ALL THE WAY
Chapter Fifteen

Friday in early June, 1928

Rose was busy cleaning up the breakfast dishes when the telephone rang. She ran over to where it sat on the wall and quickly answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Rose." Jack's voice came happily from the other end.

"Oh, hello darling. What's going on?"

"Nothing, really. Can you meet me downtown for lunch later today?"

"Hmm." Rose thought for a minute. "Sure, I can do that. But I have an appointment at about eleven...so we're going to have to make it around 12:30. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's great. I have some exciting news!" Jack exclaimed, making Rose laugh.

"Well, what is it?"

"I can't tell you now. I'll tell you at lunch."

Rose was disappointed, but tried not to let that show. "All right...so I'll see you at 12:30, then. Oh, but wait. Jack, where are we going?"

"How about that coffee shop place down by the pier; they have good food."

"Okay...I'll see you then."

"Okay, love you, bye."

"Love you, too, Jack...bye."

*****

Later that day, Jack sat at a small corner table in the quiet coffee shop. Rose was supposed to be there any minute. He was really looking forward to telling her the big news. His only hope was that she would be as excited as he was at this moment.

Absentmindedly, he played with the straw in his Coke glass and watched at the ice spun around and around, making little clicking noises.

"Hey, stranger..."

Jack's head shot up, and he saw Rose standing a couple of feet away from him. He gasped when he noticed her new haircut.

"Rose! You look beautiful!" he announced as he jumped up to meet her and help her sit down. And he meant it, too. Her cream-colored suit accented her eyes and figure.

"And your hair!" he commented, for she had cut it off to about her shoulders. Ever since he knew her, she had kept her locks long.

Rose blushed as she crunched up the bottom. "Do you like it, really?" she asked as Jack sat back down.

"It's wonderful."

Rose grinned. "I'm glad you think so," she said, reaching over to grab his hand across the table. "At first I thought she cut it off short, but I've grown on it now. My head feels so light." She laughed. "I'm still not used to it. So, what's this big news?"

"What's the rush, Rose?" Jack asked, a bit teasingly. "I think we should wait and at least order our food first."

Rose gave Jack a sly look and dropped his hand. "Oh, you are just going to try my patience today, aren't you?" she commented as she reached over and took a menu from a holder at the end of the table. "Hmm, well, I guess I will just have to put up with you."

Jack laughed and changed the subject. "It's nice out today, isn't it?"

Rose looked up from reading the menu and grinned. "Yes, I was late because I walked over instead of taking a cab. Of course, in about three weeks it will be so warm we can hardly stand it."

"Can I help you folks?" a voice suddenly asked. "We have several specials today...would you like to hear them?"

"No, thank you," Rose said swiftly, making Jack laugh. She was always taking over like this, making sure people knew she was here for one reason and that was it. Of course, she wasn't rude, just...to the point.

"I will have the Clubhouse Sandwich, with no tomatoes, though," she continued without a breath, "and...um...a large vanilla milkshake...with two straws." Rose quickly winked at Jack.

Jack glanced at the waitress. "I'll have the same, but with no milkshake. Oh, and will you take this please," he said, picking up the Coke class and handing it to her. "Thanks, Miss."

"Yes, thank you," Rose echoed as the waitress left. She turned back to Jack and smiled brightly. "So..."

"So what?" Jack asked, knowing full well what she wanted, but pretending to not know nonetheless. He stretched out his legs under the table, where he hooked his own ankles through Rose's.

"Oh, Jack, just tell me! Please!"

Jack laughed and threw up his hands. "All right, I'll tell you. Bill called me into his office today and...ah...let me know that he's retiring from the art business."

"And that's good?" Rose exclaimed. "I thought you and he were friends."

"We are," Jack assured her. "You didn't let me finish, though. Bill is retiring, and guess who he is handing the gallery over to?"

Rose's eyes widened in shock and she let out little gasp. "Are you kidding?" she asked in disbelief. "He wants you to take over?"

Jack nodded excitedly. "Yeah. He originally offered to it Scott and I, you know, like a partnership type thing. But Scott said he didn't want the job; he likes dealing better and would rather not be the head of anything. So then Bill turns to me and goes Dawson, how do you feel about being the main guy? and of course I got all excited and accepted his offer. I'm going in this afternoon to make the final arrangements."

"Oh, Jack, that is wonderful!" Rose jumped up and went around to Jack's side of the table. She sat down and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I am so happy for you."

Jack kissed her cheek. "This is big, Rose. I mean, just think. I am the owner of a famous art gallery."

Rose laughed excitedly. "Famous art gallery, right," she said, kissing his cheek. She beamed at him. "I'm proud of you, Mr. Dawson."

Jack blushed like a schoolboy. "Aw...Rose..." he stuttered, starting to laugh.

Rose smiled again, and then went back to her own seat. "So, Jack, what does this mean for your art selling deal? Are you just going to buy your own paintings?"

Jack shrugged and sat back against the seat. "I am not sure. I guess maybe I'll just continue to sell things around and just not to the gallery."

Just then the waitress appeared with their food. She set the plates down, and then set the milkshake next to Rose. "Will that be all, folks?"

"Yes, thank you," Jack answered, dismissing the woman, who gave them a nasty look and then walked off.

"I don't think she liked us too well." Rose laughed, and then, without skipping a beat, went on. "Are you going to drink this with me?" she asked, sliding the milkshake over to the middle of the table.

Jack put his sandwich down and grabbed a straw. "Seventy-thirty?" he joked.

Rose hit his arm. "Fifty-fifty, Jack." She winked at him.

Jack took a huge sip of the milkshake and then went back to his sandwich. "So...have you got anything planned this afternoon?" he asked, after a few minutes of silence.

Rose shook her head and swallowed a bit of food. "Not really. But, of course, now that I've heard your wonderful news I am going to have to call everyone and tell them. Or drop by to their house on the way home."

Jack smiled. "Okay, but make sure you're home around five."

"Of course I will be...the kids will be home from school at three. It's not summer yet. They're not gone until eight every night yet. But why? What is going on?"

"I'm bringing home a surprise."

Rose raised her eyebrows. "Another one? What sort of surprise is this?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise."

*****

"A car?"

Rose stood on the front porch, staring in shock at the sight of Jack sitting in the driver's seat of the car, the top down, and him waving ecstatically. The children, who had heard her yell, had gathered around and were gawking at the machine as well.

Rose shook her head and walked out to where Jack was.

"You bought a car?"

Jack nodded excitedly. "Yeah, this afternoon. An art gallery owner needs a nice ride, doesn't he?"

Rose shook her head. "Don't you think you are letting this go to your head a little bit?"

Before Jack could answer, he was met with four different voices asking him the same question over and over again.

"Can we get in, Dad? Can we?"

Jack laughed and shook his head at the children. "Nope, your mother gets to get in first. What do you say, Rose?"

"I say you are going insane." Rose grinned teasingly up at him. "But I am getting in just the same." She ran around to the passenger side of the car, opened up the door, and let Jack help her up into the car. It was actually nice, she decided. The outside was painted white, but the inside there was black leather. The top was the kind that you could fold back during warm weather, and place back over as a covering during the cold. The seats were very comfortable, and everything looked to be in good shape. She turned and gave Jack an impressed smile, at which he grinned back.

"Can we get in now?" Michael asked impatiently from the street curb.

"Yes, get in, get in!" Jack exclaimed, causing a large amount of cheering. As the rest of the family climbed in and got situated, he turned to Rose and smiled.

"You okay with this?"

Rose laughed. "Of course I am. Just shocked is all."

Jack grinned again and then turned around. "What do you say we take a drive around the neighborhood?"

He was once against met with a loud and excited cheer by everyone, including Rose. He smiled and turned the key in the ignition. With a rev of the engine, the car sprung to life and they were off.

*****

Later that night, after the children were in bed and settled in, Rose went off to find Jack. He had been missing for about a half hour, and she was curious as to where he went. Searching the whole house and coming up empty, she figured he must be outside, and wandered out there. She was right. Rose slowly strolled over to their new car, which was parked on the curb in front of the house, and peered inside. Jack was lying in the back seat, his legs flung over the door and hanging effortlessly.

"Hey," was all he mumbled as she came up.

"Hello," Rose said back. She glanced around at the night sights and then back at Jack. "What are you doing?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest.

Jack shrugged and then grinned back. "I don't really know." He sat up and turned towards her. "Want to get in here with me?"

"Oh, Jack, I don't think we can both fit like that."

"Sure we can," said Jack, as he opened up the car door. "Come on."

Rose unfolded her arms and gave him a tiny smile. Cautiously, she got inside the car and sat beside Jack.

"All right, lay your head right here," he told her, pointing to the middle of the seat, "and put your legs over the door like I did. Then I will go the opposite way. "

Rose did as she was told, and then Jack followed suit. As it turned out, they both fit if they stayed like this. Reaching behind her, Rose grabbed Jack's right hand and held it in her own. "The stars are beautiful tonight," she remarked in the quiet.

"Mmm hmm," Jack quietly mumbled back.

"When do you start your new position?"

She heard Jack sigh softly. "I don't really know. Bill is thinking around the beginning of September, but he does not know for sure."

"That's going to be wonderful, Jack."

"Yeah," Jack said, wistfully. "I kind of like it here with you right now, though."

Rose smiled and closed her eyes. "I kind of like it here with you, too, Jack."

There were no words after that, only the soft sounds of night. Now and then, a dog would bark several blocks down, and lights would go on and off. And a few times a shooting star even went by, during which Jack tenderly held Rose's hand, a little tighter every time.

Chapter Sixteen
Stories