Well hi! Yeah… another newbie. I know. But hey, you guys must like it, huh? Anyway… I hope you enjoy it! Please leave me a review! So now, I present, "Smile" :)
Chapter 1
"Thanks for the time, darlin'" the man slurred drunkenly through the darkness.
There was the sound of a zip and a few coins being slapped on the nightstand as heavy footsteps retreated out of the room.
Juliette pulled the damp covers up to her chin, her flesh still crawling with violation and disgust.
Realizing she was supposed to go back to her own room, she removed the sheets from her naked body and put on a robe.
She lit a candle and cleaned, making the bed and picking up her dress from the floor. Technically, she wasn't required to do this, but she never liked to give Anna more work.
Feeling that she had done a good job, she picked up her candle and left, closing the door behind her.
She tip-toed down the hallway, cringing at the noises coming from the neighboring rooms. She at last came to her place, and stepped inside.
Anna was sleeping soundly on the bed, curled up in a ball with the covers kicked down to the edge of the bed.
Smiling, Juliette replaced the covers around her friend and got into a nightdress. She then extinguished the candle, climbed into her bed and tried to get a few hours of sleep until morning.
She awoke to Anna's gentle tapping on her leg.
Juliette grumbled and opened her eyes, blinking from the sunlight streaming through her window.
Pure fear shot through her as she bolted up.
"I overslept!" she gasped, slapping a hand over her mouth.
"Shh..." Anna whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Mistress said you could have a few more hours."
"Oh," Juliette breathed, calming herself and laying back down on the mattress.
"Thanks for cleaning the room last night... You know you don't have to do that." Anna said kindly.
"Yes, I suppose so. I just try to make your job easier." Juliette mumbled.
"I wish I could do the same for you," Anna sighed.
"Believe me, I wouldn't be a good friend if I let that happen." Juliette replied and got out of bed.
She splashed some water from the pitcher on her face as Anna excused herself to get back to work.
She picked out a nice red dress that was tight in all the right places and put it on, lacing it up with difficulty.
She brushed her golden curls and put her hair into an intricate updo her mother had taught her to do before she... well, she didn't want to think about that right now.
After applying some color to her lips and cheeks, Juliette headed downstairs and got to work for the day.
"Morning, Julie... Sleep well?" asked Jodi sweetly from across The Faithful Bride.
"Yes... Well, as well as you can in this place..." Juliette replied and walked closer to the other girl.
"I know what you mean," Jodi mumbled and placed a hand on her hip. "The fella I had last night was quiet a squeaker..."
Julie made a face of disgust and mumble, "I could've lived the rest of my miserable life without knowing that,"
Jodi chuckled and excused herself to go and finish her breakfast.
Juliette wasn't particularly hungry, so she decided to use her breakfast time for other things.
She left the tavern and walked down to the beaches.
It was quiet a cool day for Tortuga.
As she drew closer to the docks, she loosened the tight laces on her dress to make the dress not cling to her so much. She didn't want any trouble from the sailors.
She stopped suddenly when she noticed a particular ship in the port. It was magnificent! Dark wood with not white, but black sails. She recognized this ship with a pang. Jack Sparrow was in Totuga. And this was his ship, the Black Pearl.
She sighed and left the docks and decided to take a walk on the shore.
While she was alone with her thoughts, her mind lingered on the notorious pirate.
She had heard much about him, but had never actually met him. However, the talk about him was anything but positive.
He was apparently a drunk, filthy womanizer who was never seen without a prostitute on his lap.
Julie couldn't criticize him for the last part... Because, well, she was one herself.
She wasn't proud of herself. It was a last resort. Becoming a whore or living on the streets, starved and penniless.
She realized that it was about time to get back the the Bride... Mistress Victoria would be waiting.
So she laced her dress back up and headed back to the pub.
She found it quite full for the afternoon. But today was a Sunday... A crowd was expected. This never meant good news for Juliette, however.
She saw Jodi talking to Rose behind the bar.
"Hullo Rosie," Juliette greeted tiredly and leaned against the counter.
"Afternoon... How was your walk? I noticed you weren't at breakfast."
"It was fine... The Black Pearl is down at the port," she informed the women and Jodi rolled her eyes.
"Oh Lord... And it's my turn to keep Sparrow company."
"What do you mean 'your turn?'" Julie asked, her eyebrows knit together.
"Well... For as long as I can remember, the girls have always had a bit of a rotation when Jack comes to town."
"And you excluded me?" she said, surprised at this news.
"I was doing you a favor, girly. It's not exactly a treat. Well... Sometimes..." Jodi said thoughtfully. "But the point is I care about you and don't want you getting involved with his type."
Julie bit her lip in thought. "His type? Could he possibly be worse then the men I service already?"
"No, he's not bad. It's just that he's as sly as a fox... He'll lie to you; do anything to get you to fall in love with him then BAM! He leaves you and you're heartbroken and the next time he comes into town he tries to do anything to coax you back into bed with him."
"Yikes..." Juliette muttered. "And how do you know this?"
"Oh, it happened to Anna. He's not exactly your one-girl type of man, Julie."
Juliette's eyes widened. "Anna was a whore?"
"Aye. Just before you got here. She quit and told Victoria she'd become a maid. Our last one died of scurvy."
"Hmm..." Julie toned. "Wait a minute... Where's Rose?"
"I'm over here!" Rosie called from the other side of the counter, bent down as she retrieved a bottle for a customer. "You two were depressing me. And I prefer to keep my job."
This stirred Juliette from her spot at the counter and she straightened herself and smoothed her dress.
"Well, I'm going to go and serve some tables." Jodi said as she grabbed an empty tray. She pushed up her breasts in her corset and disappeared into the crowd.
"I might as well do the same," Juliette sighed and followed suit.
So for the next couple of hours, Juliette flirted and flaunted. When it got dark, more pirates inhabited the tavern, throwing things and being loud and rude. At one point, a rather large and unpleasant man grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into his lap. The glasses she was in the process of distributing toppled off of the tray and shattered on the floor, making a mess.
"Um..." she stuttered and struggled to free herself. "If you would just give me a moment to pick up... I suppose I can come back," she said, trying to ease a provocative tone into her voice.
"But then I would be all alone," he pouted and Juliette's stomach churned. His breath reeked of liquor and other toxins.
"Well," she said desperately, squirming in his lap.
"Oh shut up, we're going upstairs," he slurred.
"Excuse me," said a new, deep voice quietly. "But I believe that this young lady is rejecting you. She is just too polite to say so."
Her green eyes flew upward as she met the face of who could only be Captain Jack Sparrow.
She gasped, partly from surprise and partly from the drunk's arm closing tighter around her waist.
"Well it's her job, ain't it?"
"I suppose so, but we all have our limitations. The last thing I would want is to have some fat arse rolling around on top of me."
The man's grip grew tighter at those words.
"You'd shut up if you knew what was good for you," the man slurred loudly.
"Do you have any idea who I am mate?" Jack said with a dangerous glow in his brown eyes. "Now release her."
The man gave one last squeeze until her finally complied and let Juliette go. She breathed heavily as she quickly jumped up from his lap.
He had his fists balled at his sides in defeat.
Jack put a hand on her shoulder and lead her to a quieter part of the bar.
"Now then," he said as he took her in with his mesmerizing eyes. "I'll go rent a room."
She opened her mouth to talk but he had already walked away.
How could he do this? He saved her, but he was going to go through with what he was saving her from? It was confusing.
He came back later with a key and put his arm around her as he lead her up the stairs.
He opened the door to his room and gently pushed her inside.
"Lie down," he commanded almost patiently and she did so, reaching back to untie her dress for him.
"No no no, there'll be none of that. All I'm asking is for you to spend the evening here with old Jack," he explained as he lay down, groaning.
"Wait, what?" Julie asked, dumbfounded as she dropped the laces.
"You heard me, love. Now what's your name?"
She blinked and slowly said, "J-Juliette,"
"Pretty name," Jack complimented with a wink. "Goes with that pretty face."
She blushed. None of her clients had ever complimented her like that. But wait... Was Jack even her client?
"So what are you doing here? This doesn't seem like the place you would be associated with, darling."
"I've been here for two years, after my mum left me," she said slowly. "This was my only choice."
"Ah..." he said.
It was quiet for a moment or two until Julie broke the silence. "Don't let me ruin your evening, Captain. I'm sure you'd rather be with someone else."
"No, I need a break. As do you. Hence why we're both here,"
She offered him a small smile and scooted closer to him.
"Do you want to hear a story?" he asked suddeny.
"I suppose," Juliette said with interest and he began.
He told her of gold on an island called the Isla de Muerta that was rumored to be cursed. He then explained how his stubborn first mate, Barbossa, couldn't come to his senses and drop the quest before he for himself killed. Or worse.
"What could be worse than death?" Julie asked, her brows furrowed.
"Well apparently, the gold of Cortez, if taken, will make you undead. You will not feel the breeze on your face. You will not feel the spray of the sea. Food or drink will not satisfy you, no matter how much you cram down your throat. And the same goes for a lover's touch. You will not be able to feel."
Juliette bit her lip in thought. This did seem worse than death... Except for the last bit. But you had to think from a man's perspective.
"Yes, I suppose that is not good." she said simply and Jack boomed with laughter. She smiled up at him.
"So tell me about yourself," Jack said and Juliette was the one to laugh this time.
"Like what? I have the most miserable and boring life in the world."
"It can't be that bad, love. What makes you smile?"
"What makes me smile?" she repeated. What did make her smile? Not much... For the past two years it had been forced smiles, concealing the tearful grimace inside with lipsticks and perfumes and skimpy clothes.
"Well... The sunset, perhaps. And watching the dolphins play in the morning, if I'm not busy. And waking barefoot in the sand," she said sappily and Jack smiled encouragingly.
"And the fact that just behind these walls is the big, limitless world."
Jack leaned back against his pillow. "I hate the word big... It's so, small," he commented and Julie supposed he had a point. But what did she know? She was caged in this place, trapped, like a canary.
"Come with me," Jack said suddenly and Juliette gasped.
"W- what? Why? How?" she stuttered.
"Because I can't stand to see such a pretty thing like you so miserable."
She blushed for the second time that night.
"I can't," she said quietly, staring down at the covers and fingering a stray piece of thread.
"Whyever not? You made it quite clear that you want to leave this bloody place, and now I'm offering you an opportunity and I won't take no for an answer!" he said with a wink but she still wouldn't meet his eyes.
"It's just that... I've just met you." she explained and when he spoke again, she could clearly hear the smirk.
"Yes, but who can resist the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow?"
A giggle bubbled up from her lips and she at last looked into his chocolatey eyes.
"It's not that... It's just, my friend Anna..."
"Anna? Anna Murphy?" he said suddenly with alarm.
"Yes, but-"
"I haven't seen her in years... How is she?" he said, oblivious to the other things she had to say.
"Um, she's a maid." Juliette muttered and Jack's eyes widened.
"What... Why?"
"Because of you. That's why I'm so reluctant to go with you. I don't want to become your little play thing just to have you dump me back on the island in a few months." she mumbled honestly.
"Is that really what you assume I do?"
"I don't know... Like I said, I've just met you."
"Well what is it you want me to do with you, then?" he pressed on, staring at her with an intense gaze.
"I don't know," she shrugged and Jack snorted with laughter.
"You don't know much, do you love?"
She narrowed her eyes and glared and he held up his be-ringed hands in surrender. "Look... All I'm offering you is a fresh start,"
"A fresh start," she tried out, liking the sound of the phrase a great deal.
"Aye... And I'm leaving tomorrow morning at dawn."
She gaped at him but he shrugged.
"It's your choice, pet. I'm just warning you that you will never find another opportunity as good as this again."
She bit her lip and considered this.
"I'll see you tomorrow... At dawn," Jack said slyly as he got out of the bed and backed out of the room.
There you go! I hope you like it… Please review! It only takes 10 seconds and makes this penniless writer very happy.