"And please be sure that he understands that I need those risk management reports on my desk the first thing in the morning, Keith."

"I’ve got it, Miss Barrett," Keith nodded. He silently felt sorry for anyone who didn’t meet her deadlines – even El Nino was no match for a Barrett woman in a foul mood.

"That’s about it. I’ve just got a few more things to handle today," she sighed.

Keith checked her day-planner. "Oh, and don’t forget, you’ve got that photo session for the corporate sponsors of the Nurses’ Ball at 4:30."

"I know, I know." She rubbed her temples and swiveled to face out the windows of her office. "And then I have to put on a pretty face for my father’s birthday party. Only Harlan Barrett would have the nerve to throw his own 60^th birthday party. Knowing him, I wouldn’t put it past him to try to make it a surprise party!"

Keith laughed with her. "You’d better be going, Miss Barrett. You have to pick up your sister and her husband at the airport, too, before the party."

Brenda rose from behind the desk and stretched. "You’re a gem, Keith. Julia would have a real snit if I wasn’t there on time to pick her up. See you tonight at the party." She grabbed her suit jacket and briefcase, and was out the door like a tornado. Keith just smiled as she went past and shook her head. That woman needed to get a life, he thought with a sigh.

Brenda put on her jacket in the elevator and quickly checked her reflection. Her dark hair was pulled back in an efficient French braid, and the navy suit emphasized her dark features. The soft pink crepe blouse was the only concession to femininity that was apparent. She smiled to herself as she thought of her father’s face should he know of the frilly lingerie she wore to remind herself that Brenda Barrett was not all business!

As she stepped off the elevator, she could already see some of Port Charles’ most powerful business executives gathering in the lobby of the PC Building for the photo session. She recognized one tall, dark, imposing figure right away.

"Ned! Over here!" she waved, and snuck a look around to make sure her father wasn’t somewhere to see her very un-executive behavior.

Ned Ashton’s face lit up like a Christmas tree when he spied Brenda. "Brenda! Are you representing Barrett Industries this year for the photo? Where’s the birthday boy?"

"Probably still making sure everything is in order for tonight," she said sarcastically. "He’ll drive everyone crazy making sure all the I’s are dotted and t’s are crossed, and then make a big deal of thanking all the little people for putting it all together. Are you and Lois still coming so I’ll have someone to hang out with?"

Ned made a face and gave her a hug. "We wouldn’t miss it, kid. She’s got me on a short leash so that I won’t be late."

"Ned, isn’t that Jasper Jacks? I thought he was in Hong Kong on business," she said in a whisper.

"He was," Ned replied, "but apparently he’s back. Maybe just for the Nurses’ Ball or something." Ned waved at the tall blonde man just entering the room, and Brenda swallowed hard.

The Barretts and the Jacks had been neighbors for many years when the children were growing up. Brenda often preferred spending time at the Jacks household to spending time in her own house. John and Jane Jacks had (what Brenda considered) a perfect marriage, and there was much love and positive energy in their house. Harlan Barrett had separated from his young wife Veronica early in the marriage, and didn’t spend much time at home with his two growing daughters. Brenda often wished she could just be adopted by the Jacks. Jerry (Jasper’s older brother), Julia, and Jasper (known by his favorite nickname, Jax) had been the Three Musketeers of the old neighborhood, and unfortunately there had been no room for little Brenda. She had tried to tag along, but often just got shoved aside. The three had a natural camaraderie, and an additional drawback for Brenda was the fact that she had had a weight problem as a child. When they were off running and climbing, Brenda was struggling to keep up, breathing hard with the effort. And, as children are often prone to be cruel, the Jacks brothers hadn’t let her forget her problem and teased her mercilessly.

As the foursome grew older, Jerry formed attachments to a crowd his own age, and Julia and Jax became inseparable. Unfortunately, Jax developed a raging crush on Julia, but his feelings were not reciprocated. Julia was on assignment for her father when she met William Eckert, and it was apparently love at first sight. They were married about a year ago, and Jax was inconsolable. Soon after that, he offered to go on assignment for his parents in their Hong Kong subsidiary, and hadn’t shown his face in Port Charles since. As it turned out, Julia and William had moved to San Francisco shortly after they married, so his flight to Hong Kong really hadn’t been necessary.

Jax saw Ned at approximately the same time that Ned saw him, and had just about the same butterflies that Brenda had. He also swallowed hard, and walked over to meet them.

"Ned, how goes it? Have you been terrorizing the ladies of Port Charles while I was gone?" Jax asked. His thick Australian accent still hadn’t faded, evidence of his very early childhood years before John and Jane moved to Port Charles.

"Jax, you old dog! You look terrific! Don’t they have newspapers over there in Hong Kong? I finally took the plunge while you were gone!" Ned showed Jax his wedding ring, and Jax shook his hand heartily.

"Seems like wedding bells are breaking up the old gang a lot these days," Jax said sadly. He turned with melancholy eyes to Brenda, and they widened considerably. "Brenda?"

Brenda had gone to London on business for her father before Julia’s wedding, and since Jax hadn’t subjected himself to the torment of attending it, he hadn’t seen Brenda for over a year. In that time, she had, through will power and determination, carved a new physique for herself. Julia had filled her in on the heartbreak of her breakup with Jax. At least, the heartbreak for Jax.

" Jax, it’s good to see you again," she said sincerely, and leaned in to hug him.

"It’s good to see you, too," he said with surprise, "I just wasn’t expecting … uh … how do I put this and not sound like a chauvinist pig?"

Brenda smiled. "You can’t, so just oink and get it over with. I know – I’ve lost a lot of weight. Let’s just say I finally got rid of the baby fat, and move on to a new topic of conversation." His eyes clouded over again, and she knew what he was thinking. "So, are you visiting or have you come back to Port Charles for good?"

"For good, I think," he replied slowly. "The problems in Hong Kong have finally settled down, and I missed Mum and Dad. I’m not sure I’m up to living with them anymore, since I’ve been on my own for so long. I’ve rented a penthouse in the hotel for now. So … how’s your family?"

{Same old Jax. Doesn’t avoid the hard ones.} "Dad’s fine. He’s actually celebrating his 60^th birthday tonight," Brenda laughed. "He hasn’t changed. He’s throwing himself a big party! In fact, I think your parents were invited…." Brenda rattled on, and Jax stopped her.

"Brenda, you can say her name. I won’t fall apart, I promise."

Brenda took a deep breath. "Julia and her husband, Bill, are coming in from the coast for Dad’s birthday. In fact, I have to pick them up at the airport this afternoon, if this photographer …"

With a divine sense of timing, all the executives were suddenly called to order and instructed where to sit for the formal portrait. Since Brenda was one of the few females, she had to sit near the middle. Jax, being tall, was told to stand in the back row. After everyone had smiled for the obligatory 10^th time, the group was dismissed, and Jax sought Brenda out once again. He took her hands in his.

"It was really good seeing you again, Brenda. Do you think the party could stand one more tonight? I would love to see everyone again."

{I just bet you would. But Bill won’t be pleased to see you.} "Sure," she smiled. "The Versailles Room at 7. Formal dress is optional, but Daddy always did hate jeans."

Jax smiled, and Brenda felt a funny flutter in the pit of her stomach. "I’ll see you then."

As Brenda left to dash to the airport, Jax turned to Ned, who had joined him. "Now, Ned, tell me all about this mystery woman who finally agreed to become a Quartermaine."

"Jax, you have no idea how much you’ve missed in the last 6 months," Ned laughed, thinking what Lois would have to say about her being in any way, shape, or form a Quartermaine.

I guess so, Jax thought, as he watched Brenda’s trim form exiting the room. I guess so.

*~*~*~*~*

Brenda kept an anxious eye on her watch as she waited for Julia’s plane to arrive. She wasn’t thrilled about having Julia and Jax in the same room tonight, particularly with husband Bill in close proximity. She finally saw Julia’s tall blonde form exit the plane, followed by her lanky husband’s frame.

"Brenda!" she shouted, and ran to hug the petite brunette. Bill followed a few steps behind, and gave her his restrained version of a hug.

"I thought you guys would never get here!" Brenda exclaimed. "I don’t exactly have my new cottage furnished for guests yet, so I reserved a suite for you at the Port Charles Hotel. The party is in one of the private dining rooms downstairs." She checked her watch again. "Let’s get going. Daddy will have an absolute cow if we’re not there on time tonight!"

"Well, we can’t have the old man having a moo-moo at his own birthday shindig! Let’s be on the road, girls!" Bill chortled.

That was Bill. Always down to business and succinct. Never wasted a word. But Brenda also noticed as they went down the concourse how Bill’s hand was always at the small of Julia’s back in a caress, and how his eyes never left her form for a minute. They burned with love, even when she wasn’t returning the gaze.

They caught up on every aspect of each other’s lives on the way back to the hotel. Brenda showed the bellhop their luggage, and brought out a small bag and garment bag herself.

"Running away from home, Bren?" Julia asked.

"No, I just knew I would be cutting things short, so if you guys don’t mind, I’m going to change into my party things in your room. It will give us more time to catch up." {And time for me to figure out how to tell you your old flame is back in town.}

After Brenda and Julia had showered and changed and were doing hair and make-up, Brenda decided it was time to get to the tough stuff.

"So," she asked as she applied her mascara, "how’s married life?"

Julia stopped for a moment and smiled at her younger sister. "I’ve never been so happy, Bren. Bill just understands me the way nobody ever did, not even daddy. Sometimes he even finishes my sentences for me." Julia looked carefully at Brenda. "And how’s your love life?"

Brenda snorted. "What love life? Daddy has me so busy most of the time that I don’t even know what day it is. And as for finding Mr. Right – let’s just say I haven’t even found "Mr. Close-Enough-to-be-an-Acceptable-Risk.""

Julia nodded in sad understanding. She looked at Brenda’s dress. "I see daddy’s still picking your clothes."

Brenda looked down at her dignified gown. "Yep. But at least now that I’ve lost weight, he doesn’t complain as much about how much they cost." Brenda played with a fingernail, and then decided to bite the bullet. "I saw an old friend of yours today. Jasper Jacks is back in town."

Julia hesitated, and then put down the eye-liner. "I felt so sorry for him, Brenda, but I just never felt for him what he felt for me. Now that I have Bill, I really know that he and I were never meant to be. Is he coming tonight? Is that what’s had you on pins and needles all along?"

Brenda shook her head at how well her sister knew her. "He’ll probably be there now that he knows you will."

Julia took Brenda’s hand. "Thanks for worrying about me, but I’ll be fine." She picked up the eye-liner again. "Bill’s all I need to make me happy."

It must be nice to be loved like that, Brenda thought. I wish I could find somebody like that – somebody who would love me with every fiber of their being. Someone to make feel complete. Forever. She shook her head of such romantic nonsense. Nope. Not gonna happen.

######

About two floors above them, Jax was putting the final touches on knotting his tie, thinking about the last time he saw Julia.

Then for some strange reason, his thoughts strayed to the new and improved Brenda Barrett he had met today. He really didn’t remember that much about her from when they were kids. Just that he and Jerry teased her unmercifully and continually got in trouble with the old man for it. John Jacks had the most perfect wax job on his car in town, thanks to the times they had to re-do it as penance for teasing Brenda. And Jane never had to lift a finger to take out the trash, as either Jerry or Jax always had that pleasant duty in reward for something they said to Brenda that day.

She certainly had changed. And, although Jasper Jacks had a lock on his heart that only Julia Barrett held the key to, his libido was completely free to function, and it had done just that over the past year. And now it had apparently gotten Brenda Barrett in its scope.

But love?– he would only love one woman in his life. And that woman was Julia Barrett.

To be continued….