By Christina
Kiss of Life-Chapter 19
"Jax," Brenda says breathlessly as she pulls away slightly from his strong
embrace. "Are you okay, sweetie?" Jax asks in concern. Brenda nods and takes a
deep breath and leans forward and kisses Jax again. She knew this was going to happen and
she had let it happen...she wanted to make love to him right now and be with him as
completely as she could.
"Bren, are you sure you want to do this?" Jax asks as he kisses her forehead gently, his breathing heavy. "I...I really don't know...part of me wants to because this is so perfect but then part of me realizes I am hypocrite for preaching only a couple days ago that I wanted to wait...I am crazy," Brenda says and shakes her head in dismay.
"No, you are not...you are just a human who has desires and emotions as well as morals and a brain," Jax replies and smiles at her. "But I have always been so adamant about the decisions that I make and I hate when I am fickle with my choices!" Brenda responds in annoyance and lies down on the bed and groans.
"Well, want me to make the decision for you?" Jax asks with a chuckle. "Could you really?" Brenda asks with a tiny giggle. "No, but I can tell you this...I think we should wait," Jax says and lies down beside her body. "Really? How come?" Brenda asks in curiosity.
Jax turns and looks at her and says, "You are right when you say a couple of days ago you said you wanted to wait...when you said that though, we were not in the heat of the moment and you could think clearly." "Yes, I know," Brenda agrees. "Well now, you and I are completely wrapped up in the passion of it all and your hormones do get the better of you," Jax says with a smile.
"Those hormones are pretty powerful things," Brenda says and returns the smile to Jax. "And I know this even better than you do because I am a male...our hormones are always on," Jax says laughing. "So you understand that I was not thinking in the right state of mind?" Brenda asks softly. "Yes, I do know...I know physically you are ready to make love to me but emotionally...you need time, Brenda," Jax says and kisses the tip of her nose.
"You are too smart for your own good," Brenda whispers. "I know," Jax says laughing in appreciation. "I love this so much," Brenda says, taking his hand in hers and entwining them. "What do you love?" Jax asks in curiosity. "I just love being here with you and laughing about us thinking about making love...it is so refreshing to be honest with someone and not be embarrassed," Brenda says, her eyes shining.
"I am glad that you feel at ease with me...that has always been very important to me," Jax responds. "And I just love feeling at peace...being with you is the only way that I feel at peace with myself in my heart," Brenda says so softly that Jax can hardly hear her words. "I really do fall more and more in love with you with each moment I am with you," Jax says, his eyes gleaming in the darkness.
"As I do with you, sweetie," Brenda says smiling, her dimples deepening. "I cannot believe how corny I am being," Jax says with a deep, throaty chuckle. "Oh but we are cute...besides, being corny never hurt anyone," Brenda says laughing. "True. I guess I would rather be happy and open-minded than pessimistic," Jax replies. "For the first time in my life, I am not being pessimistic so this is something to celebrate," Brenda responds. "To us being corny," Jax says, pretending to lift a glass of champagne in the air. "To us being corny," Brenda says and pulls Jax's lips to hers.
"So what should we do now?" Jax asks. "Well, you did promise me a dance before things got a little too hot," Brenda says. "Then dance with me now," Jax says, jumping off the bed and taking Brenda's hand to help her down. Jax wraps his arms around her and pulls her close.
"No music, silly," Brenda says with a grin. "Do we really need music?" Jax asks. "I suppose not but it would be a nice touch," Brenda says, biting her bottom lip. "Did you ever daydream about dancing with the man you love in a romantic place like this?" Jax asks. "Of course...all the time," Brenda replies. "Then music we shall have, darling," Jax replies.
"Where are we going to find music?" Brenda asks, giggling. "Well, lucky for you there is a stereo in this room or else," Jax says. "Or else what?" Brenda asks. "Or else I would have to sing and that is a very scary thing,"Jax says his oceanic eyes darkening and the cleft in his chin deepening.
"What song are we going to dance to?" Brenda asks as Jax walks over to the
stereo. "What would you like to dance to?" Jax asks with a grin. "Jax! Just
put anything on!" Brenda exclaims and rolls her eyes. "No. It must be
perfect," Jax says with a wicked grin like a little boy.
"Do you really want to drive me insane? Jax, even if I chose a song, you would
probably not even have it," Brenda says with her hands on her hips. "I love when
you get angry," Jax says with his eyes gleaming with humor. "Jax, put on
something now of the dance will be over before it has even begun!" Brenda says,
trying to hold back her amusement at Jax's antics.
"Okay...but don't say I did not warn you," Jax says with a grin.
"Fine...music please," Brenda, says, opening her arms for him to come back into
her arms. "One second," Jax says and runs out onto the balcony. "Okay,
ready!" Jax hollers down.
Brenda's face scrunches up in confusion and she runs over to the balcony and looks down.
"Brenda, this is for you," four men say in unison, all dressed in gray suits.
Brenda looks at Jax in shock as the quartet begin to snap their fingers and sing.
You got a smile so bright
You know you could've been a candle.
I'm holding you so tight
You know you could've been a handle.
The way you swept me off my feet
You know you could've been a broom
And baby you smell so sweet
You know you could've been some perfume
Jax smiles and says, "So what do you think?" "You know, you never cease to
amaze me," Brenda says, wrapping her arms around Jax's neck and smiling. Jax's arms
encircle around her waist and then begin to sway back and forth at the music.
Well you could've been anything
That you wanted to, I can tell
The way you do the things you do, all right.
The way you do the things you do.
As pretty as you are
You know you could've been a flower
If good looks were minutes
You know you could've been an hour
The way you stole my heart
You know you could've been a crook
And baby you're so smart
You know you could've been a schoolbook
Well you could've been anything
That you wanted to, I can tell
The way you do the things you do, all right.
The way you do the things you do.
You make my life so rich
You know you could've been some money
And baby you're so sweet
You know you could've been some honey
Well you could've been anything
that you wanted to, I can tell
The way you do the things you do, alright.
The way you do the things you do.
The four men finish and say goodbye and Brenda and Jax thank them but continue to
dance. "Jasper Jacks, your eyes are the most amazing thing I have ever seen...so pure
and clear...just like you," Brenda says with a grin. "Oh well I adore your
eyes...they are so dark and mysterious yet there is this light that I always see here and
there when you are happy that just lights up your whole face," Jax says, lining her
lips with his index finger.
"Is this what delirious happiness feels like?" Brenda asks with a grin. "I
sure hope so...if we were any happier, I think I would be scared," Jax says with a
soft laugh. "Life is really good right now, isn't it?" Brenda asks. "Yes,
it is..." Jax says, holding her tightly.
Brenda looks up at him and says, "Will you just hold me tonight?" "Did you
even need to ask?" Jax says. Brenda smiles and says, "Have you ever watched the
sun rise in New Orleans?" Brenda asks. "Nope...you?" Jax asks. "No,
but why don't we do it together?" Brenda says with a small smile. "Sounds
perfect to me, darling," Jax says and takes her hand as they walk back out onto the
terrace.
Jax wraps his arms around Brenda as they sit on a chair together. "Thank you for being in my life," Brenda whispers. "No, thank you for being in mine," Jax says softly, looking into the midnight sky.
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The Next Morning
"I really do not want to go back to New York, tonight," Brenda groans as she takes a bite of her bagel. She and Jax had watched the sunset and then fallen asleep for a couple of hours and then they had woken up to go to breakfast.
"Well, you know I could stay here forever as long as you are here with me," Jax says with a grin. Brenda smiles and says, "Yes, I know but there is one thing in our way." "And what is that?" Jax asks, sipping his juice. "Reality," Brenda replies. "Oh who needs reality," Jax says, his blue eyes sparkling in the sultry New Orleans sunlight.
"I doI need to pay the bills," Brenda says standing up as Jax throws a couple of bills onto the table. "How about I just pay for you?" Jax says jokingly as Brenda playfully punches his arm. "I hope you remember I always pay my own way with living conditions and schooling," Brenda says as they walk into the French Quarter. "How could I forgetthat night of Julia's wedding, you bit my head off when I accused you of being a spoiled brat," Jax says.
"I know...I really screamed at you, didn't I?" Brenda asks laughing in amusement. "Yes, but I got you back when I pulled you into the pool the next night at Nicolette's," Jax says. "That was not funny!" Brenda says, her eyes darkening with annoyance. "Yes, it was," Jax says chuckling as they stop in front of a tiny shop.
"Fineit was somewhat funnybut let's make sure it does not happen again," Brenda says with a small smile. "Brenda, let's stop in here," Jax says, motioning her into the next store. Brenda steps in and the smell of odd spices tickles her nose.
"It is so cool in herelook Jaxthey have this old trumpet in here," Brenda says as she gazes over the odds and ends of the store. "It is quite interesting in here," Jax says, holding up an old feather boa and laughs. "Oh Jaxlook at this old locket," Brenda says, holding up a tarnished heart locket. "Brenda, that thing is so old," Jax says, raising his eyebrow. "It has character," Brenda says with a grin.
"Why yes it does," a female voice says, coming out from behind a curtain of beads. "Where did you find this?" Brenda asks. "It was sold to me by a middle-aged man about a year agoit was his mothers," the tiny woman says. "Wouldn't he want to keep it?" Brenda asks as Jax comes up behind her.
"Nohe said it was too painfulboth his parents had just died and he said he could not stand to see it," the woman says. "Both of them died?" Brenda asks. "Yesyou see, his father had given it to his mother on their honeymoon here in New Orleans and his mother always wore it. One day, his father died and his mother the next dayhe said they were one soul and could not bare to live apart," the tiny woman responds.
"Wow," Brenda and Jax say in unison. "And he made me promise I would only give it to a couple who I believed were soulmates." "You have not found them yet?" Brenda asks, holding up the locket. "No, but the locket has found them," the woman says with a smile and walks into the back again.
Brenda and Jax look at each other and Brenda whispers, "Do you think she means us?" "I think she does," Jax says with a grin. "Will you put it on?" Brenda asks. "Of course," Jax says and places it around Brenda's necklace. "Two halves of a whole heart," Brenda says, placing her hand over the locket. "Soulmates," Jax says and takes her hand and leads her back out onto the street
At last my love has come along.
My lonely days are over and life is like a song.
At last the skies above are blue.
My heart was wrapped in clover the night I looked at you.
I found a dream that I can speak to.
A dream that I can call my own.
I found a thrill to press my cheek to.
A thrill I've never known.
You smiled and then the spell was cast.
And here we are in heaven for you are mine at last.
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Music from this Chapter
1.) "The Way You Do The Things You Do" by the Temptations/UB40
2.) "At Last" by Etta James
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Author's Note: Sorry it has been so long since the last chapter...life has been quite busy
as well as some good ole' writers block.