Fairy Tale- part 9 to 14

by: Belle

"That couldn't have been more perfect if I'd planned it myself." Brenda whispered to herself as she sank into her steaming hot bubble bath. Laughing aloud, Brenda shivered as the hot water ran luxuriously over her bare skin. Perfect. That word seemed to describe everything that evening. The look on Sonny's face, the jealousy in his eyes, the face and body of the blond stranger, his blue eyes, his mouth...their kiss. Involuntarily, Brenda stoked her lips with her fingers. Tingles ran up and down her spine when she realized that nearly three hours later, she could still feel his burning lips on hers, his hands on her back...his touch had burned her, left it's mark. She couldn't shake the feel of him, and oddly enough, she didn't want to. "Stop it." Brenda ordered herself, "Stop thinking about him. You'll never see him again. It's too bad, he could have helped me get Sonny back, I just know he could." Sonny....he had looked so handsom- Brenda's daydreams were interrupted by the shrill sound of the telephone ringing. Wrapping a towel around herself, Brenda ran into her bedroom and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?" There was a delay of silence, and then suddenly Lucy's cheerful and excited voice flooded Brenda's ear.

"Brenda? It's me Lucy. I am *so* glad I got you awake. I'm sorry we missed each other tonite, although I''m not too sure why you had to leave after you had just kissed Jax - but I guess your exit was part of your performance for Sonny. However, we do need to get - "

"JAX!" Brenda interrupted Lucy's chatter. A feeling of excitement rushing through her. "Not thee Jasper Jacks?! The corporate raider! He's the man I kissed tonite? I had no idea!" Brenda's words tumbled out of her mouth as she tried to comprehend the fact that her prince had an identity. Not only did he have an identity, but he was Jasper Jacks. World reknowned corporate raider, most desirable bachelor, game player o- you name it and he had probably bought it, done it or sold it. Brenda knew his reputation - he was famous for making outrageous deals. She was positive that he would help her get Sonny back. All she needed to set her "plan" into motion was to find out where he was staying. "You know Lucy," Brenda began, "I'd kind of like to apologize to Jax for my behavior, so if you could tell me where he's staying I thought maybe I'd drop by..."

"OH! Wow, that would be great! He's staying in the Royal Penthouse at the Port Charles Hotel. But he's leaving early tomorrow morning, so I'm not sure whether or not you'll be able to catch him."

"Lucy - you're the best." Brenda started drying herself off and getting dressed as Lucy chattered about the newest Deception ad campaign. If she was going to see Jax she would have to go now. After she had hung up with Lucy, she ran into the bathroom to look in the mirror. "Perfect." Giggling, Brenda grabbed her keys off the bed and ran out the door.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Jax woke up to the sound of someone pounding on his door. He groaned and looked over at the clock - 2:13 a.m. "Maybe if I ignore them they'll just go away," he prayed to himself. Mumbling, "go away", he pulled his pillow over his head and tried to go back to sleep. However, it didn't work, the pounding persisted, and he finally reluctantly dragged himself out of bed, rubbing his eyes and trying to smooth his sleep rumpled hair with his fingers. "Who the hell could this be?" he wondered. "Coming!"

Brenda shifted nervously back and forth ouside of Jax's door. Maybe this wasn't such a hot idea she thought to herself. Jax was probably sleeping, and she had absolutely no idea whether or not he'd care about anything she had to say or discuss in the middle of the night. "He'll probably think I'm crazy." Self-consciously she straightened her short pastel pink dress, smoothed her hair, and attempted to place the paper bag of chinese take-out innocently in the crock of her right arm. "I am crazy. What am doing?" she realized. Just as Brenda was about to flee to the elevator and go home to indulge in the take-out, the penthouse door swung open and there was Jax - framed in the doorway looking like something out of a magazine.

"Hi!" Brenda squeaked. Her cheeks flushed and she cast her eyes downward trying to avoid his eyes. After standing uncomfortably in the hall for a second, Brenda pulled herself together, looked directly into Jax's brilliant blue eyes and smiled her most dazzling smile. "I thought maybe you'd be interested in some take-out." she announced, holding up the brown bag and walking past him into the penthouse. Once she had past him she grimaced to herself. This was not going the way she had planned. Of course, she hadn't really had a plan. Coming to Jax's house this late at night had been a wee bit impulsive - it was asthough something had pulled her to the penthouse - a magnet. Glancing at him out of the sside of her eyes she couldn't help thinking about how unbelievably gorgeous he truly was. The only thing he was wearing was a pair of black silk boxers. He had a great body, and awesome pecks. Brenda smiled to herself - she had always been a "peck woman". her He's staring at me....obviously he hates me.

Jax was staring at Brenda, but hating her was the farthest thing from his mind. At first he couldn't get over how beautiful she was. Her short pastel pink sundress set off her olive skin perfectly, and her dark hair was pulled up in a messy french-twist. Diamond earrings glistened from her ears and a delicate diamond hung around her neck. Best of all, she was obviously embarrassed, but trying to act in control. He found it irrisistible the way she kept biting her lip and shifting her feet. Somehow she was even more beautiful than she had been earlier at the Outback. His second thought was why she was at his door at 2 in the morning with Chinese food. For one of the first times in Jax's life, he was speechless. He racked his brain for an easy response to this change of events.

"Sure. Thanks - do you need me to get anything? Plates, silverware?"

"Hmmm....maybe some plates and drinks - oh, yeah we definitely need some forks, knives and spoons too."

"Oh - are you saying that you don't think eating chinese food with our hands would be a good experience?" Jax chided Brenda, trying to ease her discomfort.

Brenda burst into laughter and her eyes shone. Smiling up into his face, she suddenly shrieked. "Oh! I just realized something -" sticking out her hand, Brenda announced, "I'm Brenda Barrett, and you are Jasper Jacks. Funny how we're ready to eat our first meal together and proper introductions have never been made."

Taking her small hand, Jax laughed, "Funny how we had our first kiss before even speaking a single word to one another. But then I've always believed actions speak louder than words." He stared flirtatiously into her eyes and Brenda looked away, scurryed over to the coffee table and began to take cartons of food out of the brown bag.

"I'll get the food ready, and you, Mr. Jax - make yourself useful and go get some plates."

Jax nodded in agreement, and headed into the kitchen to get some plates and drinks. On the way he grabbed a black terry cloth robe to wear so that he wouldn't be sitting in his bare silk boxers. As he reached into the kitchen cabinets in search of plates and glasses, he couldn't help chuckling to himself. "Why on earth am I following this woman's orders? It's the middle of the night, and I'm going to eat Chinese Take-Out in my bathrobe with a woman I don't even know. Do I even *want* to know this woman?"Brenda's smiling face flashed through his mind, and he carried the plates, silverware, glasses and bottle of soda into the den.

Brenda was sitting comfortably on one of the couches, looking through the Wall Street Journal that had been lying next to her. When she saw him struggling with everything, she involutarily started laughing and jumped up to help him. When they were both seated on the couch, she eagerly started filling their plates up with food, chatting about how strange the man at the restaurant had acted when she called for take-out at 2 in the morning, and laughing about the fact that she was *always* hungry.

"So Brenda - now that we've been *properly* introduced, and are sharing a nice post-midnight Chinese food snack, would you mind telling me exactly why you're here? I don't mean that in a bad way because somehow this unexpected visit is very nice, but I'm still unclear as to 1.how you found me, and 2. why you wanted to find me." Jax looked at Brenda questioningly.

Brenda placed her plate on the coffee table, and took a deep breath. "Well...Jasper-'

"Jax! The name is Jax. No one, and I mean *no one* calls me Jasper - not even my mother."

"Okay Jasper." Brenda gave him a cute, smug, defiant smile, which he couldn't help but laugh at. "After I met you this evening, or should I say, didn't meet you this evening - Lucy called me and asked why I hadn't stayed for dinner, and I realized that I owed you an explanation or at least an apology for my behavior at the Outback tonight. Then Lucy explained that you were leaving early in the morning, and that I'd have to hurry if I wanted to see you, so I decided to rush over to the Hotel. But then, on my way, I got a sudden craving for Chinese food, so I decided to bring some with me. Unfortunately, most Chinese restaurants were already closed, so I had to practically bribe this old man to make me dinner. "

"You bribed someone into making you Chinese food?" Jax asked surprised. This woman was outrageous!

" It was simple really. I wanted Chinese food and somehow I was going to get it." Brenda took a sip of her soda, and smiled coyly at Jax. "I always get what I want." She announced confidentely.

"So do I." Jax countered just as confidentely. For a moment, the two of sat there staring into each other's eyes. The sparks flying in the air. Jax finally broke the silence.

"So, you're telling me that you came here to "apologize."

"Yes. And to offer you some of this splendid Chinese food. I have to say that it's the best Chinese I've ever had."

"The best Chinese food in the world is made in Spain."

"Perhaps you'll take me there someday." Brenda implied flirtatiously.

"Perhaps. Listen Brenda - I'm enjoying these little games we're playing, but I want you to be honest with me. Why did you really come here? I know it wasn't just to apologize. What do you want from me?" Jax questioned frankly.

The fact that Jax could see straight through her games startled Brenda and threw her through a loop. She took a deep breath, and moved onto the couch where Jax was seated. Crossing her legs under her, she began to speak, "Okay, okay - I'll be honest. I came here to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" Jax sputtered, almost spitting out his drink. Never in one million years had he thought that she wanted to make a business deal with him. "A business deal? At 2 in the morning? Brenda - business hours are over."

"Not a business deal silly. Well, not exactly. Tonight when you walked into the Outback I kissed you because I wanted to make someone jealous.."

"Sonny?" Jax asked suspiciously.

"Yes. Sonny." Brenda looked at him surprised and a little confused. "How do you know about Sonny?"

"Lucy told me. Now go on." Jax was beginning to understand where this "deal" was headed, and while it was against his nature to go along with such insanities, he couldn't help being intrigued by how this beautiful woman planned on getting him to agree to helping her.

"Well, I was hoping that you would agree to continue helping me make Sonny jealous - jealous enough to leave his awful wife Lily and admit to me and everyone else that he still loves me and that we belong together."

"You want me to help break up a marriage?! Brenda - first of all, I'm not sure how you think I'm going to help make Sonny jealous. Secondly, what am I going to get out of this plan, and thirdly, what makes you think that Sonny is going to leave his wife?" While Jax was questioning Brenda, she was racking her brain as to how she was going to convince him to help her.

"Jax...." Brenda purred as she reached out and took his large hand in her small one. She opened her eyes innocently and began to stroke his hand with her fingers. "There's a connection between the two of us. Don't you feel it? I can, and I know that Sonny could see it tonight. All you have to do is pretend that we're dating. And you aren't breaking up a marriage - Sonny is. It is his own fault for marrying a woman that he doesn't love, so all you and I are doing is giving him a little...push in the right direction. And as for what you're going to get out of the deal - the sheer enjoyment of hanging around with me. I can tell that we can have a lot of fun together Jasper." Brenda smiled and looked at him hopefully. She could tell that her flirtations were having an effect on him, although he was obviously trying his hardest to fight her.

Jax swallowed. Brenda was right, her flirtations were definitely effecting him. He would be insane to go along with this little "deal", but then his ideas and actions often were insane which was what made life so fun. What could the harm be in helping Brenda? He'd have fun, and it would be nice to hang around with a female who wasn't trying to catch the world's most desirable bachelor and drag him down the wedding aisle. "Well..." he began, "You are awfully adorable, and we could have a lot of fun together - "

"We would have a lot of fun together." Brenda stated.

"And, as long as it's only for a short time until Sonny gets jealous, and as long as you promise not to call me *Jasper*..."

"Cross my heart, " Brenda vowed excitedly. She could sense that she was on the threshold of getting exactly what she wanted.

"Then I guess it's a deal."

"YES!" Brenda jumped off the couch and threw her arms around Jax. Kissing his cheek excitedly and dancing around in circles. Her excitement was contagious, and soon Jax's heart was even beating a little faster. Just then Jax's cell phone rang, and he moved off the couch to answer it.

"Jax. Hello Addie. What? Paradise Island? I thought the business meeting was supposed to be in New York. Ohhh....." Jax looked over at Brenda who was still dancing around the den making funny faces at him and skipping. She was a riot. He started laughing. "What? Oh no, I was just laughing at something on the television. Yeah. Well, okay. I'll be there in the morning. Would you make me a reservation at the Atlantis Beach Resort - the Presidential Suite. Perfect. Thanks Addie." Jax hung up the phone and shook his finger at Brenda.

"Okay you little imp, if this plan is going to work, you're going to need to learn *not* to distract me when I'm on the telephone."

Brenda danced over to Jax, and wrapped her arms around Jax's neck. His pulse immediately quickened and he shuffled his feet. "Is that what I do Jax? I distract you?" Brenda smiled seductively at Jax and began running her fingers down his arms. "Did I hear you say that you're going to the Bahamas?"

"Yes." Jax smiled at her amazed. Her seduction was almost amusing it was so blatant. "Would you like to come with me? Do you think a romantic trip to Paradise Island would make your "mobster" jealous?"

"Are you kidding?" Brenda's seduction attempts came to immediate halt, and she stepped back , trying to sense whether or not he was joking.

"I never joke about business." Jax chided her."I'll be gone for at least 5 days so if you want to come you're more than welcome, but I'm warning you, I'm going to be doing a lot of business."

"Well," Brenda laughed, "I'm sure I can get you out to have a little fun. I've got an idea! Why don't you come by Kelly's - where I live - tomorrow morning and pick me up. Sonny and Lily always come there for their morning coffee, and you can pop in the door, give me a brief but passionate kiss, and announce that you're whisking me off to the Bahamas for a romantic trip for two. How does that sound?"

Jax pretended to act shocked and disgusted, "You mean I'm going to have to kiss you? Is that part of our deal?"

Brenda hit him in the arm playfully. "Jax! You kissed me last night, was it really that bad?"

"Honestly?" Jax threw her a lopsided grin.

"Honestly." Brenda implored.

"If you ever kiss me again like you did last night I just may have to marry you." Jax smiled as Brenda burst into laughter and did a little Brenda dance.

"Well darling, it's been a lot of fun, but I have to go home and pack." Brenda grabbed her backpack off the couch and headed towards the door. Turning around she looked Jax seriously in the face. "Jasper Jacks - this is going to be a blast. I promise you." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and opened the door, "Bahamas here we come. Don't forget to pick me up in the morning - around 8 am."

"Like I could be so fortunate as to forget." Jax joked.

"Jasper, you're hurting my feelings." Brenda pretended to pout.

"Don't call me Jasper! And you'd better hurry home to pack - we're leaving in only 8 hours."

"Eight hours! I only have eight hours to get ready! Oh my god." Brenda squealed and ran out the door.

Jax burst into laughter and began to clear away the Chinese food. Somehow the room seemed empty with her gone. It was so quiet. To think that only 24 hours ago he hadn't known that Brenda Barrett existed. He had a feeling that this deal may be the most beneficial plan he'd ever made....

To be continued......

- Belle