Are You Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Part 2

Brenda had been working very closely with Nick. So close, that every time his red headed girlfriend saw her, she stared her down. Brenda tried her best to ignore her. She was really trying to be on her best behavior, but she was getting tired of her nasty looks.

Brenda learned through the office gossip, that Nick and his brother was once married to the same woman, Sharon. She met her a couple of times. She didn't understand the appeal, she seemed kind of flaky to her, but some men liked that type.

Brenda and Nick are having lunch at the athletic club, when Adam walked in. Brenda and Adam, had often spent evenings talking at the bar. They had developed a weird friendship.

Nick's back was facing him. Adam looked over at her and nodded. She smiled and nodded back. Nick turned and looked over at him.

"Brenda, I'm not in the business of telling people what to do, but you should stay clear of him. He is nothing but trouble."

"Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely keep that in mind."

"I'm serious Brenda, he is a user."

"Nick, thanks for the warning. I hardly know him. When he sees me, he says hello, no harm in that right?"

"You shouldn't even speak to him."

Brenda laughed. "Wow, that's cold. There is no harm in saying hello, to anyone."

"Not that creep. If you ever wanted to know what the devil looks like, he is sitting at that bar."

"I doubt he's the devil."

"Maybe not, but he's as close as you can get."

Brenda shook her head. "Does this have something to do, with the fact that you two, were involved with the same woman?"

"No, it has more to do with him, taking my child, and passing it off as somebody else's."

"What?"

"Yes, that's why I hate him."

Brenda looked over at Adam, then back at Nick. "I guess you would…..have every right to hate him."

"Yeah, I wish he'd leave town, but he'd never give any of us the satisfaction."

"Where is your child now?"

Nick went on to tell her all about Faith, and her mother Sharon.

"So she forgave him?"

"I guess."

"She had to, especially if she married him."

"She was out of her mind for awhile, but I think she has finally wised up."

Brenda and Nick finished eating. Brenda looked up and saw Phyllis walking in. "There is your other half, I think I'll say my goodbyes, before she comes over and pees on you. You know to mark her territory."

Nick laughed, and Brenda got up, heading to the bar. She passed Phyllis on the way.

"Brenda."

"Phyllis."

Brenda continued onto the bar. She placed her drink down on the bar, and took a seat. She looked over at Adam.

Adam picked up his glass. "Club soda."

"Good, I was beginning to think, I needed to call AA. I was a little worried about you."

"The devil can take care of himself. And you shouldn't worry, it causes wrinkles."

Phyllis threw a piece of bread at Nick, who was looking at Brenda and Adam.

"I'm sorry, She shouldn't be talking to him."

"She is a grown woman Nick, and why do you care?"

"Because she doesn't know what he's capable of. I tried telling her."

"Are you attracted to her?"

Nick looked over at Phyllis. "Of course not. I'm attracted to you."

She glared at him. "Good..."

"So what did my dear old brother have to say about me?"

"A lot, and some of the things are quite disturbing, but I wanted to give you an opportunity to tell your side."

"Tell my side?" Adam pulled the glass to his lips, and drunk some. "Whatever he said, it's the truth. And I'm a liar too, this is vodka." He drunk the rest, and stood up. "I'll leave you to your drink, this is normally the time when people get disgusted." He leaves.

Her eyes followed him. She should have been scared out of her mind, but for some reason she wasn't. She felt sorry for him. Maybe there was a time when he really was bad, but she didn't see any evidence of it now. Unless he was hiding it well. She got up and headed upstairs.

Adam was in his room, when he heard a knock at the door. He opened the door.

"May I come in?"

"You sure you want to? You do know I'm crazy right?"

"I don't think you're crazy. But then again I hardly know you. All I know, is you're my little drunk friend who sits at the bar, and spits out the funniest one liners, I've ever heard."

"After that compliment, of course you can come in." Adam moved to the side, and allowed her entrance.

Brenda walked in and looked around. "Not as junky as I expected."

Adam closed the door. "I don't know if you know this, but we have maids."

She laughed. "I prefer to clean up after myself, I don't like strangers rambling, through my things."

Adam walked over to the sofa and sat down, putting his feet on top of the coffee table. "My life is an open book, ramble away."

Brenda looked down at him, and grinned. The smiled left her face. "I have to ask, how could you do something like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like everything?"

"I was in a bad place. I hated everything and everybody."

"Are you still in that bad place?"

Adam smiled. "Depends on the day."

"I don't believe that."

"You don't even know me, or are you psychic?"

"No, just a hunch. Look, I'm not going to pretend like what you did, was ok, because it wasn't. But I've done some crazy things too. Everybody deserves a second chance."

"Where did you learn that, Oprah?"

Brenda laughed. "Are you ever serious?"

Adam smiled. "Sometimes."

"Mr. Adam Newman, I have never met anyone like you."

"And you never will."

"I'm positive I won't." They look at each other for moment. "Well, I won't keep you, I'll get out of your way."

"Why are you leaving? Stay, I'll order something to eat and drink."

"I just ate."

"You can eat again."

Brenda dropped her purse on the coffee table, and sat down in one of the chairs. "I'll just watch you eat."

Adam grinned. "I have been told, I am sexy when I eat." Adam picked up the phone, and ordered some food. They make small talk, and of course wise cracks until the food arrives.

The food has arrived, and Brenda still refuses to eat. Adam is eating, and he looked up at her. She is drinking a bottled water. "You're doing nothing to dispel the rumor, that models don't eat."

"I just ate! I'm not going to eat again."

"Suit yourself." He spooned some food into his mouth, then looked over at her. "Aren't you too short to be a model?"

"I don't do runway, only beauty shots."

"What's a beauty shot?"

"They concentrate on the face."

"Oh, well you do have a lovely one of those."

"Oooh a compliment, wow."

"You should be grateful, I rarely give out those."

Brenda chuckled. "I'm honored." *knock at the door*

Adam stood up, and walk over and answered it. "Sharon?"

"Hello Adam. May I come in?"

Adam turned and looked at Brenda, then back at Sharon. "The more the merrier."

Sharon walked in, and was shocked to see Brenda sitting in the chair. "Hi."

Brenda smiled. "Hello." Brenda stood up, and grabbed her purse. "I was just leaving."

"You don't have to leave."

"No, I'm tired." She walked passed Adam. "Thanks for the talk."

"Likewise." She leaves.

Sharon waited till the door closed. "A new friend?"

Adam ignored her. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came by, to see how you were doing."

"I've seen you a couple of times this week, and you ignored me."

"I'm sorry, I just…..never mind." She started fumbling with her fingers.

He moved closer. She backed up a little. "I miss you, Sharon."

"I miss you too, but Adam you keep doing all of these crazy things. It's making things difficult for us."

"Sharon, I apologized. But a lot of the things there are coming up, happened in the past."

"You sure have done a lot, I never know what's going to come up next."

"You know I did a lot of things, if you are going to be with me, you have to learn how to accept it, and move on. And I told you, those things were from my past, I can't go back and undue them."

"I wish you could." She stared into his eyes. He reached up and caressed her face, then leaned in and kissed her. She pulled away.

"I shouldn't have come here, I have to go." She rushed out of the room, without giving him a chance to say anything.

He shook his head and sighed. He loved her, but this whole song and dance, was getting old…...

It was Saturday, and Brenda didn't have anything to do. She was still kind of new in town, and the only person she knew was Adam. Of course she knew Nick and Victoria, and some other people from Newman, but she had the most fun with Adam. She showered and threw on some sweats. She walked down to his room, and knocked on the door.

She heard some fumbling, and then the door opened. She looked him over. "You look a mess." She made her way inside, without even waiting on him to ask her in. "Throw on something, let's go take a walk in the park."

Adam pushed the door closed, and made his way back over to the bed. "I don't take walks in the park, I take walks to the bar."

Brenda laughed. She looked around, and saw a bottle of brandy and a glass. "Rough night?"

"Not really, I just find great pleasure in drinking alone."

"Well, I don't have to work today, so you are going to keep me company."

"I am?"

"You are." She walked over, grabbed his arm, and pulled him to his feet. She walked him over to the bathroom, and pushed him in. "Shower, and throw on some sweats."

"I don't own sweats."

"You wear suits everyday?"

"Pretty much."

"Do you even have a job?"

"No."

"So why do you wear them everyday?"

"Nothing like a sharp dressed man." He winked. "The ladies just love it."

"I've never seen you with anyone."

"Thanks for raining on my parade."

"Just put on something casual." She closed the door. Adam laughed, and went and turned on the shower….

Brenda decided to drag Adam to the zoo, instead of the park. She was shocked to learn, he grew up on a farm.

"I can't picture you on a farm."

He shrugged. "Most people can't."

"Did you like it?"

"Yes and no. I loved the times with my mother, but I always knew I was destined for other things. Not the kinds of things, I ended up doing, but….."

"I know, you don't have to talk about it."

They walk in silence for awhile, and then Brenda looked over at him. "Adam, just talking to you, I can see how smart you are, why aren't you doing anything with yourself?"

"I told you, I'm like the plague, no one will come near me."

"Why not leave?"

"Leave?"

"Yes, leave this town, and start fresh." They walked over to a bench and sat down.

He smiled. "That would make my family so happy, and I can't have that. But enough about me, where and how did you grow up?"

Brenda told him all about how she grew up. How she started out in boarding schools, and how she ended up in Port Charles.

Adam looked her over, and smiled. "You are somewhat nice looking, why aren't you married?"

"I'm allergic."

He laughed.

"I've made attempts, it just never ended up, how I wanted to."

"What do you mean attempts?"

"Let see, I got left at the altar twice. And then there was this time, my fiancée's dead wife showed up."

"Wow. I guess you are allergic."

They laugh.

"So where do you call home, Brenda?"

"The majority of the time, Rome."

"Rome?"

"Yes. I have a place there. You ever been?"

"Nope."

"You should visit one day."

"Maybe."

"I love the animals, but two hours at the zoo, is enough for me. I'm ready to go. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, let's go….."

Before heading back to the athletic club, Adam and Brenda stopped by the coffee shop. They were on their way out, when they ran into Nick and Phyllis.

Nick looked at Brenda then Adam. "Brenda, you shouldn't be hanging out with this guy, I told you he's trouble."

Adam rolled his eyes. "Thanks St. Nick, but I think she can make her own decisions."

"Shut up punk, I'm not talking to you!"

Brenda intervened. "Whoa! Look Nick, I appreciate the concern, I really do. But I'm a big girl. Got my big girl panties on, and I can handle anything that comes my way."

Phyllis pulled on Nick's arm. "Come on." He didn't want to leave, she pulled harder. "Come on Nick!" He reluctantly leaves.

Adam looked over at Brenda. "Big…girl…panties?"

She rolled her eyes, and grabbed his hand. "Come on, before one of the buses come through again, you did tell me they come every five minutes."

Adam laughed, and they headed out of the door. Sharon was coming in from the opposite direction, and saw them leaving, hand in hand…...