Fairy Tale- part 5 to 8
by: Belle
10 YEARS LATER - The Outback Restaurant, Port Charles, NY
Brenda Barrett was feeling extremely bitter. Holding the menu directly in front of her face, she tried to appear oblivious to the fact that sitting at a nearby table were Mr. and Mrs. Sonny Corinthos. They were drinking wine laughing. Anger and jealousy raged inside of her and Brenda tried to take a deep breath to calm herself. She tapped her perfectly manicured fingernails against the marble table top and checked her watch. 8:37 p.m. Where was Lucy? She was more than twenty minutes late for their business dinner.
Earlier that day, Lucy Coe, Brenda's friend and boss had called requesting they get together to discuss her new ideas for Deception - the perfume company that Brenda modeled for. Brenda had eagerly agreed. A new photo shoot and chat with Lucy would get her mind off things. Especially Sonny and his "lovely" new bride Lily. Lily. Brenda hated her. Sonny was the love of Brenda's life and she knew in her heart that she was his. Half a year ago, she and Sonny had broken up because of a misunderstanding and Lily had pounced on him. Digging her claws in deep and using her father's godfather status to force Sonny to marry her. When Sonny had faced jail, Lily's father had made a deal with him - "Marry my daughter and I'll set you free." So Sonny had married Lily eventhough he still loved Brenda with all his heart. Well, he claimed to love Lily but Brenda wouldn't believe him. She always got what she want and Sonny wasn't going to be the exception to the rule.
A seductive smile formed on her lips as she thought about getting Sonny back. Her dark eyes twinkled mischievously and her right eyebrow moved upward in a perfect arch. Looking towards Sonny's table she caught him looking at her and she tried to stife a gleeful laugh. You're mine Sonny. Now all I need is a plan......
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Lucy! We really should start this meeting. We were supposed to be done hours ago. And didn't you say you were supposed to meet someone for dinner at 8:30 pm? You're almost half an hour late!" Jasper "Jax" Jacks paced up and down the floor of Lucy Coe's Deception office and gestured impatiently at the clock. "When you called and asked me to talk with you about a merger I expected to be done by now. However - we haven't gotten anything done and now you're telling me you have to leave for another "meeting"?" Jax's aquamarine eyes laughed as he watched Lucy run frantically around her office trying to find some missing stats which she'd been searching for all afternoon. He tried his best to appear angry or at least upset, but Lucy was so completely hysterical that he couldn't resist the urge to burst into laughter.
"Oh my god! Brenda! I forgot all about Brenda! Not only am I late for dinner with her, I'm also starving! Can you hear my stomach growling. I am sooooo hungry I could just about eat a horse or a polar bear or a moose!" Lucy threw her hands into the air and sunk into one of the plush designer chairs seated across from her desk. "Jax - I just can't search anymore. I am so sorry. I will look as soon as I get in tomorrow morning. Listen- here's an idea. Why don't you join Brenda and I for dinner. We can chat about the merger then. Besides - you'll just adore Brenda. She's the face of deception you know. She's so beautiful and sweet. Well, maybe sweet isn't the best word to describe her. I'd say she's more spice than sugar. But - she's a fabulous model. I did discover -"
"Lucy." Jax interrupted her ramblings, "I'm sure I will *adore* this Brenda, but personally I'm more interested in getting something to eat right now. Anyway - models have never been especially attractive to me. So - let's go. Alright? I'm flying out tomorrow morning so we'll have to figure things out tonight."
Grabbing his coat and Lucy's arm he pulled her out of the office and through the building doors towards the Outback.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
If Sonny and Lily didn't stop fawning all over one another, Brenda was going to explode. Taking one final sip of her pina-colada, she pushed in her chair with such force that everyone turned to look at her. Lucy had kept her waiting for forty minutes, if she ever actually showed up, she would have to understand that Brenda couldn't handle watching the man she loved dancing with the dragon-lady. They were slow dancing nearly directly in front of her table. Lily's arms entwined around Sonny's neck - a look of possession in her dark eyes. Giving Lily a dirty look, Brenda stalked through the crowded room. She was in such a hurry to leave, that she didn't notice the tall, blond, Greek-God-Like man coming through the door with Lucy close behind him. SMACK! Brenda and Jax plowed into one another with such force that they both went sprawling across the floor with Brenda landing directly on top of Jax.
"Oh my God! I am so sor- ", Brenda sat up and massaged the temple of her head and stopped speaking when she saw the piercing blue eyes she was staring into. "so sorry." Brenda finished her sentence and flushed as Jax took her hand to help her to her feet. This man was a God! He was about 6'2, with an athletic build. His blond hair shone like the sun and his aquamarine blue eyes glistened at her like they shared an incredible secret. His mouth was curved in a half-smile and he had dimples at least half an inch deep. Not even Ned had dimples as incredible as these. Looking around the restaurant, Brenda realized that everyone was staring at her and this blond vision. Best of all, Sonny was looking suspiciously at the man who had not yet let go of Brenda's hand. Smiling to herself, Brenda reached up, wrapped her arms around Jax's neck and kissed him passionately on the mouth. Although surprised at first, Jax seemed to sense that Brenda wanted, needed to put on a show. He tightened his hold around her waist, drawing her in and somehow intensifying their already passionate display. Sparks flew through Brenda and Jax. For a moment time seemed to stand still. Eventually, Brenda shakily broke away and smiled up into Jax's dazed face.
"Thanks." she flirted shamefully.
"For what?" Jax questioned.
"For making it worth falling flat on my face in front of a room full of people." Seductively brushing Jax's cheek with her thumb, Brenda simultaneously smiled coyly at Sonny and Lily, triumph in her eyes. Turning on her heel, she stalked out of the restuarant, leaving a dazed Jax and laughing Lucy.
"Well - I see you've "met" Brenda. " Lucy giggled, sidling up next to Jax and trying to stifle her laughter. "Although that was more exciting that any other introduction I've ever seen."
But Jax wasn't really listening to Lucy's babble. Instead he was trying to shake the strange feeling that had washed over his body, soul and heart the moment that dark hair beauty had kissed him. Shaking his head Jax responded, "Brenda? Who's Brenda?"
"Brenda Barrett. The Deception model you and I were supposed to meet - you know, the woman you were kissing only a moment ago? I thought you two didn't know one another." Lucy looked at Jax questioningly, trying to understand the unusal stream of events that had just occured.
"I don't! or at least I didn't, but technically, I still don't eventhough I just kissed her. Or she just kissed me...." Jax was babbling which he hated, but something about this model, this Brenda Barrett made him feel out of control. Taking a deep breath, Jax stopped talking and tried to organize his scattered thoughts. "Why don't we get some dinner? We're here already , and eventhough Brenda's gone you had said earlier that you were hungry."
"PERFECT!" Lucy agreed happily. "There's a table free next to Sonny and Lily. Ohhhhhhh........Sonny's here." Lucy's eyes lit up with sudden understanding. "Brenda, Brenda, Brenda....so that's why she kissed you?"
"It is? Sonny Corinthos? The mob boss? Why would she kiss me because of Sonny?" Jax tried to mask some of his interest as he carefully pulled Lucy's chair out for her and then sat down next to her.
"Because Brenda's in love with Sonny." Lucy answered matter of factly. "They only broke up a few months ago, and then Sonny ran out and married Lily Rivera. I'm not sure, but I suspect their marriage had something to do with Lily's father helping Sonny escape a jail sentence. Anyway - to make a long story short, Brenda loves Sonny, and Sonny loves or loved Brenda, but now he's married to Lily and Brenda's trying to make him as miserable as she is."
"Which is where I came in." Jax smiled. "She thought kissing me would make her mobster jealous. I've only been in Port Charles for one day and I'm already mixed up in a love triangle." Jax laughed and reached for a menu. As Lucy began to argue with herself about what she wanted to eat, Jax took a long look at the man and woman seated at the table next to him. So this was Sonny Corinthos, the well know mob boss and business man. Sonny was laughing about something with his wife, and Jax felt an annoyed rush come over him. Why did Brenda love this man? To Jax he appeared to be madly in love with his wife, and Brenda didn't seem like the kind of woman who wanted to live the discreet life of a mobster's wife. He smiled to himself as he remembered the sexy defiance he had seen in her eyes after she kissed him. Lucy was right - Brenda was a woman with more spice than sugar.
"Jax - JAAAAAX. Is anyone home?" Jax blinked his eyes and noticed that Lucy was impatiently waving her hand in front of his face. "Hello? What are you thinking about? I've been trying to get your attention forever!"
"Just business. Ready to order?" Jax tried to act blase, but he couldn't shake the strange feeling. Try as he might, he couldn't shake the feeling that somehow he'd looked into her eyes before and that his life was never going to be the same.
To be continued....
- Belle