AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY
Chapter Eight
After everyone got over the initial shock of
seeing Jack dressed up as a first class man, with a first class lady on his
arm, everyone welcomed them to join the party. It amazed Rose that they treated
her so kindly, after the way they had been treated by the first class. She had
seen Cal look at them in disdain many times. Whenever someone with less money
than himself crossed his path, he made them feel as if they meant nothing in
this world. He considered himself to be far superior to these gutter rats, as
he often called them. Rose considered these people with their kind hearts and
simple lives to be a thousand times superior to Cal. The way Cal treated people
disgusted her.
Rose watched as Jack danced with Cora. She
seemed so happy to have his attention. Rose smiled to herself. He certainly
has a way with the ladies, she thought as he continued to dance around the
room with Cora. Rose couldn’t help but clap to the music. She felt so alive! It
was like a huge burden had been taken off of her shoulders, and she was finally
able to breathe. She looked at Jack, watching the way he danced. She felt her
pulse race unexpectedly. She couldn’t believe the effect that he had on her.
She had only known him for a day, but she felt as if she had known him for
years. He understood her better than anyone.
As if sensing her eyes on him, he looked up,
catching her gaze for a moment. His heartbeat raced as she looked at him. She
seemed so happy.
"Cora, I’m going to dance with her now.
Okay?" he asked the little girl.
She seemed hesitant at first, but finally she
nodded her head, a cute smile on her face. He stepped over to Rose, his hand
reaching out to her.
"Come on," he said.
Her eyes widened in surprise. At first she
protested, but eventually she threw caution to the wind and let him lead her to
the dance floor. She felt nervous but exhilarated at the same time.
"We’re going to have to get a little
closer…like this," he said as he pulled her to him. He could feel the
sparks flowing between them.
"Don’t worry, Cora. You’re still my best
girl," he said to the little girl who stood a few feet away, watching them
with a crestfallen face.
Cora had become quite fond of Jack. At his
words, she smiled, then skipped away happily.
Rose was having trouble controlling her
emotions. Being so close to Jack was making her face hot. She tried to take a
deep breath to calm her racing heart, but it didn’t help any. She hadn't
expected him to make her feel this way.
"I can’t do this, Jack. I don’t know the
steps," she replied lamely. A new song started, and Jack pulled her into
the dance.
"I don’t, either. Just go with it."
She saw it all in a blur as the dancers
whirled around them; their smiling faces revealing how happy they were. She was
surprised how easy it was to pick up the steps. She had never felt so carefree
before in her life. She felt Jack’s hand on her back, leading her and
encouraging her. All thoughts of her mother and Cal left her mind, as did the
restraints of her first class life. For that night, she would be just Rose, a
young woman having the time of her life. All that mattered was she and Jack,
whirling around the dance floor with the loud enticing music filling their
ears. She looked into his eyes and saw the happiness that she felt reflected
there in his blue eyes. She knew that she would never forget this magical night
for as long as she lived, and she wished with all her heart that it would never
end.
Jack knew that he was in over his head. He
watched her as she looked around the room, her eyes taking in every detail. He
couldn’t help it. He knew that he was falling in love with her. They were
sitting at a table, resting after all of the excitement. He smiled when he
thought back to their dance. She was quite the dancer; she had kept up with him
very well. She looked relaxed and happy. The first time he had seen her that
way since he had met her.
He almost laughed out loud when he remembered
how she had chugged down her beer; she was always surprising him.
"What, you think a first class girl
can’t drink?" she had said after almost finishing her whole beer in one
drink. There was definitely more to her then met the eye.
"Are you having a good time?" he
asked loudly so she could hear him over the music.
She nodded. "I've never had so much fun
before! Thank you, Jack, for bringing me here tonight."
Fabrizio and Tommy interrupted them. The two
men sat down in the empty chairs at their table. Jack had hardly seen his
friends all night. They had spoken briefly when Jack had introduced Rose to
them earlier. But soon after they were caught up in the crowd again.
"Fabri, where’s your lady friend that
you’ve been dancing with all night?" Jack asked.
"She left a while ago. She wanted to go
sleep. Is getting late, yes?" he asked in his thick Italian accent.
Jack nodded, his mind wandering to forbidden
places. He looked at Rose and wondered what it would be like if she were his.
He was positive that he would never know.
*****
Cal was steaming mad. Mr. Lovejoy had just
informed him that Rose was down in third class with Jack. She has run off
with that steerage kid. I've had about all I can take of her inappropriate
behavior, he thought angrily. Mr. Lovejoy had described her as behaving
careless and wild.
"She was dancing like some bohemian,"
Mr. Lovejoy had said.
Cal had the mind to go down there right that
instant and drag her up by her hair. How dare she embarrass and dishonor me
in this manner! But he wasn’t about to go down in that gutter to get his
wild fiancée. I’ll deal with her tomorrow. After I am through with her, she
will never disobey me again!