"Jack," Rose said as they walked to his room. "Want to put your art skills to work?"
He looked at her and smiled. "What for?" he asked as they entered his room.
"Would you draw something for me?"
"Yeah...hold on..." he said. He went into the wardrobe and took something out of the safe.
While he was gone, she was admiring the paintings in the room. "Monet!" she said.
He walked in, holding a beautiful blue diamond. "Yeah. He's wonderful, isn't he? His use of color here--isn't it great?" he asked.
"Mmmhmm." She marveled at the painting. "Is it a sapphire?" she asked, indicating the diamond. She held it up. Damn, he is rich, she thought.
"No, a diamond. A very rare diamond," he said.
"Jack, will you draw me wearing this?"
He nodded.
"Wearing only this?" she asked.
He looked at her, completely shocked. "Um...yeah...just go in there to-uh...get ready," he said.
She smiled at his nervousness. It was quite amusing. "If you don't think-" she tried to say, but he interrupted her.
"I think it'll be beautiful."
She smiled and blushed a little, walking into the back part of the room.
He arranged the furniture the way he needed it and got his supplies out. He was nervous. Really nervous. Yes, he'd done nudes before, in Paris when Elizabeth didn't know where he was or what he was doing. But drawing Rose? Nude? Yes, he wanted to...he wanted to do more than just draw her. But he was so nervous and scared of what she might think. He didn't think he was that good. But she'd seen some of his work and praised it well. As he was sharpening his charcoal, she came out of the room. He looked up and blushed. She was walking towards him, completely nude.
"I've never done this before, so bear with me," she said.
He laughed. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Lie down on the bed-the...uh...couch," he said. She noticed his mistake and giggled softly.
She lay down and he told her how to lie and she did as told.
His hands moved swiftly over the paper, detailing her soul. "So serious," she pouted. He laughed. He kept on drawing, and when he was halfway done, she said, "I believe you are blushing, Monsieur Big Artiste. I can't imagine Monsieur Monet blushing," she said with a smile.
"He does landscapes. Now, hold still. No laughing," he said, smiling and trying to stay serious.
"Sorry," she said, taking a deep breath.
A few minutes later, he was done. She stood behind him and marveled at the beauty he put on paper. "Jack, it's wonderful. Date it. I don't ever want to forget this night."