Livin' In Sin; 1986
''You're not to see that boy again, Rose. Do you understand me? I forbid it.''
Her mother's words rattled around in her head, the shrill voice which chewed her ear off. Her stomach had sank, tears formed in her eyes but she knew in her heart that she would never stop seeing Jack Dawson. It only made her want him more.
Rose Dewitt Bukater was born in high society parents in late 1969. Her parents had moved from Philadelphia to Texas in the early 80's. They were stupidly religious, especially her father. The Sunday church service was none negotiable and if Rose didn't attend she would be beat with her father's belt, but, late at night whilst her parents slept, Rose would dig out her denim shorts, band t-shirts and eyeliner before heading out of her bedroom window to meet her love.
Jack Dawson was nineteen, he had dropped out of high school early and formed a band Black Dawn with his best friends straight away. Music was his really was. They were dirty rock boys and found girls screaming and clinging to them as they played local gigs. Jack would wait in his 71 Torino GT outside the house for Rose to climb down the trellising and into his arms.
''Did you get away all right, Rosie?'' He whispered to her. He touched her backcombed fiery red hair.
''Yes, Daddy fell asleep early and Mother followed.'' She found his lips in the dark. ''Take me for a ride, baby.''
Jack put his foot down on the accelerator and off they went. The breeze of the night blew her hair from her face and Jack grabbed her hand in his as they drove out to God knows where.
''This is the one thing we have to do for us.''
Jack got home well after midnight that night. He found his mother puffing a cigarette in the kitchen.
''Have you been out with that girl again?''
Jack unloaded his guitar from his back. ''Yes, Mom.'' He sighed, knowing what would follow.
Julie Dawson shook her head. ''When will you marry the poor girl? Its not good just sneaking out this late with her like she's some skank. If you love her, you'll do the right thing by her.'' She hesitated for a moment. ''But it'd be best if you left her well alone.''
Jack ignored his mother as he headed for the stairs to his bedroom. He'd heard the same broken record on repeat for months. Why was his mother hell bent on marrying him off at nineteen? He kicked off his boots as he reached his room, he removed his tank top to reveal his well-defined chest. He found his half-drunk bottle of Jack Daniels and unscrewed the top with his teeth and spat it on the floor. He took a swig, not even flinching from the bitterness. He kicked back and grabbed a folded piece of paper from his pocket. Quickly, he found a pen and began to scribble the lyrics…
''I don't need no license
To sign on no line
And I don't need no preacher
To tell me you're mine
I don't need no diamonds
I don't need no new bride
I just need you, baby
To look me in the eye.''
''If I asked you to marry me Rosie, what would you say?'' He whispered to her one evening as they lay in the back of his car on a deserted highway.
She giggled, raising her hand to her mouth. ''I'd laugh.'' She touched his face. ''I don't need a ring, just you is enough for me.''
He took her face in his hands. His touch was so soft and yet so rough. His fingertips roughened from playing his guitar for hours on end. ''Look me in the eye and tell me that.''
Her eyes found his as she straddled his thighs. ''Jack, I don't want to marry you. No matter what our parents think.'' She assured him. ''I know Daddy hates you but he won't stop us from been together, I promise.''
''I know they have a hand time
And your Daddy don't approve
But I don't need your Daddy
Telling us what we should do.''
He pulled her body towards his and their lips met. It was soft but so full of passion. Neither of them knew what this would lead to, it was as if passion had exploded inside both of them and all they wanted was the other.
Jack kissed Rose's neck breathlessly and she pushed him away slightly, he watched with a confused face. He thought he had hurt her or moved too fast, he knew that she hadn't been with any boys, if any, but she ran her hand up his Bon Jovi top. He trembled more, something he had never done with a girl before, looking downwards and swallowing heavily, he couldn't believe she was doing this.
Once his top was removed, she ran her hand across his bare chest and stomach. His muscles were tight from the work which he had done over the summer and he had little hair, he was tanned and the most beautiful man she had seen. Jack pulled Rose to him and removed her vest top and bra before shakily pressing her naked chest against his. He wrapped his arms around her keeping their torsos pressed together. She could feel cold shivers running down her back as he kissed her neck before slowing the kiss down as they caught their breathes. His tongue began to play with hers and he felt his whole body throb for her, for his Rose.
His hand slipped down and ran across the top of her exposed breasts. His heart was racing as he glanced downwards. Her breasts were as perfect as he had imagined. They just barely escaped his hand as he held them. Her nipples jutted up at him, tiny goose bumps were everywhere. Her skin was the colour of ivory. Tiny freckles appeared over her breasts. His eyes came up to look at her face. He saw the warm smile on her face. Her lips were parted slightly, inviting him to kiss her.
He caught her mouth once again and this time she knew he wouldn't stop kissing her. He lay on top of her and their lips hadn't parted until he got onto his knees in the car well to remove her jeans and knickers. She felt so exposed to him and there was something so beautiful about it. His eyes twinkled in the dim light and she knew that he felt something, too.
She watched as he unbuttoned his trousers and kicked them off. She held her breath as he removed his underpants. And there he was, naked before her. In an instant, he was on top of her, his mouth on hers. She felt his tongue dive deep into her mouth as tiny fiery threads ran down her spine. His hands were rough as he pulled her legs up against his sides. Hot desperate lips found her breasts and then his hands gripped them. He stopped kissing her just long enough to find her eyes.
''I can't remember my life without you.'' He whispered.
She felt her chest rise and fall heavily. ''Neither can I.''
There in the backseat of his car, he took her virginity.
''So baby, can you tell me just where we fit in
I call it love they call it living in sin
Is it you and me or just this world we live in
I say we're living on love they say we're living in sin.''
''For God's Sake Rose, you look like a tramp. Why are your eyes so black?'' Ruth shouted as Rose entered through the front door after curfew once again. Her father approached from the living room. He was calm as he found his daughter wearing heavy black liner and startling red lips. Her hair covered in hairspray and a Black Dawn t-shirt.
Ruth could barely believe this was their little Rosie. She had been such a quiet girl even until six months ago and then she had met Jack Dawson.
''I went to a gig, Mother.'' She shrugged.
''A gig? Where drugs and liquor circulate? Rose, you will wind up dead or pregnant!''
Rose had had enough, the anger within her had boiled up below the surface for so many months. Even when she had been the picture perfect society girl she had never seen eye to eye with her parents.
''No Mother, I have always been a disappointment to you.'' She started up the stairs. ''No-one will stop me seeing Jack Dawson, I love him.''
''Rose you are sixteen years old, you don't know the first thing about love.'' Ruth's eyes filled with tears. Rose had never seen her mother actually show any emotion except now, when she knew the reason why. She had expected her daughter to be married off to some rich bastard.
''Why has God allowed this to happen to my child?'' Ruth removed her hands from Rose's cheeks. She spoke as though something tragic had happened.
''Oh, mother! You don't understand. You think I don't know what love is well neither do you.'' Ruth looked outraged. ''You don't laugh or show any affection with daddy like Jack and I. It's you that doesn't know the first thing about love.''
''Rose, you are too young to know anything about love. Especially with that boy. Now he is trash.'' Ruth spat, her eyes wide with anger.
''Really? Well I would rather be with the trash. than wear a huge ring but never be in love.'' Rose pointed to her father. ''I will never marry a man like my father. All the debt, the women which you turn a blind eye to Mother…''
''Is it right for both our parents
Who fight it out most nights
Then pray for God's forgiveness
When they both turn out the lights
Or wear that ring of diamonds
When your heart is made of stone
You can talk but still say nothing
You stay together but alone.''
''Shall we just run away?'' Jack kissed her hair as he held her. They lay on a questionable bed, in a dingy hotel room somewhere north.
''What about your band?'' Rose propped herself up on her elbow.
''The guys will come with us.'' Jack smiled. ''We could go to the City, do some gigs and maybe get a contract.'' The excitement in his voice was contagious as Rose grinned. ''You could become an actress.''
She giggled as she laid back down on the bed. Since she had met Jack she had found herself as a person. She wasn't shy anymore. She had curves, she was a woman and she knew what she wanted. Nobody could judge, tell her what to wear or how to do her hair.
She would listen to whatever bands she wanted to, smoke rolled cigarettes as though they were going out of style and share a bottle of Jack's beloved whiskey. Dare she admit, she had even developed a damn taste for it.
''I could be the girl in your music videos.'' She teased as she stood from the bed. She wore a denim dress which unzipped at the front with red court heels. She strutted to the front of the bed and Jack sat up, flipping his hair from his face.
''Yes, you could.'' He grinned, his dimples showing.
Slowly, she unzipped the front of her dress revealing black lacy underwear. ''I could lay in my underwear on the bonnet of the car and dance to a song which you wrote for me.''
She shook herself out of the dress. ''But, only I could see that, baby.'' He was breathless.
''Only you.'' She repeated as she knelt on the bed and came towards him. She was just about to flick her heels off when he stopped her.
''Don't.'' He pressed his lips to her just once. ''Leave those on.''
He threw her onto the bed so that he laid on top of her. He kissed her with such overwhelming passion that she could barely breathe. ''I love you, baby.''
''I love you too, Jack.''
''Baby, can you tell me just where we fit in
I call it love they call it living in sin
Is it you and me or just this world we live in
I say we're living on love they say we're living in sin.''
Inspired by Bon Jovi - Livin' in Sin.