Wish Upon A Star Part 7

by Susan C. on January 17, 19100 at 15:48:22:

Hello everyone! Sorry I haven’t updated in a while but I’ve been struggling with a case of the evil writer’s block. Fortunately I have a tape of the luncheon to watch that helps unblock me. *G* Anyway here is the next chapter of my adaptation of the movie The Christmas List that aired on the Fox Family Channel on December 8th at 8 PM. Thank you so much for all the feedback I’ve gotten on this story. Hugs.

Brenda stepped out onto the curb outside of Jacks Brothers. Snow was swirling around her blanketing the ground with promises of a white Christmas. She pulled her coat closer around her and sighed. This was the first time since she had started working at Jacks Brothers that she had left work early and it felt weird to her. First she would stop at the bank, deposit the extremely generous check in her purse, then she would go and finish the Christmas shopping she had to do before heading over to Lois’s.

With a smile on her face she went to step off the curb but a limousine pulled up before she could. Muttering she started to walk around it.

“Ms. Barrett? “

The driver climbed out and Brenda turned around. Surprise etched on her face.

“Yes, I’m Brenda Barrett. “

“Very well then. “

The driver walked around and opened the door. Brenda just stared at him.

“I think there has been some kind of mistake. “

He simply smiled at her.

“There’s no mistake. “

Brenda jumped and put her hand over her heart when she felt the warm breath on her neck and heard the Australian accent. Spinning around she nearly fell over. Jasper “Jax” Jacks was standing behind her with a wicked grin on his face and a sparkle in his blue eyes.

“I don’t understand. “

Jax smiled at the driver and nodded to Brenda.

“You will, hop in. “

With mixed emotions Brenda climbed into the back of the limo and was surprised when Jax followed her.

“You don’t need to come with me. “

“Well, actually I do. My father asked me to give you this. “

Jax pulled out the $150.00 Brenda had lent his father the day before.

“Oh well, um, thanks I guess, but you more than covered that with the check that you gave me. “

He smiled and Brenda felt her head spin. It simply should not be legal for him to be as good-looking as he was.

“Nope, dad didn’t feel that way and he wanted me to make sure that you got home okay so here I am. “

Jax’s father really hadn’t told him to make sure that Brenda got home safely, but he had told Jax that a surprise was waiting for her when she got there and knowing his father Jax wanted to see what it was. Plus, Ms. Barrett was an extremely beautiful woman and he figured he could get to know her a little bit on the ride.

“Well then, um, you wouldn’t mind if we made a stop first would you? “

“Not at all, William, could you take us…”

He glanced at Brenda.

“Oh, to Federal United Bank. It’s just down the road…”

“Yes ma’am I know right where it is. “

Brenda settled back in her seat and watched the snow outside the limo. She wondered just how much they were going to get before the storm was over.

“It’s going to be a white Christmas this year. “

She sighed and smiled at Jax.

“If we get enough by tonight it’ll mean a big snowball fight at the Cerullo’s. “

Jax pulled two bottles of water out of the minibar and handled one to Brenda while opening the other for himself. She took it and just held it while Jax swallowed half of his in one gulp.

“Do you spend every Christmas with them? “

“Yes, and every other holiday as well. “

Jax was surprised.

“What about your family? “

The limo pulled to a stop in front of Brenda’s bank and she let out a deep breath, relieved that she wouldn’t have to answer Jax’s questions right away. William opened the door and she hoped out.

“I’ll be right back. “

Jax leaned back in the seat and tapped his fingers together. Ms. Barrett was definitely a mystery. In the research they had done about Brenda, Chloe and Lois, Brenda’s family was the only one they weren’t able to dig any information up on. The records were sealed and that startled both Jax and his father. He wondered just how far he would have to dig to find out more information about her.

The door opened again and Brenda slipped inside again shivering.

“God it’s cold out there. “

“Well if you would wear gloves…”

Jax pulled his off and took Brenda’s ice-cold hands in his. The shock of electricity that passed through him made him look into her eyes, he saw the same stunned reaction in hers and quickly put his gloves on her.

“They’re a bit big. “

Brenda laughed, trying to mask the discomfort she felt after he had touched her.

“Well, they’ll do the job until you find yours. “

“What about you? “

It was Jax’s turn to laugh.

“I own a chain of department stores Brenda. I’ll just grab a pair when I get back. “

“Oh, well then, “

Brenda gestured and the gloves flopped and she started laughing again.

“I guess these will do then. “

She looked out the window just as they were driving by her apartment.

“Hey, wait a minute! That was my street turn around. “

“I’m sorry Brenda but we can’t do that. “

Jax was surprised at the anger he saw in her eyes when she spun back to face him.

“What the hell is going on here? “

“Brenda, listen let me explain. “

“Explain what? What the hell is this? Stop the car! “

Brenda leapt out of the limo, not caring that they were in the middle of the street. Jax followed her.

“Brenda if you’ll just listen for a minute, my father wanted to do something special for you since you helped him yesterday. “

“Oh really and kidnapping by limousine was his idea of something special? “

Brenda backed up slowly her anger blocking her judgement.

“No Brenda listen, he arranged for you to have a new apartment. We had no idea what conditions you were living under and then he saw and decided to give you a Christmas present for helping him yesterday. “

The laugh that escaped her lips was harsh.

“I don’t like being manipulated Jax. Why couldn’t you just tell me? “

“It was supposed to be a surprise. “

“Well it certainly was. Undo it! “

“I can’t… Brenda why don’t you get back into limousine and we’ll talk about it in there where it’s warm. “

“So you can manhandle my friends a little more. Are we just some poor people you thought you’d help out? “

“It isn’t like that at all Brenda if you’d just listen, see the apartment…”

Jax’s voice dropped off when he looked behind Brenda there was a car coming awfully fast and it was swerving out of control on the slippery roads.

“Brenda look out! “

Brenda spun around in time to see the headlights coming at her, and she froze. Jax didn’t though he rushed forward and knocked her out of the way just as the car was about to hit her. He felt something connect with his body and then he felt nothing.