Chapter 78
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"Katherine?" Jax smiled as he opened the front door. "Can I help you?"
he moved out of the way and let her pass.
"Hi Jax, is Keesha home?"
"Yes. I'll go get her. Make yourself comfortable."
Katherine sat down on the sofa as Jax went upstairs. A few moments later
he came back, following Keesha. "Hi Katherine."
"Hello. I came to make you an offer."
"What *kind* of an offer?"
"The Spring campaign went really well, despite the last minute changes
here and there, back and forth...how is your marriage by the way?"
Jax laughed. "Well."
"So there won't be any break-ups between now and the new year?"
"I didn't realize you cared." Keesha had to keep her eyes from rolling.
"Of course I care...anyway, I'm here to see if you would do the Winter
campaign."
Jax glanced over at Keesha; wondering how she was going to let Katherine
down.
"Perhaps...under what conditions?"
"Same as last time. Part of the proceeds will go to whatever charity you
name, and then the rest, I will pay you half up front, and half when the
campaign is over, and then you'll get part of the profits made."
"Okay, send a contract to Alexis, and we'll go over it. I'll tell you
within 24 hours of getting it...I'm sorry, but I'm kind of busy now. We
have a dinner to go to."
"Well that was easy." Katherine stood and shook Keesha's hand. "Have a
nice dinner."
Jax waited until she left. "That *was* easy for someone who hates to
model. Why didn't you just tell her no?"
Keesha shrugged. "Because I haven't decided yet. Hadn't you better be
getting ready also?"
Laura and Keesha watched as Jax and Stefan talked on the sofa. "Do you
think they ever tire of business?"
"No." Keesha smiled. "I'm just glad they seem to be on the same sides of
things."
"Stefan respects Jax."
"Dinner is served." Mrs. Landsbury came into the room.
"Is Nikolas coming?" Lulu tugged on Laura's hand.
"No dear, he's having dinner with his friend."
"Yes...but..."
Lulu laughed as Stefan swept her up from the floor. "...why don't you and
I go visit him tomorrow, before your father comes and picks you up for
your trip? I am positive Nikolas would desire to say goodbye to you."
"Why don't you show Mr. Jacks to the table while I talk to Mrs. Jacks
about something?" Laura stated.
"Okay." Lulu answered and Stefan placed her on the ground. "This way
please."
"Why, thank you." Jax grinned as he took Lulu's hand. Keesha sighed.
He would be an absoulte perfect father...
"I need a favor."
Keesha turned and looked at Laura.
"Nikolas said that Katherine is planning to ask you to do the Winter
campaign for Deception. Is it possible you can do it?"
"You're worried about him, aren't you?"
"He's involved with a woman who was part of a plot against him. And he
knows this...but he's not thinking, and he's cut me and Stefan off...I was
just thinking perhaps you will see him and you can tell me if he's
alright."
"It's freezing out here..." Keesha shivered as her and Jax waited for the
shuttle to take them back to the mainland.
Jax started to take off his coat.
"I don't think so...I don't want Lady Jane nagging me because I let her
baby catch a cold...but we can share."
Jax laughed and opened his coat, Keesha stepped in and he enclosed her in
it.
"Ever the gentleman."
"That's me." he rested his chin on top of her head. "But this is much
better, this way I get to hold you...and not freeze." he smiled. "And not
be alone...you do realize I see right through you, don't you?"
"If you say so." Keesha grinned as she continued stroking his back.
"You know that I need you, but I when I really need you, I will rarely say
so, so you give an excuse to give me what I need." Jax closed his eyes.
"You did it...in the hotel room, you came back for me. Because I needed
you...."
"We needed each other."
"Yes, but normally you'll just come to me and get a hug when you need one.
Which usually comes after you spend some time by yourself. And you could
have done that on that evening. Left to think and come home to me.
But...I bet..." Jax opened his eyes. "..that you got on that elevator,
and then had an urge to check on me, and so you came back...and you saw
that I needed you, so you gave me that. You stayed with me. And you know
seeing Lulu has me...thinking...and so you say you're cold...and now here
you are. I see right through you. Just like you see through me."
"We need each other." Keesha repeated with a sigh.
"One of these days, I'm going to surprise you, and come to you with no
excuses, just for a hug you know."
Keesha laughed.
"I am." Jax smiled as he promised.
"Jax?" Keesha rubbed the lotion into her hands as she watched him climb
into bed.
"Yes?"
"I'm taking the job."
"Why?"
"Because I want to help. I want to help you watch Miranda."
Jax crossed his arms. "You know how I feel about you being near Miranda."
he watched as she joined him in bed.
"I know. But I don't want you dealing with her alone. And I think we
work well together."
"Don't flash that smile at me, and try to charm your way..." Jax quit
speaking as Keesha kissed him softly. "...and no distractions either."
"You're so stubborn."
"No. That would be you. And I'm not dealing with anything alone, I told
you, I'm working with Stefan..."
"And the Quartermaines, though they don't know it..." she began
Jax had explained to Keesha the reason he had leaned on Dara to
investigate AJ for Sonny's murder after Peter's death was because he knew
that Edward, and Ned despite all of his protests to the contrary, would be
working to find out who Peter had been working for, aside from AJ. Jax
was guessing it was Helena or Miranda, and thought this would be the best
way to get it out.
"...but...I love you. You're my priority, Stefan and the Q's have their
own priorities. So I should be able to help." Keesha finished defiantly.
Jax sighed deeply.
Keesha responded with her own sigh. "Okay...then I won't if it will make
you that unhappy..."
"No. You should. You want to help, and I want you to do that because
it's what you want...and you're right...we make an excellent team. Just
keep me informed, okay?"
"Of course." she kissed him on the cheek and leaned down in the bed.
"Keesha will be a wonderful mother..." Jax said to Jerry the next
afternoon as they watched her and Bobbie play with Lucas out back at Jax's
and Keesha's house.
Jerry glanced over at Jax. "Is that what all those romantic nights are
about?"
Jax laughed. "Sort of. I mean, I've always thought of it, but we never
talked about it...I guess...almost losing her, and realizing what we have
lost, just brought home how precious time is."
"You're planning for a family...and meanwhile I don't know what to do with
the family I have."
"Miranda came by yesterday."
Keesha looked over at Bobbie.
"Miranda came by yesterday. She told me she thought it was stupid that
both of us ran around pretending that she wasn't in town."
"That's all?"
"That's all. But...why can't I *hate* her, Jax?"
"You should have seen Jerry's face when he told me...he still cares about
her. He tries to hide it, but he still cares. And I keep thinking that
maybe she does something I didn't do." Bobbie watched as Lucas ran over to
the tree.
"Bobbie, Jerry absolutely adores you."
"I know that...but...I left him when things were rough. And despite what
her motives are, Miranda was there. And though for Jerry, to understand
Jerry, motive is everything, when it comes to how people treat him-he
responds to just that, how they treat him...motives be damned."
Jerry groaned. "It's almost as if I *want* to beleive she loves me. Like
that makes everything she did okay. You know what else she said?"
"I thought you just told me all she said."
"I lied...anyway, I asked her why she did come back at all and what could
she possibly want with Nikolas, and she told me that she came back to be
near me, and she was using Nikolas because he was keeping her safe from
Stefan's wrath. She's such a liar!" Jerry groaned again. "I'm going
outside...coming?"
Jax nodded, following. Knowing that what Miranda told Jerry-was probably
the most truthful thing she ever muttered in her life.
And knowing there was no way he could let Jerry ever figure that out. Or
he would lose him to her for sure.
Shani
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