JACK AND ROSE: TOGETHER FOREVER
Chapter Twenty-Six
Rose lit the last candle on the nicely set
table. She blew the match out and walked into the kitchen where she laid it in
the sink. She checked the table to make sure everything was in order and that
the food was rightly laid out. When she was satisfied that everything was good
enough for the Langstons, she walked of to meet Jack. She found him in the
bedroom, still trying to get his nice clothes on.
"Do you want some help?" Rose asked
trying not to laugh at the sight of Jack who was wiggling around trying to get
his false-front shirt on.
"Ah, yes. That would help. We've only
got about five minutes left until they are suppose to arrive." Rose nodded
and walked over.
While she buttoned up the buttons she asked,
"Are you nervous about tonight?"
"Kind of. I mean it's not really
nervousness, it's more like what am I getting myself into. I mean, this is all
kind of sudden. But I am pretty sure this is going to work out great."
Jack replied.
"Well, just remember I love you no
matter if you are a famous artist." Rose said turning Jack around and
giving him a kiss.
"Well I guess I can't lose can I?"
Jack asked.
"No. Now come on, get your coat on.
They're going to be here any minute." Jack nodded and slipped on a dress
coat over his shirt. Rose squirted herself with a dash of perfume and than the
two were ready to go and meet the Langstons. Jack and Rose had just gotten out
into the living room when the doorbell rang. Rose gave Jack a calming look as
they walked hand and hand to the door. Jack pulled open the door and Rose saw a
man a little taller than Jack with brown hair standing with his wife, a pretty
lady of Rose's height in a black coat.
"Jack! How are you?" The man asked,
his wife smiled.
"Good Mr. Langston. How are you?"
Jack answered as he opened the door to let them in.
"Please, call me Scott, Jack. I don't
want any of that Mr. Langston stuff. To formal."
"Alright, Scott. Is this your
wife?" Jack asked.
"Yes, this is Jennifer."
"Pleased to meet you Jennifer. This is
my wife Rose." Jack told Jennifer as he shook her hand.
"Hello Jennifer. Hello Scott." Rose
said politely as she shook first Jennifer's hand and than Scott's.
"Hello Rose. It's nice to meet you. You
too Jack." Jennifer said. Rose smiled at them.
"Would you like to take off your coats?"
She asked. Scott and Jennifer nodded and Rose moved to take their coats.
Jennifer removed the hood on her coat to reveal brown hair with a bit of
natural red highlights half pulled back like Rose's was. She was wearing an
emerald green dress with a lighter green sort of slip coat over it. It reminded
Rose of her purple Titanic dress, but less fancy and not as much layers.
Jennifer had pretty brown eyes and had very fine skin. Scott Langston was
dressed much like Jack with a false front shirt, dress coat, and plain back
pants. Rose smiled at both of them and hung their coats in the front closet.
"Well, would you like to eat first or
sit down in the living room for a bit before we eat?" Jack asked.
"We can eat first, um than we can
discuss your art later tonight." Mr. Langston suggested. Everyone agreed
to that, and Jack and Rose led the Langstons to the table.
Later, After Dinner
Jack and Scott were now seated in the living
room, and since Jennifer had offered, she and Rose were doing the dishes.
"So Jennifer, how long have you and
Scott been married?" Rose asked as she dried a dish and set it in the
cupboard.
"Oh not long, only sense last March. So,
almost a year. What about Jack and yourself?"
"Last May actually. We met on a trip
home from Europe. If I can talk Jack into it, we might tell you the story
someday. It's really good. Story that is." Rose told Jennifer, she had
only spent a few hour's with the women, but Rose felt she was a friend already.
Someone she could count on to talk to and to have listen. Jennifer smiled at
Rose and the two went back to washing and drying the dishes. When the last dish
had been put away, Jennifer remarked.
"Rose, you and Jack have a very nice
apartment. Do you mind I take a look around?"
Rose laughed, "Sure, I am just sorry I
didn't give you a tour earlier." So, for the next hour Rose and Jennifer
walked around the apartment, usually stopping in each room to talk about the
paint color, room design, or other things around the apartment. Rose was
begging to really like Jennifer and they seemed to have things in common.
'She is going to be a great friend.' Rose
though, 'And she doesn't live across the country.'
"So, anyway, John just started laughing
and well I couldn't resist laughing either." Rose smiled and started
laughing at the story Jennifer was wildly telling her.
In the living room, Jack and Scott were way
past the point of talking about art. Jack had already given Scott his now sold
drawings and Scott had them sitting in his brown art folder that he had
brought. And Jack had his check in his pocket.
"Jack, if you don't mind me asking, what
do you work as now?"
"Ah, this year I am working as an art
teacher on Fridays and Math teacher the rest of the week. It's pretty good pay,
but this art thing pays much better so after this year, I am going to quite
teaching and this summer I am going to turn our spare bedroom into an art
studio." Jack told Scott as they sat comfortably on the couch.
"But I thought you said you didn't go to
collage, they let you teach with out a degree?" Scott asked with a
confused look on his face. He wasn't trying to pry, just trying to get to know
Jack better.
"It's a really small school." Jack
explained. "They interviewed me and I told them I didn't have a degree,
but see my mother was studying to be a teacher and I helped her with the
studies. I told them that, and they said since I knew so much about art and
math and that I knew so much about teaching they would hire me."
"I see." Scott said. Suddenly, they
heard a giggle come from another room.
"Oh, I see Rose and Jen are getting
along." Scott said.
Jack laughed, "Yes, I knew they would.
By next week they will be shopping every day together and going over to each
other's houses." Now it was Scott's turn to laugh.
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Just
than Rose and Jennifer entered the room.
"Hi, what are you talking about?"
Rose asked going over and sitting next to Jack.
"Just art stuff." Jack responded
giving her a kiss on the nose. Rose smiled and looked at Jennifer who was still
standing.
"Jen, sit down." Rose urged.
Jennifer sat next to Scott and then tried to hide the yawn she had.
"Oh, Jen, I forgot. You must be
tired." Scott said. Jennifer nodded and offered an explanation. "I am
a 2nd grade teacher at Seashore school. Today we had art and craft's day. Do
you know how hard it is to chase after 26 little kids for 6 and a half-hours?
Not fun." Rose smiled at Jennifer who had her hand in her hands.
"Well we better get going then."
Scott said.
"I hate to leave but it is getting late
and I want to get Jen here home before she falls asleep in my lap." Rose
giggled as Scott and Jennifer stood up and Rose and Jack walked them to the
door.
"We'll thank you so much for
coming." Jack said as Rose got out the Langstons coats.
"Yes thank you." Rose agreed.
"Oh we should be the ones thanking
someone. We had so much fun." Scott said shaking Jack's hand.
Jennifer smiled and said, "Thanks you
guys. See you next week Rose."
"Yeah, okay. Bye Jen, bye Scott."
Rose said as Jennifer and Bryan opened the door and steeped out into the hall.
A look passed between Jack and Scott and they just shook their heads.
"Bye! Thanks!" Scott said as he and
Jennifer disappeared down the hall. Rose and Jack stood there and waved until
they were gone down the elevator.
"Next week?" Jack asked with a
raised eyebrow as he shut the door.
"Yep, we are going shopping next
Friday." Rose said defensively.
"Rose you are hopeless. But I love you
anyway." Jack said kissing her.
"Um, I love you too." Rose said as
Jack kissed her neck. Suddenly Jack whispered something in Rose's ear. Rose
laughed as Jack picked her up and spun her around. Jack looked at Rose and than
carried her into the bedroom. Then there was just the sound of the door
clicking behind them.