They hurried down a first class corridor. Jack felt uneasy about being there, not just for his own sake, but for Rose's, as well. He knew it wouldn't go well for either of them if they were spotted by the wrong person. Rose held his hand in a death grip, the only indication she gave that her mind was on anything but their mission. She stopped suddenly and peeked around a corner. A sign above them read Chapel with an arrow pointing ahead.
"He should be in there," she said. "We'll stay out of sight until they start coming out."
They flattened themselves against the wall, trying to become as invisible as possible, and settled in to wait. Jack grew more and more nervous every time a person passed, though few bothered giving them a second glance. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he heard the low murmur of a polite crowd.
"Sounds like they're coming out," he said.
Rose nodded. She pressed her cheek against the wall and peeked around the corner again. She saw her mother and Cal go by. Her mother's smile was tight. Cal's face wore its customary expression, but there was a new tension in his jaw. Rose held her breath until they were out of sight.
And then, finally, there he was.
"Jack, come on," she whispered.
He followed silently as she hurried over to a good-looking older man. Jack had a feeling he'd seen him somewhere before.
"Mr. Andrews!" she said, her voice low but insistent.
Thomas Andrews turned from the man he was talking to.
"Rose?" he asked, somewhat startled by her sudden appearance. "Your mother said you were ill. Are you all right?"
Ah. She'd been wondering what they would say when they discovered she was missing.
"I'm fine, thank you," she said quickly. "Mr. Andrews, we need to speak with you. Right now."
Something in her tone told him not to argue. They didn't know each other very well at all, but in the short time since they'd met he had developed a strangely compelling affection for her. He didn't know what she could possibly need from him, but whatever it was, he was willing to give it.
"All right," he said. "Alone, I'm assuming?"
*****
He stared at them in disbelief. They were sitting in the small study that was part of his suite. Jack and Rose were perched on two chairs they had pushed as close together as possible, their hands clasped tightly.
"Rose, your story is..." Thomas didn't know what to say. He'd never heard anything like it. "You claim you dreamed the ship struck an iceberg and sank, but that doesn't mean it's actually going to happen."
"I know how it sounds," Rose said. "But you have to believe me." Her eyes were wide, pleading. "It will happen if someone doesn't do something now to stop it."
"Even if you are wrong—and forgive me, dear Rose, but I just don't understand how you could possibly know any of this—I suppose it couldn't hurt to look into getting the ship back to normal speed," he said slowly. "Though, as you well know, this ship is unsinkable."
She looked deep into his eyes. "I don't think you really believe that," she said quietly.
Something in her gaze frightened him. She was right. The ship was designed to be unsinkable, but under the right circumstances it could end up on the bottom of the ocean just as easily as any other. It wasn't unsinkable. It was just very cleverly designed.
"Fine. I'll look into getting the ship slowed down."
Rose sighed in relief. "Thank you."
"I said I'd look into it. I'll see what I can do, but I'm not promising anything."
Rose nodded. She and Jack stood up to go. "I understand," she said quietly. They headed toward the door.
"Rose." They turned. "I'll try," he said.
"I can't really ask for more, can I?"
Once they were safely out of the first class section and walking along a third class part of the deck, Jack spoke. "So, in your dream, we saw the iceberg?"
"Yes. We were out on the deck when it hit."
"Why were we out there? I mean, what all did we do in your dream?"
"Well..."
Rose blushed a deep scarlet as she remembered just how much they'd done. The implications of her blush weren't lost on Jack.
"Oh," was all he could say. They came to an empty bench and sat down, a slightly awkward silence settling over them. Suddenly Jack was more aware of her body than he had ever been. He wasn't blind. He knew how beautiful she was. He'd just done his best to avoid thinking about it. No sense lusting after something he couldn't have. That may not have been the best word to use.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Huh?" He had momentarily forgotten where he was. "Oh, um—" I'm just trying to imagine what your skin tastes like. That's all. "Just going over everything that's happened this morning. What are you thinking about?" he added.
Jack wasn't alone in his distraction. Just picturing you naked. Wondering if the real thing compares to what I saw in my dream. She shoved the thought from her mind. "Actually," she said, a new realization dawning on her, "I was trying to figure out what we should do until tomorrow." He hadn't thought about that. They had a whole twenty-four hours or so to fill until the ship docked in New York. They were both choosing to believe the sinking would be avoided. Well, I know one thing we could do—shut up.
"I'm sure they're both furious," Rose said, interrupting his internal struggle with himself. "But I'm not going back," she added, a determined edge in her voice.
"You don't have to," Jack said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You're staying with me." They looked at each other, both suddenly aware that they had known that was what she was going to do all along. "Though you might need some more clothes," he added.
She glanced down at her thin dress. "You're right. I should have grabbed some before I left. I never even thought about it. I was so focused on getting to you."
Jack squeezed her shoulder. "You don't know how happy hearing that makes me."
"What if I said...I love you? How happy would it make you to hear that?" Rose asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
He kissed her. "There aren't words."
"I love you."
"I love you."
They gazed at each other blissfully, each unaware of anything but the other. "I guess I'll have to go back after all," Rose said, breaking the spell.
"Well, you're not going alone."
"Jack, you don't know what might happen," she protested. "If we run into Cal, and it's anything like what happened in my dream—"
"And that's all the more reason for me to go," he insisted. "I don't know what he did in your dream, but I know what he's going to do in real life. Nothing. Because I'm not giving him the chance to do anything else. If you go back, I'm going with you."
Rose sighed. "Fine. We should wait until dinner, then. My mother would die before she missed a meal, and I'm sure Cal feels the same way. That just leaves that supposed valet of his to worry about."
"Supposed?"
"Well, considering he sends him out on spying missions—and I don't even want to know what else—the title seems like a bit of a misnomer."
"Wait. He sends him on spying missions?" Jack couldn't help but laugh.
Rose giggled."I know! It's absurd! He sent him to watch us last night," she added once the laughter dispersed.
"How did this guy even know where you were?"
Rose shrugged. "I don't know how he does it, but no matter where I go or what I do..."
Jack pulled her closer. "Let him find us. I'll deal with him when he does."A heavy breeze blew across them. Rose shivered. "Are you cold?" he asked.
"I don't think this was the best dress to wear outside without a coat," she said. "At least not today."
He stood up and offered her his hand. "Let's go inside and get you warm, then." He hoped his statement didn't sound to her the way it sounded to him. If it did, she didn't seem to mind. She took his hand.
A few minutes later, they found themselves sitting on Jack's bunk. In his empty room. In awkward silence.
"So..." Rose tried desperately to think of something to say. Any words would do. Take off my dress. Except those. What is wrong with you?
"Yeah..." Jack flexed his hands and avoided looking directly at her. Say something! Just open your mouth and speak! When do you have trouble talking to people? "Um…uh..." He flexed his hands again. Could I kiss that little space, the one right between your throat and the neckline of your dress? But that's not what he said. "Are you still cold?"
"Oh no. I'm—I'm quite warm." Terribly warm. Now come over here and get this dress off me! But she didn't say that.
Jack looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She caught his gaze before he could turn away.
"Jack—"
"Rose—"
Before either of them could get anything else out, they lunged for each other.