"And I think it’s *just* what you need, Brenda!" Ned insisted. "Come on – I’ll even grit my teeth and sit through a chick flick with you if it’ll raise your spirits!"

Brenda smiled grimly. "That’s sweet of you to offer, Ned, but I think that even a Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan marathon wouldn’t do the trick for me tonight."

"It’s because of what happened in court today, isn’t it?"

"No!" Brenda sat upright in her chair, her eyes wide open at the insinuation. "Actually, I think it went pretty well today, all things considered. I made the points I wanted to with the jury."

A few seconds of silence followed before Ned’s voice sounded again through the telephone. "Then it’s what that anchor woman said that’s still bothering you. That Tiffany Hill person." He used several epithets that questioned Tiffany’s parentage. "I should have grandfather call the TV station and withdraw their funding for the next five years." Edward Quartermaine sat on the board of directors of several Port Charles businesses, including the one that owned WLPC. Although Ned usually avoided being associated with his family, there were times when he found it beneficial.

"It’s not Tiffany either, Ned." Brenda hoped Ned would get the message soon and leave her alone. She *certainly* didn’t want to go into the details of her meeting with Jasper Jacks and how his insistent romantic overtures made concentration difficult at best. "It’s just that I’ve got a lot of paperwork to catch up on, and with the Corinthos trial building up steam, I’ll be in court a lot so I won’t have time to do it……"

"I know, I know……" Ned’s sigh of resignation made Brenda take heart. "I probably should pass on the movie myself tonight. Justus has me up to my elbows in research on some new bond issues he’s proposing." His voice suddenly brightened. "How about if I call you later? If you’re about finished, maybe we can grab a late burger or something at Kelly’s?"

"OK – you can try." Brenda didn’t want to burst Ned’s bubble, but in her heart she *knew* there was no way she’d be sharing some heavenly artery-clogging midnight snack at the eatery near the docks with him. "But I can’t guarantee that I’ll be finished by the time you are."

"I’ll take my chances, Counselor." Brenda could hear Ned’s smile through the telephone. "Just be careful going home, OK?"

"I promise." Brenda hung up the phone with a long sigh and then turned to her computer monitor. She hit the "return" key to sign onto the Internet, and was rewarded several seconds later with the "welcome" greeting and the announcement that "You’ve got mail!"

{No kidding I’ve got mail. The variety with blue eyes, blonde hair, and the most gorgeous *male* packaging that I’ll ever see this side of heaven.} As dreamy memories of Jax floated through Brenda’s consciousness, another burning set of eyes and smoky features clouded her brain, making her growl in frustration. {You’ve got to get him off your mind, Brenda – BOTH "him"’s! You’ll never be able to concentrate enough to win the Corinthos case, or find out exactly who killed Nick Raines and why if you can’t forget Jax…….and Kismet……and Jax…….and Kismet……}

When her computer timed out and the screen saver popped up, Brenda forced her dilemma to the back burner. She rubbed her eyes briskly with her fists, took another sip of the strong dark liquid that Dara lovingly called coffee, and then poised her hands above the keyboard of her computer after entering the address of her favorite search engine.

{Obviously it had something to do with that linen shop. That’s where Nick always delivered the drugs. There must have been evidence there they didn’t want me to find or they wouldn’t have firebombed the place. Even Kismet told me that.}

Brenda went to the public information area of the site and then found the "search" icon. She typed in "Beds and Beyond," hit return, and didn’t have to wait long before her screen was filled with data on the small enterprise. Thankfully there was only one location – the one on Decatur Street that had been turned to a heap of ash in one split second. She scrolled through the listing of products and prices until she got to the data she was looking for. Beds and Beyond was owned by a company called Threads, Incorporated. A smile lit her face at the Port Charles address.

Returning to the home page, Brenda entered Threads, Inc., and waited while the computer hummed on its search. She was sipping her coffee again when the data came back, and it made her put the cup down with a frown. Threads, Incorporated, was only a small part of a much larger conglomerate. All of the financial data on Threads could be found in the listing for the parent company – Elanco, International.

She pursed her lips and shrugged. Then Brenda cleared the screen and began typing again. This was only a minor setback. She could just as easily investigate the people involved with Elanco to find some link to…….

Brenda’s loud expletive echoed in the empty office. The search on Elanco yielded the page she most hated seeing on her PC – "No matches found. Please try your search again using a more specific phrase." She switched back to the data for Beds and Beyond, re-entered Threads, Inc., re-encountered Elanco, and tried every conceivable spelling for the parent company. But she still kept hitting the same dead end. No data on file.

{This is ridiculous!!} Brenda’s chair groaned as she settled back in it, chewing on her knuckle in frustration. {There must be SOME kind of listing on Elanco! They can’t just operate out of thin air!} She went back to the minimal information available on the conglomerate. The address listed was a post office box. The Chief Executive Officer was shown as a Mr. John Smith – no surprise – and although there was a phone number, Brenda had no doubt it would lead to a sophisticated answering system.

{OK. Be calm. Stay cool. There must be something else you can look up – some other lead you’re ignoring.} Brenda hit the "escape" key on her computer, signed off, and then sat back in her chair again with a loud sigh. She covered her eyes with her fingertips as she tried to replay the scene that day when she had interviewed Nick Raines. Maybe there was something she was forgetting. Some other possible lead that she had overlooked…….

"It all started about six months ago. I used to hang out a lot down at Jake’s. You know, that cheesy little dive down on the docks?"

{That’s it!!!} Brenda gave a little shout of joy and pumped her fist up and down in victory as she sat back up straight. She hummed happily as she quickly shut down her computer and then reached for the Port Charles Phone Directory. {That little bar, Jake’s, might be the key!! If I go hang out there for a while, I might find out something about the guy with the gold pendant, or Elanco, or even run into Jimbo! I think Nick said they both hung out there a lot……}

She frowned briefly when she saw the address for Jake’s – it wasn’t exactly in the same posh part of the waterfront as the Port Charles Hotel. Brenda glanced up at the office clock. {Ten after ten. Maybe it’s still early. Maybe the *real* hoodlums don’t show up until after midnight.} Fortified by the thought that lightning couldn’t *possibly* strike three times, she picked up the telephone and called a cab. {That’s what I need…….a nice nightcap at Jake’s. Just the thing to help me sleep tonight.}

*#*#*#*

"You want another one of those yet, dollface?"

Brenda fought the overwhelming urge to toss what was left of her rum and Coke in the face of the bleached-blonde, buxom bartender. "No……I’m fine, thanks," she smiled smugly. "I guess I’m just not very thirsty tonight."

It was almost 11:30, and Brenda had yet to see or hear anything even remotely related to Nick Raines. Her eyes burned from the haze of cigarette smoke that clung to the walls, and if she had to listen to the juke box blare "American Woman" one more time, she thought she would throw up.

"Well," the blonde drawled, leaning across the bar towards Brenda, "you’ve been nursin’ the same drink ever since you came in here, you haven’t played pool, you haven’t given any of the guys that tried to hit on you the time of day………" She shook her head and eyed Brenda critically. "Exactly why DID you come to this charming establishment tonight, darlin’?"

Brenda glanced around to make sure nobody else was listening. "Well, I’m not the police, if that’s what you’re afraid of." She leaned even closer, somehow managing not to gag on the strong odor of cheap perfume that surrounded the bartender. "I’m looking for someone…….a guy named Jimmy. Jimmy Statler."

The blonde’s facial expression didn’t change. "Never heard of him."

Brenda suddenly arched an eyebrow and reached for her purse. "Maybe your memory needs a little extra incentive……"

The blonde slapped her hand down on Brenda’s even before she could pull out her wallet. "My memory works just FINE, thank you very much." She grimaced and nodded towards Brenda’s purse. "So unless you’re thinkin’ of buyin’ a round for the house, put your money away."

Brenda sighed disgustedly. "Maybe someone else might know something." She looked around at the other seedy patrons. "Maybe if I could just talk to Jake….."

"You’re talkin’ to her. And the answer’s still the same. I can’t tell you *nothin’* about Jimmy Statler." The blonde put her hands on her hips, daring Brenda to object with her eyes. "So now why don’t you just take that pretty little yuppie rear end of yours back uptown where it belongs and call it a night, hmmmmm?"

"I get the message." Brenda’s eyes narrowed but then she stiffened her spine and took one last, long sip from her drink before sliding off the bar stool. "Oh, and one last thing, *Jake*," she said pointedly, shoving the glass towards the blonde. "You make a LOUSY drink."

Brenda heaved a sigh of relief once she was back out on the street. Polluted as it was with the smell of fish and diesel oil from the waterfront, she took a deep breath of fresh air. {You were a fool to come here tonight, Brenda. You should have just told Dara about your hunch and then let Mac assign an undercover cop to the case. He probably could have charmed some information out of the enchanting Miss Jake without even breaking a sweat.} She pulled out her cell phone and called for a cab, trying to stay as close as she could to the marginally-lighted entrance to Jake’s. Once that was done, she crossed her arms and began to pace back and forth, planning her strategy for her court appearance the next day to pass the time.

{I’ll call the coroner first, just so I can officially establish the cause and time of death. And I’ll call that young girl that found the body – Liz Weber. And I guess I’ll have to call the wife, Carly – but she’ll probably just lie through her teeth to protect her husband. No, calling the wife might not be a good thing to do. Let the defense put her on the stand and look like idiots. Let Alexis Davis pull the hare-brained stunt……..}

"It was a hare-brained stunt, you know."

Brenda jumped and almost started to scream when he whispered in her ear. Like part of the night, he appeared out of the shadows behind her, enveloping her in his mysterious essence. Before she could even blink an eye, he spirited her into a secluded corner of the alley next to Jake’s.

"Geezzzzz…….." She put her hand to her forehead, trying to regain her composure. The pounding of her heart in her ears was like some hyperactive bass drum as she swayed slightly. "Don’t you EVER just come right up to a girl and say hello? Do you ALWAYS have to do the swooping and grabbing thing?"

"I’ve never had any complaints about my swooping and grabbing before, Miss Barrett," Kismet replied in a throaty whisper. His chameleon eyes glittered like glowing coals in the darkness. Brenda had a feeling that if she could see beneath his mask, he would have been smiling complacently. Something deep inside her fluttered and melted at the thought of him swooping and grabbing her somewhere……..anywhere.

"What were you doing down here?" His abrupt change of mood made Brenda infinitely glad she hadn’t moaned aloud.

"I…..uh……." She straightened her suit jacket. "I wanted some fresh air."

"And you came down to the *worst* part of the docks for it?" Kismet shook his head and laughed sardonically. "You’re a terrible liar, Brenda."

There it was again – that hot, liquid feeling when he said her name. The way his tongue rolled it around in a sensual caress before releasing it reluctantly. She valiantly tried to regain her composure. "Alright. The truth is that I was looking for someone."

Kismet sighed in disgust. "Jimmy Statler."

"How did YOU know about Jimmy Statler?" Her eyes widened in anger and shock. "I didn’t……I mean, that’s……..that’s classified information!"

"This *isn’t* World War II, Brenda. I know a *lot* of things." Kismet suddenly turned from her and walked slowly towards the mouth of the alley.

"Then *tell* me what you know about Jimmy Statler." Brenda followed him, glad to be feeling curious – outraged – anything but hormonal. "Do you know where he is?"

Kismet spun back so quickly that Brenda almost ran into his broad, dark chest. "Even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you." He lifted a finger to gently run it along her cheek. "It’s too dangerous for you."

"So the same people who killed Nick Raines are looking for Statler?" She pulled away from his caress, even though it took a monumental effort.

Brenda caught her breath when Kismet suddenly gripped her forearms. "Digging deeper into all of this almost cost you your life last time, Brenda. These men play for keeps, and if you’re between them and Jimmy Statler, they won’t hesitate to take you out of the picture. Permanently."

"But it’s my JOB……."

"No, it’s MY job!" Kismet cut off her weak objection, pulling her flush against him. The feel of his hard, muscular thighs brushing hers turned her knees to pancake batter. "Just go back to your desk and stop trying to be a hero."

"Ohhhhh, that’s right!" Brenda growled sarcastically. "I couldn’t *possibly* do that because that’s YOUR job, isn’t it, Mr. Super-Prince-of-the-Night?" When Kismet abruptly released his hold on her and backed away little, she advanced on him. "And NOBODY can do it as well as you, can they? Especially not a WOMAN!"

He shook his head as he seemed to fade into the night mist. "So stubborn……and so beautiful……."

"Oh, yeah, RIGHT!! SURE!! You think you can just call me beautiful and get on my good side and then I won’t…….." She remembered rushing after him, shaking her fist and arguing for all she was worth. But the next instant, Brenda found herself alone again in front of Jake’s. "D*MNIT!!!" She ground her teeth and grimaced. "Why does he ALWAYS do that to me!!" As she opened her eyes again and crossed her arms, the cab pulled up slowly to where she stood. She let out one more disgruntled sigh, then walked to the spot where it had stopped.

As she rode back to her apartment, Brenda couldn’t decide which made her angrier about her superhero rescuer – the fact that he wouldn’t share his information about Nick Raines’s killers with her – or the fact that he STILL hadn’t kissed her.

*~*~*~*

"ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT!! I’M COMING!!" Brenda stumbled towards the door of her apartment, rubbing her eyes and stubbing a toe on a chair in the process. "I swear Lois, if that’s you, I’ll NEVER let you borrow my red garter belt again……"

"Red garter belt, hmmmmm?" She swung open her front door to see six foot, two inches of very amused male. "Now *there’s* a picture to get a man "up" in the morning…….."

"Jax." Brenda pursed her lips and closed the door slightly, leaning her forehead against it and closing her eyes against her embarrassment. "What are you doing here at this hour of the morning?"

"Why, I just thought that if Mohammed wouldn’t come to the mountain, the mountain would just have to bring something to Mohammed……" Before she could squeak a protest, he pushed the door to her apartment open wider and then motioned to someone back down the hallway.

"Bring…….what?" Brenda clutched the sides of her short terrycloth robe more tightly around her throat. Although the nightshirt she slept in was hardly revealing, she certainly didn’t feel that one dinner together and a few blistering clenches entitled Jax to see her bra-less.

"Food, dear lady!" Jax grinned broadly and bowed at the waist as two white-coated waiters rushed past him. The serving cart they pushed was heavily laden with silver chafing dishes and rattled with the sound of fine china and crystal. "I just thought that since you didn’t have dinner with me last night, we could make it breakfast this morning instead!"

"But I don’t….." Brenda stared at the entourage as more waiters scurried past Jax bearing large silver trays of fresh fruit.

"Now…..don’t tell me that you don’t eat breakfast." Jax commanded sternly. He merely had to point and another waiter began to dish out some heavenly-smelling egg concoction.

"I *don’t*, normally," Brenda objected weakly. She stumbled towards the table as though she was in a trance, drawn by the sight of yet another waiter pouring some steaming, aromatic coffee. "Although that DOES smell divine……"

"No sugar, a splash of cream, and just a hint of cinnamon." Jax strolled towards Brenda, who was inhaling the scent of the coffee like an addict eyeing an elusive fix. "Your favorite, I believe?"

Brenda glared at him briefly before grabbing the coffee cup from the waiter. "You’re too d*mn smart for your own good, you know that?" she growled under her breath. Then she took a long sip of the coffee and nearly purred in contentment, her eyes closed. "Besides – I never said I was a morning person," she added, opening one eye cautiously before pressing her lips to the cup again. "Everyone *knows* I’m a beast until I’ve had my coffee."

"I find that hard to believe." She must have still been half asleep. One moment, she was drinking coffee, and the next, Jax had taken the cup and saucer from her and was cupping her face in his hands. The fierce longing in his eyes made her sigh in spite of herself as she realized that he was going to kiss her and she was probably going to enjoy it. "You look more like Beauty than the beast to me."

His mouth was firm and demanding as it settled on hers. Delicious kisses – almost as luscious as the gourmet breakfast awaiting them – made Brenda’s head swim. He didn’t have to urge her to open for him. She parted her lips, brushing her tongue against his warmly in an ancient dance of give and take. The kiss seemed to go on forever as Jax slid his hands down her back to gently cup her and pull her tightly against his growing desire. A shiver ran through her, starting low in her stomach and moving up her chest.

When Brenda moaned softly, Jax broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers as he struggled to catch his breath. "Mmmmm…….you taste like cinnamon," he murmured, brushing his lips against hers again. "And you’re still all warm from sleeping." When he seized her lips again in another toe-curling kiss, she felt the room start to spin. "Maybe I should just take you back to bed and tuck you in……."

The fleeting image of dark eyes and a husky whisper in the night washed over Brenda like cold water, bringing her back to reality. "But we can’t……" She gripped Jax’s arms fiercely to try to bolster her flagging resistance to his charms. "We can’t let all this wonderful food you brought go to waste….."

Jax’s lips lifted in a rueful smile. "Ahhhhh, Madame Prosecutor…" He stepped away from Brenda to pull back her chair so that she could sit at the serving table. "Always the sensible one." When she slid past him to take her seat, Jax nibbled playfully on the side of her neck and murmured, "Make sure to leave room for dessert!"

Brenda shot him a scolding look as Jax took a seat opposite her. "Didn’t your mother ever tell you that too many sweets are bad for your teeth, Mister Jacks?" She thanked the waiter softly when he ladled a perfect omelet onto her plate while another poured her juice. "And besides!" she added, cutting a forkful of heaven, "I have to be in court in two hours!"

Jax nodded at the waiter after he had served him a small bowl of yogurt and banana mixture. "The Corinthos case again?"

"Yep." Brenda took another sip of juice. "I have more groundwork to lay today before I can get to the good stuff." Her eyes sparkled with glee as she ruthlessly speared another chunk of egg concoction. "And then, I’ll put Mr. Corinthos behind bars for the rest of his miserable life!"

Jax chuckled and shook his head. "Remind me NEVER to be on the wrong side of the law when you’re prosecuting, Miss Barrett." He lifted his juice glass to her in salute. "I’m almost tempted to feel sorry for Mr. Corinthos if he has to submit to your questioning!"

"Well……..as long as we’re on the subject of questioning……." Brenda’s one eye narrowed and she picked up her coffee cup slowly. "I’d be curious to know exactly HOW you managed to get into my building this morning, Mister Jacks!"

"Me?" His eyebrows lifted in mock innocence.

"You……and this galloping gourmet entourage," Brenda replied. She took a sip of coffee and then set the cup down to fold her arms on the table and lean forward. "This is supposed to be a secure building. Guards downstairs employed by Harborview Heights that only allow specified guests to get in and out." She gestured towards the quiet waiters. "How exactly *did* all of you get past security?"

"I have connections, Miss Barrett," Jax smiled, folding his arms on the table smugly to mirror her stance. I OWN this building."

"No you don’t." Brenda’s face fell into a frown. "Arch Real Estate owns this building. That’s who I signed the lease with."

"And *I* own Arch Real Estate." Jax eased back in his chair, toying with the handle on his coffee cup. "Or actually J&J Jacks of Alaska owns Arch Real Estate." He smiled. "I speak in the first person so often that I forget that I’m a person and not a conglomerate."

"But I thought that J&J Jacks was mostly into oil and petroleum products," she argued thoughtfully. "And that *you* were only interested in raiding corporations to break them up and re-sell them."

"Every successful conglomerate needs diversity in order to flourish, Miss Barrett," Jax shot back. He winked at her, almost making her choke on the seed from a slice of fresh watermelon. "If you had been doing your homework instead of admiring my gorgeous baby blues and tight bum, you’d know that J&J Jacks of Alaska has quite a varied portfolio of holdings."

"How?" Brenda ignored Jax’s smug gloating. Despite the sumptuous feast before her – both culinary and masculine – all she could think of was the sleep she had lost the night before wrestling with the puzzle Elanco presented.

"How what?" Jax shook his head when a waiter offered to refill his coffee cup. "How did I get such a tight bum?"

"No!" she pouted in exasperation. "How would I have found out about J&J Jacks’s other holdings?"

"Whyyyyyy, Miss Barrett……." Jax sat back in his chair and folded his arms with a smile. "Are you trying to pick my brain?"

Brenda tipped her head to the side with a coquettish air. "Would you let me?"

"I’d much rather you picked some *other* part of my anatomy," Jax sighed with feigned hurt feelings. "But since this is probably for some case your investigating, I suppose I’ll help." He gave the waiters a significant look, at which they suddenly gathered and then disappeared out Brenda’s door with a whoosh. "I take it you’re trying to find out what kind of holdings somebody might be hiding?" He arched one eyebrow. "Mr. Corinthos, for example?"

"Possibly." His guess wasn’t at all close to the truth, but Brenda didn’t feel the need to confide in Jax. Not yet.

"You need to dig. Dig deep."

"I have," Brenda pouted. "And all I’m doing is banging my head against solid rock." She pushed her plate out of the way, suddenly eager and thankful that Jax had showed up at her door that morning. "I’ve got a holding company owned by a parent corporation that seems to be made out of thin air."

"Then dig *deeper* still." Jax rose from his chair enough so that he could move it closer to Brenda’s. Once he was settled, he glanced down at the tray of fresh fruit in front of them. "I never said it would be easy, Brenda." He delicately selected a ripe strawberry and picked it up by its stem to hold it to her lips. "But NOBODY can cover their tracks completely."

"These guys can." She took a bite of the juicy delicacy and then wiped her lips with her napkin when it dribbled down her chin. "I mean – how can you *dig* when there’s absolutely NOTHING out there on them?"

"Maybe you’re not looking in the right places." Jax took a bite of another berry and then deposited the stem in his own napkin. "Don’t just look locally for connections. Try listings from other cities – larger ones. Try variations on the spelling. Try re-arranging the digits in the phone number."

"You think it could be that simple?"

"It could." Jax shrugged and then sighed. "Or, you might have to try another route. Maybe the key isn’t the parent corporation. Maybe it’s the holding company – or somebody on the board of directors of the holding company. If you check out each of the board members, you might find out they serve on the board of some other companies……"

"…..and THAT might lead to my mysterious parent corporation!" Brenda’s eyes sparkled with renewed hope and enthusiasm. Then her eyes narrowed flirtatiously. "Are you *sure* you’re not some kind of private detective besides being a corporate raider?"

Jax leaned towards her, his expression suddenly grim. "And are YOU sure that all of this investigative curiosity is related to the *Corinthos* case?"

"I……." Brenda caught her breath. "I never said it did." She rose from the table abruptly when Jax caught her by the arm.

"It has to do with that witness that was murdered, doesn’t it? That Raines kid?" Jax held her firm when she shook her head to try to deny it. "And that linen shop that got blown to smithereens the other night when you were there."

"How did you know about that?"

"I read the papers."

"Oh, yeah – I forgot," Brenda snorted sarcastically. "Mr. Headlines-Hogger Superhero to the rescue."

"Thank God that Kismet was there to keep you from getting killed!" When she folded her arms disgustedly, Jax reached for her shoulders to protest his seriousness. "You forget that I *know* how dangerous these streets can be, Brenda! I lost my best friend the night I was shot!" He looked deeply into her eyes. "I *can’t* lose another person I care about. Not again."

Jax’s lips were hot and urgent as they moved against Brenda’s. Her skin felt sensitive and alive as she leaned into him, fitting in his embrace like they were made for each other. She was intensely aware of the heat of Jax’s body, of the chiseled planes of his chest that cradled her aching breasts, of the tangy taste of strawberry in his tongue and mouth as it consumed her. His lips left hers to trace a path to her ear while his hand moved up to capture tender game through her sleepshirt. "Give up the case, Brenda," he murmured. "Please? Before you get hurt."

"I……." Another voice came swirling out of the darkness at her.

Brenda took a shuddering breath. "I can’t."

"Yes, you can. Isn’t the Corinthos case enough for you?" Jax cupped her face in his hands tenderly. "And then we can be together……like you said……and it would be so beautiful……."

"Jax……" Brenda closed her eyes, silently vowing to forget another face, another voice.

"Brenda?" The sound of Jax’s lilting drawl only made the images swirl like an old-fashioned kaleidoscope, faster and faster in her brain. "Is something wrong?"

"I just…….." She turned away but then looked back at him, her breath hitching in her chest.

When he saw tears begin to form in the corners of her eyes, Jax let her go and stepped back just a few inches. "Are you involved with someone else, Brenda?"

{Involved? How do you tell a guy that you’re not exactly *involved* with someone else, but you daydream about him constantly? And that you’re not *exactly* sure if this other guy really exists?}

Brenda licked her lips and then took a slow breath. "This isn’t very easy to explain, Jax….."

"It’s Ned, isn’t it?" Jax’s voice was suddenly coldly analytical. "I mean, I know you denied it the night of Mayor Ward’s fundraiser, but maybe that was because we just met……."

"It’s not Ned….."

"I won’t play second fiddle to any man, Brenda," Jax interrupted heatedly. "I come first, or not at all."

"It’s NOT Ned, Jax!!" Brenda clenched her fists at her side in exasperation. "This is so hard to explain. I mean, AM attracted to you, but…….." She looked off to the side, obviously selecting her words with care. "Well, I think that there *might* be someone……but I’m not sure……."

Brenda covered her face with her hands and never saw Jax’s eyes widen in sudden understanding. She never glimpsed the pallor that washed quickly over him. Her anguished confusion went straight to Jax’s heart like a knife. He turned away – much as she had – narrowed one eye, and then faced her again with only a momentary lapse in his aplomb.

"Ohhhhhh, God……." When she glanced at the clock on her living room VCR, she took a deep breath and let it out quickly with determination. "I just *really* don’t want to get into this all right now, Jax. I’ve got to be in a courtroom in a little over an hour and ……."

"I understand – really." Jax nodded and held up a hand to stop her flow of words. "And I’m sorry. I just wanted to bring you breakfast. I never meant to make things more difficult for you."

"I know." She smiled at him, impish once again. "And I *do* appreciate all of this," she added, gesturing towards the food. "It sure beats the heck out of a Hotsie from QuikTrip and Dara’s coffee."

"I’ll have my people come back and clean up all of this while you’re getting ready for court." Jax headed for the door, pausing as he opened it to give her one more playful look that smoldered with possibility. "I suppose asking you to have dinner with me tonight would be too much?"

"You suppose correctly." Brenda smiled and clasped her hands behind her back and posed coyly. "But thank you – for breakfast. And for being so patient with me….."

Jax’s smile could have lit up half of Manhattan. "Always a pleasure, Miss Barrett." He pressed a kiss to his fingertips and then blew it in her direction before closing the door behind him. Once in the hallway, he let out a long sigh before heading downstairs to his limousine.

"Sooooo……." Thomas grinned at Jax conspiratorially as he opened the door for him. "How did it go with Brenda?"

"Fine."

Thomas stood there for a moment, taken aback at his usually verbose friend’s lack of comment. Then he slammed the door and jogged around to the driver’s side and slid into his own seat. "Did she like the breakfast?"

"Um-hmm."

Thomas quirked an eyebrow. "Did you kiss her?"

"Yep."

Thomas had the distinct feeling he had stepped into a nightmare as an oral surgeon – pulling teeth. "Are you seeing her again?"

"I don’t know."

"Hmmmmm……" He clenched his lips and shook his head. "Something tells me there’s more to this than meets the eye, boss." Thomas’s tone grew more gentle. "Is there a problem?"

Thirty seconds of silence followed before Jax’s grim voice came out of the darkened back seat. "Yeah. Another guy."

"Another guy?" He shifted in his seat, frowning in disbelief. "Miss Barrett would rather be with another guy than you?"

"Possibly."

Another thirty seconds of silence. "Who’s the other guy?"

Jax’s long sigh echoed in the blackness. "Me."

To be continued…….