The Promise-4
by: Belle
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The Promise: Chapter 4 -
No matter how hard she tried , Brenda couldn’t stop admiring how peaceful and angelic Jax looked as he slept next to her on the plane. The dark lashes that framed those shocking blue eyes of his rested on his beautiful face and she had to resist the urge to lean over and brush the defiant blond curl off his forehead. How could a man make her this crazy when he was fast asleep? He had been sleeping for the past three hours, and even with him unconscious Brenda still couldn’t get a thing done. She sighed and thought about the pile of work Julia had sent along for her to do for Barrett Industries, and how she hadn’t been able to read even one document yet. This was clearly not going to work out. She had to get away from Jax. Brenda turned in her seat and glanced over at the couch at the opposite end of the cabin where Annie was sitting next to Zack reading a magazine while he busily worked on some contracts. She frowned. How was it that Annie was sitting next to the man she loved more than life itself and was able to concentrate and here she was - next to some man she not only didn’t know, but hated at first sight and she could barely do more than drool and stare into space? "This is absolutely ridiculous." She whispered to herself standing up and walking towards where Annie and Zack were sitting, suddenly feeling desperate to get as far away from Jax as possible.
"Hi guys - how are both of you doing?" Brenda slid onto the couch next to Annie and gave them both a fake happy smile.
"We’re fine." Annie answered for both of them. She put down her magazine and looked closely at Brenda. She could tell that something was up with her friend, but she had no idea exactly what it was. "Are you okay?"
"Hmmmhmmm…" Brenda avoided Annie’s questioning looks and picked up her magazine. "Oh cool - Cosmo. What article were you reading?" She began to flip through the pages, and Annie glared at her asthough she had lost her mind.
"Bren - what’s going on?" When Brenda refused to reply, and began to babble about some new dress Annie grabbed the magazine out of her friend’s hands and pulled her down on the couch between her and Zack. "Honey - would you give Brenda and I a moment alone? I think we need to have some girl chat." Zack rolled his eyes and nodded, getting off the couch and going to sit near the still sleeping Jax. Annie watched him go, and then turned back to Brenda. "Okay - he’s gone. Now tell me what is bothering you."
"Nothing." Brenda lied, looking down at her hands so Annie wouldn’t see her eyes and know that she was lying.
"Oh nothing my foot. I know you Brenda Barrett and I know you’re lying. So come on - fess up. What the hell is going on? Give me a category…. Work? School? Your father? Sister? What is it?"
Brenda bit her lip and glanced up. "Well… it’s actually none of those ‘categories.’ It’s well… the problem is a guy." She whispered the last part, looking over to ensure that Jax was still sleeping and Zack was busy working.
"A guy?" Annie echoed. She closed her eyes slowly for a moment and then let out a long breath. "Oh Bren - didn’t you just make me promise we wouldn’t discuss guys for the entire vacation?" Brenda nodded weakly and gave Annie an "I’m sorry but I’m desperate to talk expression." Annie rolled her eyes. "Okay - well what has happened with Michael now?"
"It’s not Michael." Brenda said softly, not looking up from where she was tracing designs with her fingernails on the couch.
"Not Michael." Annie looked baffled. "Well then if it’s not about Michael who in heaven’s name are you so upset about?"
Brenda continued to trace flowers on the couch and counted to three before saying weakly, "Jax."
"JAX?" Annie practically shouted, causing Brenda to whip her head up and glare at Annie. "Jax?" she repeated in a softer voice, glancing over at where he was sleeping next to Zack on the couch. "You only met him five hours ago. What could he possibly have done to make you so upset?"
Brenda was quiet for a moment. What exactly had Jax done to her? Nothing. That was the problem. He was doing nothing and still making her insane. But how could she explain that to Annie without sounding mentally unsound. "Well… he just - I don’t know. He just kept disrupting me while I was trying to work. And every time I would begin reading my book he would do something to distract me, and it’s just that he is obviously very egotistical, and whenever he looks at me it’s as though he expects me to swoon or something…" She would have continued but Annie cut her off.
"Bren - what are you talking about? Jax has been sleeping for practically the entire flight. How could he be distracting you when he’s unconscious?" Brenda opened her mouth to protest, but Annie held up her hand and continued. "And not only that but when he was awake - I checked on the two of you a number of times, and he was always hard at work." She wrinkled her forehead and sighed, looking at Brenda and seeing how disturbed her best friend obviously was. "Bren - I don’t mean to berate you, but I’ve known Jax for as long as I’ve known Zack and I’ve never found him to be unpleasant or rude. Ok - so he’s a little arrogant sometimes and he can be egotistical, but all in all if I wasn’t madly in love with Zack - Jax would be my next choice." She tilted her head and looked closely at Brenda. "Are you sure there isn’t something you’re not telling me?" She narrowed her eyes and gave Brenda a funny little smile. "You don’t like him do you?"
Brenda’s cheeks flushed with color and her eyes widened with alarm at the questioning accusation. "Like him? Me?" She burst into nervous laughter. "That is the most ridiculous, stupendous, idiotic thing I’ve ever heard." She rolled her eyes and brushed her dark hair behind her shoulders."Me like Jax. I don’t think so. You know Annie - you’re right. I am overreacting… Jax is probably great. I’m just not giving him a fair chance because I’m well - Michael has turned me against all men. So anyway - what do you think about this new dress in Cosmo?" Brenda reached over and took the magazine back from Annie and began thumbing through it.
Annie frowned, but didn’t push Brenda for any more answers. She had all the information she needed. She had seen the blush on Brenda’s face and that could only mean one thing. Trouble.
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The pain in Jax’s neck from sleeping on the plane was throbbing and he had a head ache from Brenda to match it. When he’d woken up he had mistakenly spilled a cup of coffee on some files she’d been pretending to work on and she had sure let him have it. Jax wasn’t sure why - but it seemed as though she was yelling at him for a lot more than just spilled coffee. Man did that woman have a temper. She was all hot as fire one moment and cold as ice the next…. It was alluring and also very attractive in a bizarre way. Jax sighed just thinking about it. He had started yelling back and before the two of them knew it - Annie and Zack had come over and separated them to opposite corners of the cabin. For the remainder of the flight, Jax had sat with Zack and Brenda with Annie, but they had still been able to see one another and much to Jax’s chagrin - every time he’d looked over at Brenda she had turned her head quickly so he wouldn’t see her looking at him. Sitting next to her for the entire plane ride had been agony; resulting in Jax sneaking off to the bathroom and taking two Tylenol PM so he could sleep and escape the sweet torture of having to smell and feel her brushing against him for ten hours. Yes - it had been a long flight, and now all he wanted was a long, hot shower and a warm bed. Most of all - he wanted a reprieve from Brenda.
Brenda… Jax glanced across the limo at Brenda who was busy reading a magazine. They were on their way to the Ritz-Carlton where they were going to spend the night before waking up early the next morning to meet the jeeps to go to the lodge. Brenda suddenly glanced up, and their eyes met. For a brief second she smiled, and it caught Jax completely off guard. He smiled nervously back and immediately became so absorbed in figuring out why she was suddenly treating him like a member of the human race that he didn’t realize they had reached the hotel and that Zack was calling him to get out of the limo.
"Jax… Yoo - hoo… Jaaaaxxx… come on lovey boy. Stop thinking about Gwendelyn and get out of the car. Brenda’s whining about how badly she needs a bath and if you don’t hurry - I’m afraid we’re going to have a homicide on our hands."
At the mention of Brenda, Jax whipped his head around and immediately got out of the car. "Gwendelyn? What?"
Zack gave him a strange look. "Gwendelyn… your fiancee. Remember?" He arched an eyebrow and laughed. "I saw that dazed, droopy eyed expression on your face and I figured you were thinking about her…. Are you sure you’re okay?" He looked concerned.
"Of course I’m okay. I’m just tired - that’s all. Once I get some sleep everything will be back to normal" Jax cried, walking brusquely into the hotel lobby with Brenda, Annie, and Zack in tow. He approached the front desk and Zack walked over to Annie. Brenda was in the gift shop looking so he figured the coast was clear for the moment.
"What is going on here?" Zack whispered to Annie glancing back and forth between Jax at the front desk and Brenda in the gift shop. "Jax is acting ALL WEIRD on me, and Brenda has become the bitch from hell. I hate to say this - but I think we may have made the biggest mistake of our lives inviting the two of them on vacation together. I mean - I’ve heard of love at first sight. But never hate. This is an absolute nightmare."
Annie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Hate my foot. If those two would only give each other half a chance I think things would be fine. In fact…" she smiled and raised a slender eyebrow. "I think things could be even more than fine."
Zack looked confused. As most men are when relationships are being analyzed. "What do you mean things could be more than fine?"
"Yes Annie - what do you mean?" Brenda suddenly appeared by Annie’s side, and she was glaring at both of them.
Annie opened her mouth to respond, when Jax interrupted her. He looked back and forth between Annie, Zack and Brenda. "Atlantis… we have a problem." He said in a laughing tone.
Zack sighed. "And that problem would be?"
"There are only two rooms left. One with a king size bed, and another with two doubles. So the question is - who is going to stay where?"
Zack groaned. "Well…" he looked at Annie who glared at him and moved her eyes between Jax and Brenda and shook her head slightly. "I guess our only real choice is for you and I to share one room and Brenda and Annie to share the other." Zack tried to sound fine about this prospect, but the disappointment was apparent in his voice.
"I think we can manage for one night Zack." Annie grinned and linked her arm through Brenda’s. "Besides - this will give us a little girl time."
Brenda stifled a groan. A little girl time with Annie was just about the last thing she needed right now. She was debating speaking up about it when Jax beat her to it.
"Hey - you know Brenda and I can share the room with the two double beds… At least I know I can handle it - whether or not she can is up to her." Jax looked directly at Brenda as he said the last part, and he smiled slightly - knowing she would take it as a dare.
"No - that’s okay - Jax - really it’s -" Annie was immediately interrupted by Brenda.
"Jax and I will share a room." She spoke with determination, her jaw clenched, and she never moved her eyes from Jax’s. There was no way in hell she was going to let him think she was scared of him or too weak to be alone with him.
Annie turned and looked at Brenda nervously. She wasn’t sure that Jax and Brenda staying in the same hotel room was the best idea. "Bren - are you sure? Because I really don’t need to be with Zack…. I’d love to be -"
"Annie. It’s fine. It’s perfect in fact." Brenda smiled reassuringly at her best friend. "You and Zack can be together, and this will give Jax and I some time to… well - to sleep." She laughed at the last part and Zack sighed.
"Are you both sure?" He asked a final time glancing at Jax and then Brenda and then back at Jax.
"We’re sure." Jax said with more assurance than he was feeling.
"Great." Zack said, taking Annie’s hand and leading her towards the elevator.
"Great." Annie repeated, smiling at Brenda who was following them.
"Great." Brenda said weakly, praying to God that Jax didn’t sleep without a shirt on.
"Great." Jax sighed, looking at how beautiful Brenda was and wishing that he hadn’t lied to Zack and Annie and told them that one of the rooms had two double beds. Chances were Brenda was going to kill him when they opened the door and saw that king size bed. One way or another - something big was going to happen that night, and he was half terrified, half turned on by the prospects.
To Be Continued...
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