Chapter 7
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Keesha looked around the Quartermaine living room as she waited for
Edward to finish signing her in as a shareholder. She came during
lunch, hoping to slip in and out before...
“Grandfather.” AJ stopped. “Keesha.”
Great, no such luck. “Hi AJ. Is that all?” she asked Alexis hopefully.
“Good afternoon Edward.” Jax came in whistling. “Lovely day isn’t it?”
“I should have stayed in bed. What do you two want?” Edward snapped
at Jax and Jerry.
“I’m meeting Ned.”
“Ned lives in the guest house.”
“Yes, but he said to go on ahead and he would meet me here.”
Alexis took the contract and handed a copy to Keesha. “That should do
it, you should have it notarized at the court house. I can do it, but
it probably would be best if you do it yourself.”
Keesha glanced at her watch. “I guess I have time.”
“Going somewhere?” AJ asked as he poured himself some water.
“On vacation, I should be back in a week or so.”
“But you *are* coming back, aren’t you?”
AJ looked over at Jax’s soft question.
“Of course.” Keesha stared at Jax and smiled.
“Good. Because it’s not fair of you to leave so soon.” Jax returned
Keesha's grin as they continued to look at each other. It seemed
everytime he saw her she became more and more beautful...
“Did you hear me?"
"Not really"
"Why do you care?” AJ repeated.
Jax glanced at AJ with a glare and then spoke to Keesha. “I can give
you a ride.”
“That’s okay...”
“I thought you were meeting with Ned.” AJ mumbled.
“Ned can wait.”
Jerry laughed. “That’s my brother, always willing to sacrifice for a
lovely woman.”
“I’m leaving, I’ll give her a ride...”
“Hello...I’m still here. Thank you, but I still have things to do
before I even go to the airport. So really, I should be leaving now.
But I do appreciate it.”
"How much do you appreciate it?" Jax teased and pointed to his cheek.
Keesha shook her head and walked over to him. She looked into his eyes
and remidned herself to do that as little as possible as her heart
began to race. Realizing the only way it would stop would be when she
left, she reached up and placed a small kiss where he pointed. "I
should go now."
"You said that already..." Jax's eyes sparkled and Keesha's heart
actually stopped as she noticed the flash of green which invaded the
blue. She had never seen anything so lovely in her entire life
"..let's go for *bye*." his voice brought her out of her haze.
"Bye." she whispered and walked out. She came back in. "Everyone,
bye." she waved and walked off again. Everyone looked at Jax as he
watched Keesha leaveKeesha leaving.
“What’s going on with you two?” AJ demanded.
“Good question...” Jerry said to Jax in German. Jax looked at Jerry
and replied, also in German. “What are you talking about?”
To AJ he said nothing, and AJ grew even more frustrated. Jax sat down
on the couch. He waved Jerry over and whispered something in his ear.
“Are you sure?” Jerry pulled back.
“Of course I’m sure. So will you do it for me.”
“Sure thing. I’ll get right on it...” Jerry pulled his phone out of
his pocket as he left the living room.
“Did anyone ever tell you whispering is rude.” AJ asked Jax. Jax
smiled and continued to wait for Ned.
“What did I miss?” Ned came in with a kiss for Alexis.
“The same.” Alexis kissed Ned once more. “Now that I’ve gotten my
kiss, I need to go. I will see you for dinner?”
“Most definitely. What say we go to the *PC Grill*. Jax you've been
there with Keesha recently, how is our hotel faring?” he added while
staring directly at AJ.
AJ placed his glass on the bar and started to leave.
“Wait a minute, we have the Rutherford project to talk about...once
this one is gone.” Edward said to AJ, as he pointed to Jax/
“I always feel so welcome here.”
“I’ll be back, it’s just a little too crowded in here right now.” AJ
said curtly.
Ned smirked as AJ left. So predictable.
“Two o’clock flight? Yes. Thank you.” Jerry hung up and looked at
AJ. “Can I help you?”
“No.” AJ walked out the door and Jerry smiled.
“Okay then.” he said to himself and went back into the Quartermaine
living room.
“Where’s AJ?” he heard Edward ask Reginald.
“He left.” Jerry sat down next to Jax.
“Left?! We have...then who’s going to take care of...Ned....”
“I’m on it, *again*.” Ned answered his grandfather’s plea. “Jax, we
have to reschedule. This takes precedence.”
Jax stood, obviously agitated. “I’ll tell you what, next time you want
to meet with me, you come to my house, and hope that I’m there.”
Jerry watched as Jax left and then also stood. “Gentlemen.”
“ *Why* are you here?” Edward asked once more. He looked at Ned again.
“Tell Reginald that no Australians are allowed in here...ever...”
Jerry laughed as he closed the door behind him.
He joined Jax in the limousine. “Great improve by the way.”
“I learned from the best.” Jax teased. “What did AJ say?”
“Nothing, he didn’t have to...what are you doing?”
“Calling someone.”
“Hold on Grandfather. Yes..” Ned answered the phone.
“I don’t appreciate being a little pawn in your game.”
“What are you talking about?”
Jax looked out the window as the limousine pulled off. “You know damn
well, my private life is my private life, and I don’t want you sending
AJ on my tail because it benefits you.” Jax finished and hung up.
“Who was that.”
“Just a disgruntled worker. He’ll get over it.”
“You’re overly confident sometimes Ned.”
“Sometimes. But not right now.”
Jerry leaned over the pool table and took a shot, sinking the ball. He
walked around the table, planning his next move. As he bent once more
he said simply, “You’re interested in Keesha, aren’t you?”
“I’m supposed to look that way.” Jax said without missing a beat. He
was expecting Jerry to come with these questions sooner or later.
“Didn’t answer the question baby brother.”
“No I am not interested in Keesha. Clear enough for you. Yes, she’s
beautiful...extremlely...and warm..." his voice trailed off and he
didn't even notice as Jerry took note of his demeanor. Jax shook her
laugh out of his head and continued. "Keesha's smart, and sweet and
caring, but so are many other women I have seen, in a serious fashion,
not just for show.” Though none of them were as beautiful, or smart,
or sweet and caring, Jax added to himself.
Though he felt more alive being around Keesha, pretending, than he had
with any of the other women he actually had dated...
“If you say so.”
“It would be stupid to get involved with her.” Jax said, mainly to
himself.
“Why, unless you think you could actually learn to God forbid, care
about someone...actually fall in love...”
“Because it would ruin our plan.” Jax won the game and walked over to
his phone.
“And that is so much more important than actually developing feelings
for someone...” Jerry stated sarcastically and watched as Jax dialed.
“Hello?” Keesha answered her phone. She sat down at the gate, waiting
for her flight to board.
“AJ is probably going to come looking for you.”
“Great.” she mumbled. “Just what I need.”
“I think we did very good for an unplanned performance.”
“I agree. This comes a little too easy for you.”
Jax laughed. “Like I told Jerry. I had a great teacher. I’m pretty
sure I know who wanted you on the ELQ board. Justus wouldn’t trust
him, but he wouldn’t have had to.”
“Who?”
“Ned. Ned has to have access to Alexis files. Ned could have gotten
to it and kept it hidden from Alexis until the right time.”
“Why?”
“Because AJ is easily distracted when it comes to you. Otherwise Ned
has to fight with AJ for Edward’s approval. Besides, with you on the
board, AJ will probably vote how you do, and that will further distance
him from Edward.”
“Just great. I always wanted to be a cause of more problems for AJ.”
She didn’t want to be anything to AJ, that’s what caused her so much
pain in the first damn place.
Jax was quiet. Whether he hurt her or not, Keesha still had a thing
for AJ. He shook his head and then reminded himself that as long as
that thing didn’t interfere with their plan, who’s business of it was
his. “I have to go, have a nice flight.” Jax hung up and looked at
Jerry. "Want another game?"
“Okay...” Keesha said to herself and hung up the phone.
“I need to talk to you."
Keesha groaned and turned around. “However I don’t need to listen.”
“Keesha...”
"Go away AJ."
"Jax is using you...”
Keesha looked at him
“He used Alexis until Ned put a stop to it-after she was almost killed
you know. I care about you and...”
Keesha backed away. “How much have you had?”
“What?”
“You want to talk to me, sober up and perhaps I will listen. But
until then you have nothing to say to me, about anything-from Jax to
the weather. Got it?” she picked up her bag and headed to the boarding
area.
The flight attendant lead Keesha to her seat. Keesha managed a smile
though she was still fuming-what made AJ so bad is that he truely did
think he was doing right by her....maybe on some level he had...but it
didn’t make her hurt any less. It didn’t make her any less alone when
she needed him.
Of course she was alone. You think she’d be used to it by now, she
thought she was.
But since Jax she hadn’t felt alone as much. She sat down and for some
reason smiled as she thought of him.
And just like that the moment passed. Because she knew that all of
this would end as soon as Sonny was in jail. Jax would go about his
life, and she would hers.
She would be back to feeling alone; she had to train herself to not get
used to it...
Whatever it was.
Shani
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