CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
Chapter Three
That morning, directly after
breakfast, Rose slipped away and headed down to the third class area of the
ship.
The first place she searched for
Jack was in the third class common room. She shifted uncomfortably as she felt
the stares on her. It was like no one had ever seen a first class lady before.
Finally, she spotted Jack sitting with Tommy and Fabrizio and playing with a
little girl named Cora. She nervously approached him, unsure of what his
reaction would be at seeing her down there. Tommy and Fabrizio’s mouths fell
open as they watched her approach Jack. It was Cora who finally announced
Rose’s presence.
"Jack, there’s a princess
standing behind you." The little girl giggled, causing Rose to blush and
smile shyly. No one had ever called her a princess before.
"Oh, really?" Jack
smiled at the little girl, thinking she was joking.
"Really. See?" Cora
pointed and turned.
Jack smiled and decided to humor
the little girl. He turned, and his eyes widened to see Rose standing before
him. He immediately stood, Cora, Tommy, and Fabrizio suddenly forgotten.
"R-Rose. Hello again."
"Hello, Jack." Rose
smiled, once again being taken into his beautiful blue eyes. "Can I speak
to you…in private?"
"Sure." Jack smiled and
turned back to his friends. "I’ll see you guys later."
"Jack!" Cora ran up to
him.
"Yes, Cora?"
"Remember you promised me a
dance at the party tonight!" Cora grinned.
"I’ll remember." Jack
smiled, ruffling the little girl’s hair. It was obvious he had a soft spot for
children. Rose was certain he would be a great father someday. She just hoped
that the mean girl wasn’t a part of his life in that way.
They walked in silence. Finally,
when they were at the first class gate, Rose spoke.
"Mr. Dawson…"
"Jack."
"What?" Rose asked
nervously.
"Call me Jack. Mr. Dawson
was my father." Jack smiled.
"Okay. Jack." Rose
smiled, loving the sound of his name on her lips. "Call me Rose."
"Okay, Rose." Jack
smiled. She had obviously forgotten that they were already on a first name
basis.
"Jack…" Rose was
nervous. She felt like she should explain her actions the night before. But she
wasn’t ready for that yet. Instead, she wanted to know a little more about her
savior. Where was he from? What did he do for a living? Who was that woman who
had been so mean to him last night? Was she someone of importance to him?
"So, Jack. Where are you from?"
Jack looked at her in surprise.
By the way she had sounded, she had been going to tell him about what had
happened last night, but instead she was asking him about himself. Well, he was
just going to have to be patient. She obviously wasn’t ready to tell him what
was behind last night’s suicide attempt, and he wasn’t going to push her. She’d
tell him when she was ready.
"Well, as you already know,
I’m from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. I lived there for the first fifteen years
of my life. When I was fifteen, my parents died in a fire and my sister had ran
away from home with some guy my parents hadn’t liked two years before, so since
I didn’t have any other family there except Caroline…my fiancée…you met her
last night…well, we lit on out of there. You can say we’ve been a couple of
tumbleweeds blowing in the wind ever since."
"Caroline…she doesn’t strike
me as a very nice person," Rose replied, rather bluntly.
"She’s okay. She’s just a
little uptight." Jack shrugged. "But she is quite pleasant at
times."
A little uptight? Rose thought to herself. The girl was a
younger version of her mother. She had belittled Jack in front of complete
strangers. The girl was flat out horrible, and Jack deserved better. He was too
nice and way too handsome to be treated in such a manner. He deserved a girl
who adored him and would never belittle him. A girl like…stop it, Rose. You
hardly know Jack, and yet you’re here determining what he needs. It’s obvious
that he cares for this Caroline. But does he love her? Does he truly love her
and want to spend the rest of his life with her, or is he still with her
because he thinks he can’t get any better?
"You’re quiet all of a
sudden." Jack smiled, interrupting her inner dialogue.
"Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I
got a little lost in thought."
"Oh." Jack nodded.
"Jack…I know what you must
be thinking. Poor little rich girl. What does she know about misery?"
"No. No, that’s not what I
was thinking at all. I was thinking…what could have happened to this girl to
make her think she had no way out?" Jack stopped and stared into her eyes.
Looking into his eyes, Rose felt like she could trust him with the truth.
"Oh, Jack, it’s my mother.
She hates me!" Tears began to flow from her eyes. "All she does is
stand there and tell me what a horrible daughter I am and how stupid I am. That
she wished someone else was her daughter, not me!" Rose covered her face,
embarrassed that she was getting so emotional in front of a man she didn’t even
know.
"Rose…" He put a secure
arm around her shoulders, and they began walking again. "Don’t cry,
Rose."
"Last night I just couldn’t
take it anymore. I wanted to end it all right there and then, but when you came
up to me and began talking to me, I realized I’d be giving her what she wanted,
and I shouldn’t do that. That instead, I should prove her wrong. Prove that I
wasn’t unlovable, and that I was worthy of the best life has to offer."
"That’s right, Rose. You are
worthy of the best life has to offer. And you’re not unlovable. I bet a lot of
people love you and you don’t even know it." Jack turned her to face him.
Rose looked into his eyes and was
tempted to ask if he loved her, but she didn’t dare. Besides, Jack wasn’t free.
He was already taken, and he couldn’t possibly love her. They had only just
met.
"Thank you, Jack. You’ve
done so much for me." Rose smiled.
"Well, I’m glad." Jack
smiled.
"So, Jack…tell me more about
yourself."
*****
It was lunchtime, and Caroline
was pacing the dining saloon. Where was Jack? He had never missed lunch before,
and here he was late and just when she needed to talk to him. She had to coach
him on how to behave in first class. She had looked all over for him, but there
was no sign of him anywhere. He wasn’t even with Fabrizio, and that was a
first. Ever since they had boarded this ship, Jack and Fabrizio had been
inseparable. But now she found Fabrizio with that Irish lout and that girl,
Helga.
This was when she noticed Helga
and a couple of other girls staring in her direction and turning back,
giggling. She wondered what was up with those girls. Why did they find her so
amusing all of a sudden? She was going to go over there and find out.
Helga’s eyes widened as Jack’s
fiancée approached. She definitely didn’t like Caroline Simmons. She was mean
and rude and a socialite wannabe. Neither Helga nor her three companions at the
table thought Caroline was worthy of such a sweet and handsome man like Jack.
That was why they were so pleased to see a real society girl come down to third
class that morning and walk out with Jack, who didn’t seem to mind the company.
In fact, if they didn’t know better, by the way Jack and the girl were looking
at one another, one would have thought they were engaged. Yes, Caroline was
getting what she deserved.
"What’s so funny?"
Caroline narrowed her eyes at the girls.
"Well, we were just
wondering…" Kate, one of Helga’s friends, answered. "…what Jack and
that girl from first class were talking about this morning."
"Girl from first
class?"
"Yes. Some redhead dressed
real fancy came down here this morning, looking for Jack. He left with her and
hasn’t been back since," another girl with the name Kate replied.
"What could they possibly have to talk about?"
"Perhaps they’re not talking
at all." Another Kate laughed.
That did it. Caroline’s anger
reached sky high. How dare these girls insinuate that Jack would cheat on her!
He would do no such thing! She was going to put a stop to this rumor mill, and
she was going to put a stop to it now. She turned on her heels and headed for
the first class area of the ship. It was about time that she and Miss DeWitt
Bukater had a long talk about keeping their hands off other people’s fiancés.
*****
Jack and Rose were now in first
class, sitting on a couple of deck chairs. Rose was leafing through Jack’s art
portfolio.
"Oh, Jack," Rose
breathed. "This is exquisite work."
"Thanks. Caroline and the
critics in ole Paree don’t seem to think so." Jack looked down at the
ground.
"Well, Caroline doesn’t know
true art when she sees it, and…wait a minute. Did you say Paris?"
Jack nodded.
"Why, you do get around for
a p…a person of limited means." Rose caught herself before she offended
Jack.
"It’s all right. A poor guy.
You can say it." Jack laughed good-naturedly.
"Well, well, well."
Rose came across a group of nude drawings. "And these were drawn from
life?"
"Yeah. That’s the good thing
about Paris. A lot of girls willing to take their clothes off." Jack
reached over and turned a couple more pages to a lady with sad eyes wearing a
moth-eaten fur coat. "And this is a lady that sat in this bar every night,
waiting for her long lost love. We used to call her Madame Bijoux. See how her
clothes are all moth-eaten?"
Rose nodded and looked deeply
into Jack’s eyes. "You have a gift, Jack. You do. You see people."
"I see you," Jack said,
looking at her seriously.
"And?"
"You wouldn’t have
jumped."
Rose looked at him in awe. He
really did see people. He had read her like a book.
*****
Caroline stood far enough away
that she wouldn’t be seen, but close enough to hear and see what was going on
between Rose and Jack. Right now, Rose and Jack were leaning against the rail,
looking out at the ocean.
Jack had just gotten through telling
her about his time in Santa Monica, when he had drawn pictures for ten cents
apiece.
"Oh, why can’t I be like
you, Jack? Just head out for the horizon when ever I feel like it?" Rose
waved her hand out towards the ocean. "Say we’ll go there sometime, to
that pier…only if we ever just talk about it…"
"No, we’ll go." Jack
smiled. "We’ll drink cheap beer. Ride the roller coaster ‘til we throw up.
And ride on the beach, right in the surf. But you’ll have to do it like a real
cowboy. None of that sidesaddle stuff."
"You mean, one leg on each
side?"
"Yeah."
"Can you show me?"
"Sure. If you like."
Jack nodded.
Not if I can help it, Caroline thought to herself.
"Teach me to ride like a
man." Rose smiled.
"And chew tobacco like a
man," Jack said, in a western accent.
"And spit like a man!"
Rose laughed.
"What? They didn’t teach you
that in finishing school?"
"No." Rose shook her
head.
"Well, then, come on. I’ll
teach ya now." Jack took her hand.
"What? Jack ,no! No,
Jack!" Rose pulled back, but Jack pulled her over to where they were
staring straight out over the ocean.
"Now, watch this." Jack
hocked it back and let it fly out over the ocean. Rose twisted up her nose.
"That’s disgusting!"
Rose exclaimed.
"Your turn. You try
it." Jack turned to Rose.
Rose simply spat and watched it
just fall into the ocean.
"That was pitiful. You do it
like this!" Jack described what to do while he did it, and let another one
fly into the ocean.
Rose did as he said and spat.
This one was better than the last.
"That’s better, but you
really gotta hock it up." Jack demonstrated again. "See? Now, you
try."
Rose was hocking it back just as
her mother and Aunt Molly came strolling up to them.
"Rose, what in heaven’s name
are you doing?" Ruth exclaimed in disgust. "Get over here right this
instant. Disappear for hours on end, and I find you doing this!"
"Jack, there you are!"
Caroline made her entrance and immediately grabbed his arm tightly and pulled
him away from Rose, who glared at her. "I’ve been looking all over for
you. You missed lunch, and now it’s time for supper. Whatever are we going to
wear?"
"Don’t worry, dear," Ruth
came up and took Caroline’s arm. "You may wear one of Rose’s fine dresses.
She doesn’t mind." Ruth took Caroline’s arm and led her to her stateroom.
Rose looked after Ruth and Caroline, a strange expression in her eyes that
didn’t go unnoticed by Molly.
"Jack." Molly turned to
the young man, who was looking at her niece. "What do you plan to
wear?"
"Isn’t what I have on
okay?" Jack asked.
"Oh, boy. I’m telling ya,
Rose, it’s a good thing that your friend Jack is the same build as your older
cousin, or we might have a catastrophe on our hands." Molly laughed,
taking both Rose and Jack by the arms and leading them to the staterooms.
*****
Molly smiled with pleasure. Jack
sure did make a handsome picture in that tux. If only she was thirty years
younger…
"I was right. You are the
same size as my son." Molly laughed.
"Almost." Jack grinned,
looking at himself in the mirror.
"You shine up like a new
penny." Molly nodded.
"My dear, you look
absolutely gorgeous!" Ruth exclaimed, entering and seeing the petite blond
sitting next to her daughter. "They’ll all be staring at you tonight. Jack
sure is a lucky fellow."
"Thank you, Mrs. DeWitt
Bukater." Caroline blushed.
"Doesn’t she look lovely,
Rose?" Ruth turned to her daughter.
"Yeah," Rose flatly
replied.
"Poor Rose, Caroline. She’s
just not a classic beauty like you. I’m going to have hard time finding a
husband for her. But hopefully some rich fellow will feel sorry for her and
take her as his bride." Ruth sighed.
"I think I’ll head down
now." Rose pushed back the rising tears. She wasn’t going to cry. She
wasn’t going to give her mother the satisfaction. "I’ll see you down
there, Mother and Caroline."
With that, Rose darted out the
door. Caroline looked after her with satisfaction. Now, if only she could ruin
Rose in Jack’s eyes…that was going to be hard, since Jack always saw the good
in everyone. But she’d find a way. She knew she would.
*****
Rose saw Jack at the bottom of
the grand staircase, pretending to shake hands with an imaginary person. She
had to smile. He was so adorable, and in that tux…she couldn’t take her eyes
off him.
Jack looked up and saw her
descending the stairs. He couldn’t resist. It was too perfect. He approached
the stairs, not taking his eyes off her the whole time. When she reached him,
he grabbed her hand and lightly kissed it.
"I saw that in a nickelodeon
once, and I always wanted to do." He smiled, his eyes shining with
laughter. He offered his arm, and she accepted. She giggled as he stuck his
nose up in the air. Then she spotted her mother and Caroline, both escorted by
Mr. Andrews, the ship’s designer.
"Why, hello, young
Rose." Mr. Andrews smiled widely at her.
"Hello, Mr. Andrews. I’d
like to introduce Jack Dawson. He saved my life last night," Rose greeted.
"Hello, Jack." Mr. Andrews
nodded.
"Why, Jack, you almost look
like a gentleman," Caroline said in surprise.
"Almost." Jack smiled.
"How extraordinary."
Caroline smiled at Jack, but her smile faded as she saw Rose on Jack’s arm.
"Hello, Rose." Her voice was cold.
"Caroline." Rose
nodded.
As they entered the swirling
throng, Rose led Jack over to the side of the staircase and pointed out some
faces she recognized.
"There’s the Countess of
Rothes….and that’s John Jacob Astor….the richest man on the ship. His little
wifey there, Madeline, is my age and in a delicate condition. See how she’s
trying to hide it? Quite the scandal. And over there is Benjamin Guggenheim and
his mistress, Madame Aubert. Mrs. Guggenheim is at home with the children, of
course. And over there is Sir Cosmo and Lady Duff-Gordon. She designs naughty
lingerie, among her many talents. Very popular with the royals."
"Hey, got room for a
lady?" Molly appeared beside Jack.
"Why, certainly." Jack
offered his free arm.
"Ain’t nothing to it, is
there, Jack?"
"Yeah, you just dress like a
pallbearer and keep your nose up." Jack smiled, looking at Rose, who once
again laughed.
"Now, remember, they love
money. So just act like you own a gold mine and you’re in the club." Molly
nodded. "Hey, Astor!" Molly led Jack and Rose over to Madeline and JJ
Astor.
"Molly." JJ smiled.
"JJ, Madeleine, I’d like you
to meet Jack Dawson."
JJ shook Jack’s hand. "Good
to meet you, Jack. Are you of the Boston Dawsons?"
"No. The Chippewa Falls
Dawsons, actually."
"Oh, yes." JJ nodded as
if he’d heard of them, but it was obvious that he hadn’t.
"Very handsome, Rose."
Madeleine leaned over to Rose. "Wherever did you find him?"
Rose just smiled shyly and
tightened her grip on Jack’s arm. She couldn’t help but be pleased that
Madeleine thought that they were a couple.
As they moved to their table,
Jack was indeed nervous, but he forced himself to keep cool. Pretend that he
won a gold mine and couldn’t care less. So far, he was a success. When they
reached the table, Molly sat between Jack and Rose, and Caroline sat between
Rose and Ruth.
"Tell us of the
accommodations in steerage, Mr. Dawson. I hear they’re quite good on this
ship." Ruth smiled over at Jack.
"The best I’ve seen, ma’am.
Hardly any rats." Jack smiled, causing the table to laugh at the joke.
Caroline was not laughing, of course. She had been hoping to avoid the topic of
steerage. She had wanted the people to think that they were at least second
class, if not first, but that was all blown now. She’d just have to work with
what she had.
"Mr. Dawson was of some
assistance to my daughter last night," Ruth said.
"It turns out that Mr.
Dawson is quite a fine artist. He was kind enough to show me some of his work
today." Rose smiled at Jack.
"If you can call what my
fiancé draws fine art." Caroline laughed. "I try to discourage him,
but he refuses to give it up."
She glanced at Rose and saw her
motion for Jack to take his napkin off his plate. A sear of jealousy once again
went through her as she noticed how Rose and Jack weren’t taking their eyes off
one another.
"How do you take your
caviar, sir?" A waiter came up next to Jack.
"No caviar for me,
thanks." Jack looked at Rose. "Never did like it much."
Rose smiled at his joke, knowing
that most likely he’d never had caviar before.
"So, where do you live, Mr.
Dawson?" Ruth asked, taking a bite of her caviar-laden cracker.
"Well, right now our address
is the RMS Titanic. After that, we’re on God’s good humor."
"And how do you have means
to travel?" Ruth asked with a condescending tone in her voice, causing
Molly to glare at her.
"We work our way from place
to place--tramp steamers and such. But I won our tickets here on Titanic in a
lucky hand of poker." Jack smiled at Rose. "A very lucky hand."
"All life’s a game of luck."
Colonel Gracie nodded.
"A real man makes his own
luck, Archie. Right, Dawson?" Mr. Andrews smiled at Jack.
Jack only smiled and nodded.
"Mr. Andrews, what are you
doing? I see you everywhere writing in this little book." Rose grabbed the
book and read, "Increase number of screws in hat hooks from two to three.
You built the biggest ship in the world, and this is what preoccupies
you?"
"He knows every rivet in
her, don’t you, Thomas?" Mr. Ismay smiled with pride. "She may be
mine on paper, but in the eyes of God, she belongs to Thomas Andrews."
"Your ship is a wonder, Mr.
Andrews. Truly."
"Thank you, Rose." Mr.
Andrews nodded.
"And you find that sort of
rootless existence appealing, do you?" Ruth brought the conversation back
to Jack.
Jack hesitated for a moment, then
replied, "Yes, ma’am, I do. I have everything I need right here with me. I
have the air in my lungs and a few blank sheets of paper. I love waking up in
the morning, not knowing what’s going to happen, or who I’m going to meet. Last
week, I was sleeping under a bridge, and now here I am, on the grandest ship in
the world, having champagne with you fine people. I figure that life’s a gift,
and I don’t intend on wasting it. You never know what hand you’re going to be
dealt next. I believe in making each day count." Jack again looked
meaningfully at Rose, as if sending her a silent message.
"Well said, Jack."
Molly nodded.
"Here’s to making it
count." Rose lifted her glass in a toast.
"To making it count."
The table also raised their glasses.
Neither Rose nor Jack noticed
Caroline glaring daggers at Rose.
Two Hours Later
"…so Mr. Brown comes home as
drunk as a skunk, and not knowing that I hid the money in the stove, he lights
a fire." Molly laughed as she ended her story, causing the table to laugh
along with her.
Dessert had been served, and a
waiter arrived with cigars in a humidor on a wheeled cart. The men started
clipping ends and lighting them.
Rose leaned over towards Jack and
whispered to him. "Next it’ll be brandies in the smoking room."
Colonel Gracie stood up.
"Well, join me for a brandy, gentlemen?"
Rose suppressed a laugh and again
whispered to Jack. "Now they’ll retreat into a cloud of smoke and
congratulate each other on being masters of the universe."
"Joining us, Dawson?"
Gracie turned to Jack.
"No, thanks. I have to be
getting back." Jack looked at Caroline for the first time that night.
"Shall I escort you back, too, Carly, or do you want to stay here?"
"I’m staying here. Mrs.
DeWitt Bukater wants to discuss a job in the states with me." Caroline
looked at Jack.
Jack just nodded and turned to
Rose, causing Caroline to watch the scene.
"Jack, must you go?"
Rose asked, wanting to spend more time with him.
"Time for me to go row with
the other slaves." Jack smiled. He took her hand and quickly slipped a
folded piece of paper into it. "Good night, Rose." He kissed her hand
and walked away, turning back once to see if she had read the note. Then he was
gone.
Rose kept her back turned on
Caroline so she wouldn’t see the note, and read:
Make it count. Meet me at the
clock.
*****
Rose slowly approached the grand
staircase, finding Jack standing with his back to her. Taking a deep breath,
she ascended the stairs. Jack turned to her and smiled.
"Want to go to a real
party?"
*****
The third class common room was
crowded and alive with music, laughter, and dancing. Rose sat at a table with
Tommy Ryan and one of the Swedes that Jack had met aboard the Titanic. Tommy
handed Rose a pint of stout, and she hoisted it. Jack, meanwhile, was dancing
with little Cora Cartmell. As the tune ended, Jack turned to Rose and leaned
down to the little girl.
"I’m going to dance with her
now." Jack pointed to Rose. Cora just nodded as they both turned to Rose.
"Come on." Jack beckoned to Rose.
"What?" Rose asked, her
eyes growing wide. He couldn’t possibly expect her to dance with him.
"Come on. Come with
me." Jack grabbed her hand and pulled her to the dance floor.
"Jack, wait!" Rose
protested. "I can’t do this."
"We’re going to have to get
a little bit closer. Like this." Jack pulled her a little closer to him.
He looked over at Cora and noticed she looked a little sad. "You’re still
my best girl, Cora."
The little girl just smiled and
continued to watch Jack and his princess.
"I don’t know the
steps!" Rose exclaimed, as they began to move to the music.
"Neither do I!" Jack
yelled over the music. "Just go with it! Don’t think!"
Rose screamed no with almost
every step, and stopped uselessly, laughing as Jack whirled her about on the
dance floor. Suddenly, he stopped, and Rose thought it was to catch his breath,
but it wasn’t. Jack suddenly pulled her onto a platform and went into a
complicated dance step. Watching him closely, Rose laughed and tossed her shoes
to a woman standing on the side. She imitated his movements, step by step. Soon
they linked arms and turned about with each other, and then Jack grabbed both
her hands and turned her around and around, causing her to get dizzy. But she
was having so much fun that she didn’t notice, nor did she care.
"Jack, no!" Rose
laughed.
After the song had ended, Rose
and Jack made their way back to their table, to find it occupied. Jack looked
at Rose, shrugged, and reached over the men to get their drinks. Jack took a
gulp from his beer, and stared at Rose in amazement as she drank all the beer
in her glass nonstop. She looked at him and smiled.
"What? Didn’t think a first
class girl could drink?"
Jack laughed until a man bumped
into him, causing him to spill his beer all over Rose.
"Hey! Get out of here!"
Jack pushed the man back into the crowd. He turned to a laughing Rose.
"Are you all right?"
"I’m fine." Rose
laughed, then spotted Tommy and his Swedish friend arm wrestling. The Swede
won.
"Again!" Tommy
demanded, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.
"So!" Rose loudly
interrupted, the beer causing her to be quite tipsy. She grabbed Tommy’s
cigarette from his mouth and took a drag on it. "You think you’re big
tough men? Let’s see you do this." Rose picked up the train of her dress and
handed it to Jack. "Hold this, Jack. Hold it up."
To everyone’s amazement, Rose
stood on the very tips of her toes. After ten seconds, her mouth opened in pain
and she fell into Jack’s arms, laughing the whole time.
"Are you okay?" Jack
asked, holding her in his arms.
"I haven’t done that in
years." Rose laughed.
Neither noticed Caroline glaring
at them from the stairs. She knew it was time to have that talk with Jack. She
was going to put an end to this.
Suddenly, the ad hoc band started
up another song. People were linking hands and dancing in a line through the
room.
"Good time!" Fabrizio
laughed, grabbing Rose’s hand, who automatically grabbed Jack’s. For just those
couple of hours, she had completely forgotten about her troubles. She no longer
cared that her mother hated her and that she might never find someone who loved
her enough to marry her. All that mattered was having fun.
*****
Later that night, Jack was
walking Rose back to her room. They were both still giddy from the party. They
walked along a row of lifeboats and were singing a popular song, Come
Josephine in My Flying Machine.
Come Josephine
In my flying machine
And it’s up she goes!
Up she goes!
In the air she goes.
Where?
There she goes!
Both Jack and Rose sang. Soon
they fumbled the words and broke down laughing. They had reached the first
class entrance, but didn’t go straight in. Neither of them wanted the evening
to end. Through the doors, the sound of the orchestra wafted gently. Rose
grabbed a davit and leaned back as she stared at the stars.
"Look, Jack. Isn’t it
magnificent? So grand and endless." Rose sighed and went to lean on a
rail. "They’re such small people, Jack…my crowd. They think they’re giants
on the earth, but they’re not even dust in God’s eye. They live inside this
little tiny champagne bubble…and someday the bubble’s going to burst."
Jack leaned on the rail next to
her, his hand just touching hers. It was the slightest contact imaginable, but
all either one of them could feel was that square inch of skin where their
hands were touching.
"You’re not one of them.
There’s been a mistake." Jack looked squarely into her eyes.
"A mistake?"
"Uh-huh. You got mailed to
the wrong address."
Rose laughed. "I did, didn’t
I? Look! A shooting star!" Rose pointed to the sky.
"That was a long one. My
father used to say that whenever you saw one, it was a soul going to
heaven."
"I like that." Rose
nodded. "Aren’t we supposed to wish on it?"
Jack looked at her and found that
they were suddenly very close together. It would be so easy to move another
couple of inches, to kiss her. Rose was thinking the same thing.
"What do you wish for,
Jack?"
After a second, Jack took a step
back. "Something I can’t have." He smiled sadly, looking into her
eyes one last time. "It’s getting late. I better go."
"Thank you for the wonderful
evening, Jack." Rose smiled, stepping towards the entrance but not going
in.
"No. Thank you." Jack
smiled. Then he turned and walked away, leaving Rose looking after him, wishing
that she could leave with him. Sighing one last time, Rose returned to her
world, with nothing but Jack Dawson on her mind.