COURTNEY AND JASON: THE BUSS STOPS HERE

Courtney plants a passionate kiss on Jason this week on GH – in front of Sam and Jax – but all is not as it appears.

"Courtney is trying to wait it out to the end of her bet with Jax," explains Alicia Leigh Willis. "Jax has pulled her in and swept her off her feet. She's falling for him. More so than giving in to him physically, she's afraid of giving in to him emotionally."

So Courtney pulls out all the stops not to be lured into Jax's web. First, she poses as a nun to get away from Jax, who, in turn, poses as a priest to hear Courtney's racy confession.

"Courtney knows that Jax is sitting on the other side of the confessional," previews Willis. "She decides to mess with his head and play with him. She puts on this whole show, saying 'I really want Jax. I can't resist him.' Courtney knows this will get Jax going. She's playing games with him and having fun."

Courtney later heads for Kelly's, with Jax hot on her trail. "Courtney sees Jax, then literally runs right into Jason," says Willis. "In that second, without even thinking, Courtney grabs Jason and kisses him. If she had time to think, it's not something she would have done in a million years. As soon as it's over she's like, 'That's the dumbest thing I've ever done.'"

Courtney realizes that she hurt Jason by using him to make Jax back off. Yet, "She's not heartless," insists Willis. "She realizes that she just used a person that she cares about more than anything to help her win this silly bet. She feels lower than low."

Jax tells Courtney that he's ready to take another shot at love with her, and it has nothing to do with their bet. "A part of Courtney believes him," acknowledges Willis. "But another part of her holds up that defense mechanism. She doesn't have the best luck with love."

But when the clock strikes midnight and the bet is officially over, Courtney pulls Jax into a kiss. "She's waited and waited and waited. She can only take so much," laughs Willis. "So she gives in. She's like, "I deserve this, I'm going to treat myself. Why not?" (Vicky comments:  Why not?  Because Jax is a sleazy unattractive stalker who doesn't respect you!)

But exactly how much does she treat herself.

September 28, 2004, Soap Opera Weekly