his neck but Jax again pulled them away and stepped back. "Why do you keep doing that? I can promise you that you won't be disappointed," Tracy said with an obvious leer.

"If you don't want to blow this deal what are you doing at my home at this hour? Did you forget that my wife is upstairs?" Jax looked at Tracy for a moment, a slight grin on his face. "As to the other matter - I'm sure it would be great for you Tracy. With ANOTHER man!"

"What is it Jax? The little wifey got you on a short leash?" Tracy snickered. "I'm mad at you, you know. Why on earth would you get married? Especially to someone like HER!" Tracy shook her head slowly. "I know her Jax. You could have had her without marrying her! She's been disowned by her family so getting at the Barrett empire is out. She can't do anything for you - so why marry her?"

Jax smiled slightly as he looked off into the distance for a moment before looking back at Tracy. "You're right, she can't do anything for me - except make me happy!" He looked Tracy in the eyes, his face cold and expressionless. "I love her Tracy, remember that. No deal is more important to me than Brenda." His eyes turned steely blue as her grabbed her arm. "I suggest you remember that the next time you get the urge to act like you did tonight. I will have absolutely no problem walking away from this deal if you do."

Tracy pulled her arm out of his grasp and rubbed it. "You won't walk away from this deal Jax - not for HER! You want ELQ as much as I do!" Tracy declared confidently.

"Just try me Tracy. You make another remark to or about Brenda like you did tonight and I'll blow this deal - and your involvement in it - wide open to everyone on that board!" He stared so intensely at her that Tracy began to fidget.

"Jax? Where are you? It's been more than ten minutes!" Brenda called from the bedroom.

"I know luv. I'm in the living room talking to Tracy Quartermaine." Jax called back to her with a smirk on his face as he looked at Tracy.

Tracy looked at Jax in disbelief. She could not believe that he had admitted to Brenda that she was there. As she started to complain she was startled by the sound of Brenda's voice.

"What are you doing here Tracy?" Brenda demanded from the top of the stairs.

"It's simple really. I came over to demand that your husband here apologize to my father for his actions tonight and agree to another board meeting immediately!" Tracy said with a phony smile.

"Now why would he want to do that as long as you're still around?" Brenda asked with an equally fake smile. "I think it's extremely rude of you to come to my home at this hour and demand something so ridiculous of my husband," Brenda said as she came down the stairs and started toward where Jax and Tracy were standing.

"Because the longer he refuses to schedule a meeting the worse it looks for Ned. After all, he is the CEO of the company. Even YOU can understand that if word got out that he can't even get his board to agree to schedule a meeting his reputation as a corporate power will be destroyed."

"Oh please Tracy! You don't want to go there. Don't try using that argument with me - I know you too well!" Brenda declared as she came to stand next to Jax, her feet firmly planted and her hands clenched in fists on her hips. "You don't care about Ned or anyone else. You only care about how things affect you! If you cared about your son you would have been at his wedding to Lois - who just happens to be my best friend and business partner!"

"WOW! What a little tigress you've become! And so full of spunk too!" Tracy glanced at Jax for a moment then back to Brenda. "You know, I've actually heard some people like spunk…"

"I DO!" Jax said, his eyes once again turning steely blue as he wrapped his arm around Brenda and pulled her close to him.

"Well I don't! I find it tiresome!" Tracy said as she looked directly at Brenda, expecting her to childishly explode. She was surprised when nothing happened.

"Well Tracy, if you'll excuse us my husband and I are - BUSY!" Brenda said smugly as she gave Jax a squeeze before walking toward the door and quickly opening it - which startled the guard in the hallway. She smiled apologetically at him for a second before turning back to Tracy, "Buh-bye Tracy," she said as she leaned against the open door.

When Tracy didn't move Brenda crossed her arms in front of herself. "NOW Tracy or I'll have Clay REMOVE you from my home!" Brenda put her finger against her cheek for a moment. "Actually, that could be fun," she said with a broad smile and a wink at Jax.

Tracy slowly shook her head as she walked across the room to the door. "You know, I used to think of you as an amateur manipulator - but you've DEFINITELY moved up to being a major manipulator!" Tracy looked at Jax again before turning to leave. She stopped next to Brenda in the open doorway.

"Don't get too comfortable with this life Brenda. Remember, I know you. You'll do something to screw it up. You can't help yourself." Tracy patted Brenda's cheek with a condescending smile. "It's just who you are dear. Why else would your sister have walked out on you and cut you off from the Barrett fortune?" Tracy couldn't help smiling when she saw the flash of pain in Brenda's eyes.

Jax had also seen the pain. He walked quickly over to stand next to Brenda and wrapped his arm tightly around her. "Clay, take Ms. Quartermaine out of here and make sure she doesn't come back unless you have specific orders from Mrs. Jacks or myself to let her in!" He looked directly at Tracy as he spoke, his eyes quickly turning cold as his anger increased.

Without realizing she did it, Tracy shuddered at the look in Jax's eyes. For the first time that she could remember, she felt afraid of a man. She was actually relieved when she felt the guard take hold of her arm and start to pull her toward the elevator. As they were standing in the elevator, waiting for the doors to close, she looked up at Jax and Brenda standing in the doorway. She couldn't help shuddering one more time when she saw that the expression on Jax's face had not changed. He was still furious with her. She was so relieved when the elevator doors finally closed so that she could no longer see his face that she leaned against the back wall and let out the breath she had not even realized that she had been holding.

As soon as they closed the apartment door Brenda began to pace in front of the fireplace. She stopped suddenly and turned to look at Jax. She stood silently for a moment. When he smiled and held his arms open to her she almost ran to him and wrapped her arms tightly around him. He gently wrapped his arms around her and softly stroked the back of her hair. With her head resting against his chest she let out a long sigh. "She's right Jax. It's only a matter of time before I destroy everything we have here."

Jax took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm himself enough to reassure her. He pushed her back from him a little so that he could look into her face. "She's NOT right Brenda," he said as he cupped the side of her face. "Don't let her get to you luv. There is nothing that can hurt us as long as we face it together." he said as he leaned forward to kiss the tip of her nose.

Brenda smiled weakly at him. "I hope you're right Jax. Tracy is a master at messing with people's lives. I've seen what she can do when she sets her mind to it. I watched her destroy Ned and Jenny's marriage." She chuckled softly. "After seeing the way she was looking at you tonight I'm afraid I may be her next target."

Desperate to change the subject, Jax looked around the room quickly before looking back down at her with a twinkle in his eye. "Now where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?"

"Oh I don't remember anymore," Brenda said softly as she closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Well maybe this will help remind us," Jax said as he grabbed the remote control and pointed it at the stereo. When the music started, he dropped the remote on the couch and looked at Brenda, who had opened her eyes when the music started. "Maybe that will help set the mood while you and I try to remember," Jax said with a big smile as he ripped off his jacket and pulled his shirt over his head without bothering to unbutton it any further, taking his still tied tie with it.

Brenda laughed out loud for the first time all evening as she watched him walk toward her. When he was close enough, he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and buried his face in the side of her neck. Brenda gently slid her hands up his chest as she tilted her head to the side to give him better access to her neck. As Brenda tilted her head, Jax began to kiss a path up the side of her neck and across her cheek to her lips. He slowly lifted her up off the floor, allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist as he passionately kissed her lips. He gently traced his tongue across them until she opened her mouth to him. She moaned softly as her tongue began a slow passionate dance with his.

Jax reluctantly broke their kiss to catch his breath as he held her close, her legs still wrapped around his waist. As he started walking toward the stairs with Brenda in his arms, she snuggled her face against the side of his neck and softly kissed a path upward. By the time her kisses reached his ear, they were already in the bedroom. It wasn't long before they were passionately making love. Afterward, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

Jax woke up about an hour later. He glanced down at Brenda sleeping peacefully in his arms. As he gently stroked her hair his mind raced over everything that had happened since they had gotten home. He lifted his arm to look at his watch. It was late but he figured Ned would still be up. He gently eased out of Brenda's embrace and got out of bed. He grabbed his boxers from the floor and quickly put them on. When Brenda stirred and moaned softly, Jax pulled the covers up around her and bent down to gently stroke her hair until she settled back into a peaceful sleep.

After watching Brenda sleep for several minutes, Jax quietly walked out of the bedroom - leaving the door slightly ajar so he could hear if she called out to him. He walked into the living room and went straight to the phone on the desk. Before dialing he looked at his watch again to check the time, deciding to call Ned anyway. After apologizing for the late hour, Jax explained the circumstances of Tracy's visit and asked Ned's help in preventing it from happening again. He told Ned that he had already taken care of the security staff and was relieved when Ned promised to take care of things on the hotel's end. After apologizing again for the late hour of the call he said goodnight and hung up the phone. He stood staring at nothing in particular for several moments before walking across the living room and starting up the stairs.

Just as Jax got to the top step the phone on the desk rang. He glanced down the hall toward the bedroom for a moment before stepping of the edge of the stairs and walking quickly over to the desk. "Jax here," he said quietly.

"Oh good, it's you! I was afraid the little 'wifey' might answer," Tracy said sarcastically.

"It's late Tracy. What do you want?" Jax asked coldly as his hand tightened on the phone.

"We need to talk about our plans for ELQ - specifically the problem that Jason and his keeper, that Sonny Corrinthos, could pose." Tracy sighed loudly as she finished.

"I'm aware of that Tracy," Jax said curtly. "After your performance tonight though, this is really not when you want to talk to me about this subject."

"We can't put this off Jax. I've got a lot invested in this deal. I'm not about to loose everything I have because you're feeling protective of that little manipulator you married!" Tracy tried to sound confident so that Jax would not realize how scared of loosing this deal she really was.

"Don't push it Tracy. I'll call you when I'm ready. In the meantime, don't call here again!" Jax said before he slammed down the phone.

Brenda woke with a start when she realized that she was alone in bed. She sat up to look around the room for Jax. "Jax?" she called softly as she turned on the bedside lamp. When there was no answer she got up and grabbed her robe from the foot of the bed. As she put it on she walked over to the bathroom door and knocked gently. "Jax? Are you in there?"

When she still didn't get an answer Brenda felt a knot start to form in her stomach. Jax never left her alone in bed after making love unless something was wrong. Without waiting to tie up her robe she walked quickly to the door. As she opened the door she was relieved to hear the sound of Jax's voice coming from the living room. She wrapped the robe tightly around herself as she started down the hall. She just finished tying the belt when she got to the top of the stairs.

Just as Brenda reached the top step, she heard Jax angrily slam down the phone. She stopped and silently watched him for several moments. It seemed to her that Jax knew she was standing there because he slowly turned to face her. "Are you okay?" she asked as she came down the stairs and started across the living room toward him. It was obvious by the look on his face that whomever he had been talking to had made him extremely angry.

Jax smiled when he saw her and started walking toward her. He pointed back toward the phone as he walked. "That was Tracy Quartermaine. She demanded that I agree to another board meeting immediately. She said if I didn't Ned, as CEO, would take legal action against me," he said with a chuckle. "She obviously doesn't know her son very well does she?"

"She never did," Brenda said as she slowly shook her head with a disgusted look on her face.

"What are you doing down here anyway? I thought you were sound asleep?" Jax asked as he wrapped his arms loosely around her when he got close enough.

"I woke up when I realized that you weren't in the bed with me. I got worried because you never do that after we make love unless something is wrong so I came looking for you." Brenda rested her hands flat on his bare chest. "Now I wish I'd come down a little sooner so I could have given Tracy a piece of my mind!"

Jax smiled down at her with a glint in his eye. "What do you say we forget about Tracy for the rest of the night? Or even longer!" he said as he suddenly swept her up in his arms, causing Brenda to squeal and snuggle her face against the side of his neck as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He walked quickly across the room and up the stairs, resting his cheek on top of her head as he walked down the hall to the bedroom. He didn't bother kicking the door shut behind him as he carried Brenda back to their bed - where they spent the next few hours helping each other forget about Tracy before falling asleep in each other's arms.

WEDNESDAY
June 28, 1996

It had already been a very busy morning for Jax. He had forced himself to get out of bed at 5:30 am to handle several calls concerning ongoing Far Eastern negotiations. When Brenda knocked on the door to the den at 9:00 he quickly ended the call he was involved in to have breakfast with her. As they were finishing their coffee there was a knock at the door. "Are you expecting anyone?" Jax asked as he looked over the rim of his cup at Brenda.

"Nope, are you?" she asked. "The only thing I have planned for today is lunch with Lucy. I figured that since the Quartermaines know about their 'new board member' it was time to tell her that I've decided to sign with Jacks Cosmetics. Besides," Brenda said as she couldn't help chuckling, "She's dying to announce her purchase of the company, especially to Katherine."

"I can believe that! I'm surprised she's waited this long to announce it!" Jax said with a smile as he got up to answer the door. He was surprised when he opened it to see Ned standing in front of him. "Ned? What brings you here so early? Is Lois okay?"

"She's fine Jax," Ned said with a slight shake of his head. "As fine as she can be with morning sickness." Ned walked into the room when Jax opened the door for him. "I came to apologize to you guys for what happened last night."

Brenda walked over to join Jax and Ned, leaning forward to give his cheek a quick kiss." You don't have to apologize for Tracy, Ned. You never did."

"I know, she's responsible for her own actions and believe me she's going to pay," Ned said with a slightly smug expression. "When I left the house last night grandfather was mumbling things about hitmen and rubouts." Ned chuckled for a moment before getting serious again. "Actually, I came by to apologize for the part the hotel staff played in her little display in your home last night." When he saw the surprised look on Brenda's face he smiled. "Jax called me last night and filled me in on Tracy's little 'visit'." He cleared his throat before continuing. "I've fired the hotel manager as of this morning for allowing her up here last night. The assistant manager, Aaron Vandoon, I think you've both met him, will be assuming his responsibilities until a permanent replacement can be found."

"Thanks Ned, I appreciate this," Jax said sincerely.

"No problem Jax, I'd have done this even if you guys weren't involved. He went against my direct orders - ELQ employees do NOT do that without a very good reason and he didn't have one." Ned glanced at his watch. "I have to get going." He put his hand on Brenda's arm. "I really am sorry about last night Brenda. You know Tracy though, she'll do something to push grandfather too far and he'll order her out of town. Hell, he's half way there already!" Ned said with a chuckle.

Brenda smiled slightly and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "I hope you're right Ned," she said with a trace of sadness in her voice in spite of the smile. Slowly her smile grew and her eyes seemed to brighten. "Would you tell Lois I'll give her a call as soon as I get back from my meeting with Lucy this afternoon?"

"Sure, I'll be glad to," Ned said. "Does this mean that I'm looking at the new face of Jacks Cosmetics?" he asked with a glint in his eye.

Brenda looked over Ned's shoulder at Jax, who nodded once to her. "Don't say anything to anyone yet Ned. There's more to this than just my returning to modeling."

"Like what? Everyone already knows that Jax hired Lucy to run Jacks Cosmetics when Katherine fired her." Ned's curiosity was definitely peaked by the expression on Brenda's face.

"Lucy doesn't just work at Jacks Cosmetics Ned, she owns it!" Brenda said with a grin.

The confused expression on Ned's face made both Brenda and Jax chuckle. "Is something wrong Ned?" she asked innocently.

"What do you mean she owns Jacks Cosmetics? Since when? How is that possible? She doesn't have that kind of…" Ned stopped as he realized what had happened. "Wait a minute! The stock!" He looked directly at Jax. "You traded Jacks Cosmetics for Lucy's ELQ stock didn't you?" Ned asked as a smile spread across his face.

When Jax just smiled silently at him Ned turned back to Brenda. "Am I right?" he asked expectantly.

Brenda looked hesitantly at Jax, who shook his head slightly. She winked at him before looking back at Ned with her most innocent expression. "Why would you think that Ned?" she asked. Remembering what she had already said she grew serious. "Please don't say anything about her owning Jack Cosmetics yet. She wants to 'surprise' Katherine with the announcement. She deserves that much after what Katherine did to her don't you think?"

Ned smiled back at her. "I can't argue with that," he said. "Okay, I'll keep quiet. Do you have any idea when she's planning to make the announcement? I want to be sure I'm around when Katherine and grandfather find out."

Brenda couldn't help chuckling. "I'd like to see that myself!" She thought for a moment before continuing. "My guess is that she'll be making the announcement in the next day or so. I'm meeting with her this afternoon to let her know that I'm accepting her offer to model for Jacks Cosmetics so I'd guess she and Jax will announce the sale at the same time. What do you think honey?" Brenda and Ned both looked at Jax for an answer.

He couldn't resist a sly smile. "I would say that's a good guess. I think the only thing she's waiting for now is to get a commitment from Brenda."

"Good! Be sure to let me know exactly when you plan to make the public announcement. I think I'll invite Katherine and grandfather to my office to watch it." Ned leaned over to give Brenda a quick kiss. "I'll give Lois your message as soon as I get to the office," he said with a smile. He held out his hand to Jax. "You, I'll talk to later," he said with a smile and a determined look in his eyes.

"I'll look forward to that," Jax said innocently as he shook Ned's hand. The three friends walked over to the door. Jax opened the door and turned to face Ned. "I'll have Ben set up a meeting with the new manager this morning to discuss our security concerns."

Ned nodded, "I've already told him to cooperate fully with your people." He looked from Jax to Brenda and back again. "I'll do anything necessary to keep both of you safe from whatever it is that Corrinthos is involved in!"

Brenda smiled appreciatively. "Thanks Ned," she said quietly.

Jax closed the door after Ned had walked out, glancing at his watch as he did. "Damn," he said softly as he ran his right hand across the top of his watch.

"What's wrong?" Brenda asked.

"I just remembered that I have a meeting with the bankers for the Albany deal in about twenty minutes," Jax said as he took a breath and let it out slowly. When he saw the confusion on Brenda's face he explained. "I was hoping to go to your meeting with Lucy." He looked at his watch again. "But I doubt that I'll be back in time."

Brenda couldn't help smiling at the disappointed look on his face. "It's okay honey, I can go alone," Brenda said as she patted his cheek.

"I know that luv," Jax said with a chuckle as he tapped the tip of her nose with his index finger. "I just wanted to be there since I've been a part of this whole process since almost before you were," he said with a smile.

"I have a suggestion then," Brenda said with a smile as she loosely wrapped her arms around his waist. "We're meeting in The Grill for lunch. You go to your meeting with the bankers and then meet us at The Grill afterward. How's that sound?"

"Sounds perfect," Jax said with a smile as he leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose. "I like the way you think Mrs. Jacks," he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and bent down to kiss the tip of her nose again.

"Good! Now go get ready for your meeting. You don't want to be late!" Brenda said as she gently slapped both of her hands on his chest.

"Yes ma'am," Jax said with a big smile and quick kiss before letting go of her and heading up to change clothes and get his briefcase. He came back down in about ten minutes. "I should be finished with my meeting by 1:00 - so I'll meet you and Lucy at The Grill as soon as I get back. Okay?" he asked as he walked over to her.

"Sounds good to me," Brenda said. "I already called and changed our reservation to three so you can have lunch with us whenever you get there." She turned Jax's wrist to look at his watch. "You better get going or you'll be late."

Jax wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked to the door. "Will you promise me that you'll do what the guards tell you to do while I'm gone?" he asked when they got to the door.

Brenda turned to look up at him. "Only if you promise to do the same," she said as she looked into his eyes with a serious expression on her face. "Listen, I'm only going downstairs to lunch. You're the one who's leaving the hotel." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before continuing. "Are you taking Ben with you?" she asked.

"Would you feel better if I did?" he asked as he gave her a reassuring smile. When she nodded yes he leaned forward to give her a quick kiss. "Okay, I'll ask him to go with me when I get to the lobby."

"Thank you," Brenda said with a relaxed smile. "You better get going," she said softly.

Jax glanced at his watch. "You're right, I better or I'm going to be late. Doesn't do to keep bankers waiting," he said with a big smile.

Brenda opened the door for him. "I'll see you in The Grill when you get back," she said as she straightened his tie.

"You can count on it," Jax said as he leaned down to kiss her lips. "You are going to listen to the guard, right?" he asked suspiciously.

"I said I would," Brenda said with a trace of frustration in her voice. "I already arranged for us to have the table Ben picked out as the safest one in the restaurant and I'll let the guards check the room before I go in. Okay?"

"Okay," Jax said with a smile. "I better go." He leaned down to give her another kiss, this time it was longer and more intimate.

When the kiss ended Brenda looked up into his eyes as she caressed his cheek. "Be careful," she said softly.

Jax smiled reassuringly. "I promise." Then almost as an afterthought he said, "You too." He leaned forward to give her one more quick kiss before walking out the door. One of the guards was already holding the elevator doors open for him. After stepping into the elevator, Jax turned to look at Brenda. He waived slightly just as the doors closed.

The Grill Restaurant

Lucy was already waiting at the table when Brenda got there. "Sorry I'm late Lucy. I had to make a couple of calls and it took longer than I expected. Have you been waiting long?" Brenda asked as she sat down in the corner as the guard had instructed. Once Brenda was settled, he took a seat at the bar, where he could see the doorway and not only their table but most of the rest of the restaurant as well. He could also see both of the terrace entrances.

Lucy smiled and leaned over to hug Brenda. "I just got here myself," she said brightly as she slid her briefcase onto the chair next to her. When she leaned back she noticed that the man she had seen walk in with Brenda was sitting at the bar watching them. "Who is that man sitting at the bar? I saw him walk in with you."

Brenda looked over toward the bar and smiled. "That's Eric. He's my protection officer." Brenda couldn't help smiling slightly when she saw the shocked expression on Lucy's face. "There are some things about Lily's shooting that I can't talk about that make it necessary for both Jax and I to have protection - at least until things are cleared up."

"Oh my God! How awful!" Lucy declared as she put her hand on Brenda's arm. "Can't you tell me anything what it?"

"I'm afraid not Lucy," Brenda said. "We promised the authorities that we wouldn't say anything. Do you mind?" she asked, as she looked Lucy in the eyes.

After taking a moment to look into Brenda's eyes Lucy shook her head. "Of course not, I won't ask any more questions." She took a deep breath as she slowly shook her head a couple of times as if to clear her mind. "Why don't we order lunch and then you can tell me why we're here," Lucy said with a knowing wink.

"Why don't we talk first? Jax is going to join us for lunch so I'd like to wait until he gets here to order. Okay?" Brenda asked.

"That's fine with me," Lucy said eagerly as she sat forward and linked her hands together on the table in front of her. "I'm all ears."

Brenda smiled as she leaned forward and put her hands on the table as well. "You'll be getting the formal notice at your office later today but I wanted to tell you that I'm accepting your offer to be the new face of Jacks Cosmetics."

"I knew it! I knew it! I knew you couldn't walk away from modeling!" Lucy was so excited she was almost dancing in her chair. "We're a great team Brenda! I can just see the publicity when I announce that Brenda Barrett is going to be the new face of Jacks Cosmetics!"

Brenda held up her hand to stop Lucy. "There's just one thing. I don't want to be Brenda Barrett anymore. I want to use my real name." When she saw the confusion on Lucy's face she smiled. "I want you to announce that Brenda Jacks is the new Face of Jacks Cosmetics. Okay?"

"Of course! That's even better!" Lucy was so excited that everyone in the restaurant was watching them.

"Oh darn! You told her already!" Jax said as he walked up to the table. "I'm glad to see she took it so well," he said with a chuckle.

Lucy and Brenda both turned at the sound of his voice. "Hi honey," Brenda said with a big smile. "You got here quick." She looked over at Ben, who was standing next to Jax. "Hello Ben. Did he give you any trouble?" she asked with a smile as she looked back at Jax and winked.

"Actually, he was very cooperative for once," Ben said as he looked suspiciously at Brenda. "I have a feeling you had something to do with that though," he said with a smile as he winked at her.

"Now Ben, I always cooperate!" Jax said innocently, which made the three of them laugh and left Lucy confused. Jax sat down next to Brenda and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"Right!" Ben said with an exasperated look. "Well you all enjoy your lunch." Ben looked seriously at Jax and Brenda as he leaned over to talk quietly to them. "Eric and David will be here if you need them. If anything happens follow their instructions - ALL of you!" He looked at Lucy as he said the last part. He knew Jax well enough to know that if trouble started he wouldn't leave a friend behind - especially a woman.

"We will Ben, thanks" Jax said with a stern glance at Lucy that stopped her from saying anything.

The three of them spent the next hour enjoying a leisurely lunch - avoiding the topic of the security concerns. When they finished eating they began discussing plans for the announcement of Brenda's signing and the sale of Jacks Cosmetics. With the Fourth of July holiday just a few days away Lucy wanted to make the announcement as soon as possible to get the most media attention. They finally decided to hold a press conference the next day at noon on the terrace of the hotel. That would give them maximum exposure on the local noon news for the announcement to be picked up by the news services.

Lucy had been making notes in her planner as they agreed on specific arrangements. When she thought they had covered all of the details she began to close the planner. "I think that covers just about everything," she said excitedly.

Jax looked at Brenda and cleared his throat. "There's one more thing, Lucy." He glanced over at Brenda again. "I'd appreciate it if you or Dennis would meet with our security director before you make the final arrangements. He'll need to arrange for the security for the conference."

"Of course, I should have thought of that." She looked at both of them for a moment. "Brenda told me that you guys have to be careful because of something to do with Lily Corrinthos's shooting," Lucy said as she opened her planner to make another note. "Where can I find him? I think you said his name is Ben?"

"He's sharing the Security Director's office here at the hotel. Just ask at the front desk and they'll direct you," Jax said. "Thanks for understanding Lucy, and not asking any questions."

Lucy smiled at Jax as she put her planner in her purse. "It's not a problem Jax. You guys are my friends. I'll do whatever I can to help." After leaning over to give Brenda a quick kiss on the cheek Lucy stood up. "Now if you will excuse me, I have a ton of things to do this afternoon."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Jax asked as he stood up as well.

"No, I'll take care of everything. Thanks for the offer though. I'll stop in to see the manager to arrange for the terrace and then I'll meet with your security director before I leave the hotel. You guys just plan on meeting me here in The Grill about 11:45 tomorrow morning." Lucy looked down at Brenda with a very sincere smile, "Thanks so much for doing this. I promise, you won't be sorry." Then she looked up at Jax with a serious look on her face, "Thank you for trusting me with your company Jax. I promise you, I won't screw it up!"

"I'm not worried Lucy. You and Brenda were a great team at Deception and I have no doubt that you'll do great things at Jacks Cosmetics as well," Jax said as he leaned over to kiss Lucy's cheek. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks Jax. See you guys tomorrow," Lucy said with a wave before quickly walking away.

Brenda and Jax stayed at the table talking about Jax's meeting with the bankers and tomorrow's press conference for almost an hour before deciding to head upstairs to the penthouse. When they were ready to leave Jax signaled the guards who had taken positions on opposite sides of the restaurant. As Jax stood up and pulled Brenda's chair out for her, the guards came up to join them. When they started toward the exit one of them walked in front and the other behind them. They kept these positions until they reached the elevator. As soon as Jax and Brenda were on the elevator the guards waited until the doors closed before returning to the security office.

As promised, Jax and Brenda were waiting in The Grill to meet Lucy before the press conference. They were sitting at a corner table, away from the terrace doors when Lucy came rushing into the room. "Hi guys!" she said as she sat down with them.

"Hello Lucy," Jax said with a smile. "Is everything ready for your big announcement?"

Lucy gave her notes a nervous look before answering. "I think so. The reporters are all out on the terrace, including the TV crews. Your security people are spread out among the crowd and the hotel security people are checking credentials and watching the entrances." She looked nervously at Jax. "Did I miss anything?"

Jax smiled, "Sounds to me like you've got everything covered." He looked at Brenda for a second before looking back at Lucy. "There is one thing you should know. We told Ned about our deal the other day." When he saw Lucy start to protest he held up his hand to stop her. "Relax Lucy, he thinks it's great. In fact, he's got Edward AND Katherine in his office right now to watch this announcement. He thought they deserved to hear it first hand after what they did to you."

"Well, when you put it that way, how can I be upset," Lucy said with a smile. She glanced over at the terrace door and saw her assistant, Dennis, signal to her that everything was ready. She nodded slightly at him and turned back to Jax and Brenda. "It's time," she said as she took a deep breath and let it out very quickly.

"Let's do it!" Brenda said as she gently squeezed Lucy's hand. All three of them got up and started toward the terrace door. When Lucy opened the door Jax and Brenda stepped back slightly and waited a moment to let her walk out alone before taking each other's hands and walking out behind her.

When the terrace doors opened, all of the reporters quieted down as Lucy walked up to the podium. A murmur spread across the terrace when they saw Jax and Brenda walking out behind her. As soon as Jax and Brenda were standing behind her Lucy held up her hand to quiet the crowd.

Lucy cleared her throat before starting. "I want to thank you all for coming this afternoon on such short notice. I hope you will feel it was worth your time." She looked over at Brenda, who gave her a reassuring smile, before turning her attention to the subject at hand. "For those of you who may not be aware, I recently left my position at Deception Fragrances and have been working at Jacks Cosmetics." She paused for a moment to allow the reporters to make notes.

"As a result of my new position at Jacks I am very pleased to announce the signing of Brenda Jacks as the new face of Jacks Cosmetics." Lucy stopped again as a loud round of applause spread across the room as Brenda stepped up next to Lucy.

"Lucy? Did your leaving Deception have anything to do with the fact that the company was purchased recently by Katherine Bell?" one of the reporters in the front row asked.

Lucy smiled at the reporter. "Actually it did - Ms. Bell's first act as owner of the company was to terminate my contract effective immediately. I was fortunate enough that Mr. Jacks offered me the management position at Jacks Cosmetics almost immediately after my dismissal."

"How did you lure the Face of Deception away Lucy? Does it have anything to do with the fact that her husband owns Jacks Cosmetics?" another reporter asked smugly.

Jax stepped up to the podium to answer the question. "I'd like to answer that if you don't mind," Jax said as he glanced over at Lucy who nodded her agreement. "I'm afraid you've got your facts a little wrong. I am NOT the owner of Jacks Cosmetics, Ms. Lucy Coe is sole owner of the company!" Jax stepped back from the microphone as every reporter jumped up to ask a question at the same time.

"How long have you owned the company Lucy?" one reporter asked

"Was hiring Brenda a condition of the sale Lucy?" asked another.

Lucy stepped up to the podium again and held up her hand to quiet everyone. "Jax and I signed the purchase agreement about two weeks ago. The official transfer of ownership was approved by the SEC as of 5:00pm on June 26, 1996. The SEC approval was registered by Jax on that date." She took a deep breath and looked directly at the reporter who had asked the second question. "As to hiring Brenda as the Face of Jacks Cosmetics, I think I'll let her answer that question." Lucy looked over at Brenda as she stepped aside.

Jax could feel Brenda tense up next to him. He gently squeezed her hand and when she looked up at him he smiled and nodded toward the podium. She slowly stepped up to the microphone. "My decision to sign with Lucy was not a condition of the sale. As a matter of fact, I would have left Deception regardless of this job offer. My contract at Deception was due to expire shortly after the company was sold and I informed Ms. Bell at that time that I was considering leaving the company. After an extended period of negotiation, I notified her that I would not be accepting her offer to re-sign with Deception." Brenda turned to look at Lucy and Jax. "At first I wasn't sure if I would be returning to modeling so soon after my marriage. It was only within the last few days that I finally decided to continue my career and accepted Lucy's offer."

"Brenda? Doesn't it bother you to jump to a competing company? After all, Deception made you the national figure you are today!" a female reporter asked.

Brenda recognized the woman as a friend of Katherine's. "Not at all," she said calmly. "My loyalty has always been to Lucy NOT to the company. It was Lucy who had faith in me and gave me the chance to prove myself. I see signing with Jacks Cosmetics as remaining loyal to the person who gave me my start. Besides, as you all know, Jacks Cosmetics is an international corporation so the added exposure can only help my career." Brenda couldn't resist smiling smugly at the reporter. "Does that answer your question?"

"Will you continue to use Brenda Barrett as your profession name?" a reporter off to one side of the terrace asked - obviously trying to change the subject.

"No actually, I'll be using my legal name of Brenda Jacks or just Brenda once I begin working for Lucy." Brenda smiled when she saw the surprised look on Jax's face at her announcement. She couldn't help giving him a mischievous wink, which made him smile back at her. Several reporters stood up to ask questions as the conference continued.

After getting a call from Jax to let him know the day and time of the press conference, Ned arranged for both Katherine and Edward to be in his office just prior to its start. They had both demanded to know why he had insisted that they be there. He finally convinced them that everything would be explained in a few minutes as he turned on the TV in the corner of the office.

When the press conference began both Katherine and Edward looked at Ned, trying to figure out what it had to do with them. When Lucy announced Brenda's signing with Jacks Cosmetics both Katherine and Edward sat in silence while Brenda calmly explained her reason for signing as loyalty to Lucy. Katherine's jaw dropped as Brenda finished her statement. "That ungrateful little witch!" she screamed. Ned and Edward both looked angrily at her as she continued. "Who does she think she is? Where does she get off talking about ME and Deception like that?" Katherine screamed as she slammed her hand down on Ned's desk. Before she could finish she saw Jax walk up to the microphone to announce the sale of Jacks Cosmetics. "That's not possible!" she screamed. "There's no way Jax would sell such a successful company to someone like Lucy Coe. He's too smart for that!"

"Enough Katherine!" Edward declared. "You will NOT talk about a member of my family like that in front of me!"

"Since when is Brenda a member of the Quartermaine family? Especially now that she's married to someone like Jax!"

"Watch it Katherine!" Ned said as he coldly stared at her. "You better be very careful about what you say next. Brenda has been a part of our family since she was a teenager. Now that's she's married to Jax he's a part of our family as well - not to mention being my friend." He couldn't help smiling as he continued to look at her. "If you have any doubts just ask my grandmother. She was very specific about them being part of the family at the last ELQ board meeting. Right grandfather?" Ned asked as he looked over at Edward, who nodded slowly as he looked away.

Ned walked over and stood right in front of Katherine. "If anyone is responsible for all of this it's YOU! You couldn't wait to fire Lucy when you bought Deception could you?" Ned crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly to look at her. "Did you even listen to Brenda's attorney when he was negotiating with you?"

"Wait a minute! That wasn't my fault! Sonny told me…"

"That's where you made your mistake Katherine. Brenda told you up front that her lawyer would handle all of her contract negotiations - NOT SONNY! Lucy respected that - you didn't," Ned said as calmly as he could with the growing anger he was feeling.

Realizing that she couldn't win with Ned, Katherine turned her anger toward Edward. "Don't you have anything to say Edward?"

Still angry abour her cruel remarks about Brenda, Edward walked over to Katherine and glared at her. "Only this - you alienated Lucy by firing her from Deception. As a result you lost Brenda as the 'Face of Deception'. Also because of you not only do we have to deal with Sonny Corrinthos on our board but now we also have that pirate Jasper Jacks!" Wagging his finger at Katherine he couldn't help smiling sarcastically at her. "Did you really think Brenda would stay at Deception when she had a chance to work with Lucy at a company nurtured to international success by her husband?" Edward shook his head slowly. "If you do Katherine, you're not the businesswoman I thought you were." He started to turn away but looked back at her. "Oh before I forget, I may not trust that Jax character as far as I can throw him in business but Ned's right. When he married our Brenda he became a member of the Quartermaine family. As long as he keeps her as happy as I saw her the other night he will remain a member of this family - with the unconditional loyalty that comes with being a family member. Do I make myself clear?" He looked directly into Katherine's eyes with a coldness that made her fume.

Katherine growled and spun on her heel to face Ned. When she saw the smug expression on his face she growled again, grabbed her purse and stormed out of the office - slamming the door behind her.

Edward cleared his throat and looked at Ned. "Now that we're alone you can tell me. What are you going to do about getting Jax off the ELQ board?"

Ned couldn't resist laughing out loud. "What do you expect me to do? You're the one that started the ball rolling by selling Deception out from under Lucy!" Ned walked away from his grandfather and sat down at his desk. "Now, if you'll excust me, I have work to do," he said as he opened a file and started reading the first page.

"This is not finished yet my boy. There has to be a way to get Corrinthos AND that scoundrel out of ELQ and I expect you to find it!" Edward said as he walked over and leaned his hands on Ned's desk. "If you don't think you can do it then maybe it's time to make some changes in the management around here. Think about it!" Edward rapped his knuckles on the desk before standing up straight and turning to walk out. When he got to the door he turned and looked back at Ned. "I mean it Ned - get them out of ELQ! It's bad enough your mother is back in town, I don't need to deal with those two messing up my company!" Edward opened the door and walked out, closing the door behind him.

As soon as Edward was gone, Ned slowly closed the file and rested his face in his hands. He sat silently like that for several moments before running his fingers through his hair. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he thought about what his grandfather had said. The only thing he agreed with him about was Tracy. Whatever her reason for coming home right now it only meant one thing - TROUBLE! Ned shook his head a couple of times as if to clear it of the thoughts of Tracy before opening the file again to try to get back to the work in front of him.

It was almost 1:00 before Lucy's assistant could get Lucy, Brenda and Jax away from the reporters. As soon as they could get away, they went upstairs to the penthouse to relax in private. Once they got up to the penthouse, Brenda took off her shoes and sat down on one of the couches with her feet tucked underneath her. Lucy sat on the couch across from her and Jax took off his jacket, unbuttoned his collar, and loosened his tie before sitting next to Brenda, his arm on the top of the couch behind her.

Without looking at either Jax or Brenda, Lucy started to play with her hair as she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She kept looking down at her lap for another moment before looking at them. "Now that we've gone public with our working relationship, I think I have a right to know what's going on with you guys and all this security."

Brenda and Jax looked at each other for a moment before they smiled slightly at each other and then back at Lucy. "I think you're right Lucy, you should know what's going on," Jax said. He then proceeded to tell her what had happened the night of the Nurse's Ball, including the fact that the police found a picture of them in the car that the gunmen had abandoned. By the time he finished the expression on his face had grown very serious. "So until the authorities can figure out who the real targets were we aren't taking any chances!"

"I never suspected any of this was going on," Lucy said with a slow shake of her head. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked sincerely.

"Actually there is," Jax said as he leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. "You can be very careful around Sonny. He's extremely angry about EVERYTHING that's happened." The serious tone of Jax's voice made Lucy shudder. Jax reached over to squeeze her hand. "Don't worry Lucy, he's not mad at you. It's the two of us he's got a problem with."

Lucy tried to smile. "I understand that Jax. But you guys are my friends and I want you to be happy and safe together." She looked away for a moment and took a deep breath. "Maybe we're worrying for nothing here. I mean, I'm sure Sonny is spending all of his time worrying about Lily. He doesn't have time to be mad at any of us."

Jax slowly shook his head. "I wish that was true Lucy, but unfortunately it's not. Oh the first few days he spent all of his time at the hospital, ordering all the doctors and nurses to make her better. But as the days dragged on he started spending less and less time there. In fact, he wasn't even with her when she regained consciousness. It took almost three hours for the hospital to track him down to tell him."

Lucy and Brenda were both stunned to hear that. "You must be wrong Jax!" Lucy said. "She's his wife! How could he even think about leaving her - let alone go back to work?"

"I'm afraid it's true Lucy. Not only is he back to doing whatever it is that he does, but he showed up at the ELQ board meeting the other night!:" Jax said as he clasped his hands together and rested them in his lap. "He hasn't even been to the hospital to visit her in three days. To tell you the truth, I'm not even sure he knows that she's been moved out of Intensive Care," Jax said sadly.

"Oh God!" was all Lucy could say as she looked down at her hands. "Poor Lily," she finally said as she looked up at Jax. "Do you think it would be okay for me to visit her?" she asked suddenly.

Slightly surprised by her question, Jax smiled at her, "I don't see why not. If you want, I can have Ben check on it for you."

"I'd appreciate that," Lucy said sadly. "You know, I never made much of an effort to be friends with her. I figured she probably wouldn't be interested. I mean between her teaching at the elementary school and being a newlywed I figured she was just too busy for me. After what you just told me though, I think maybe she might enjoy some company." She suddenly slapped her hands on her knees and stood up. "Well! As much as I'd like to stay and visit with you guys, I better get back to my office. Dennis is probably going nuts by now!" she chuckled.

Brenda and Jax both stood up. "I wish you could stay longer," Brenda said sadly. "But I understand that you need to get back to the office." She gave Jax a sly smile. "See, I have learned something about priorities haven't I?" she asked with a wink.

Jax wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose. "You certainly have luv," he said softly.

Lucy couldn't help smiling as she watched them. She was surprised to see how comfortable they were after being together for such a short time. Wanting to give them some privacy, Lucy picked up her purse. "I better get going," she said as she walked toward the door with Jax and Brenda right behind her. When they got to the door, Jax reached to open it as Lucy looked at Brenda. "I'll have my lawyer send the contracts over to you tomorrow, okay? I'd like to schedule a shoot right after the Fourth of July holiday so we can have the Fall campaign ready on time."

Brenda looked up at Jax for a moment before looking back at Lucy with a smile. "Sounds good to me. I'll be expecting the contract tomorrow. Just give me a call and we can set up the shoot. I'll be ready when you are."

Lucy looked at Brenda for moment, trying to decide whether to believe her or not. "Are you serious? You're LOOKING FORWARD to a shoot? You hate photoshoots! I know, I've seen how you react!"

Brenda couldn't help smiling as she wrapped her arm around Jax and looked up at him again for a moment before looking at Lucy. "That was Brenda Barret Lucy, I've changed. Brenda Jacks can face anything - with a little help from a friend that is," she said as she looked up at Jax with a broad smile.

Lucy wasn't sure exactly what Brenda was talking about but she was sure that she meant what she said. "I guess I'll have to take your word for that since I have no idea what you're talking about."

Jax cleared his throat and opened the door when both Brenda and Lucy looked at him.. "I'll ask Ben to arrange for you to see Lily as soon as possible. I'm sure he'll get in touch with you in a day or so."

"Thanks Jax, I'll look forward to it," Lucy said with a smile. She leaned forward to give Brenda a quick kiss and a hug. She then looked up at Jax, "Thanks again for trusting me with Jacks Cosmetics - AND with Brenda!"

"You're welcome Lucy - for both!" Jax said with a smile as he leaned forward to kiss Lucy's cheek. He gently eased Brenda in front of him and wrapped his arm around her shoulders from behind.

"Bye bye," Lucy said as she stepped into the hall. She turned to look at them when she stepped into the elevator. As the doors closed Lucy smiled. She had never seen Brenda this happy or this relaxed. She suddenly wondered if Brenda even realized how much she was loved by Jax and how much SHE loved him!

Lucy was still smiling when the elevator doors opened. As she stepped out and started across the lobby she was so preoccupied with going over the things she wanted to remember to do when she got back to her office that she never noticed the man approach her. As a result, she was startled when she felt someone grab her arm and spin her around.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Lucy?" Sonny demanded as he tightened his grip on her arm.