This is an adaptation of Judith McNaught's novel, Double
Standards.
Secrets and Love
Chapter 7
Jax was back in his office at
seven o’clock the next morning. He was
the first person to arrive and he would probably be the last to leave that
night again. Work was his only
distraction right now. It had been over
a week since he’d left Brenda in her bed and she had made absolutely no effort
to contact him. He had a sick feeling
that whatever they had started had been brought to a very quick end.
The ideas that he should just
go find her and tell her why he left that morning were still weighing on his
mind. He should tell her who he really
was and let her make up her mind after that.
After all, it was abundantly clear that her status as a secretary was
having no adverse effect on his feelings for her. Maybe she wouldn’t mind that he was the president of the company
she worked for. Yeah, right, he
thought, and maybe pigs would fly today.
An hour later, he heard the
sounds of Addie arriving at her desk in the outer office. He’d been trying to concentrate on reading a
contract in front of him, but the words were swimming over the page and he
found it hard to focus. Throwing the
papers down, he went out to speak with his secretary.
“Addie, has anyone been asking
for me lately?” he asked, trying to sound only mildly curious.
The older woman shook her head
vaguely. “No, I don’t believe so, Mr.
Jacks. Who are you expecting?”
“No one,” he said softly as he
turned back towards his office.
“You know, Ms. Cerullo called
here yesterday to ask when you would be getting back in town,” Addie recalled,
stopping Jax in his tracks.
“Did she say why she wanted to
know?”
Addie shook her head. “No, I’m sorry, sir, she didn’t.”
“Thanks anyway,” he said as he
returned to his office, closing the heavy door behind him.
Brenda was busy typing a
report for Ned when Nikolas came out of his office. He looked around for Lois, but when he didn’t see her, he cleared
his throat to get Brenda’s attention.
“Is Lois at lunch?” he asked.
Brenda looked up and smiled at
him. “Yes, she left a few minutes
ago. Maybe I can help if you need
something, though,” she offered. She
really liked Nikolas and the more she worked with him, the more she liked
him. And he was very cute, too, she
thought to herself.
“Oh, sure,” he replied
quickly, walking over to her desk to hand her a set of papers. “If you could just fill in the account
numbers on these pages and send them down to Marianne, I’d appreciate it.”
“No problem,” she said. Turning back to her work, she was surprised
when Nikolas didn’t go back into his office.
Instead, he was gazing silently at her as if he had more to say. “Was there something else?”
He felt like a schoolboy all
of a sudden, but he smiled at her anyway.
“I was just wondering if you had heard about the office opening party
this weekend, Saturday night. You know,
the party they’re having to signify the opening of the new building.”
She’d heard something about it
when she was in one of the lounge rooms earlier in the week. The whole company was moving buildings the
following Monday and they were going to be allowed in to see the building for
the first time Saturday evening. All of
the executives were expected to be there and anyone else who wanted to see
their new space was invited, as well. She nodded at Nikolas.
“Yes, I heard.”
He coughed slightly, wondering
why he was nervous in the first place.
“Well, I was wondering if you would like to go with me, Brenda. I mean, I don’t have a date and I’m kind of
expected to be there…” he let his voice trail off in expectation of her answer.
“And this would be
as…what? Acquaintances or a date?” she
asked, wondering which she wanted it to be.
She was still trying to figure out what she was going to do about Jax.
“Whichever you want it to be,”
Nikolas said quickly. “But I’m sure Ned
will be taking Lois with him, so you’ll at least know them. And me, of course. I assure you, it can be purely platonic if you’d like.”
Brenda grinned at him. If it was possible, he was even cuter when
he was blushing and she tried not to laugh out loud. She had a good idea that he did not want this evening to be only
platonic and she wasn’t sure she had a problem with that. “Okay, yes, I’ll go with you,” she finally
answered him, much to his relief.
“Great!” he said warmly. “I’ll pick you up at seven on Saturday
night, then.”
“Sounds good,” she replied as
he walked back towards his office, throwing her one more smile before he closed
the door. Saturday was only two days
away and she would have to figure out what to wear to what was sure to be a
very formal event. Returning to her
work, she tried to keep her mind off the fact that Jax would almost certainly
be at the party. When that didn’t work,
she tried to convince herself it wouldn’t matter that Jax would be there, he no
longer mattered to her.
Saturday night came much
quicker than Brenda had expected it to.
She had searched the closets for an appropriate dress that afternoon and
after a long bath, she found herself staring at the vanity mirror like she had
no idea what to do with the brush in her hand.
He is only a man, she told
herself harshly. He is certainly not
worth getting this worked up over. Jasper
Jacks was a liar and a con artist. He
had definitely had her snowed into thinking he was someone else. He hadn’t seen fit to tell her the truth, so
she would see fit not to give him the time of day at this party tonight. Shaking her head slightly, she knew that
wouldn’t work. If she was cold towards
him or ignored him outright, he would think she cared enough to be angry with
him. She had to be cordial and polite,
but completely unemotional when she saw him.
And besides, she was going with Nikolas and he was certain to be a
better escort than Jax would ever be.
Just keep telling yourself that, Brenda, she thought, smiling
sarcastically at her reflection.
Newly determined, she pulled
the brush through her long dark hair as it dried. She was allowing her naturally curly hair to lay in luxurious
waves over her shoulders and down her back.
The dress she had found was demure and sexy at the same time. An amethyst purple color, she had found the
perfect matching shoes and earrings to go with it. The dress had a modest front, with a straight edge running along
her neckline, but the back dipped dangerously low, showing more than enough
skin to make up for the front. A slight
train from the back billowed as she walked.
As she was fastening the
earrings, the doorbell rang below, signifying Nikolas’s arrival. He was as punctual as Jax had been. Walking quickly down the steps, Brenda
opened the door and caught her breath at the handsome man in front of her. The evening sun was shining towards them and
Nikolas stood with his hands in his pockets as he waited for her to answer the
door. She could tell her appearance had
had the same effect on him as he grinned at her.
“Are you ready?” Nikolas
asked, offering his arm to her. They
didn’t have much time to make it downtown.
Nodding, Brenda grabbed her
black evening purse and took his arm purposefully. Nikolas led her down the front path to his waiting Jaguar
convertible where, in the interest of preserving their appearances, the top was
up. He opened the door and held her
hand as she slid into the comfortable leather seat.
Twenty-five minutes later,
Nikolas pulled up in front of the new J&J Enterprises building and got out,
handing his keys to the valets hired specifically for this event. Opening the door for Brenda, he helped her
out and escorted her towards the front entrances. Several people had stopped just inside the doors, looking up at
the immense atrium that was the lobby.
Brenda had seen it once before.
Unaware that she was doing it, she scanned the crowd for any sign of
Jax, but didn’t see him.
The evening’s festivities were
being held in a ballroom on the thirty-ninth floor, one floor below Jax’s
offices. As Brenda and Nikolas walked
into the room, she was acutely aware that the conversation level had seemed to
drop a few notches. Smiling up at her
date and grasping his arm tightly, they continued into the room while the
conversations began again around them.
“You seemed to have turned
some heads,” Nikolas teased as they walked towards the bar. “You look absolutely amazing, Brenda.” He shifted his gaze to take in her full
appearance one more time.
“What, in this old thing?” she
asked modestly, but the hint of pleasure at his compliments was apparent.
He handed her a glass of
champagne which she took gratefully.
Sipping it slowly, she turned to see who had come to the party. She recognized a few familiar faces and even
knew the names of some of them. She
smiled at the people whose gazes she made contact with. And still, she didn’t see Jax.
Almost as if someone knew she
was looking for him, though, the crowds seemed to part and there he was. In the middle of the room, Jasper Jacks was
every bit the host of the party. He had
a drink in one hand and his other arm around a beautiful blonde woman. She was dressed splendidly in a cream silk
dress and seemed to be paying rapt attention to what Jax was saying. Her hand lay casually over his where it
circled her waist. It was quite obvious
the two were well acquainted, Brenda thought to herself. She wondered if the other woman was as well
acquainted with Jax as she was. Brenda
had no doubt she was.
“That’s Courtney Matthews,”
Nikolas’s voice said near her ear.
“She’s Jax’s on-again, off-again girlfriend. It looks like they’re on again,” he quipped lightly. “Why don’t we say hello?”
“No!” Brenda exclaimed louder
than she had intended. She lowered her
voice and repeated, “Um, no, I don’t want to interrupt them. We’ll have plenty of time later.”
Nodding his agreement, Nikolas
took a sip of his drink, looking carefully over the crowd. He was quite certain Brenda was the most
beautiful woman in the room. Spotting
Ned and Lois on the other side of the room, he took Brenda’s hand and led her
to them. He saw her visibly relax at
the sight of people she knew.
“Brenda, that dress is
something else!” Lois exclaimed as they approached.
Brenda smiled in return and
took in Lois’s gown, as well. The
raven-haired woman was wearing a flowing turquoise gown with a wrap scarf at
her neck. Her hair was caught away from
her face in two diamond pins on either side of her face. She was positively glowing as she held onto
Ned’s hand. Ned looked very
distinguished in his tailor-made tuxedo.
The two made quite a stunning couple together, Brenda thought and then
said as much.
Their conversation joined in
the hundreds of others already in progress around the room and the noise level
reached a loud pitch. Throughout the
course of the next half an hour, Brenda became aware that someone was watching
her. Every time she felt it, she turned
her head slightly to find Jax’s aqua blue gaze upon her from somewhere in the
room. Each time, she pretended she
didn’t seem him looking at her and then pretended to acknowledge someone
standing just over his shoulder. She was
careful not to make eye contact with him at any time.
When Nikolas stepped away to
freshen their drinks, Brenda chose the opportunity to step out onto the terrace
to get some air. It had grown very warm
in the ballroom and the cool evening breeze was a welcome comfort. The sounds from inside dropped off as the
door swung shut behind her so that all she could hear were the faint sounds of
the city below them. From her position
leaning lightly against the wall, she could see to the river and from there,
she could see the restaurant she now knew Jax owned, according to the articles
she had read about it. She had
certainly been naïve enough when he had taken her there.
Several minutes passed as she
stood in the darkness, relishing in the time to think alone. She knew she needed to return to Nikolas and
even had to admit she wasn’t having all that bad a time with him. He was a very good date, she decided.
The noise increased from
inside as the door swung open again behind her and someone stepped out onto the
terrace with her. Assuming it was
Nikolas, she said, “The noise was getting to you, too?”
“That, among other things,”
came the very familiar accented voice with a laughing tone from behind her.
Closing her eyes with instant
recognition, she took a deep breath and slowly turned to find Jax standing against
the doors, conveniently blocking her from leaving. He had his hands shoved deep in his pockets and was smiling
calmly at her. He was gorgeous standing
there in his custom designed tuxedo.
The jacket fell in perfect graceful lines to where it met the flawless
line of his pants. She didn’t think
there was ever a tuxedo made that could fit him any better. She fought to keep her expression cool as
she stared at him.
“You look beautiful, Brenda,”
he said softly.
“Thank you,” she replied
unemotionally, shifting from one foot to the other nervously. She felt like a trapped animal now.
Jax stepped away from the
doors and crossed the few short feet to where she stood. He kept her riveted only by his gaze now and
she wasn’t moving. Her dark brown eyes met
his with a determined fire that he was pleasantly surprised to see. “You haven’t called me since I got back,” he
said, trying the flippant route.
“I didn’t realize you were
gone,” she answered.
“I don’t believe you.” He held her gaze strong.
Holding her head defiantly,
she shrugged. “I don’t care what you
believe. Although I must say, your ego
must be incredibly large if you think I keep track of your every move.”
“I just thought we had some
unfinished business, that’s all,” he responded coolly. It was obvious she wasn’t going to give in
to him just yet. He saw the familiar
emotions beginning to flare in her eyes, though, as his words apparently
brought back memories of what he had done to her.
But contrary to what he was thinking,
his words had made her think of him leaving her, not what had happened before
that. “Oh, I think you finished it just
fine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I should
return to my date,” she said, relishing in the slight anger she saw when she
brought up the fact that she was there with someone else. “And so should you,” she added
pointedly. Turning to head back inside,
she fought back a triumphant smile.
Not one to just stand by, Jax
grabbed her wrist as she turned to leave.
“Not so fast,” he whispered harshly.
He tugged on her wrist and drew her to him. Lowering his lips to hers, the kiss was fierce and
passionate. God, he had missed this
woman.
Brenda fought hard against his
lips, refusing to give in to him. But
when his touch turned more gentle, she couldn’t help but yield to him. No woman would be able to, she argued to
herself. She melted into his embrace
and softened her lips on his. When his
tongue probed against her lips, she allowed him into the warm depths of her
mouth. As the kiss deepened, she felt
his hands travel up her back, making her spine tingle everywhere his fingers
touched the bare skin. His fingers were
soon entwined in the silky strands of her hair. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his head closer to
hers as she did so. The evidence of his
arousal became abundantly clear when she shifted her stance closer to him.
The shock of that touch made
her draw back in surprise and fury. “I
can’t believe you just did that!” she exclaimed loudly, with as much anger as
she could manage while still trying to catch her breath.
Jax crossed his arms, meeting
her eyes steadily. A light still burned
there and he was positive it was reflected in his own eyes. “I didn’t hear you complaining a minute ago,”
he countered.
“I didn’t have the chance,”
she shot back.
“Brenda, you know damn well I
didn’t have to force you to kiss me just now,” he responded softly and coolly.
Brenda saw the fire smoldering
in his gaze and knew she’d be in trouble if she stayed any longer on that
terrace. “Go to hell, Jax,” she said
coldly. Jerking the door open, she
reentered the ballroom in search of her date.
Nikolas was talking to a few
other men towards the center of the room.
She walked up to him and linked her arm back through his, subtly drawing
his attention. He ended the conversation
a few minutes later. Smiling down at
her, he took her hand in his. “Are you
all right?” he asked, suddenly concerned.
Laughing, Brenda nodded. “I’m fine.
Why do you ask?”
“You just look like you’re
warmer now than you were before you went outside. You’re sure you’re okay?”
Jax came back into the room
and she saw him staring her down. He
practically ignored Courtney when she sidled up to him and wrapped her arm
around him again. He never moved his
eyes from Brenda. She wanted to show
him she was fine, that he had absolutely no effect on her, as untrue as that
was. She could still feel her heart
racing from his kiss.
Shifting her glance back to
Nikolas, she smiled up at him and said, “Why don’t we get out of here?”
Nikolas looked puzzled at her
suggestion. “Are you sure that’s what
you want to do? They haven’t even
served dinner yet.”
“Well, then maybe we’ll come
back in a little while, but let’s just take a walk.” Anything to get out from under Jax’s eyes. “You can show me where our new offices will
be. Isn’t that what this party is for
anyway?”
“Sure,” Nikolas conceded, not
all that sure what was making Brenda act so strange. She had seemed distracted all night long. And she had certainly been out on the
terrace for a long time.
A few minutes later, Nikolas
pushed the button for the elevator and while they waited, he gazed at Brenda,
wondering what she was thinking. She
kept glancing behind them as if she expected someone to be following them. When the elevator finally arrived, he gently
propelled her forward with his hand at the small of her back. He pressed the button for the thirty-fourth
floor, but kept the subtle touch on her back.
The doors slid open to reveal
the entryway to their new offices. He
and Ned would once again be sharing a floor, so Lois and Brenda’s desks were
set up in the same manner as the old building.
The décor was a bit different, though, with a more contemporary
feeling. Luxurious dark green carpet
covered the expansive reception area.
There were two very large conference rooms at one end of the floor while
the offices occupied the other half.
The secretaries’ desks were made of dark cherry wood and several tall,
very green plants stood throughout the room.
Nikolas took Brenda’s hand in
his and led her towards his office to show her what it looked like. She looked pleasantly surprised by the cool
elegance of the area she would be working in.
His office was behind a heavy cherry door with his name and position on
a plaque in gold lettering. The lights
were off as he opened the door, but even without the lights, the view was
amazing.
Brenda had seen Jax’s office,
without knowing it was his, and this office faced the same view. The river was in plain sight and the city
lights were twinkling off the water. From
a panel by the door, Nikolas turned the lights on to a soft glow as she walked
further into the room to look out the windows and at the rest of the room. It was easy to see he had had some say in
the decorating of his office as it all seemed to suit him very well. A dark blue couch was framed with two
matching chairs and a glass coffee table in the center. The light gray carpet beneath their feet was
so thick it kept the imprints of her shoes where she walked. A massive cherry wood desk sat in front of
the windows so that when the leather desk chair was turned away from the door,
Nikolas would have a wonderful view before him.
“It’s great,” Brenda finally
said softly, after taking it all in.
“Better than the old one?” he
teased. The fact that they felt like
the only two people in the building made him keep his voice as low as
hers. He crossed the room to where she
stood looking out the window again.
Leaning forward, Brenda tried
to see the street below, but it was too steep and she laughed as she bumped her
head against the window straining to look.
Crossing her arms across her chest, she enjoyed the view for a few
minutes longer, knowing Nikolas would soon suggest they go back upstairs.
Nikolas, for his part, saw an
opportunity that was too good to pass up.
A gorgeous woman was standing in his office looking even more beautiful
in the glow from the city lights. In
the moment, he put his hands on her shoulders and leaned her back into his
chest, resting his chin lightly against her hair. He was almost surprised when he felt her relax into him.
“You are beautiful tonight,”
he murmured close to her ear.
“You’ve already said that,”
she teased lightly, smiling at his compliment, though. “Don’t tell me you’ve already run out of
things to say.”
He stepped back, but kept his
hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him. A few moments of uncertainty passed between them as he looked
deep into her sparkling brown eyes.
When her lips curled in the slightest of smiles, he took his
chance. Lowering his lips to hers, he
kissed her softly at first. He felt her
resistance for only a second until she kissed him in return. The kiss was gentle and unhurried.
Neither Nikolas nor Brenda
heard the door behind them swing open on silent hinges. After several excruciatingly long seconds as
he watched the couple kissing before him, Jax closed the door just as silently
and went back to the elevator to return to his party upstairs.