SWING
Chapter Four
As promised, Jack, Helga, and Fabrizio
arrived at the DeWitt Bukater residence to pick up Rose. Rose was waiting on
her doorstep so her mother wouldn’t be alerted and ask questions about where
she was going and with whom.
"Rosie!" Helga waved as the small
group approached.
"So this must be Miss DeWitt
Bukater." Jack smiled, offering his hand in greeting, trying to hide the
instant attraction he felt towards the lovely redhead.
"Call me Rose." Rose smiled,
letting herself get lost in Jack’s sparkling blue eyes.
"So, Rose, are you ready for a night of
dancing?" Helga giggled, pulling Rose off her porch and down the street in
the opposite direction.
"Well…I must warn you, I’m not a very
good dancer." Rose nervously glanced at the ground as she walked next to
Jack while Helga and Fabrizio strolled along ahead of them.
"Don’t worry, Rose. I’ll teach ya. Swing
dancing is not hard to learn at all. Just let the music move you." Jack
dismissed Rose’s fears with a laugh.
"So, Mr. Dawson…"
"Jack." Jack smiled flirtatiously.
"Jack…so Swing dancing is your
passion?"
"No. Not at all. My real passion is art.
I love just sitting in the park sketching everyday people in everyday life.
Swing dancing is just another way for me to protest all the hate going around
now'a days."
"Oh." Rose nodded.
"The Nazis are horrible." Helga
nodded in agreement.
"Here we are! Persimmon’s dance
hall!" Jack led Rose to a large building that was fully lit and full of
music.
"This place is hopping tonight,
Jack." Fabrizio smiled widely.
"Oh, I can’t wait!" Helga grabbed
Rose’s hand and pulled her into the building ahead of the boys. "Isn’t
this grand, Rose?"
Rose’s eyes widened with sudden delight at
what she saw and heard. Swing music filled the air, and kids her age were all
dancing, some dance moves complicated, but a lot of them simple. "Wow.
This is great."
"Come on. Let’s find a table." Jack
took Rose’s hand and led the small group to a table that was in front of the
band. "Here we go. Can I get you something to drink, Rose?"
"Oh, no thank you." Rose shrugged, just as a slow song began to play.
"Well, then, let’s dance." Jack
took her hand and pulled her into his arms.
"Jack! I can’t do this. I don’t know the
steps." Rose gasped in dismay.
"I’ll teach ya. This is slow enough.
Just move with me." Jack slowly began swaying to the music, slowly moving
along the floor. He stepped away from Rose a bit so she could watch his foot
movement. "See. You’ve got it. It’s not that hard at all."
"You’re right." Rose nervously
smiled as Jack pulled her closer, once it was clear she knew the steps. Her
heart beat in the same rhythm as his as they danced close together.
"It looks like Jack and your friend are
getting along just fine." Fabrizio looked at the couple.
"It’s amazing. I’ve never seen Rose so
relaxed with anyone this quickly before. Jack definitely has a way about
him."
"That’s because he has a good
heart." Fabrizio grinned just as a fast tune began to play, one of his
favorites. "Shall we dance?"
"Of course!" Helga accepted the
offer.
"Jack, I can’t dance to this one! It’s
too fast." Rose pulled away.
"I’ll teach ya." Jack took her
hand. "Just follow me. Or better yet, just move the way you feel. Just
don’t let go of my hand."
Together, Jack and Rose danced, drawing a
crowd. They were fantastic together. Especially Jack, who was more experienced
at Swing dancing. He never once let go of Rose’s hand as he twirled and turned
her about. All too soon, the dance was over and poor Rose was exhausted and
thirsty.
"You were great. If I didn’t know any
better, I’d say you’ve been swing dancing all your life." Jack led her
back to their table.
Rose just laughed, giddy from the music.
"Trust me. This was my first time."
"Well, then, you’re a natural." Jack smiled, leaning in closer to
her, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "We’ll definitely have to do this
again."
Rose’s breath stopped in her throat, all of a
sudden aware of how close he was to her. She could feel his warm breath on her
face. "Uh Jack…I don’t know if that’s possible. You see…I’m…" Before
Rose could finish her sentence, officers burst into the building, guns drawn
and ready to arrest people. The dance broke out in a uproar of panicked kids.
Jack grabbed Rose’s hand and began pulling her deeper into the dance hall.
"Jack! Where are we going? What about
Fabrizio and Helga?" Rose yelled over the noise, tightly clinging onto
Jack’s hand.
"Fabrizio will take care of Helga! Just
follow me, Rose. Everything will be all right!" Jack called back, trying
to conceal his own panic. This was Rose’s first night and first raid. She
shouldn’t have to go to jail for just trying a certain form of entertainment.
"Jack!"
"Don’t let go of my hand, Rose! I’ll get
us out of here!" Jack tried his best to reassure her, all the while
pulling her through the crowd, keeping her as close as possible.
We’re never going to get out of here, Rose thought to herself, just as they burst out
through a door and into the brisk night air, causing Rose to shiver against the
chill after spending hours in the warm dance hall. Her eyes widened when she
saw patrol cars just a little ways up ahead loading kids into the back of a
truck. "Jack!"
"This way, Rose." Jack pulled her
into the opposite direction, both breaking into a dead run. "Follow me!
Don’t let go of my hand! Trust me, Rose!"
"I trust you!" Rose called as they
both disappeared into the swirling darkness of the night, hoping to get away
from the Nazi patrolmen.