ROMANOV AUTUMN
Chapter Thirty-Six
The next morning, Jack made a
stop at the leather factory after dropping Alyiah off at the school. She was beaming
as she kissed him good-bye, wishing him luck.
"Same to you," he
replied, waving as she disappeared through the main door. He went into the
factory, coughing a little at the strong smells exuding from it. He'd worked
many different jobs over the past two years, but never had to resort to factory
employment.
He thought about returning to the
hotel he worked in before leaving Wisconsin for the first time, but the
humiliation of the last incident he experienced there kept him away.
The manager of the factory,
Samuel Shertock, was a tall, powerfully built man who seemed to be surrounded
by cigar smoke. Mr. Shertock greeted Jack roughly, asking what kind of work he
would be willing to take on.
Jack coughed again at the smoke,
warning that he couldn't do a lot of heavy lifting due to asthma. Mr. Shertock
seemed unimpressed, but suggested he start with the beginning of the assembly
line.
"Where you would be pounding
the leather with a hammer into a flat shape. We put it into strips so it can be
used for saddles, molded into shoes, what have you."
Jack nodded, noticing that most
of the men were broad-chested and big-boned. He was beginning to wonder if he'd
made a mistake, but his options for work in Chippewa Falls were limited.
"What would my hours
be?" he asked, and Mr. Shertock took another puff of the cigar.
"You'll begin at seven
o'clock and work until seven at night," he replied. "Sundays are
free."
Jack swallowed...he would hardly
have any time to spend with Alyiah. Then again, she would be spending most of
her afternoons teaching ballet, so she wouldn't be home very often, either.
"May I have time to think
about it?" he asked. "What's the pay like?"
Mr. Shertock gave him the once
over, and Jack felt his self-consciousness setting in.
"You'll make twenty cents an
hour," he replied, and Jack made fifty cents for each drawing he turned in
to the Chippewa Herald. "Take it or leave it, kid...I have others who have
been inquiring."
Jack bristled at the comment, and
decided he would give it a try. After all, he'd still have the evenings to
complete his drawings, and would have time to drop off his work at the Herald.
"I'll take it," he
replied, and Mr. Shertock nodded.
"Good. You'll report here
tomorrow at 6:30 so we can get you into uniform and a bit of training."
Jack nodded, thanking Mr.
Shertock for his time before heading out into the fresh air. He coughed roughly
for several minutes, the cold punching him roughly in the lungs, and he had to
bend over before he passed out.
"Jack?"
He jumped at the sound of a male
voice from beside him, and turned to identify it. Adam, the bellboy he'd worked
with at the hotel, stood smiling widely.
"Adam!" Jack exclaimed
once he managed to catch a good breath, and finally straightened up. He shook
the young man's hand, and they went to a nearby bench so they could sit.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was taking a short break
from the hotel," Adam replied. "I should ask you the same question,
though. Where have you been? Mr. Jacobs tried to contact you after you'd left
that one day, and according to your caretaker you'd left town in the middle of
the night! You must've had some row!"
"We didn't." Jack
laughed. "I was just ready to leave...it had nothing to do with her."
"Well, where'd you go?
What'd you do? Who'd you meet? We could sit here for hours and talk...gosh, I
wish I had the means to travel the world like you probably did! I'm
jealous!"
"I don't want to make you
late," Jack chuckled, and Adam grabbed his arm.
"What were you doing in that
leather factory? Looking for a job? I can ask Mr. Jacobs if there are anymore
openings and maybe you can work with me again. That way we can get all caught
up!"
Jack started to protest, but
before he could get very far, Adam dragged him directly into the building. Mr.
Jacobs was thrilled to see him, which was a bit of a shock considering his
hasty departure, and the questions began pouring out from both sides. Jack
tried to answer as many as he could and in as much detail as time allowed, and
it almost seemed unreal to him as he heard himself talking.
"You have to work for
me," Mr. Jacobs insisted. "I'm not exactly sure what I have open, but
I'll find out. Just sit tight, son." He clasped a firm hand on Jack's
shoulder and walked off.
"So, you're married to a woman
who used to dance for the imperial ballet in Paris?" Adam asked, his eyes
large, and Jack nodded. "D'you two have any kids yet?"
"No," Jack admitted.
"We've been trying, but haven't had much luck."
"I'm sorry," Adam
apologized, and Jack shook his head.
"It's not your fault."
Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at the floor for a moment.
"I wonder what I'll tell Mr. Shertock at the factory since I accepted the
job there..."
"Change your mind,"
Adam insisted. "You're not strong enough for that kind of work. I remember
why you left here to begin with."
Jack blushed a deep shade of
crimson, but was saved by Mr. Jacobs who returned at that very moment.
"Well, Jack, unfortunately I have no bellboy positions open, but there is
a spot open in the kitchens...do you have any experience with cooking?"
Jack stared at him. "A
cook?" he asked, stunned, and Mr. Jacobs nodded.
"Yes. I just remembered I
had one of the assistant chefs quit on me recently because his wife was ill and
needed his help at home, but if you're willing to try something new, I'd be
more than willing to give you the position."
Jack couldn't believe his luck.
He remembered how much he enjoyed helping the cook at Mr. Rockefeller's
mansion, and immediately accepted the position.
"You'll make forty cents an
hour," Mr. Jacobs replied, "and you'll work from seven o'clock in the
morning until five at night, with weekends free. Can't beat that with a stick
now, can you?" He laughed heartily, and Jack felt as though he were
floating in mid-air.
"Sir, I can't thank you
enough," Jack breathed. "I didn't think you'd want me back after
how..."
"Don't be ridiculous."
Mr. Jacobs snorted. "You were a good kid, and I'm glad you're home safe.
Now, d'you think you'll be able to report tomorrow?"
Jack nodded. "Yes, sir.
Thank you!"
Mr. Jacobs winked and showed him
to the kitchen, where he was introduced to the lead chef, Joseph McKinley. He
was a middle-aged man with graying hair and a very chubby exterior. However, he
was friendly and patient, giving Jack a tour of the work area. Mr. Jacobs
explained Jack's history with the hotel, and made him swear to take care of
their new hire.
"Of course, sir," Mr.
McKinley replied, nodding his head, and Mr. Jacobs left them alone for the time
being.
Jack spent the next couple of
hours training, and he met Alyiah at the school. She was not quite finished
with the rehearsal yet, so he watched from the doorway as she demonstrated
different routines to the little girls who watched with large eyes and open
mouths. She caught sight of him standing there and smiled, eventually releasing
her students home for the evening.
"You seem to be doing very
well," Jack announced once she came to hug and kiss him, laughing when a
little girl with blonde pigtails accidentally knocked into her on the way out.
"'Scuse me," she
apologized, and looked up at them for a moment before scurrying through the
door. Jack chuckled at the mistake and squeezed Alyiah's hand.
"Well, I have some good
news," he replied. "I initially got a job at the leather factory, but
I'm not going to take it."
Alyiah stared at him. "Why
not?" she asked, and he wet his lips a moment.
"Because something better
came along. I am going to work as an assistant cook at the hotel where I used
to be employed before I left home for the first time."
Alyiah drew in a deep breath of
surprise and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "Are you kidding?
How did you get that position?" she cried, and he grinned.
"One of the bellboys who I
used to work with met me on the street, and practically dragged me into the
hotel. The manager, Mr. Jacobs, hired me almost immediately. So, I have to stop
and tell Mr. Shertock at the leather factory that I changed my mind...it's a
good thing, too, because I couldn't breathe well in there at all. I came
outside and I was practically choking."
Alyiah rubbed his back
soothingly, and they headed outside to their carriage. "I do love teaching
these little darlings to dance," she added. "They are quite good, you
know, but I am afraid I may have exhausted myself today. I am quite out of
proper conditioning."
Jack excused himself to sneeze,
which startled the horse into giving an irritated snort.
"Bless." Alyiah laughed
once they finally got into the carriage. "I am proud of you, Jack.
Learning to cook is very…how do you say..." She paused. "Sexy."
It was Jack's turn to grin, and he sneezed a second time, startling her a
little. "Goodness, are you all right?" she asked, offering him her
handkerchief, which he declined, and pulled out his own.
"It's all of that smoke and
dust from the factory," he admitted. "I think I breathed in several
mouthfuls of the stuff. I would have failed working there." He groaned,
encouraging the horse to move forward.
"You?" Alyiah chuckled.
"I hardly believe you would fail at anything, Jack Dawson. You are
amazing."
Jack kissed her quickly before
turning his attention back to the road. Once home, he set to work on his
drawings while Alyiah began to prepare supper. She felt very content with her
life now...married to a wonderful man who devoted his life to making her happy,
and she was able to dance again.
She hummed an old Russian love
song, twirling about the kitchen. Jack listened to her as she worked, smiling to
himself as his charcoal pencil moved over the paper. He hadn't been so happy
himself in years--all they needed was a beautiful, healthy child and it would
be perfect.
After dinner that night, they
made love again, deciding to try for a baby this time. When they fell asleep
late that night, Jack thanked whatever being provided them with such good
fortune.