Lois came up the aisle of the Fleet Center muttering. "If God had intended rock music to be played in sports arenas, he would have taught hockey players how to play guitars." Brenda was standing halfway up the stairs of the cavernous hall, double-checking things on a clipboard. Every now and then, she would glance up at one of the top rows, where Jax was seated, watching the whole scene with amusement.

The idea of Jax coming with her on the tour had been brilliant. They had gotten to spend a lot more time together, since she didn’t have a lot of responsibilities each day until the actual concert. Since neither one had ever been to the Boston area, they played tourist and took in some of the historical sights. When it came time to set up for the concert, he was amazed at the intricacies of the music business, something he always thought of before as just "noise."

He even came to set-up sessions like this one, sat through boring sound checks, and never seemed ill-at-ease. Truth be told, he loved to watch Brenda in her element. The woman seemed to be like a complicated gem, with him discovering new facets every day. He sat now, watching her direct technicians and using complicated terms he knew nothing about. Just to make sure he wasn’t totally out-of-touch with his world, he had brought his laptop with him as he always did, and it now hummed as he checked back with V for messages.

Lois walked up to Brenda. "Does he have that computer thing instead of … like … a teddy bear?" Lois asked with a smirk.

Brenda slapped her arm. "Well, let’s just say if he ever wants to sleep with it, I think I need more help from my coach!"

Lois looked back at him and then stood shoulder to shoulder with Brenda, watching the men work on setting up the stage. "So I take it things between you and Captain Blue Eyes are going well?"

Brenda clasped her clipboard to her chest. "Lois, I am so happy that sometimes I’m afraid to wake up for fear this will all turn out to be a dream. I don’t think I’ve ever been this contented. And I have you to thank for it."

Lois giggled. "I don’t think it’s me between the sheets at night that’s putting that dreamy expression on your face, girlfriend!"

"Lois! You know what I mean!" Brenda sputtered, making sure Jax couldn’t hear them. "If you hadn’t suggested that I go to Jax and, well, …. You know…."

"Charm the pants off of him?"

"Yeessss," Brenda drawled, "well, I don’t think we’d be this close today. You are a genius, Mrs. Ashton. Have I told you that lately?"

"No, but you can tell me as often as you like," Lois replied. "For a long time, I thought I was doomed to be the dumbest girl in the neighborhood."

"Why?" Brenda asked softly.

"Well, I was one of those little girls who fell in love with Shirley Temple, and so did my ma. I had every frilly dress that the store sold and one day my got me all dressed up to go get my picture taken. So there I was, in my petticoats and ringlet curls and black patent leather shoes, and just as I was twirling my finger in my dimple, who came in but my older brother Louie."

"Not too nice, huh?" Brenda asked as the moved back to where Jax was sitting.

"Well, there I am, looking cuter than all get-out, and he gives me this withering look and says, "You may be cute, but you sure are dumb." So I say, "I am not dumb!" And he says, "You ARE dumb. You are so dumb, I bet you can’t even spell cantaloupe." And to this day, Brenda," Lois said, sitting in the row behind her and Jax, "I can’t spell the word cantaloupe!"

As both women sat down laughing hysterically, Jax looked up. "Something funny about cantaloupe?"

"Yeah," Lois winked at Brenda. She pointed at the lap-top. "Can that thing spell cantaloupe?"

Brenda was laughing so hard, she doubled over in her seat. Jax just shook his head at their antics, but was glad Brenda had such a good friend.

Just then, a garish orange light shone down on the stage. Brenda shot up out of her seat. "NO!" she shouted at the control booth. "You can’t use that shade! They’ll all look like ….." she stared back at Lois and both women dissolved in laughter. "CANTALOUPE!"

As Brenda ran up the stairs to the control booth to get the issue straightened out, Lois leaned forward to stare over Jax’s shoulder at the computer screen. She watched him type furiously for a little while and images come and go quickly on the screen. He looked back at her.

"Any questions?" he asked.

She leaned forward and asked conspiratorially, "Yeah. Do you have Super Mario Brothers on that thing?"

#####

The concert scene amazed Jax. He never knew that such a small number of women could make that much noise. As he stood in the wings with Brenda and Lois, he saw the room keys and lingerie come flying up on the stage, and had to consciously close his mouth.

He leaned over to Brenda. "Doesn’t she ever get worried that Ned will be … tempted?"

"Nah," Brenda whispered. "Can’t you see how much in love they are when they’re together? She trusts him." As Jax nodded, Brenda crooked her finger for him to come closer. "Besides, he knows she would kill him or have her family do the job for her."

######

After another successful concert, Jax and Brenda and Ned and Lois returned to their hotel to pack for the trip home tomorrow. Once they got inside their room, Brenda collapsed across the bed on her back. Jax lay down on his side next to her. He started tracing little patterns on her forehead, making her crinkle her nose.

"Tired?" he asked with a grin.

"Sort of," she replied with a smile, her eyes still shut. "Depends on what you had in mind."

Jax lay back on the bed too. "I still can’t get over the way those women were throwing themselves at Ned."

Brenda opened one eye, then rolled over to face him. "Why, are you saying that because you don’t see what they’re attracted to?"

Jax turned his head to look at her. "Well, love, I know this is probably a sore subject because of your first .. uh… relationship, but it’s got to be a huge ego trip for Ned. Just think of inspiring that kind of admiration in women."

Brenda giggled. "You mean you don’t have all the women on the board of General Motors throwing lingerie and room keys at you?" At his pained expression, she couldn’t resist the barb. "Awwww, poor baby. Poor neglected Jax. Is he feeling un-wanted?"

As he slowly smiled his most devilish grin at Brenda, she caught his drift. She had worn a red midriff top to the concert that tied in front, and some very faded jeans that fit her like a second skin. He started toying with the tied ends of her top, and she coyly batted her eyes at him. "Are you saying you wouldn’t mind knowing how it feels to have a woman pursue you – your very own personal groupie?

"I think it might be enlightening," he replied softly.

"Then you should remember, Mr. Jacks," she said, pulling him to a sitting position, that you don’t know me, and I have to be the one to get you interested." She batted his hands away from her top. "Not the other way around."

"Yes, ma’am," he replied seriously. "I’ll be glad to put myself in your capable hands …. So to speak."

"Well," Brenda began as she leaned in very close to him, "we need to establish that I threw myself at you after the concert. Like, maybe by giving you my room key, like this." She reached inside his front jeans pocket, placing her barrette there in place of a room key.

Jax’s blue/green eyes sparkled. "I’m intrigued, Ms. Barrett. What else do you have that might interest me?"

{Playing the hard-to-get-game again, huh, buster?} "Well," she drawled slowly as she got up off the bed, "you must realize that this is the music business, so we are never without musical inspiration." She reached over the turned on her radio, tuning it until she found a station playing sultry music with a hard, driving beat.

She stood before him, shaking her hair loose so that it lay in a riot on her shoulders. Backing up from the bed a few steps, she began to move to the music, grinding her hips seductively as she untied her top. She saw him inhale sharply as he sat very straight on the bed.

Still moving in time to the music, she slid the top slowly off her arms, and slid the zipper of her jeans down. She moved towards him, but he was playing this game to the hilt and remained motionless, watching her with burning blue eyes. Her hands went to his zipper, and she unzipped it slowly, almost tooth by tooth. The sound echoed like a cannon shot in the room.

She stepped back again, and slowly stepped out of her jeans, till she only had on her red lace bra and matching bikini panties. She undid the front hook of the bra, trailing her fingers along her chest and abs where she knew he loved to touch her. She was beginning to see beads of perspiration break out on Jax’s forehead.

Still moving in time to the music, she dropped her bra, and moved closer to him. She took one finger, and slid it inside and around the elastic waistband of her panties, never pulling them down a centimeter.

She now could see the effect her routine was having on Jax. His hands were clutching the bedspread, aching to touch her, and his arm muscles were tight with the effort. His breathing was becoming harsh, and she didn’t know how much longer she could keep up this torture since seeing his desire was almost driving her over the edge herself.

The song drew to a close, and she closed the small gap between them. His arms suddenly snaked out, and he pulled her to him. When he finally looked up at her, the intense passion his eyes caused her to take a sharp breath. "Woman, where did you ever learn to do that?" he growled.

After standing quickly to shed his jeans (and cursing his slowness in doing so), he joined her on the bed, and they quickly reached heaven in each other’s arms.

After their heartbeats had slowed to a normal pace again and they were in each other’s arms, snuggled under the sheets, Jax traced a finger down her arm.

"I didn’t hurt you, did I?"

"No," Brenda sighed contentedly.

"Because I was in kind of a hurry…"

She smiled up at him. "It’s OK. So was I."

He chuckled at her. "Brenda, you really know how to do it to me. You wring me out like some old dishrag."

She held him in her arms. Boston would never be the same for her in the future.

*~*~*~*

Life settled back into its normal routine once Brenda and Jax returned from Boston. Brenda had had numerous meetings with Jane about the Jacks Charity Carnival, and it was only about a day away. Brenda had been able to secure many corporate sponsors, and it was shaping up to be a fun day of games of skill for old and young alike. With a little prodding from Lois, Eddie Maine and the Idle Rich had agreed to play that night under the stars, and Josie had suggested installing a portable dance floor for those agile enough to get out and "boogie down," as she put it.

Brenda was lost in thought about the Carnival when she almost bowled somebody over on the sidewalk walking back from a shopping trip to Windom’s.

"Oh, I’m sorry," she apologized. "Please forgive me. I was thinking about something else and I didn’t…." She stopped cold when she saw that the woman she had almost knocked down was none other than Ashley Brent.

Ashley brushed off her designer skirt. "Well, I guess you were lost somewhere, thinking about Jax. Seems that you and he are the latest talk of the town."

"Ashley," Brenda began cautiously, but Ashley interrupted.

"Don’t bother to explain, Brenda," she said acidly. "I guess since your sister didn’t snag Jax, you felt it was your obligation to go after him, no matter who he belonged to."

Brenda bristled. "He didn’t BELONG to you, Ashley. He’s not a piece of property. Anyway, he said he didn’t have any kind of exclusive relationship with you to begin with."

"He doesn’t have any kind of exclusive relationship with any woman, Brenda. He bounces from relationship to relationship, never finding anything with any one woman worth sticking around for. You’ll find that out soon enough for yourself, I imagine."

"What do you mean?"

"It means," Ashley snarled, "that what goes around, comes around. He’ll soon get bored with you when he finds someone curvier, someone fresher, a bigger challenge than you were. Poor Brenda, she doesn’t realize that Jax is only dating her because she resembles her sister, his true love, Julia!"

Brenda’s temper flared. "Listen to me, Ashley. I did NOT set out to steal Jax from you, although he was never yours to begin with. I left the Nurses’ Ball with him because my escort turned out to be an inebriated slob and he offered to take me home. The rest that happened, just happened. I certainly don’t feel that I owe you an apology!"

Ashley’s eyes filled with tears and she leaned in close to Brenda. "I don’t want your apology. I just want you to be as miserable as I am!"

With that, Ashley pushed past Brenda and walked towards Windom’s. Brenda watched her for a minute, and then made her way back to the office. As she went, she felt pity for Ashley and some anger at her heated words, but if she was being truthful with herself, Brenda also had to admit she felt a little bit of fear. Would Jax really drop her, too, if he found a new challenge to peak his interest?

######

Meanwhile, Jax and Jerry were at the formal wear salon, being fitted for tuxes for Jerry’s wedding. They were standing side by side in front of full-length mirrors, wearing dove-gray morning coats with tails.

Jax adjusted his lapels. "Well, brother dear, it must be love for you to agree to get decked out like this in a monkey suit!"

Jerry shifted uncomfortably. He ran a finger under his starched collar. "I know, it’s not the way I would do it, if this whole wedding shindig were up to me. But, if it makes Bobbie happy, I’ll put up with it. Even Mum and Dad seem pleased that their oldest is going to become such a family man."

They stood there in silence for a few moments while the tailors took the final measurements. Jerry hesitated, then took the plunge. "So, I hear you and Brenda have become quite an item."

Jax looked nonplussed. "We’ve been dating some, and I took her to the Malibu house when I straightened out that mess in LA a while back."

"So…." Jerry let it trail. "Mum looked pleased the other night when Brenda was at the house for supper. Are you serious about her?"

Jax took off the morning coat and handed it to the tailor. "What do you mean by serious? We have fun together, we even discuss business together." Jax leaned in confidentially. "And the sex is like nothing I’ve ever experienced with any other woman. I want her more every day."

Jerry took off his coat, too, and they headed back to the front of the salon, the fitting being over. "But do you love her?" he asked cautiously.

Jax burst out in a huge grin. "What is this, the new Jerry Jacks Talk Show? How can I tell when I’m in love?"

They walked out into the Port Charles sunshine and got into Jerry’s Range Rover so he could drop Jax back at the office. "Don’t get all bent out of shape, bro. I’m just worried, that’s all."

"Worried? About me?"

"About you, yes," Jerry replied slowly. "But more so about Brenda."

"Why would you be worried about Brenda? I don’t think I’m treating her badly. I would never do anything to hurt her. We enjoy each other’s company, we don’t fight, I haven’t even been tempted in the least bit to touch another woman since I’ve been with her … so where’s all of this going?"

Jerry gave a big sigh. "Then I’ll ask you again. Do you love Brenda?"

Jax got a confused look in his eyes. "You know the answer to that, Jer. I’ll always love Julia."

"How can you still love her after all these years? For God’s sake, you haven’t seen the woman in ages!"

"She’s just a part of me, Jerry. I don’t see her face in my dreams anymore. But I just can’t let her go."

"So…you’re using Brenda as a substitute for Julia?"

"I swear, Jerry, if you weren’t my brother, I’d haul off and deck you for that! Of course I’m not using Brenda as a substitute! For one thing, the two are as different as night and day. Julia is cool, sophisticated, urbane. Brenda is warm, soft, spontaneous, and funny."

"So if Brenda is so warm and soft, don’t you think she hurts when she sees that you don’t love her back?"

Jax jumped on the comment. "Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong, Jerry. Brenda doesn’t love me. She just wants someone to share her interests, take her places, stimulate her libido. That’s what we have, Jer."

They had stopped at a traffic signal. Jerry looked point blank at Jax. "No, Jax, that’s what YOU have. Brenda has a one-sided love affair."

"You’re crazy!"

"No," Jerry said calmly. "You’re the one who’s not thinking clearly. Open your eyes, man. You can see it in Brenda’s face every time she looks at you. It was obvious the other night at the house. Brenda may have gone into this trying to keep it light, but I think she’s fallen for you."

"So what are you telling me to do, Jerry? Break it off? Now that would really be treating her well, wouldn’t it?" he said sarcastically.

"Better than getting her hopes up of something that you say will never exist. Think of it this way, Jax. Let’s say Julia came to you one day and said she was willing to have a relationship with you. So you and she get involved, but you know that down deep she still loves Bill. She says she doesn’t, but one day, he crooks his little finger at her and she drops you flat, running back to him. She was willing to give you her body but you could never have her heart. How would you feel?"

Jax sat there stunned, thinking of the time Julia had come to him before she married Bill. He had realized then that having her body meant nothing if he didn’t have her heart. Had he been treating Brenda that callously?

Jerry pulled up to the office building to let Jax out. "Maybe you should think about letting Brenda go, Jax," he said gently. "Ask Bobbie, or Mum. Either one of them can tell you she’s in love with you, and they’re on the outside looking in. Maybe if you let her go, she would find somebody who could love her the way she deserves to be loved."

Suddenly, Jax exploded in anger. "But what about me, Jerry? Don’t I deserve some happiness, too? I want her!"

Jerry took it in stride. "Jax, I’m your brother. It would please me immensely if you could find the happiness you’ve always wanted with Brenda. I would love to see you two agree to love each other and live happily after. But can you just go after your own happiness and sacrifice hers?"

Jax looked long and hard at Jerry. "You’re wrong, Jerry. Brenda isn’t sacrificing anything. She doesn’t love me." But as he walked in the building and rode up in the elevator, he suddenly remembered admitting how wrong he had been about Brenda before.

To be continued …..