Chicago was a wonderful place. Rose was astonished at the many sights. Chicago was a large city, like New York, but not quite as large, making it perfect for Rose. Today, she was wearing a nice green afternoon dress with a beige shawl hanging over her shoulders and her long, curly red hair–the same hair that Jack loved to run his fingers through–spilling over her shoulders and down her back. With her gloved hand linked through James' arm, she strode through Chicago proudly and confidently with her chin up, as any girl of high society should do. Oh, Ruth would be so proud.
Rose awaited James' return from his business meetings every night in the hotel, and when he arrived, he'd escort Rose to a fancy dinner before turning in for the night. Dinners with James were much nicer than dinners with Cal, for James was much wealthier than Cal and he allowed them to dine in privacy. Cal forced Rose to dine in a large group. The food was of high quality, and James was of even higher quality.
On the final night in Chicago, Rose's mind was elsewhere. The whole week, she hadn't once thought of Jack—until she opened her diary and happened to come across his name.
Jack Dawson is quite the sweet, handsome, and romantic man that he appears to be. He took me flying on the bow of the ship, where I learned the real meaning of love and freedom, and where Jack and I shared our first kiss. Oh, how wonderful it was to kiss a man who loves you so! We've only been together for a couple of hours and already we've kissed enough times to last an entire month. I just cannot hold him and kiss him enough…I am truly in love with the handsome and inspirational Jack Dawson.
Did she feel the same when she kissed James? She loved him so much, and yet she had only kissed him once. When she and Jack first fell in love, Rose refused to keep her lips away from Jack's for even a moment. It was ridiculous, she thought, that she thought that she could love a man beneath her.
Then why was it that she actually leapt off of a lifeboat, choosing to die rather than live, to be with Jack? She kept reading.
After he took me flying, I begged him to draw me nude, wearing nothing but the exquisite necklace known as the Heart of the Ocean, like one of his French girls, and he did. From that moment on, that necklace became a symbol of our love. After he gave me the drawing, I kissed him, and when I kissed him, I wanted more, and so I climbed onto his lap and kissed him with more passion while he held me. When we finally pulled apart, my eyes just begged him to make love to me right where we sat, but before I could even begin to unbutton his shirt, Lovejoy knocked at the door, and—
Rose slammed her diary shut against the pain that the memories of the fun she and Jack had had together surged through her mind and heart. She threw it across the room. What upset Rose even more was that Jack was gone. No longer was he there to hold her and kiss her like she had described in her diary. Suddenly, she looked up at a nearby clock and noticed that it was nearly seven. James was late coming back from his business meeting, which meant that he and Rose would be late for their dinner and completely miss their reservation. James had promised that this evening was going to be better than all the previous ones of the week.
Just as Rose was getting ready to go down to the front desk and ask if James had returned, he walked into the bedroom with a very sincere, apologetic expression.
"Rose, my darling, I apologize deeply for being late!" James exclaimed, taking Rose's hands in his.
Rose freed one of her hands to gently stroke his face. "Oh, darling, it's all right! You aren't here for me. You're here for business!" she told him, squeezing his hand with her free one.
"But, darling, I couldn't care less for the business! You are my main priority! You must remain happy!" James told her.
This shocked Rose. Another person who cared for her happiness…like Jack.
"Why don't we make later reservations? Until then, we have about an hour to ourselves and we could spend more time getting to know one another."
Rose sighed, her head resting on James' shoulder. "Oh, James…can't we spend time together in a way that's much different than we have before?"
James looked at her. "What do you mean, my dear?" he asked in a serene tone.
Rose gently rested a hand on his cheek and pulled him closer with her other arm, which was wrapped around his waist.
"James," she said, nervously yet confidently, "I am asking you to make love to me."
*****
James was nervously pacing the bedroom of the suite when Rose came out of the bathroom wearing nothing but her chemise. James stopped and took in her beauty. She truly was an astonishing young woman. Her body was small except for the mysterious bulge in her stomach. Her face was perfectly rounded, with sharp features of full lips, almond-shaped eyes, and perfect, creamy white skin. Her breasts, though hidden beneath her chemise, appeared to be perfectly rounded. This was sooner than James had expected to see her nude, but he would only do this because she wanted him to.
When she approached him, James could do nothing but take her in his arms. "Are you sure that you'd like to do this?"
Rose smiled and nodded. "I am…I love you, James, and I want you to make love to me!" she told him, her arms around his neck.
James didn't say anything; he just ran his hand through her hair. Rose's eyes begged him to touch her, and so, nodding, James lifted her up and carried her to the bed. Rose was hesitant, but when they had undressed and James had entered her, everything faded to one single thought.
*****
Jack awoke in the middle of the night due to a terrible nightmare. He was sweating a cold sweat and breathing heavily, and he was so warm that he had to take off his clothes. Rose, his Rose…she was with another man…that Sherman guy! And she had asked him to do it…how could she? She told him how much she loved him, and she was even carrying his child! But that was only a dream, Jack told himself. It was only a dream.