A/N--I didn't realize what was meant as a short continuation to Joy Ride was going to run off with me like it wound up doing. I just couldn't stop once I started. Probably should have been added to the original as another chapter, but oh well here it is for better or worse.
Joy Ride Continued
James had actually enjoyed the ride to the restaurant, except for the burnout Jack had caused the car to perform after they had been stopped at one of the traffic lights (more of Jack's nomenclature) lining the roadway. And of course, as he knew before he did it, the only result his stern reprimand delivered in a Commodore-ly shout with glare to match would serve was to allow him to vent his own feelings on the matter. Jack simply gave him a wide smile, a pat on the thigh, and a very insincere "Sorry James, guarantee I'll make it up to you".
"Indeed" Was James' sarcastic reply.
They pulled over in front of the restaurant, The Pearl of the Sea James saw by the gaudy sign hanging over the door. Jack undid the strap across his own chest then reached over and unfastened James', "Here we are James, the best sea food restaurant in the Islands." He proclaimed as he climbed out of the car. James found the same latch on his door that he had just watched Jack open his with and the door swung open. As he climbed out he saw a man approach Jack and saw Jack hand him several pieces of the paper Jack had explained several days ago was used as money in these times, and the piece of metal as well. The man got into the car and James jumped back a few feet as the man made the car roar just as Jack had when they had been leaving the house and also at the traffic light a short time ago, then the man and the car was moving away from them.
James gave Jack a curious look as he asked, "Did you just pay that man to take your car?"
Jack smiled and replied, "A gratuity James, the custom of the times calls for all manner of them now a days."
James watched as the car disappeared around a corner, "How are we to transport ourselves home if I may ask?"
"Hopefully the young gentleman will stow the car in a safe and secure spot behind the restaurant and when we are ready to make our leave will return said car in the same shape and form it left us in." Jack cocked his head to the side a bit as he spoke, evidently thinking over what he had just imparted to James and hoping that would be the case in this case considering the enthusiastic way the lad had driven off in said car. He shook his head a bit then went on, "Now James I'd venture to say you have never tasted anything so fabulous as the delicious crab this particular establishment serves, or the lobster for that matter. They have a full menu of sea food, just about anything your heart desires." After a pause and a slight frown he added, "Course for reasons that should be quite clear I tend to avoid the squid."
James smirked a bit and replied, "Of course."
Jack took James by the arm and they walked up to the door where a man was standing behind a rope attached to two short poles blocking the entrance. When he saw Jack he smiled and moved the rope aside to allow them to pass. Jack leaned over and whispered to James, "Keeps the undesirables out."
James gave a snort and his tone was laced with humor as he said, "What has the world come to when you are not considered an undesirable?"
"Aye, does seem a bit strange doesn't it." Jack smiled back.
As they entered the dining room they were met by a woman with several large pieces of paper in her hands, she gave Jack a very friendly smile, which he returned, and asked, "Your usual table?"
"That will do fine luv." Jack said with a nod. As she started off to take them to the table Jack noticed James wasn't paying any attention at all, he was busy looking around the place as if he were preparing to attack the place. Jack reached over and took his arm once again as he whispered, "None of that now former Commodore, you are here to enjoy yourself not mount a Naval assault."
James gave him a near imperceptible shrug and a smile, "Sorry, old habits and all."
Jack's usual table was set back towards a corner by a window that gave a marvelous view of the ocean. They took seats opposite each other and the woman laid one of the papers in front of each of them and said, "Your server will be here in a moment." With a smile at James, and an even friendlier one at Jack added, "Enjoy gentlemen."
Jack gave her a smile and a wink then began to peruse the menu, "Did I happen to mention the crab is wonderful?'
"I believe you did indeed, with a recommendation to avoid the squid." James said dryly as he looked at Jack over his menu.
The waitress approached and just as the other woman had done she gave James a smile and Jack an even bigger one, "Can I get you gentlemen anything to drink?"
James looked up at her and asked, "Do you have tea?"
"Hot or iced?" she replied.
After a short pause James ordered it with ice. She looked at Jack for his preference.
"I think I'll have one of those fluffy little concoctions you call a Tia Maria." Jack said as he gave the girl a smile. She smiled back, "I'll be back in a few minutes for your food orders."
"We'll be right here luv." Jack answered with a wink.
James cleared his throat taking Jack's attention off the waitress's retreat, "I would have thought your drink would be rum Jack."
"The rum they make these days don't taste the same as it used to even though quite a bit of it has the long departed Captain Morgan's picture plastered on the label. I'm not sure he'd be at all impressed with that seeing as the contents are less than desirable. Probably turning in his grave as we speak. I still order it from time to time but I usually drink the stock I special order and keep at the house."
They sat there in silence for a few minutes, each deciding what they were going to order. James finally decided on the grilled marinated shrimp and Jack the sea bass barbeque. Jack set both their menus on the side of the table, "So James, are you ready to meet a little female companionship?"
James raised his eyebrows and answered, "Are you sure I have been acclimated enough not to appear the fool?"
"Never a fool James, perhaps a bit uninformed but never the fool." Jack answered seriously, and then much more lighthearted, "I've a friend who might bring a friend to meet us for drinks in the bar after we've eaten. Nice girls, I think you'll like them."
"Indeed." James replied dubiously.
When they had finished with their meal Jack paid the bill, left a generous tip on the table, and led them down a hall and into a large room at the end. It took James by surprise, as quiet as the dining room had been this was noisy. It was dark and some sort of very loud music seemed to be coming at him from all directions. The room was crowded with people, reminding him a bit of the harbor side taverns in Port Royal it seemed to contain such chaos. He stopped and stared at a large portion of the room void of tables where the patrons of the room were….were…..he could not begin to put a name to what they were doing.
"They're dancing." Jack shouted in his ear as he saw the direction James was looking in. Even though he was less than a foot away James could barely hear him.
"That would hardly be the word I would choose to describe what it is they are doing." James shouted back.
"Ah," Jack said with a smile, "Times have changed James." As he watched a share of the couples on the dance floor moving rather suggestively against each other he went on, "And not all for the bad I might add."
James did not reply other than with a moue at Jack, which caused the smile on Jack's face to widen quite a bit. As he glanced over James' shoulder he flopped his hands up in the air in front of him and in a happy tone said, "Ah there they are James." He turned James around to face the direction of the girls and with his hands on James' shoulders began pushing him forward towards the table the girls were occupying.
The closer they got to the table the less and less sure James became that this was anywhere near a good idea. As they approached within about ten feet of the table James dug his feet in and came to a complete stop. A moment later he whirled around and stared at Jack, his mouth moving but no sound coming out.
"Rather scary isn't it James?" Jack said as he smiled and waved a just a moment hand at the girls. "The resemblance to the bonny lass is uncanny is it not?"
James was speechless for a few more moments although that did not hamper his eyes from narrowing as he glared at Jack. When he was able to speak he leaned forward very close to Jack's face, causing him to lean back at a perilous angle. James poked him in the chest a few times as he spat out, "You did this on purpose."
"Now James, what better way to welcome you into your present circumstance than a mostly next to almost closely identical old flame from the past? And the best part is there is no William Turner about this time to woo her away." Jack said with a fluttering of his fingers at James.
"I could not possibly begin to list the ways in which I would rather be welcomed into my present circumstance." James snapped back.
"Well," Jack said cheerily as he took James' arm and headed off for the booth and the girls hoping James still possessed his overly developed sense of propriety and would not make a scene in front of the girls, or perhaps do worse, such as punch him. "We wouldn't want to keep the fair gels waiting."
They walked up to the table and Jack began to address the two sitting there, "Ah girls, this is my dear friend James," at this Jack cast a surreptitious glance at James and judged the man was not, at least at the moment, ready to knock him for a loop. He continued as he motioned towards each person as he spoke, "James this is Sarah, Sarah this is James, James this is Beth and Beth this is James."
James gave Jack a brief glare, then stiffly bowed and nodding at the two said in his most formal tone, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance ladies."
The girls looked at each other, then at James, then back at each other. The one Jack had indicated was named Beth smiled at James, "I think that has to be the most well-mannered reaction I have ever received after being introduced to someone."
"That's our James, prim, proper, and well-mannered at mostly all times." Jack said as he gave James a pat on the shoulder then immediately rocked back away withdrawing his hand rather hastily as James gave him another glare from the depths of those emerald eyes. Recovering within moments Jack said cheerfully, "Shall we have a seat?" Not waiting for an answer he slid into the booth next to Sarah giving James the choice to stand there like a log or slide into the seat next to Beth. Jack was hoping he would do just that and not go stomping off towards the door in a snit, which in fact it did appear for a moment James was considering doing. Beth smiled and patted the spot next to her and after a short delay James did sit down.
James felt stiff and uncomfortable, feeling Jack had tricked him into this, but after a few drinks and having to admit to himself that Beth was good company he began to relax and the conversation between the four of them flowed easily. The similarities to one Elizabeth Swann went farther than just the physical. Beth handled herself with confidence and turned out to be quite intelligent and able to hold an interesting conversation. James had to admit he was impressed with the woman. As Jack watched James even began to raise the corners of his mouth more and more in what on anyone else would be an all out open smile, and a few times he actually laughed out loud at something the person sitting beside him said. Jack took this as a good sign and as long as nothing went horribly wrong, something he had learned over the years never to rule out, this had been an excellent plan.
The barmaid came over to collect their empty glasses and ask if they cared for another round. James started to hold his hand up indicating he didn't care for another, he had already partaken of several more than he made a habit of but Jack gave him a questioning look and asked, "One more for the road James, then I promise we're out of here."
James nodded in acquiescence; he supposed he could handle one more. Jack smiled and gave the barmaid a thumbs up.
They were just finishing their drinks when Jack spoke, "So girls, any plans for the rest of the evening?"
"Probably go home and flip on the television, surf the channels and see what's on." Sarah answered. She glanced over at James curiously as he snorted a bit.
"James had a rather bad scare involving a widescreen one time. Too traumatic an ordeal on him for us to discuss it in any detail, just suffice it to say he'll probably be scarred for life from the horrible shock he received. He doesn't hold much with television any more, hard to get him anywhere near one now after what happened." Jack finished with his best mournful look divided between the girls, then placing his most endearing smile on his face he said, "I'm having a thought here girls, what say you two accompany us back to my place? I do, as you know from previous experience, have a fine pool and some of the best rum the Caribbean Islands have to offer. What say you to that?" He caught the stiffening of James' posture out of the corner of his eye, but before James could voice any disagreement with the invitation the girls had already agreed to accompany them back to Jack's house.
"Good then, it's settled." Jack said still smiling and avoiding the former Commodore's glare, "Well then I'd say it's time to go."
To Be Continued
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