The woman looked up at him. "Excuse me, Mr. Jacks? What did you say?"

Jax looked up at Addie, and she didn’t know whether or not she saw the whites of his eyes or road maps. {What did I say?} "Uh…I said what I always say, Addie, very TRULY yours." {Maybe her hearing is going bad from listening to Dad for all those years.}

Adele looked down at her pad, and then looked up and smiled condescendingly at Jax. "Of course, Mr. Jacks. Very truly yours. I’ll have it typed right away." She got up and left the office quietly.

Jax shook his head and rubbed his eyes with his two first fingers. Although his parents were tickled pink by his decision to open a branch office in Port Charles, he didn’t expect his father to saddle him with Adele, one of the veteran employees from the home office. He saw his mother’s fine hand in that move, since Adele and Lady Jane were like sisters. {She probably reports to mum every day on whether or not I’m eating and wearing clean clothes.}

He swung around to face his office window, which looked out over the river. At least Adele didn’t know EVERYTHING that was going on in his life. Like how he had made a huge fool out of himself a week ago with Brenda.

{You should have told her, right off the bat. You should have just walked up to her and said, "Hi, I’m Jasper Jacks. I was in the Air Force with your husband, and he always called me by my nickname, Cassanova. I’m the guy you hate. The guy you wouldn’t want to be in the same room with for more than 5 seconds. And you’ll be REALLY fond of me when you find out that I’m the reason why your husband’s dead.}

But as he watched the bustling streets and the beautiful clouds in the sun-lit sky, she knew what her reaction to that would have been. Hatred. Loathing. Contempt. And those were expressions that he never wanted to see in those velvet brown eyes. He never wanted to hear those awful names that he had called himself pass her lips.

He sat back down at the desk. Her lips. {God, they were so soft and warm. Beneath that calm demeanor of hers, there’s a passionate, provocative woman aching to be set free.} So although he had the best of intentions, he knew that he wouldn’t tell her yet. He knew that if he tried, he could break through to that passionate side. He had never met a woman that he couldn’t charm. And once he broke through and she had fallen in love with him, too…

{One problem, Jax old boy. In order to charm and win her, you have to BE with her. And you’re running out of excuses to go see her. The probability of Anthony falling into another fountain is probably next to nothing.} At that point, the intercom buzzed and Adele’s voice echoed in his office. "Mr. Jax, there’s a Mr. Scorpio on line two for you."

Jax looked heavenward. {Could those angels be listening again?}

*~*~*~*

Brenda leafed through the files on her desk. "Lois, do you know where those invoices for Miguel’s new CD are?"

Lois came walking into Brenda’s office, walked over to her desk, and picked them up off the top of the stack. "What’s that old line about hiding in plain sight?"

"Thanks, Lo. I’m just a little distracted today," Brenda replied absently.

Lois was about to ask if it had anything to do with the Mr. Gorgeous, but held her tongue. Every time she had brought up the dinner, Brenda had answered in monosyllables and changed the subject. Lois knew that Jax was attracted to Brenda, and she suspected that Brenda was tempted to make the attraction mutual. But she was just too stubborn and afraid to take the first step towards living again. {Well, if nobody else will do it, I guess it’s up to me.}

"I was talking to Eddie last night…" Lois began. She looked over at Brenda, who was still working furiously with her head down on her desk. "He mentioned seeing you at the banquet last Saturday night with Jax."

Brenda looked up at Lois. "Does all of this have a point?"

Lois shrugged. "Eddie just said that you looked like a million bucks. And that you and Jax made an attractive couple." Brenda motioned with her hands that Lois should go on and get to the point. "And that Jax seemed pretty interested in you."

Brenda slammed her pen down on her desk. "Do you think we could possibly have a conversation without bringing up Jax? I mean, there’s nothing to discuss. We went to the dinner. We had a nice time. We ate. We came back home. End of evening. Period."

{Except for the kiss. If Lois ever finds out about the kisses, I’m dead meat. But she won’t find out about them, because there was nothing to them. Nothing at all. Why, I’ve almost forgotten about them… forgotten….}

Lois looked Brenda in the eye. "Eddie says you danced with him," she said quietly. "He says you two looked cozy."

"So we danced. Jax was trying to avoid that Katherine Bell woman. He thought she looked like she was on the make, and had him for her target for the evening, so he asked me to dance. I danced with him to repay his favor. He saved Anthony’s life, and I saved his. Finito." She looked around. "Now, I really need to change my clothes and get ready for that mommy and me exercise class with Anthony tonight." She grabbed a gym bag and went into the small bathroom outside her office.

Lois followed her and camped in the hallway outside the bathroom door. "Brenda, I don’t understand why you’re so touchy about this. It’s like Ma said the other day. We just want you to be happy. And Jax seems like a nice guy. Why can’t you go out with him and have fun?"

Brenda’s voice came out through the door. "For the same reason I told you the other day. Men eventually expect women to come across with the goodies after a few dates."

"So?" Brenda opened the door to glare furiously at Lois, and Lois answered her stare. "Brenda, Louie died, but you are still alive. Just because he died doesn’t mean that you don’t have a life anymore. It doesn’t mean that you won’t ever have a sex life again!"

Brenda came stomping out of the bathroom and back into her office. "I HAD a sex life with your brother, Lois. It was everything I ever wanted. But I’m not one of those women in Dr. Kinsey’s reports – I don’t have a sex life anymore, and I don’t need one."

Lois nodded. "Don’t need one, huh?"

"No." {But those kisses. D*mn him, why does he have to be such a good kisser?}

"Don’t even think about it, huh?"

Brenda threw the files on her desk into the drawer and slammed it. "NO!"

"And now you’re ready to go to that exercise class with Anthony?"

Brenda sighed and rolled her eyes. "YES. All ready to go. Now, do you have any more questions?"

Lois walked over to Brenda and stared her right in the eyes. "Yeah. Just two. Number one, do you have permanent PMS or somethin’ that keeps you from having a normal conversation these days?" She started walking away, and then returned and said in a low voice, "And number two, if ‘ya don’t think about sex anymore AT ALL, what distracted ‘ya so much that you’re still wearing high heels with that workin’ out outfit?" Lois smiled as Brenda fumed.

Brenda let out a big sigh. She sat down and kicked off the high heels, reaching for her tennis shoes. "I’m sorry, Lois. I don’t mean to take it out on you. I’m just so confused sometimes."

Lois came to rest her hand on Brenda’s shoulder. "That’s a start, honey."

Brenda smiled up at her. "But, even if I did admit I may be just a little bit interested in Mr. Jacks, the probabilities are that I’ll never hear from him again, so it doesn’t really matter."

At that instant, fate intervened. "Brenda, Mr. Jacks is on line two for you," Carly’s voice announced.

Lois’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. She backed away from Brenda’s desk. "I’m not gonna say a thing. See – I’m leavin’ the room. You won’t get no interference from me, no sirree. I’m leavin’ you allll alone." She left the office, but stood out in the hallway, holding her breath. Brenda smiled, since she guessed as much.

Trying not to sound too breathless, Brenda picked up the phone. "Brenda Cerullo."

"Hi Brenda, it’s Jax."

{As if I needed him to tell me that. I’d know that voice anywhere, and it’s only been a little over a week since I met the man.} "Hi Jax." {Oh, that was bright. You’re a great conversationalist, Brenda.}

After making painful small talk about work and the weather, Brenda broke the ice. "Look, Jax, I hate to be blunt, but I’ve got a Mommy and Me exercise class to get to, and I still have to pick up Anthony, so…"

"Got it. I’m sorry to be calling at the last minute like this, but I just got off the phone with Mac Scorpio and he invited me over to dinner with him and Felicia tomorrow night. Just casual – barbeque, beer and chips. Would you like to go with me?" As Brenda was about to refuse, Jax added, "It was really Felicia’s idea to invite you, you know. So it really wasn’t like they just invited ME, they invited both of us. What do you say?"

Brenda cupped her chin in her free hand. "Actually, Jax, it sounds like it would be fun, but I’ve got a problem with Anthony on Friday nights."

"Problem solved," he replied confidently. "Anthony’s invited too. You remember that Mac and Felicia have two daughters? Well, apparently Mac bought them a new inflatable wading pool, and Felicia thought Anthony might like to help them christen it. And you and I both know how much Anthony likes water."

Brenda chuckled in spite of herself. Her first instinct was to turn Jax down, but since Anthony was invited too and Felicia had seemed like such a nice woman, it was very hard to say no. But she didn’t want to give Jax the wrong impression. After all, it wouldn’t be a date. {Brenda, don’t go there, as Lois would say. Remember what happened the last time you went on a non-date with Jax? Remember the kiss?}

She only hesitated for a few more seconds. "I’d love to. What time should we be ready?"

*~*~*~*

Jax showed up the next night promptly at 7. Brenda opened the door to find him waiting with hand raised to knock. His face broke into a large smile. "Are you psychic now, too?"

"No, I just have a nasty habit of expecting people to be prompt. I can’t stand it when I’m late for something. Come in." She let him in, and couldn’t help but notice how the pale blue polo shirt he had on complimented his eyes. His gray slacks would have brought a comment from Lois for sure, either for the way they fit in the front or the back.

Jax, meanwhile, was taking his time drinking in Brenda’s appearance. She had on a short, white sundress with thin straps that criss-crossed in the back, giving him disturbing thoughts about what kind of bra she could be wearing (or not). "Looks like you and Lois have been working on your tans again," he said in a hoarse voice, since the white of the dress complimented her darkly tanned skin. Even through the dark tan, he saw her begin to blush and realized he was treading on dangerous ground again.

He looked around. "It’s really quiet in here. Where did you bury the in-laws? In the garden?" he said with a smirk.

Brenda motioned for him to follow her upstairs. "No, silly. That’s why I thought this wouldn’t work out at first. Gloria and Carmine play canasta with a bunch of other people every Friday night, so I can never count on them to baby-sit for me on Fridays. If Anthony hadn’t been invited along, I would have had to turn you down."

"Well,’ Jax drawled, "how could I dream of going anywhere without my best bud?" They rounded the corner and walked into the nursery, where Anthony was standing in his crib, holding onto the rail for support. When Anthony saw Jax, he immediately began bending at the knees, bouncing his little bottom up and down. He pointed at Jax with his one finger, and gurgled something unintelligible.

Jax broke into a big smile. "I think he remembers me!" he said, and went over to the crib to lift him out. "Hey, Tiger! How ‘ya doin’? Get any phone numbers from any hot babes today?" He swung him high over his head, and as he did, his shirt sleeve pulled back to reveal a scar that went from the middle of his left arm up to his elbow, twisted around into several branches, and then faded into the area hidden by his sleeve. Jax turned around with Anthony, and caught Brenda staring at his arm.

He lowered the toddler into the crook of his arm. "I told you it would repulse you."

Brenda lifted her chin. "What?" she said, feigning ignorance.

"The scars, Brenda. I’m a big boy. I’ve heard all the comments. You don’t have to be diplomatic around me."

Her eyes softened. "Will you tell me about it sometime?"

{Like now. Tell her now. It’s a perfect opportunity.} "Sometime. But not now. We don’t want to be late for the Scorpio’s." {Coward.}

Jax carried Anthony downstairs as the boy put his chubby little arm around Jax’s neck. Jax looked at him in surprise, and Anthony took his other hand and stuck three fingers in Jax’s mouth. Jax blew bubbles on Anthony’s fingers, and the toddler chortled in joy.

When they got to the front door, Brenda stopped. "I assume you brought the Jag?" At Jax’s nod, she sighed. "I really don’t think Anthony’s car seat will fit into it. Would you mind if we took my mini-van?"

Jax snickered. "Will you let me drive?"

Now it was Brenda’s turn to giggle. "OK, but don’t let Edward Quartermaine ever see you driving a mini-van. He’ll assume you’ve become domesticated and try to take over your business."

Once Anthony was safely buckled into his carseat and Jax had carried out the extra diaper bags Brenda insisted were a necessity, they were off to the Scorpio’s. Jax had to re-adjust the seat of Brenda’s van, but he soon took to driving it without a problem. "Kind of like a truck, isn’t it?" he asked with a smile.

"Compared to that little can opener you drive, it is!" Brenda teased back. "So how’s business? Did you ruin anybody’s lives by throwing them out on the cold, cruel streets lately?"

"Ouch! You really have a low opinion of me, don’t you?" Jax replied. "You can’t base your opinion of all businessmen on Edward Quartermaine and Ned Ashton, you know."

Brenda was pleased with herself, since she had seemed to recall the art of making small talk rather well since their last "non-date." They soon pulled up in front of a two-story, brick home in an older section of Port Charles.

Felicia greeted them at the door, accompanied by her two daughters, Maxie, age 7, and Georgie, age 2. She was enthusiastic and welcoming, and soon Jax was out on the back patio, helping Mac barbeque. Brenda accepted Felicia’s offer to take a tour of the house.

"… and this is the kitchen," Felicia finished. "The way Mac loves to eat, we decided we’d better find a house with a large kitchen." She looked out the window, and waved at the two men, who were bonding over the barbeque pit with beers in hand.

"Your house is lovely," Brenda said, sitting down at the kitchen table. "Do you want me to cut these vegetables for the salad?"

Felicia nodded. "Mac said that Jax told him you live with your in-laws. Jax also told Mac that you were a widow." Felicia’s voice became quiet. "I’m so sorry."

Brenda put down the knife she was using to cut the carrots and her eyes began to mist. Felicia got a panicked look in her eyes. "Oh, Brenda, I don’t mean to pry. If you don’t want to talk about it, I’ll understand."

Brenda heaved a huge sigh. "No, maybe it’s time I started talking about it." She looked out at Anthony in the wading pool and could hear his screams of delight. "Louie was killed the day after Anthony was born, not quite two years ago." Felicia’s hand flew up to her mouth as she gasped, and she sat down at the table with Brenda.

Brenda found herself telling Felicia the whole story, something she hadn’t done in the time since Louie died. Felicia was sympathetic and a good listener, knowing when to say something and when to just let Brenda talk.

"… and I haven’t really been out much in circulation since then," Brenda finished. "Not until I met Jax – and that was just over a week ago," Brenda smiled.

"A week? You two look like you’ve known each other forever! How did you meet?" Felicia asked.

"Actually, Jax met Anthony first," Brenda laughed, telling Felicia the story of Anthony’s swan dive at the mall. She got up and looked out the window. "I guess you can tell he likes the water."

Both women looked out the kitchen window. The children were having a great time in the pool, with Maxie supervising like a little mother and Anthony and Georgie splashing each other mercilessly. Mac and Jax were still working on the steaks, but talk of "shrimp on the barbie" wafted in through the open window.

"Uh-oh, we’re in for trouble," Felicia grinned.

"What?"

"If Mac starts trading old Australian war stories with Jax, we may NEVER eat," Felicia laughed. Then she grinned a foxy smile at Brenda. "Mac says that Jax seems to be a determined man. He’s heard a few things about J&J Jacks since coming to town, and he says that Jax has a reputation for being a ruthless businessman. He says Jax has been known to bend the rules when he needs to in order to get something he wants." She looked at Brenda in confidence. "I’d say from the way you two looked when you were dancing the other night, Jax wants you!"

At Brenda’s embarrassed blush, Felicia grabbed two beers from the refrigerator. "Come on, let’s take these out to the cooks." Brenda followed her out on the patio, just in time to see Anthony splash Georgie one more time.

"Anthony Louis, don’t you do that!" Brenda warned, but Georgie didn’t need a rescuer. She splashed Anthony back with a vengeance, just when the toddler wasn’t expecting it. He sputtered as he inhaled the water.

Just as Brenda was about to rush over to get him out of the pool and help him get his breath again, Jax was over in a flash. He picked him up, thwacked him on the back a few times, and then grinned at him.

As Anthony’s lower lip began to quiver, Jax touched it with his finger. "That’s what you get for splashing a girl, Tiger," Jax mocked. He made sure the boy was breathing normally, and then put him in the crook of his arm. He walked over to the bench next to the picnic table and sat down, perching Anthony on his knee.

"Anthony, it’s time we had a little talk, man to man." Brenda smiled and put her fingers to her lips at the scene. His voice took on a serious tone. "You have to watch out for the women of the world. They have their own ways of making us men pay for making them miserable! You have to be nice to them, and that includes no splashing, even if they splash you first. It’s never to early to learn that the female of the species is a very complicated creature – right Mac?"

Mac shook his head while he continued to barbeque. "You won’t get any argument from me on that one, mate!"

Anthony gave Jax a wide-eyed look and almost seemed to understand what he was saying. As Jax continued to bounce him on his knee, Anthony began to smile at him, shaking his head and spraying Jax with pool water. Jax grabbed a towel with one hand and briskly dried him off. He followed it up with a tickle to Anthony’s bare middle, causing the toddler to giggle uncontrollably.

As Brenda watched in amazement, Jax took Anthony back over to the pool, set him down next to it, and squatted down beside him. Jax leaned over and put his face in the water, blowing bubbles. He came up dripping, and wiped the excess water from his eyes. "Come on, Tiger, you try it, too!" he encouraged the toddler. Anthony cautiously leaned over the side of the pool, inhaled bravely, and put his face in the water, blowing bubbles in an imitation of Jax. He came up sputtering, but laughing in a way that made Brenda’s heart melt. Jax started laughing, too, and dried Anthony’s wet face again before hugging him to his chest.

As Jax turned back, he saw Brenda watching them. "Oh, hi. Quite a little water lover we’ve got here, wouldn’t you say Bren?"

Brenda watched Jax thoughtfully as Felicia handed Mac another beer and put her arm around her husband. Jax began swinging Anthony through the air, and his squealing had Maxie and Georgie giggling. Jax then got a dangerous look in his eye, and he brought Anthony over to Brenda, giving him to her to hold. She watched Jax grab Georgie and begin swinging her in the same fashion, and when he made an evil face at Maxie, she began running in circles in the yard to escape him.

Brenda watched the scene before her, and couldn’t help but remember Felicia’s words. {Here’s a man who has more money than Bill Gates, good looks, charm, and a successful business. So what’s he after now?} The problem was, she knew the answer, and it scared her to pieces.

{He wants ME.}

To be continued….