Brenda's Dreams
Chapter Eighteen

Brenda held the key that Jax had given in her hand. She glanced down at the key, had
she done the right thing by coming there? She hadn’t meant to end up at Jax’s beach
house. She had meant to check out of the hotel, drive to the airport, and catch a flight to
San Francisco. Why hadn’t she?

Brenda shook her head as she fitted the key into the front door lock. She could
rationalize her behavior by saying she had stayed to persuade Jax to sell the record
company to L and B, instead of doing it over the phone and having him turn down the
offer yet again. However, she didn’t believe that for an instant.

Was it because she sought to put an end to this disturbing relationship with Jax once and
for all? She didn’t believe that either because coming here would end nothing for her.

Okay, so she was here to see what would happen.

Ha! It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what inevitably would happen.

Why, then?

Because she couldn’t help herself, because in her hearts of hearts she was an unreasoning
optimist and believed, against all odds, in the happy-ever-after storybook ending. Maybe
that explained part of it.

She hadn’t really paid attention to the guest room yesterday. Now she saw it was
decorated in beige and gold tones. A four-poster bed stood in the center of the room. A
chest of drawers and a night stand were the only other furniture included in the room. An
oil painting of the sun setting over the ocean hung above the bed.

Brenda remembered the oil painting of the deserted building in the master bedroom and
shivered. She wondered why Jax would hang a painting like that. She would have to ask
him about it later. In the meantime, she would head down to the beach to get some sun.

Shortly before five, Brenda returned to the house. She changed out of her bathing suit
into shorts and a T-shirt. Sitting down on the couch, she picked up the remote for the
television and turned it on. She stopped turning the channel when she spotted what
looked like the restaurant that Jax had taken her to the previous evening. Then there he
was larger then life. She smiled at his handsome and assured image, then the scene
changed and she appeared.

Brenda stared at the couple on the screen, hardly believing it was her and Jax. They
looked so good together. She sighed, if only. The program ended, so she turned the
channel to a movie and glanced at the clock. It was only six o’clock. She wondered
what time he would be home. She could hardly wait to see him.

By seven, Jax still hadn’t returned. Brenda frowned. She wondered where he was. She
had assumed that he would have been home at six at the latest. After all, he had been the
one that wanted her to come. Where was he? She was starting to worry about him.

A few bad images entered her thoughts, but she pushed them out. Jax would be walking
through that door at any minute. She went back to watching the movie.

An hour later, the movie ended and Jax still wasn’t home. Brenda got up and turned the
television off. She walked over to one of the glass patio doors and looked out, hoping to
see the headlights from Jax’s car coming up the drive. She was disappointed though,
because there were no headlights.

Brenda returned to the sofa with lots of questions floating through her mind. Where was
he and was he in trouble? What was she going to do if he didn’t come home soon? Was
he avoiding her? Did he regret inviting her to stay with him?

Brenda closed her eyes and a single tear fell onto her check. She brushed it away. No,
she wasn’t going to cry. Jax would be home soon and she would find out where he had
been.

***

Jax let out a curse, as a car pulled into the lane ahead of him, and barely missed hitting
his car. It was almost eight o’clock and he still hadn’t made it home. He was the one to
blame for being so late. He had delayed leaving the office as long as he could. He was
nervous about what he would find once he got there. Would Brenda be there waiting for
him or would he return to a cold-lonely beach house?

A space to his right opened and Jax pulled into the lane. A few honks sounded from the
other motorists, but Jax didn’t care since he was eager to get home. Finally the traffic
picked up and he was able to arrive home thirty minutes later.

Jax pulled up in front of the garage and turned the car off. He glanced around to see if he
could see Brenda’s car, but was unable to see anything due to the darkness. The beach
house was dark, and that made him hesitate in his steps for a minute.

You might as well go in and see if she’s there, he told himself. You have nothing to lose,
except wonder what might of been if she’s not there. Jax sighed and continued his
journey to the front door.

Jax unlocked the door and stepped inside. He held his breath as he glanced around. At
first he didn’t see her and his heart started to ache, then he saw her laying on the couch.
Her dark hair forming a cloud around her beautiful face. Jax smiled and his heart ache
was gone, as if it never had been there.

Jax quietly made his way over the couch so that he didn’t wake her before he had a
chance wake her properly. He kneeled down beside her. She was so beautiful. He
slowly leaned forward and kissed her on the nose. She stirred a little. He smiled and
leaned forward again, this time he kissed her on the mouth.

Brenda had been having the most wonderful dream. She and Jax had been having a
picnic on the beach at the Cape. Jax had pulled her into his arms and had started kissing
her face. Her dream felt real all of a sudden and she slowly opened her eyes. Jax was
really kissing her. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the
kiss.

Why had she wondered about coming here when the answer was so simple? She had
come here because this was were Jax was.

Jax ended the kiss and hugged her before reluctantly pulling away. The way she had
returned his kiss had worked in his favor, but he didn’t want to press his luck. Their
relationship was still very fragile.

Brenda was disappointed when he pulled away. She wanted him in her arms. In her
arms where he belonged. She gasped at that last thought. Was she falling in love with
Jax?

Jax ran his hand down the side of Brenda’s face. “Brenda, are you okay?”

No, I’m not okay! I’m falling in love with you! She wanted to say, but instead chose not
to.

“Yes, I’m fine. What about you? Why were you so late?”

Jax smiled a little. “Well, I was a little scared about coming home, so I put it off as long
as I could and then I got caught in traffic.”

Brenda’s doubts about him not wanting her here resurfaced. “Why, because I was here?”

Jax laughed and shook his head. “I was afraid you wouldn’t be here when I came home.
If you hadn’t been, I don’t know what I would have done. Gone crazy, I suppose.”

Brenda laughed and pulled him to her for a kiss. Before their lips could touch, the phone
rang. Jax sighed.

“I better get that.”

“Okay.”

Jax kissed her forehead before rising and answering the phone.

Brenda was surprised when he turned around and indicated that the call was for her. She
frowned in puzzlement as to who the caller could be. She hadn’t told anyone she would
be here, not even Lois. She took the receiver from Jax and muttered a greeting.

“My God, Brenda, you’ve really upset us,” a voice said in a harsh, accusing tone.