Jax walked slowly toward his visitor, his mind racing to put a name to the face. Suddenly it came to him. He stopped and pointed to her. “I know you. You’re the Face of Deception!” he declared.

She smiled and closed the distance between them. Extending her hand to him, she said, “You’re right! I’m Brenda Barrett.” She paused for a minute, suddenly curious how he would know that. “How is it that you know that?” she asked. Surprisingly, Brenda found herself beginning to enjoy the way he was looking at her. He was not looking at her the way most men did, as an object. He actually seemed to be looking at HER and it was beginning to make her nervous.

When Jax saw that smile light up her face, it took his breath away. Whatever the reason she was here, he was more convinced than ever that it had something to do with Lois Cerillo-Ashton. He made a mental note to himself to call the jeweler first thing in the morning and order those earrings for her.

He took the last several steps toward her and reached for her extended hand. He shook it gently. “A pleasure to meet you, Brenda Barrett! As to how I know about you, I had reason to check out Deception for business purposes a while ago.” Jax didn’t realize he was still holding her hand, as he found himself getting lost in her eyes. He couldn’t help thinking how beautiful they were, like shimmering, dark brown pools. He also saw a distinct sadness in them. This intrigued him. Something or someone had hurt her very deeply – and by the amount of pain in those beautiful eyes it hadn’t been too long ago either.

Jax was finally brought back to reality when he heard her clear her throat. He dropped her hand. “Oh… sorry! So, now that you’ve done something for me by walking through my door, what can I do for you?” He couldn’t resist the urge to smile when he saw the flustered look come across her beautiful face, as the color rose in her cheeks.

“Are you always so charming or do you actually have to work at it?” Brenda shook her head slowly and rewarded Jax with another smile. When she saw Jax getting ready to answer, she held up her hand to stop him. “No wait! Let me guess! It’s must be natural charm, since you try to avoid work as much as you can! Right?” Now it was Brenda’s turn to laugh when she saw the shocked look on Jax’s face.

“How on earth did you know that?” he asked with a michevious smile. “You’re right though, I do avoid work whenever possible!” There it was again, that beautiful, sad smile.

“Right… and I suppose those mega-million dollar deals just drop into your lap?” Brenda could not believe how comfortable she felt with this man, a total stranger. Lois had been right; he was different than any man she had ever met.

Jax chuckled as he answered, “Actually, they usually do. It’s just a matter of knowing what to look for and where to look. Add to that the unexpected…”

“Like Lois?” Brenda asked.

There it was - the connection! “You know Lois?” he asked, trying not to sound as excited as he felt.

“Well, if being her best friend and business partner counts as knowing her, then yes, I know Lois.” Brenda suddenly lost the smile from her face. She took a deep breath before she continued, “That brings me to the reason for my visit.” Brenda reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the small velvet box. “She asked me to return this to you.” She extended her hand, opening it slowly to show him the box she held. Jax reached over and took the box.

Jax knew what was in it, but what he didn’t know was why Lois had returned it. The necklace had not been extravagant or improper. It had simply been a gift to a friend for help in a very successful and lucrative business deal. Suddenly it dawned on him: it wasn’t that she thought the gift inappropriate; it was an excuse to introduce him to Brenda. All he had to do now was figure out why. Hopefully, Brenda would give him the answer. If not, he could always get the answer from Lois tomorrow, when he took her the necklace AND the matching earrings she had definitely earned with this little plan.

When he realized that Brenda was waiting for him to say something, he decided to play along. “Oh, nuts!”

Brenda was surprised by his reaction. “That’s all you have to say? Jax, did you really think she would keep the necklace?”

Now it was Jax’s turn to act surprised, since he was more convinced than ever that this whole visit was a ruse by Lois to get them together. What he needed to figure out though was whether or not Ned was in on Lois’s plan. “Why shouldn’t she keep it?” In fact, Jax thought, he had every intention of making sure she accepted not only the necklace, but the earrings as well, especially after she had arranged this ‘meeting’ for him with her partner.

Brenda stood there shaking her head slowly. “You really don’t understand, do you? Lois is a married woman, Jax! She can’t accept extravagant gifts like this from men! How do you think Ned feels about you buying his wife something like that?” When she saw this approach was not working, Brenda thought for a second and decided to change her approach. “Put yourself in Ned’s place. Would you want your wife to accept a gift like that from another man?” She crossed her arms in front of her and tapped her foot lightly as she waited for his answer.

As soon as Jax heard Brenda mention Ned, he somehow knew that Ned was a part of Lois’s plan – maybe not a willing participant, but he at least knew about it. He probably hadn’t been too happy at the gift. Jax had to admit that Brenda was right – he wouldn’t have been. But he also had a good idea that Ned would not have made a fuss if Lois had decided to keep the necklace. No, he was sure Lois had returned the necklace to create a reason for him and Brenda to meet. Since everything else in his life had gone well since meeting her, Jax decided to see where this led him as well.

“Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?” he asked suddenly, with a flirtatious smile. He chuckled at the stunned expression on Brenda’s face. She didn’t seem able to answer him. “Brenda?”

Brenda was dumbfounded. What was it with this man? He had just totally changed the subject without answering her questions! On impulse she made a decision. “Well… since I happen to be starving… the answer is yes!” Brenda found herself intrigued by this man standing in front of her. What better or safer way to get to know him than to have dinner in a public place. “Providing I get to choose the restaurant! Agreed?”

The smile on Jax’s face broadened as he pointed toward the door without saying a word. As they walked past the couch, he grabbed his jacket and dropped the necklace box on the table. When they got to the door Brenda waited for him to open it for her, which he did. As he reached back to turn off the light, he slowly let out the breath he suddenly realized that he’d been holding. This was going to be a VERY interesting evening. He closed the door and turned back to Brenda just as the elevator doors opened. He gently placed his hand in the small of her back as he followed her into the elevator. He never removed his hand the entire time they were in the elevator, nor as they walked across the hotel lobby and out the door.

When their cab arrived at the Outback, Jax got out first and reached in the open door to help Brenda out. He helped her completely out and closed the door, before reaching in to pay the driver. He again placed his hand in the small of her back as they walked toward the front door of the restaurant. Jax looked up at the name and smiled. “What an unusual name for a restaurant in upstate New York - any particular reason you picked this place?”

Brenda answered his question as he opened the door for her, “Actually, there is a reason. The owner is from Australia. I thought you might enjoy a touch of home; that’s why I suggested this place.” Brenda was surprised when Jax stopped halfway through the door. “Jax? Is something wrong?” She turned back and looked up at him. She immediately realized that something definitely was wrong.

There was something wrong, all right – if the someone from Australia who owned this place was who he thought it was. He suddenly had a bad feeling about this place. When he realized that Brenda had said something to him, he looked down at her. “Oh… sorry. Say, Brenda, who owns this place?” Jax finished coming through the door and then helped Brenda remove her coat and handed it, along with his own, to the coat check.

It wasn’t until they were seated at their table that Brenda answered his question. “The owner is a man named Mac Scorpio. His niece, Robin, is a very good friend of mine. Why? Do you know him?” When Jax didn’t answer right away, Brenda remembered that it had been Mac who had told Lois about Jax. “Of course, you know him! He was the one who told Lois about you, wasn’t he?” Brenda was surprised when she saw an unmistakable storm cloud come across Jax’s face. “Jax? Did I say something wrong?”

Jax took a deep breath to calm himself before he answered, “No, not at all, Brenda. You’re right, it was Mac who told Lois about me. However, he also warned her about me as well, remember? Didn’t Lois tell you that part?” Jax tried to keep the anger out of his voice as the memories of Mac Scorpio kept flooding into his brain.

“Well, she did say that Mac warned her that you would double-cross her the first chance you got because you were the most cut-throat businessman there was.” Brenda couldn’t resist the urge to smile at the obvious mistake that Mac had made. The man sitting next to her was none of the things Mac had warned Lois about. He had not only kept up his part of the deal with Lois, but he had even been responsible for preventing Edward from stealing back the company again. Brenda was glad though, that Lois had told her not only Mac’s opinion of Jax but also her own. Even though Mac had been right in the past, she was sure that this time he was way off base. Jax may have been ruthless in business, but he didn’t strike Brenda as dangerous. In fact, the longer she was with him, the more comfortable she was becoming.

Jax finally smiled. He was glad that Lois had told Brenda what Mac thought of him. If this evening went the way he was hoping it would, that would prevent any misunderstandings in the future. “That’s what I thought.” Jax’s smile faded slightly. “If you knew that about me, why did you agree to come to dinner with me?”

Brenda’s warm smile immediately put Jax at ease. “That’s easy. Lois told me what Mac thought of you, and then she told me what she knew about you: how you had treated her and been honest with her. She also told me how you found that clause in the L&B ownership papers that would have allowed Edward to sell the company out from under us and keep the money.” Brenda reached over and placed her hand on top of his. “You see, Jax, I make it a point not to form an opinion about someone based on what other people tell me. Now I like Mac, and sometimes his judgment of people is right on track. “ Brenda paused as she shuddered at the memory of the last person Mac had voiced disapproval about. When Jax placed his free hand on top of hers and gently ran his thumb across the top, she quickly came back to reality. “I also trust Lois’s judgment of people 100%, but I really prefer to go by my own instincts.” She took a deep breath to clear the last of the memories from her mind.

Jax did not remove his hands from hers. “So, tell me: how am I doing so far?” he asked with a slight chuckle.

Before Brenda had a chance to answer, the waiter came to take their drink order. Without releasing Brenda’s hands Jax ordered a bottle of the best champagne. Once the waiter was gone, he squeezed Brenda’s hand. “Well? You didn’t answer my question. How am I doing so far?”

“Not too bad actually; the evening is still young though, you know. I think I’ll reserve judgement until later.” Brenda had to laugh at the expression on Jax’s face. He reminded her of a little boy who had been issued a challenge. She had to admit, agreeing to come to dinner with him had not been the mistake she had been afraid it would be.

By the time they had finished their entrée, they had managed to cover the topics of how Brenda had met Lois, how well she knew Ned, what she knew about the rest of the Quartermaines, as well as what she knew about Mac Scorpio. The last topic had seemed to interest Jax more than all of the others combined.

As they were sipping their coffee Brenda leaned back in her chair. “Now it’s my turn to ask some questions.” She looked over at Jax with an expression that told him she would not be put off with jokes and slick remarks. “Okay?”

Seeing her expression, Jax decided that it was only fair that he answer her questions, since she had been so open with him. “Okay by me. What do you want to know?”

Two cups of coffee and a snifter of brandy later, they had covered just about everything there was to know about Jasper Jacks, at least as far as Brenda could imagine. She had, however, saved one question for last. She had been having such a pleasant time this evening that she had dreaded the idea of ruining it with this question. Finally, when she had run out of things to ask she sat forward, resting her forearms on the edge of the table. “That brings us to one last question. Are you up for it?” she asked.

Jax was pretty sure he knew what she was going to ask, so he decided to volunteer what information he wanted to share before she asked it. “You want to know how I know Mac Scorpio, right?” He smiled briefly at the expression on her face, but then his expression turned very serious. “I knew Mac back in Australia when I was younger. He did some work for my father and brother there when I was just learning the business.” Now it was his turn to shudder at a memory of the past as Brenda had done earlier. He had tried, but quickly realized that he had not been able to keep his dislike of Mac out of his voice, especially when he saw the concern on Brenda’s face. “I have one last question for you now. You said you were good friends with Mac’s niece, right?” Brenda just nodded her head. “Would she be his brother Robert’s daughter?” Jax had finally been able to relax the tone of his voice. He smiled again as he waited for her answer.

“Yes, Robin was born while Robert was working for the WSB. In fact, according to Robin, he didn’t even know about her until she was about five years old. It seems her parents had been married briefly, when something happened that drove them apart. Her mother never told him that she was pregnant, and they divorced before she was even born. Apparently someone had threatened Robin about something and then arranged for her to come to Port Charles to stay with Robert without telling either of them who the other was.”

“Is Robert still here in Port Charles?” Jax hoped he was. He had not known Robert in Australia, since he had left long before Jax had become part of the family business. Rumor had it though, that Robert had walked away from Mac even though he was only a teenager, when their parents and his fiancée had been killed in the plane crash that had seriously injured Robert as well.

Jax had always heard that Robert was the respectable brother. He thought back to what he had seen in Mac’s file. Robert had graduated from law school and was an up-and-comer in the political circles before the plane crash. After he recovered from his injuries, he had packed up and left Australia for the United States and started a new life here. If Robert was here in Port Charles, he might be able to keep Mac away from him and keep him from telling Brenda about their past – at least until Jax was ready to tell her.

The smile quickly left Brenda’s face as she dropped her hands into her lap. She looked down at the table. “No, Robert and his wife Anna, Robin’s mom, were killed in an explosion several years ago. Mac has been Robin’s guardian ever since.” She looked up at Jax with a new resolve. “Is that important?”

Jax smiled sincerely at her, “Not in the least! Are you finished?” When she nodded that she was, he signaled the waiter for the check. When it arrived, he glanced over it quickly and pulled out a substantial amount of cash, which surprised Brenda. Most wealthy men that she had grown up around never carried cash, they paid for everything with a credit card or a signature. Jax paid the bill and left a VERY large tip before getting up to pull out Brenda’s chair for her. As they were leaving, Brenda noticed Jax looking around the room, as if he was looking for someone he knew.

Brenda put her hand on his arm to stop him as they approached the door. “Are you looking for someone?” When Jax continued to look around, she decided to take a guess. “If it’s Mac you’re looking for, he’s not here tonight.”

Jax looked quickly down at Brenda. “How do you know that?” She had his undivided attention now. She really was an amazing woman. Not only was she the most beautiful woman he had ever met, but she was also the most honest and the most observant! He found himself unable to resist the urge to smile at her.

When she saw his smile, Brenda returned it with one of her own. She had been a little worried that her question would offend him.

“I know that because Robin told me he’s out of town on business until next week. His partner, Felicia, is in charge of the restaurant.” Brenda looked deeply into Jax’s eyes for the first time and was surprised by what she saw there. Beneath his façade of playfulness, there was a sadness that she had not noticed before. Maybe that was why she felt so comfortable around him.

Jax’s smile broadened as he pushed the door open for them. He just bowed slightly at the waist and waited for her to go out the door. As they walked out the door, he again placed his hand on Brenda’s back. As they were heading down the front walk of the restaurant, he removed his hand from her back and reached down and took her hand in his and was pleasantly surprised when she didn’t pull away.

As they were walking toward the waiting cabs, Jax was the first to break the silence. “Can I see you home?” He pointed toward the line of waiting cabs.

Brenda stopped and smiled up at him. “I’d like that. Would you mind if we walk though? It’s not very far, and it’s a beautiful night…” She pulled her coat up tighter around her neck and pushed her free hand deeper into her pocket.

Jax took off his scarf and wrapped it around her neck. “Are you sure? It’s a little cold out here for a walk.” The cold didn’t bother him, since he was wearing a warm coat, not to mention the fact that he had spent many years growing up in Alaska, where this would be considered a brisk, fall day. It was obvious to him though that Brenda was very cold.

“I’m fine, really! I love to walk on nights like this. The air is so clean, and you can hear the snow crunch.” She looked up at Jax. “Do you mind?”

What was he to say? He pulled the scarf more tightly around her neck, put on his gloves, and wrapped his arm snuggly around her shoulders. When she wrapped her arm around his waist, he reached for her hand and tucked it inside the hand warmer pocket of his coat. Because he was so much larger than her this forced her to move even closer to him, a fact that he realized he didn’t mind in the least. Once they were wrapped tightly together, Jax looked down at her, “Lead on, luv. Which way?”

They walked most of the way in silence. Every once in a while Brenda would point out some building or area of interest. When they reached the front door of Kelly's Restaurant, they stopped. Jax looked around at where they were. “Why have we stopped? Do want to get something hot to drink?" Jax tightened his arms around Brenda when he noticed her shiver slightly.

She looked up at him with a smile. "This is where I live, Jax. Ruby, the lady who owns Kelly's, rents rooms upstairs."

To say Jax was shocked would have been an understatement. "You're kidding, right? " When Brenda shook her head he smiled. "You're just full of surprises, Ms. Barrett! Why on earth does the Face of Deception live in a room above a diner?"

Brenda pulled out of their embrace to stand back a little so she could look into his face when she talked to him. "I wasn't always the Face of Deception, you know. When I first came to Port Charles, this room was all that I could afford. Then I met someone and I thought I'd be moving soon…" Jax saw her cringe at the memory. Obviously it had been a man – probably the man who had put the sadness in her eyes. Brenda took a deep breath and let it out slowly before she continued, "Anyway, I love Ruby and the people around here so much I didn't see any reason to move."

When Brenda started digging in her purse and pulled out her key to the front door, Jax reached for it. She handed him the key and he unlocked and opened the door for her. "Thanks for dinner, Jax."

Jax handed her back the keys as he held the door open for her. "I should be thanking you. I can't remember the last time I had such an enjoyable evening. Any chance we can do it again?" He smiled at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Brenda returned his smile. He was right. This had been a great evening. Without even thinking what she was saying she blurted out: "How about tomorrow night? If you’re going to still be in town, that is. Ned's band is playing at a club here in town called Luke’s. Would you like to come as my guest?"

"I'd love to! What time should I pick you up?" Jax had been surprised and delighted by her willingness to see him again.

It suddenly dawned on Brenda that she had agreed to see Jax again. For a brief second she thought of rescinding the invitation but decided not to. Why not have some fun for a change. God only knew the last time she had any. “Why don’t you meet me here at Kelly’s about 7:00? We can have dinner before the show.”

“Sounds good to me!” Jax leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He waited until Brenda walked inside and he saw her lock the door and head toward the stairs before he turned to walk away. Things had gone much better than he had anticipated they would. As he hailed a passing cab to take him back to the hotel, he decided to see Lois first thing tomorrow to see what more he could find out about the beautiful but sad Brenda Barrett.

February 15, 1996

Jax had spent the early part of the morning following up on some business calls. When he saw that it was nearly 10:30 he decided to give Lois a call. She picked up the phone on the third ring. “Hello, partner,” he said. “Or should I make that former partner?”

Lois smiled at the sound of Jax’s voice. Since he wasn’t screaming at her, things had obviously gone well last night. “I don’t know; you tell me. Has the check cleared yet?”

Jax chuckled at the memory of Edward’s duplicity. “Not yet. I expect to hear from the bank some time today.” Jax waited for Lois to stop laughing before he continued, “That’s not what I called about, Lois. Would you mind if I stopped by for a little visit this morning? There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

Lois didn’t like the sound of that. Maybe she had been wrong. Maybe last night had been a disaster. Maybe he and Brenda hated each other! “Sure, you’re always welcome, Jax. When were you thinking of coming over?”

Jax smiled as he looked at the velvet jewelry box that was sitting in front of him on his desk. “I was thinking of coming over right now. Is that okay?”

“Sure, that’s fine. I’ll see you in a few minutes.” Lois decided to see if she could find out if something was wrong. “Is anything wrong, Jax?”

Jax smiled at the sound of her nervousness. “I’ll tell you when I get there. See you in a few minutes.” Jax hung up the phone before Lois could say anything. Grabbing his coat off the back of the couch, he picked up the jewelry box and slid it into the pocket of his jacket as he closed the front door of the suite. By the time he got down to the lobby, the car he had asked for was waiting to drive him to the Quartermaine estate.

It had only taken about twenty minutes for him to get to the gatehouse. He was not surprised to see Lois standing outside, waiting for him. When he got out, he gave the driver instructions to wait for him since he didn’t anticipate being too long. He walked up to Lois and kissed her softly on the cheek. “Hello, you! Why don’t we go inside? It’s cold out here.” Jax could see the frustration written all over Lois's face. He was actually enjoying watching her squirm. After all, she HAD set him up last night. Luckily for her, she had done exactly the right thing!

Once they were inside, Jax immediately went over to sit down on the couch. Lois nervously came over and sat down next to him. Jax smiled at her as he reached in his pocket and pulled out the velvet box. “I think I have something that belongs to you.” He handed Lois the box. She opened it slowly, not sure what she was going to find and was shocked to find not only the blue topaz pendant, but also a pair of matching earrings.

Lois was speechless! “What’s all this? Didn’t you get my message yesterday?” She knew for a fact that Brenda had returned the necklace. Why was he giving it to her again? With a matching pair of earrings, too!

Jax smiled at her. “Oh, yes, I got your message. In fact I enjoyed your message so much that I felt you deserved an additional reward!”

Lois immediately relaxed. Jax had figured everything out! He knew that the only reason she had returned the necklace was to set up his meeting with Brenda. Apparently things had gone okay though since he was sitting in her living room. She tried to act confused. “I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about, Jax!”

Jax started to laugh. “That was very good, Lois! Actually, I might almost believe it if I hadn’t met your partner last night! That was slick, Ms. Lois Cerillo-Ashton! Very slick!”

Lois couldn’t resist the urge to laugh herself, as she slowly closed the jewelry box and set it on the coffee table in front of her. "Are you mad at me?" She sincerely hoped he wasn't.

"For what? Introducing me to an amazing woman? Of course not! But I do have some questions though. My question to you though is: will you answer them for me?"

Lois thought for a moment. "It'll depend on the question, Jax. Brenda is my bestest friend. I will NOT tell you anything she would not want you to know. If that restriction is acceptable, I'll answer what I can."

Jax looked deep into Lois's eyes and saw that she was adamant on this point. "I accept your condition. I appreciate that you will not betray her confidences. It's nice to know someone cares that much about another person."

"I'd do the same for you with her, Jax. That is if I knew anything about you. I have a feeling that she already knows more about you than I do." She winked at him when he smiled at her.

"I know about who her father was and I've already met her sister, and Brenda is, thankfully, nothing like either one of them. What I wanted to know from you is who was the man who hurt her?'"

Lois was shocked by his question. How could he have known about that? "What do you mean? What makes you think a man hurt her?"

Jax sat back on the couch and crossed his legs. "It's in her eyes. Lois, she's probably the most beautiful woman I've ever met, but she has the saddest eyes I have ever seen on another human being. The only thing that can put that kind of sadness in a woman's eyes is a man - and vice versa!"

This man was really amazing, Lois thought. He'd only spent one evening with Brenda and he had already figured out that she had been hurt by a man. Now she was faced with the problem of how much to tell him without betraying Brenda's confidence. She was more convinced than ever that arranging their meeting was one of the best ideas she'd ever had. "Well, I'm not sure how much I can tell you. You're right: she was hurt by a man – very badly."

Jax could see how uncomfortable Lois was. "How about if I ask questions? That way if there is something you don't want to tell me, you can just say so and you won't have to worry about telling too much." Lois smiled and nodded her agreement. "Okay, you said she was hurt by him. Did he physically hurt her?" Jax was surprised when he saw the expression that came over Lois's face. "Lois? What is it? Did he abuse her?"

"I never knew for sure, Jax. Ned and I suspected that he did, but Brenda always denied it. He was very cruel to her, especially at the end. Brenda always tried to make excuses for him whenever he'd do something, but after a while, even she stopped trying to defend him."

Jax just shook his head. "If you and Ned suspected he was hurting her, why didn't you guys do something?" This was unbelievable! How could anyone who claimed to be Brenda's friend allow her to be abused?

Lois jumped up and started pacing around the room. "We tried, Jax! Believe me, we tried! Brenda wouldn't listen." Lois came back over and sat next to him again. "She loved him, Jax; it's as simple as that. He was the first man she ever loved, and she thought that was what love meant. No matter what we said or what we tried to do, she wouldn't listen."

Jax immediately realized that he had misjudged their concern. "I'm sorry, Lois. I had no right to accuse you and Ned like that. It's just that the idea of any woman, especially Brenda, being abused by someone makes me furious!" Jax reached over and took Lois's hand in his and squeezed it. After letting go of her hand, he got up to walk around. "So what happened? Usually it's the woman who walks away from that kind of relationship. Is that what happened?" He turned back to look at Lois for her answer.

"Actually, he ended it. He just came home one day and told her he was getting married to someone else, and that was that!" Lois was quickly losing the battle to keep her anger out of her voice. "That would have been bad enough, but he had a VERY splashy wedding with pictures in all the papers and he paraded his new wife around almost as if he was trying to hurt Brenda." Lois took a deep breath and let it out slowly before continuing, "Anyway, a couple of months after the wedding, he started calling Brenda again. He would tell her that his marriage had been a mistake, and that he wanted to start seeing her again. When she said no, that she would not be involved with a married man, it was like a switch got flipped in him. He became horribly cruel. He took every opportunity he could to embarrass Brenda or to put on a show of how happy he was with his wife.

"As a result, Brenda pulled into a shell. She had to stop working for Deception for a while because every time she'd get in front of the camera, he'd show up somewhere on the set and she'd run off crying. She turns down every invitation she gets because she's afraid to run into him." Lois was surprised to see a slight smile come to Jax's face. "What?"

"That's not exactly correct. She accepted an invitation to dinner with me last night, and she invited me to Ned's concert tonight." As if a sudden afterthought had come to his mind: "On that subject, what kind of a concert is Ned giving tonight?" Jax wasn't sure if his smile was the result of what his imagination was coming up with about the concert or the stunned look on Lois's face.

“You had dinner with Brenda last night?” Her shock was obvious in her voice. “Where? In your suite?”

Now it was Jax’s turn to smile. “No, at a place called the Outback. Brenda suggested it. Actually, we had a very good time. After dinner, I walked her back to a place called Kelly’s. She said she lived there.” He looked at Lois, who just nodded her head in agreement. “Anyway, when we got there she invited me to have dinner with her and then go to Ned's concert tonight.”

“Holy Toledo! You ain’t foolin’ with me, are you, Jax? This is real important!” Jax could tell by the expression on Lois’s face that she was very concerned. Apparently it was not normal for Brenda to attend L&B concerts.

Obviously something was wrong. “Yes, I ‘m very serious, Lois. You can ask the waiter at the Outback about our dinner last night. As to the walk to Kelly’s, the only proof I can give you is the fact that when we left the Outback, I wrapped my scarf around Brenda’s neck. She still has it. You’ll just have to take my word about the invitation for tonight though.” Jax thought for a minute before he continued, “Think about this though, how would I have known Ned was performing tonight, let alone that he had a band, if Brenda hadn’t told me?”

Lois thought about what Jax had just said. Suddenly a huge grin spread across her face and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I knew it! Arranging for you two to meet WAS the right thing to do. Ned had his doubts about it, but he agreed to trust my judgement, as long as you didn’t do anything to hurt Brenda. Be warned, Jax: Ned thinks of Brenda like his sister, so if you hurt her, you’ll have us to deal with!” The tone of her voice convinced Jax that Lois meant business.

He held up his hands in surrender. “Don’t worry, I understand completely! What makes you think I would do anything to hurt Brenda? Believe me, Lois, whatever you may have heard about me, I would NEVER do anything to hurt or embarrass Brenda! You have my promise!”

Lois smiled at Jax. “Well, you have to admit that you do have a ‘reputation’ not only when it comes to business, but to women as well! Come on, Jax, your name has turned up in gossip columns all over the world.”

Jax laughed out loud at her remark. “Lois, you are truly one-of-a-kind! If you were worried about my reputation with women, why did you arrange for me to meet your best friend, especially considering what you’ve just told me about her? I’ll tell you why! It was because you knew that you could trust me, especially with Brenda!” Jax fell backwards against the couch. “I swear to you, Lois: I’ve never met a woman like her! I don’t just mean her beauty, though I will admit I’ve never seen or met a more beautiful woman! There’s just ‘something’ about her. I can’t put my finger on it. I just want – no, I *need* -- to get to know everything there is to know about her.” The confusion Jax was feeling was evident on his face when he looked up at Lois. “Does that make any sense?”

Lois smiled softly and nodded her head slowly. “Actually, it does; at least to me. I’m glad I was right to arrange your meeting. Just promise me something, Jax – promise me that you’ll take things slowly with her. She’s not ready for some big blast love affair that will end before it begins!” Lois looked him right in the eyes as she continued, “Promise me!”

Jax reached over and took her hand. “I promise you, Lois. I have no intention of pressuring Brenda into anything. At this point, all I want to do is spend some time with her, get to know her better, and maybe even help her have a little fun.” A sly smile came across Jax’s face and he winked at her. “Especially if it means I get to see Ned Ashton, CEO of ELQ, perform on stage!” Jax jumped up from the couch as Lois reached over to swat him. He had dodged her swing by inches.

As he was walking out the door, he pointed to the velvet box on the coffee table. “I really wish you would keep the jewelry. There are no strings attached, honest! I simply wanted to thank you for your help in landing the Yagi deal – and for introducing me to Brenda.”

Lois walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist for a brief hug. “When you put it that way, how can I say no? Of course I’ll keep the jewelry. Thanks!”

Remembering what Brenda had said last night about Ned, Jax turned serious for a minute. “What about, Ned? Will he be upset that you kept them?”

Lois was surprised and happy to hear Jax’s concern for Ned. “No, he won’t mind. He already knows that the only reason I returned the necklace was to have an excuse to get you and Brenda together. He’ll be fine with me keeping them.”

6:45 P.M.

Brenda was shocked when she looked at the clock on the wall. She was ready a full fifteen minutes early! She could not remember the last time she had been on time for a date, let alone early! A DATE! Was that what this was? Why wasn’t she nervous? What was it about this man that made her feel completely at ease with him, even though she had only just met him. Finding herself becoming more and more confused, Brenda walked over and sat down at the counter. When she couldn’t find any answers, just more questions, she did the only thing she could: she called out for Ruby. “Ruby! Can you come out here for a minute?”

Ruby Anderson, the owner of Kelly’s, was a woman in her early 60’s. She had lived quite a colorful life before coming to Port Charles. Ever since buying Kelly’s, she had become mother hen to many of the younger people in Port Charles, Brenda among them. “What is it, sweetheart? My, don’t you look pretty tonight! Are you going someplace?”

Brenda blushed slightly. “Thanks, Ruby. Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I’ve got a date tonight and…” Before Brenda could finish, she was interrupted by the sound of a soft cheer from Ruby.

“FINALLY!! Who’s the lucky guy? Where did you meet him?” Before Brenda could answer any of Ruby’s questions, Ruby looked over Brenda’s shoulder at the handsome young man who had just walked in the door. “Never mind! I think there’s someone here to see you!” Ruby pointed toward the door. Brenda turned slowly on her stool to see Jax standing in the doorway, with his hands behind his back, looking around.

When he saw her sitting there, he smiled and walked slowly over to her. He brought his hand from behind his back and handed her a single, pink rose. He bent down and kissed her softly on the cheek. “Hello, Ms. Barrett.”

To say Brenda was flustered would be an understatement. If she had thought Jax was attractive last night dressed in casual clothes, seeing him in a suit and tie took her breath away. She slowly reached for the rose he was holding. “Thank you, Mr. Jacks.” Neither one of them said anything else. They just continued to stare at each other, oblivious to everyone and everything around them. It wasn’t until the sound of Ruby, clearing her throat, that Brenda snapped back to reality. “Oh, sorry, Ruby. I’d like you to meet Jax. Jax, this is Ruby Anderson, my landlady and good friend.”

Jax extended his hand to Ruby. “Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Anderson.”

Jax smiled at her with the most charming smile Ruby had ever seen. No wonder Brenda had accepted a date with this man! It also immediately put her on her guard. Men this charming and this attractive usually had only one thing on their minds, and Brenda was not prepared to deal with that. “The pleasure is mine, Jax. Please, call me Ruby.” She briefly shook his hand. She was startled to see the looks being exchanged by Jax and Brenda. She had never seen Brenda so comfortable with a man, especially a stranger. This worried her. She decided to keep an eye on this man whenever he was around Brenda.

Finally Brenda broke the silence. “Thank you for the rose. How did you know pink was my favorite color?”

Jax smiled, “I didn’t! I just had this feeling that pink was the color for you. Shall we go? You said something about dinner before the concert?” Jax extended his hand to help her up.

Ruby spoke before they could leave. “Why don’t you have dinner here? My treat!” Brenda and Jax looked at each other. Ruby could tell Brenda liked the idea, almost as if she wanted Ruby’s approval of this young man.

Jax finally shrugged. “It’s fine with me. What does the lady say?” He looked down at Brenda with a smile.

Brenda was relieved to see that Jax was not a snob, too good to eat at a diner. “I think it’s a great idea.” She looked over at Ruby with a smile. “We’ll take that table over by the window. Could you bring us a couple of tonight’s specials, please, Ruby?” Brenda looked over at Jax. “Is that okay with you?” She was not used to a man letting her make decisions like this. Whenever she had been out with her father or Sonny, they had immediately taken charge, to the point of even ordering her food. Having a man let her order dinner was something new for her.

Jax simply put his arm around her shoulders and started them toward the table she had pointed to. “Whatever you’d like will be fine with me.” He held out Brenda’s chair for her before going to take his own across from her. As soon as they were seated, he looked over at her. She seemed so much more relaxed than she had when he had first come into the diner. He was glad they had decided to eat here. Obviously Brenda felt comfortable here, and he got the distinct impression that he was being reviewed by Ruby. He quickly realized that if he didn’t pass muster with her, he’d have a very difficult time getting to know Brenda better. Ruby’s opinion meant a great deal to Brenda, so he was glad to have the opportunity to let her get to know him.

Jax and Brenda enjoyed themselves over dinner. They watched the people walking by and talked about little things, sometimes not talking at all, just looking at each other. Ruby watched them closely from across the room. It was obvious to her that this man was very taken with Brenda, and to her surprise and delight, it seemed that Brenda was taken with him as well. She would wait to pass judgment on him though, at least until she could find out more about him from Brenda.

When they finished dinner, Jax signaled for Ruby to come over to their table. “Could we have the check please, Ruby? We have a concert to get to.” Jax winked at Brenda. “It seems a business associate of mine has a secret life that I knew nothing about, and Ms. Barrett here is going to introduce me to it!”

The confused look on Ruby’s face made Brenda laugh. “He’s talking about Ned. I invited him to the show the Idle Rich is doing at Luke’s tonight, and it seems that he didn’t know that Ned was also Eddie Maine!”

The pleasure that Ruby had taken in seeing Brenda with Jax suddenly drained away. “You’re going to Luke’s Place? Tonight? Are you sure you want to go there, Brenda? Couldn’t you wait until they are performing somewhere else?”

Brenda knew why Ruby was concerned. “I’m sure, Ruby! It’s my life, and I’m tired of letting other people run it for me! I have just as much right to go to that club as anyone, especially since it’s one of my artists who is performing there!”

Ruby smiled at the determination in Brenda’s voice. It had been a VERY long time since she had heard it. She looked over at Jax, who was looking very supportively at Brenda. Maybe he really was going to be good for her. “Well, in that case, as I said, dinner is on me!” She extended her hand to Jax again. “It has been a pleasure to meet you, Jax.” When Jax stood up to shake her hand, she pulled him down to whisper to him. “Do me a favor tonight; keep an eye on her for me, will you?” When she saw the confused look on Jax’s face. “There’s a chance you two may run into someone from her past at Luke’s. Don’t let him hurt her!”

When Jax saw the seriousness of Ruby’s expression, he impulsively leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thanks for the warning, Ruby. I promise you, no one is going to hurt or embarrass her tonight. NO ONE!”

Ruby looked into Jax’s eyes and saw that he had meant every word he had just said. She believed him. It also occurred to her that Jax already knew something about Sonny, probably from Lois. Why else would he have so willingly made that promise? “Thanks. Now you two better get going or you’ll be late!” She leaned over and kissed Brenda on the cheek. “Have fun, sweetheart.” She smiled at Brenda’s slightly startled expression.

The car that Jax had arranged for them at the hotel dropped them off in front of Luke’s about ten minutes later. Jax held the door open for Brenda to walk in ahead of him. Just inside the door, Mike Corbin, Luke’s manager, was waiting to greet the patrons. He was shocked to see Brenda walk through the door. Since her breakup with Sonny, she had stayed away from the club, probably since Sonny was part owner and she didn’t want to run into him. He was even more shocked when he saw that she was not alone, but with a very handsome, and obviously very wealthy, young man. The man she was with seemed very attentive to her, helping her remove her coat before taking off his own. After handing their coats to the waiting hostess, Brenda and her date came over to Mike.

Brenda smiled and gave him a brief hug. “Hello, Mike, how are you?” She immediately moved closer to Jax, as if she was afraid to be too far away from him. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you,” she said. “Is our table ready?”

Mike had noticed Brenda’s nervousness at being in Luke’s again. He was very glad to see her but also very concerned. When he had seen her name in the reservation book, though, he had to admit he was surprised to see a reservation for two; he had at first been very pleased that he would be seeing her again. When he had looked further down the page though, he was appalled to see Sonny’s name as well. He had immediately hoped that Brenda would change her mind and not come, even though Ned was performing here tonight. Now that Brenda was actually here, Mike could see how determined she was to have a good time, regardless of who else would be there.

Mike was immediately curious about Brenda’s companion. “Sure thing, Brenda, it’s right this way. If you and… will just follow me” Mike looked from Brenda to Jax and then back at Brenda.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Mike. I’d like you to meet my friend Jax. Jax, this is Mike Corbin, he’s the manager here at Luke’s and a very dear friend.” She smiled uncomfortably at Mike, as she felt Jax remove his hand from her back and extend it to Mike, who shook it quickly. She relaxed again when his hand returned to its reassuring place at the small of her back.

Mike gave Jax a thorough look. “It’s a pleasure to meet any friend of Brenda’s. Are you new here in Port Charles? I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.” Mike felt an immediate sense of foreboding at the idea of this young man being with Brenda when Sonny came in. He did not look the type to tolerate what was sure to be a bad reaction from Sonny at seeing them together.

Jax smiled down at Brenda, before turning his attention to Mike. “Yes, I am new here. I just got to town a couple of days ago. I was involved in a very successful business venture with Brenda’s partner, Lois, and she invited me to Port Charles. In fact, it was Lois who introduced us… sort of!” Jax laughed softly, as did Brenda, at the memory of Lois’s scheme.

Mike, whose back was to the door, was just about to show them to their table when he saw the color drain from Brenda’s face and her arm wrap tightly around Jax’s waist. He didn’t have to look behind to know who had just come in. He glanced quickly over his shoulder and saw Sonny helping his wife, Lily, with her coat. Mike cringed at what he knew was coming when Sonny saw them.

Jax had also noticed Brenda’s reaction to the couple that had just come through the door. When he felt her wrap her arm tightly around his waist, he had glanced down at her and seen the color leave her face. Concerned that she might faint, he had tightened his hold on her. When she looked up at him, he could not miss the look of fear in her eyes. He simply smiled and pulled her closer to him, letting her know that nothing was going to happen while he was there.

When Sonny had seen whom Mike was talking to, he made it a point to come up to them. “What do you have to do to get a table around here, Mike?” He looked directly at Brenda before continuing, “We’ll just seat ourselves at our regular table. Send a waiter over when you’re done seating the trash.” He wrapped his arm tightly around Lily’s waist and led her over to their table.

True to his promise to Lois, Jax had not made any kind of a scene over Sonny’s remark, especially when he saw Brenda’s reaction to it. Mike quickly led them over to their table and held out Brenda’s chair for her. Since she had not released her hold on him, Jax walked over to the chair with her and waited until she was ready to let him go. Eventually she released her hold and sat down. When she did, Mike leaned down and whispered something in her ear, to which she nodded slightly.

Jax took his seat across from her and immediately reached for her hand. “Are you okay? Do you want to leave?” He softly stroked his thumb across the top of her hand. “Is that him?”

Brenda was startled by the bluntness of his question. How could he have known about Sonny? Then it dawned on her – Lois had told him! Normally she would have jumped at the chance to leave, but somehow, being here with Jax, she didn’t feel that need. She placed her hand atop his on the table and slowly shook her head. “No, I want to stay! Really!” She smiled weakly at Jax before she continued, “To answer your last question: yes, that’s him. Can we drop that subject though? I really don’t want to think about him tonight!”

Jax gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and smiled at her. “Of course we can. Consider the subject dropped!” He spent the next twenty minutes getting Brenda to relax enough that she actually allowed herself a smile or two.

Just about that time Lois and Ned came in and made a beeline for their table. It was Lois who first noticed Sonny and Lily. She punched Ned in the arm and directed his attention to Sonny’s table. “No wonder she looks so pale! I wonder what happened before we got here?” She had not missed the still obvious pallor of Brenda’s skin when they had come in. “Why don’t you take Jax backstage so I can talk to her for a few minutes?”

Lois and Ned were almost standing at their table by the time Brenda noticed them. “Oh, look! Ned and Lois are finally here!” As they approached the table, Jax stood up to greet them. Even then Brenda would not release her hold on his hand, a fact that was not lost on Lois or Ned. “Hello, you two! I was beginning to get worried that our star wasn’t going to show up!” The forced tone of her voice and the fake smile on her face only reinforced Lois’s belief that things had not gone well.

“You know we wouldn’t miss this gig, Brenda! After all, how many times do I get Ned to agree to perform here in Port Charles anyway?” Seeing Brenda’s grip on Jax’s hand, Lois looked pleadingly at Ned. “Speaking of performing, Ned, why don’t you take Jax backstage and show him what goes into getting the band ready?” She kept jerking her head to the side to signal Ned to leave and leave NOW!

When Jax went to stand up to go with Ned, Brenda grasped his hand with both of hers and squeezed it. She looked up at him with such a terrified look in her eyes that he immediately sat back down. He squeezed Brenda’s hand to reassure her that he wasn’t going anyplace. “I don’t think so, Lois. I think I’d much rather stay here with you two beautiful ladies than go backstage with a bunch of musicians.” He looked at Ned, “No offense, mate.”

Having seen Brenda’s reaction to the thought of Jax leaving her, Ned immediately responded, “No offense taken, Jax. To tell you the truth, I’d rather be out here with the ladies myself!” He gave Brenda a reassuring smile before excusing himself and heading backstage to get ready.

Lois sat talking with them for several minutes, becoming increasingly aware that Sonny had indeed done something that had frightened Brenda. Why else would she have refused to let Jax leave the table, even though she knew she would have been perfectly safe with Lois? When Mike signaled her that it was time for the band to start, Lois excused herself and went backstage to talk to Ned and the rest of the band.

As the musicians made their way onstage and began setting up, Lois pulled Ned aside backstage. “I should have talked her out of coming here, Ned! Did you see her? Did you see how she reacted at the idea of being away from Jax? She was absolutely terrified!”

Ned gave her a reassuring hug. “I know, honey, but look at it this way. Obviously she got through it, whatever it was, because she’s still here and so is Sonny! Why don’t we just let it drop for tonight? I’m sure she’ll tell you tomorrow.” Ned smiled at her, “Besides, if she doesn’t, I’m sure you’ll get Jax to tell you.” He quickly dodged Lois’s punch as the music started. “It’s showtime, boss!” He quickly turned Lois toward the stage to do the introductions.

As the club lights went down and Lois came onto the stage to introduce the band, Jax gently moved his chair closer to Brenda until he was sitting directly next to her. As soon as he was, he pulled his hand from her grip and when she looked tensely at him, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. As soon as she felt him close to her, she let out a slow breath and nearly collapsed against him. They stayed like this for the first part of the band’s set.

When the band got to the ballads, Brenda unconsciously put her head on Jax’s shoulder and snuggled even closer to him. Her actions were noticed by several people: Jax, who smiled softly and rested his cheek on top of her head; Lois, who smiled at them; Ned, who winked at Lois when he saw them; and Mike, who finally let out the breath he had been holding for what seemed like most of the evening. The last person to notice it was, of course, Sonny. When he saw Brenda’s head on this stranger’s shoulder, he gripped his wineglass so tightly that it crumbled in his hand, sending wine everywhere! The waiter immediately came over to the table to clean it up, but Sonny brusquely sent him away, as he glared at the sight in front of him, deciding to find out who this stranger was and get rid of him!

Lily had also noticed Sonny’s reaction to Brenda. What had promised to be a pleasant evening with her husband had suddenly turned into another miserable night of watching him drool over Brenda, even though it was obvious, at least to her and everyone else, that there was a new man in Brenda’s life – one she actually seemed to want to be with! Lily decided she was tired of living like this. She made up her mind to call her father in the morning for some advice. He had always given her good advice whenever she asked for it, regardless of the subject. She knew he would do the same now. She loved Sonny so much it hurt, and she couldn’t stand to see the way he acted around Brenda. Tonight had finally shown her that it was Sonny, and not Brenda, who was at fault. She had seen how Sonny’s cruelty had hurt Brenda. She had also seen how Brenda had immediately turned to the man she was with for comfort, instead of running out and making a scene. For the first time since their marriage, she knew the truth. It was not Brenda who was harassing Sonny, as he claimed, but the other way around. Sonny was still chasing Brenda!

When the lights came up at the end of the show, Brenda’s head was still on Jax’s shoulder. She seemed reluctant to move, and Jax was in no hurry to ask her to. Eventually, when Ned and Lois and come back to join them at their table, Brenda had sat up, making sure to grab Jax’s hand in both of hers before he had a chance to move. It was obvious to Lois that her time sitting snuggled with Jax had been exactly what Brenda had needed to get over whatever Sonny had done earlier. When they took their seats, the Brenda who was sitting there, with the exception of her death grip on Jax’s hand, was her old self.

As the four, new friends sat enjoying drinks and laughing at Jax’s jokes about Ned and Ned’s jokes about Jax, none of them noticed Sonny. He, on the other hand, had not taken his eyes off of them since the lights had come up. When he couldn't stand it any longer, he got up from the table, leaving Lily without a word, and went over to talk to Mike. He pulled Mike to the side, out of the flow of traffic. “Okay, who’s the punk with Brenda?” Sonny’s hatred was obvious in his voice. It actually frightened Mike. When he didn’t answer right away Sonny grabbed his shirtfront. “I asked you a question, Mike. Who is that guy?”

Feeling confident for the first time in a long time when it came to Sonny, Mike slowly pulled Sonny’s hand from his shirt. “All I know is that his name is Jax, and he met Brenda through Lois. Apparently he and Lois were in some kind of a business deal and she invited him here to Port Charles.” Mike turned to walk away but quickly turned back. “Michael, leave her alone! She seems happy with him! You made your choice, and it wasn’t her! Leave her alone to do the same thing!”

As Mike turned to walk away, Sonny grabbed his arm and spun him back. “Listen to me, old man. She’s my woman! Nobody else goes near her! Do you hear me? If that punk thinks he can make time with my woman he’s got another think coming! If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay as far away from them as possible!”

Shaken, Mike pulled his arm away from Sonny and walked back to his position by the door. When he saw Brenda and her friends getting ready to leave, he walked over to their table to say goodbye. As he walked up, he heard the beginnings of a friendly argument about who would pay the check. This gave him the opportunity he needed. He walked up to the table and put his hands on both Jax and Brenda’s shoulders. He leaned down and whispered to everyone at the table. “There’s no check for you guys to argue about. Your drinks are on the house!” When Jax looked quizzically up, Mike slightly angled his head toward where Sonny and Lily were sitting. “It’s my pleasure to see Brenda happy again. For whatever it’s worth, Jax, I’m glad to have met you!” He reached down and shook Jax’s hand and then walked away with their check, leaving the four of them looking at each other.

Eventually they stood up to leave. As they got to the door, Mike already had their coats. As Jax was helping Brenda with her coat, Sonny came up to them. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend here, Brenda?” The sarcasm in his voice was evident to everyone. Jax immediately placed both of his hands on Brenda’s shoulders to let her know that he was right there. Ned did the same for Lois.

Jax could feel Brenda trembling. When she looked up at him, he winked at her to let her know that it was okay. “Sonny, this is Jasper Jacks. Jax, this is Sonny Corrinthos, a former business associate of L&B Records.”

Sonny stuck out his hand to Jax, who ignored it. “Now, Brenda, is that any way to describe our relationship? It WAS and IS so much more than that!”

Feeling Brenda’s trembling increase, Jax took the opportunity to speak up, “I understand from Lois that you were the one responsible for Lois and Brenda losing L&B Records. Well, you might like to know that I am the one responsible for them getting it back!” He squeezed Brenda’s shoulders and bent down to whisper in her ear, “Ready to go, luv? The car’s waiting out front.” When Brenda nodded her head without saying anything, Jax nodded curtly to Sonny and wrapped his arm securely around Brenda’s waist. Mike opened the door and the four of them walked out, leaving Sonny standing there, staring at them with a look of pure hatred on his face!

Whoever this kid was, he had just overstepped his place! No one challenged Sonny Corrinthos, especially when it came to his woman! He stormed back over to the table and grabbed Lily’s arm. “Come on! We’re leaving!” He dragged her toward the door and impatiently waited for their coats. When he had them, he threw Lily’s coat at her and pulled her out the door, totally oblivious to Lily or how embarrassed she was. His mind was racing, as he began making plans to find out everything there was to know about Jasper Jacks – especially how to destroy him!