Warning: This story contains adult language, graphic violence, attempted
rape, attempted suicide, and sexually explicit themes. Reader's discretion
is advised.
Rating - R.
Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies or any of the Newsies characters. Apollonia, Giselle, Checkers, and other miscellaneous characters are all mine.
Chapter 23: An Angel Among Society
Seven o'clock was about to rolling around rapidly. Standing in front of her full-length mirror, Apollonia felt like a princess. Donning a satin skirt with a lacy top, hair pinned back with tendrils lightly framing her pretty face, she looked especially presentable to meet Jack's "parents". She hadn't felt this nervous in a long time. Examining her earrings for the fifth time, she realized that she forgot to put on her matching bracelet. Opening her velvet-lined jewelry box, she frivolously searched for her wrist-adorning ornament. She checked herself once more making sure that she was perfect for flaunting in front of the Jacobs. She didn't know why she was so jittery. Perhaps it was because she never met someone's parents or guardians before. She paced back and forth in the room, placing the back of her hand to her forehead, checking for perspiration.
She suddenly heard a knock at her door. She quickly walked out of her bedroom to meet her visitors. David and Giselle were waiting outside patiently.
"Seven o'clock like we said."
"Of course, David. Come in, please." She said, allowing them to enter. Giselle seemed rather laid-back and more calm than usual. She was usually rigid and prim. Apollonia was glad to see her loosening up some. She thought that if she had a man that she would perhaps be more open to trying new things and not be so adherent to the strict rules of society that were heavily imposed on women. The conversation of the previous seemed to have had an affect on her.
"Mademoiselle, vous étes absolument ravissante." Giselle said to Apollonia.
"So, where's Jack?"
"He should be here shortly. He said that he wanted all of us to be here at once so that we could go to your parent's place together."
"I am so nervous, mon amis. What if your parent's don't like me? What if they cannot understand my accent?" Giselle inquired.
"Don't worry about it, Giselle. They will understand you perfectly. Remember, my grandparents were immigrants, too."
"And within time your accent will slowly diminish. My accent was slightly noticeable when I first came to New York, but I'm from New Orleans and where English is the dominant language. So, my situation is slightly different, but things will work out. You'll see." Apollonia reiterated.
Giselle just sighed and hoped for the best while David gently rubbed her back. They heard a fast knock on the door. Apollonia was met by a happy-go- lucky Jack Kelly. "Hello there, sweets." He said as he kissed her cheek. "Ready ta go?"
"Oui, we all are." She said as David and Giselle walked up behind them. "Let's go, kids!" Jack said as he offered his arm to Apollonia.
The handsome foursome made it to the Jacobs' apartment building within the allotted time they estimated to be there. Esther hated tardiness. Upon hearing a knock at the door, she openly greeted both Jack and David as they entered her home with their ladies. Esther first noticed Apollonia as she smiled shyly at her with her dark eyes. Then she noticed Giselle, also looking somewhat bashful. Mayer was standing right behind his wife.
"Momma, this is Giselle, the woman who I have been spending quite a bit of time with."
"And this is Apollonia, the love of my life." Esther was quite taken with both young ladies. She swiftly hugged both of them, with Mayer quickly following suit. Both were taken immediately by the contrasting beauty of both young women. Apollonia was obviously the more out-going of the two, with her beautiful dark features and kind demeanor said to her that Jack finally found someone that he could love forever. They could see it in Jack's eyes that he was truly content. Giselle seemed more serious, but they could tell that she was of good character. Immediately, Esther guided them to the dinner table for a home-cooked, nighttime feast.
They spent the hours discussing several topics. From David's work to Jack's exploits with the rest of the Manhattan crew to Les' study habits were discussed in heavy detail. Now came the moment of legitimacy, the Jacobs wanted to know how Jack, Apollonia, David, and Giselle met. Jack spoke first. He filled in all of the details about his growing relationship with Apollonia. Everything from when they first met to when they went on their first date was mentioned. Of course, Jack made sure not to mention absolutely everything. He did not bring up the conversation between him and Spot. Only David and God knew of the exchange between the two former leaders.
Esther and Mayer grew very fond of Apollonia and Giselle in the short time they had to become acquainted with them. Giselle, although more relaxed, remained quiet throughout most of the dinner. But that would soon change once Esther began interrogating her with questions.
~
Jack and Apollonia made themselves comfortable on the fire escape of the Jacobs' apartment. They excused themselves once David began informing them of issues revolving around work, and Jack wanted a little privacy with her. They could see the lights on in the buildings around them, seeing people rove back and forth through the aging tenements. Below they could see people walking to and fro through the streets of Lower Manhattan. It was the usual hustle and bustle of a typical New York night, but it was different somehow this night.
Jack was enjoying the pleasure of having his girlfriend introduced to his family. He was totally enthralled with her presence. As Jack planted biting kisses on her neck, he reached down and lifted up her skirt, running his hand up her calf and along her thigh. Apollonia was both elated and embarrassed by the activity they were engaged in, primarily because David's parents were close by. She quickly stopped his hand from going any further. Jack, however, was persistent. He continued to fondle her, hugging her in a tight embrace as he moved his hand back to her thigh, reaching back to claim her backside. He felt himself growing hard, hot for her with every passing second. He began trailing kisses up towards her ears, lightly nibbling on her earlobe. He whispered something extremely risqué to her.
Apollonia laughed at his action. "Why do you insist on treating me like one of those tramps you used to sometimes fool with?"
"Because you're ten times as pretty and I want you ten times as bad."
Apollonia smiled at him. "Why can't you be courteous this time, Jack? We are at the home of your surrogate parents and ex-girlfriend." Jack shyly looked down. "Please don't remind me of dat. I just wanna be here and enjoy my time with you. Don't bring up da past, alright, baby?" He said, pulling her further into his lap.
"I'm sorry, Jack. I didn't mean to reopen old wounds." He lightly kissed her on the hand, whisking his lips across the top of her fingers. "No, you don't have anything ta be sorry about. That was da past. It has nothing ta do with us in the here and now."
Jack did not bring it up, but he remembered when Sarah had seduced him two weeks before he asked her out to the party Medda gave at the theatre years ago. He noticed when he was there the week before that the bed had been replaced by a sofa. He was grateful that he did not have to look at the bed where they had sex in and even more grateful that Apollonia did not have to gaze her eyes upon it. Jack just sat there on the fire escape, nuzzling her neck as she graciously accepted his advances. She loved the smell of his cologne and how it mingled with the fragrance of her perfume. She even caught the scent of his hair; its aroma overtaking the inhalation of her nasal passages. He became hotter for her the longer they sat outside. Her warm flesh was smooth and silky against his skin, prompting him to kiss her heatedly. Abruptly, he elevated her from his lap and pulled her into the window after him.
"Well, we should be getting outta here. Apollonia has a lot of work to do at the store tomorrow and I've gotta get a good night's rest. We're expecting a shipment of new materials tomorrow and I've gotta be on hand ta make sure everything goes to da right place. So, we'll see ya latah, okay?" Without delay, Jack gave Esther a kiss on the cheek and shook Mayer's hand before escorting Apollonia out of the apartment.
"Okay, you kids. It was very nice meeting you, Apollonia. We are very glad to have finally met you. Don't be a stranger. You are welcome anytime." Both Esther and Mayer each gave Apollonia a kiss and a hug. She felt that the Jacobs' were warm and friendly people. She was glad that Jack had this substitute family to make him feel like he was a part of something. Now that she was a part of his life, in many ways she felt that this family was, in a sense, hers as well.
"Well, Jack is certainly very happy with her. Apollonia is a very charming young lady."
Giselle and David looked at each other and grinned. They both knew exactly why Jack and Apollonia left in such a hurry. Casually, the picked up from where they left off from their conversation.
~
Two nights later, the good-looking foursome made their way to Luna Park, a park that was just as popular as Dreamland. Jack had suggested that they go to Luna Park instead because, giving Apollonia's past experiences of going to Dreamland with Spot, Jack did not want to have any memories resurface. Even though more than a year had passed, he knew that she was still sad.
They headed to Surf Avenue, where Luna Park's entrance was located. Crossing the threshold into pleasure and excitement, the two handsome couples happily marched through to a night of fun-filled games and activities. Their first stop was the Mountain Torrent. It was a combination of a roller coaster and Shoot-the-Chutes. The passengers rode up an escalator to the top of an 80 foot mountain that featured a sequence of cascading waterfalls. They then boarded tracked cars that raced down and through the mountain in a flume. The ride ended with a splash in the glacial lake at the bottom. Apollonia was ecstatic, yet scared that her hair would get wet. Jack just laughed at her. Giselle was equally worried.
"You girls need to stop worrying about your looks so much." Said David.
"Exactly. Whether wet or dry, you're both angels among society." Jack added. The women began glowing. They then exited the cars, racing to go to another ride. This time they went to ride an elephant. Apollonia and Giselle asked the guys to go on with them. Both Jack and David made disgusted faces, but their girlfriends simply pouted their lips and batted their eyes to get them to obey their whim. Jack and David just looked at each other and complied.
They quickly went up to one of the "mahouts" to pay a fare to get on one of the massive beasts. One was named Gyp; the other Judy. The ladies had to hoist their skirts up so that they did not trip and fall flat on their asses while trying to board an elephant. After the guys made it to the seating above Gyp, they casually strode down the street. Jack thought that the ride wasn't as bad as he thought. He always fantasized about riding a horse, an elephant was certainly a new experience for him. David was scared the entire time. Every time Gyp would move, their seating gave him the impression that he was going to fall due to Gyp's movements. His heart was beating rapidly. Jack looked over at him and smiled. David's hand was holding onto Giselle's knee so hard, his grip began pinching her. Shortly, the ride came to a halt and they departed. They decided to go on the Dew Drop spiral slide, a vertical tower that allowed them to slide down in a circular pattern from a 50 feet high platform. Apollonia slid down with Jack closely attached to her. He had his legs opened wide enough for her to fit between them so they could slide together. David looked over at Giselle, who made a move to sit on the top of the slide first. She motioned for David to take a seat right beside her so that they could land at the bottom side by side. Within moments, they met their friends who were waiting patiently with them. They decided to attend Luna's Great Train Robbery, an outdoor show. In the first of the 30 minute show, the scenes took place in the mountains, where bandits were around as a train approached them. They stopped the train and robbed the passengers of their valuables. Afterwards they would escape to their mountain town hideaway. The hideout contained miners and cowboys smoking and drinking in front of coarse-looking saloons. The sheriff's posse tracks them down and takes them by surprise. In the midst of the struggle, the men were shot and plunged into the streams, head-first. Once the bandits were overpowered and captured, the audience stood to their feet and applauded the scenario. The actors certainly gave them their money's worth. Jack thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition, in part because he wondered if Santa Fe would look something like the scenery he saw. Once the show was over, the four walked over to a clearing to be away from the oncoming crowds.
At this time, Jack pulled David aside and thought that it would be a good idea to split up for about an hour so that he could get better acquainted with Giselle and he and Apollonia could continue spending quality time together. David agreed. Jack patted him on the back for reassurance. "Don't worry, stud! She seems to be enjoying herself with ya. Just relax." David nodded and gave Jack a look of confidence. David walked over to their sweethearts and informed them of the current game plan. Apollonia and Giselle were fine with it, as they checked their hair and makeup. Jack casually walked up to Apollonia.
"Wouldja like some cotton candy?"
"Yes, please."
"Me too, kid. Got some?"
Apollonia just looked at him and playfully slapped his arm. He then revealed some cotton candy that he was hiding behind his back. She tore off some for herself and then fed him some from her sticky fingers. Jack licked her fingertips and then began kissing them tenderly. Apollonia giggled as she took him by his arm and pulled him to the next attraction.
It had been almost two hours and Giselle was having the time of her life. She witnessed several couples throughout the park who were dallying around with their lovers as they passed by and went from ride to ride, enjoying the splendor of the place while relishing in the company of their significant other. She saw numerous couples kissing and whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears. She seemed unaffected by the spectacles, however. Giselle was very pure in thought, even though David considered stealing a kiss from her. She turned her head to see if David was enjoying the sights that they were viewing. She quickly took notice of the expression on his face. It was straight, but she noticed a different look in his eyes. A look that was hard to pin down. In the blink of an eye, David's lips covered hers. Giselle was taken off-guard by the sudden move. She lightly gasped at his impulsive gesture. As soon as his lips left hers, he looked at her, wondering if she had enjoyed the kiss as much as he did. Giselle stood speechless. She didn't know if she wanted to kiss him back or what. Normally, she would have slapped a man for making such a bold action. But she was not angered in the least. She simply smiled at him, sniffing the posies that he had purchased for her earlier as he looked at her with much adoration. He smiled as he put his arm around her shoulders, enjoying the park's dynamic environment.
Jack and Apollonia were on the opposite side of the park, riding a Ferris wheel taking them around into the air every minute. Jack loved how Apollonia would laughingly freak out when he would shake the carriage that they were riding backward and forward. Jack loved making her laugh. He liked seeing her eyes light up with joy. They looked like polished gems when he looked into them. He thought that they resembled circular spheres of dark chocolate, inset in an angelic face with a fiery spirit lying within. He relished every minute of their being together; softly riding romantic states of mind that played on the night breezes of New York City. Her playful beauty caressed his ego implicitly.
Eventually the ride began coming to an end as they noticed the slowed pace of its movement. One by one, the carriages that reached the bottom opened up to release the present occupants and inviting new ones into it. Apollonia and Jack looked out over the flamboyant spectacle of Coney Island as their carriage was halted at the very top. Jack, with his arm around his sweetheart, enjoyed the view as much as she did. With his head leaning on hers, he pondered to himself about how fortunate he was to have the life he was currently enjoying. He had a job, a roof over his head, a family that adored him, and a woman that loved him. He couldn't remember the last time he was this happy. Then it dawned on him; he wasn't this happy since his childhood; before his mother passed away and his father was sent to jail. He looked back on his life and, although it was riddle with heartache and hard times, he could honestly say that it was almost worth it. If it wasn't for his hard scrabble existence, he would not have appreciated the accomplishments he had made in his life. Everything from the strike to his winning the woman of his dreams, he knew that he had achieved some level of happiness. Almost, just almost, he felt complete.
~
Several months had passed and all was well with the Manhattan crew's existence. On the weekend, Jack and Apollonia would spend much of their time together as usual. She had been running her business with Giselle nonstop and the money was rolling in. Today, she and Jack met up with Race, Blink, and Mush to watch a fight between two boxers. One was tall, blue- eyed, bulky, and Irish. The other was shorter, darker, and Italian. They were well into the seventh round when the couple joined them. Everyone around them was rooting for the boxer they placed bets on. They cheered and jeered as the boxing match went on and on. Jack liberally sipped his beer as Apollonia looked on. Racetrack was shouting approval loud and clear every time the fighter he chose would come up and give a good left cross. Apollonia clapped as the crowd applauded loudly when the twelfth round was over. The fighters sat on opposites sides of the ring, being treated for their black eyes and bloody noses. Jack noticed the pretzel vendor, who was a few feet away from him.
"Wouldja like a pretzel, sweetie?"
"Yes, please."
"Okay, I'll be right back." He said before kissing her on the cheek. Apollonia sat near Racetrack as he recounted the activities that occurred in the ring. They had really good seats. Blink wasn't happy when sweat from one of the boxers splashed onto him and hit him square in the eye. Mush laughed at him, as usual.
While Jack was purchasing a pretzel from the vendor, he was accosted by newsies who were happy to see him. Many of them looked up to Jack as a legend and wanted to converse with him as much as possible. He was giving them tips on how to make more money, in the same way he tutored Les in the ways of selling papers. As one of the newsies was near a well-dressed man drinking beer, he decided to use Jack's advice on the man. It seemed to have worked. As Jack laughed at the newsie's usage of his instruction, he looked over and saw someone talking to Apollonia.
The man appeared to be young, no more than nineteen years old. Jack noticed him sitting rather close to her and saw a hand come up and land somewhere. Jack could not see where the guy's hand landed due to being in the way. His body obstructed Jack's view.
Jack rushed over with quick steps and roughly grabbed him. He punched him in the face and took him by the shirt. "WHAT DA FUCK ARE YA DOING!? WHAT ARE YA DOING, HUH!?"
"Nothing, nothing, sir!"
"YA TRYING TA MOVE ON MY WOMAN, ARE YA! WELL, SHE'S MINE, DAMN IT! MINE! YA CAN'T HAVE HER!"
"No, sir! I was just trying to ask her something, that's all!"
The surrounding crowd then turned their attentions to Jack and the chap that he held firmly in his grasp. Some even started placing bets on who would win between this conflict. All bets were placed on Jack.
Jack threw the lad to the ground and threatened to punch him. The young man simply held up his arms as a means of shielding himself from Jack's assault. Racetrack, Blink, and Mush rushed up to the two to keep the fight from escalating further. Blink and Mush grabbed Jack's arms while Racetrack tried to pry the young fellow from Jack's hands.
"Alright, alright! Dat's enough, Jack!" Yelled Racetrack.
After Jack released the young man from his clutches, he stood there, out of breath and sweating. Blink and Mush kept their hold on him until they were sure Jack had calmed down. The visiting spectators then began turning their attention back to the boxers in the ring.
"Jack, what's got into you, huh?"
Jack just stood still, looking down, trying to avoid eye contact with Race. It wasn't working. Race was very short and Jack very tall. He whipped up his head, looking around for Apollonia.
"Where is she?"
"She ran into Tibby's. Ya should go and talk ta her." Blink stated. Jack walked into the restaurant, scanning for Apollonia. Eventually, his eyes caught sight of her very dark hair. Bumlets stepped to Jack and tried to ask him if he should inform her of his presence. Jack declined. He quietly walked over to the booth where she was sitting.
"Baby?" He said to her, prompting her to look up at his hazel eyes. Jack slowly slid into the booth next to her. He could tell that she was upset. Although there were no tears in her eyes, she was visibly discontent. Jack put his arm around her shoulder and rubbed her lap, caressing her thigh.
"Do ya still love me?"
Jack's question struck her as strange. Why would he ask such a thing? She thought to herself.
"Jack, what's wrong with you? Why are you asking me such stupid questions? Of course, I love you."
Jack felt like an idiot. He was letting his anger get the best of him. He saw something that annoyed him and jumped to conclusions. Running his hand through his hair he knew that he made himself look like a complete ass to Apollonia. His inhaled and exhaled slowly.
"God, Apollonia, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean ta be such an asshole. I mean, I saw ya talking ta that guy and things just started running through my mind, and ...." He trailed off, unable to find the right words to finish his point.
"We were just talking, Jack."
"I didn't like it."
"He was just asking me about my jewelry because he wanted to get something nice for his girlfriend."
"I didn't like it." Apollonia just looked at him. "I didn't like seeing another guy talking to ya. He looked like he was sitting too close to ya and I thought I saw him touch ya and all and...." Jack just sat there with one hand on his hip while rubbing the back of his neck with the other. Apollonia understood his jealousy. She leaned over to him, encircling his waist with her long, slender arms.
"Jack, the day I decide to leave you is the day that will spell death to anyone who crosses your path. No one can take me away unless I am willing to go."
Jack looked into her eyes. He knew that what she said was true. Jack hugged her tightly, apologizing once more for his erratic behavior. Bumlets walked over to them, smiling as he watched them kissing each other.
"How about chocolate pudding for the two of ya?" He inquired.
"With whipped cream." Added Jack.
Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies or any of the Newsies characters. Apollonia, Giselle, Checkers, and other miscellaneous characters are all mine.
Chapter 23: An Angel Among Society
Seven o'clock was about to rolling around rapidly. Standing in front of her full-length mirror, Apollonia felt like a princess. Donning a satin skirt with a lacy top, hair pinned back with tendrils lightly framing her pretty face, she looked especially presentable to meet Jack's "parents". She hadn't felt this nervous in a long time. Examining her earrings for the fifth time, she realized that she forgot to put on her matching bracelet. Opening her velvet-lined jewelry box, she frivolously searched for her wrist-adorning ornament. She checked herself once more making sure that she was perfect for flaunting in front of the Jacobs. She didn't know why she was so jittery. Perhaps it was because she never met someone's parents or guardians before. She paced back and forth in the room, placing the back of her hand to her forehead, checking for perspiration.
She suddenly heard a knock at her door. She quickly walked out of her bedroom to meet her visitors. David and Giselle were waiting outside patiently.
"Seven o'clock like we said."
"Of course, David. Come in, please." She said, allowing them to enter. Giselle seemed rather laid-back and more calm than usual. She was usually rigid and prim. Apollonia was glad to see her loosening up some. She thought that if she had a man that she would perhaps be more open to trying new things and not be so adherent to the strict rules of society that were heavily imposed on women. The conversation of the previous seemed to have had an affect on her.
"Mademoiselle, vous étes absolument ravissante." Giselle said to Apollonia.
"So, where's Jack?"
"He should be here shortly. He said that he wanted all of us to be here at once so that we could go to your parent's place together."
"I am so nervous, mon amis. What if your parent's don't like me? What if they cannot understand my accent?" Giselle inquired.
"Don't worry about it, Giselle. They will understand you perfectly. Remember, my grandparents were immigrants, too."
"And within time your accent will slowly diminish. My accent was slightly noticeable when I first came to New York, but I'm from New Orleans and where English is the dominant language. So, my situation is slightly different, but things will work out. You'll see." Apollonia reiterated.
Giselle just sighed and hoped for the best while David gently rubbed her back. They heard a fast knock on the door. Apollonia was met by a happy-go- lucky Jack Kelly. "Hello there, sweets." He said as he kissed her cheek. "Ready ta go?"
"Oui, we all are." She said as David and Giselle walked up behind them. "Let's go, kids!" Jack said as he offered his arm to Apollonia.
The handsome foursome made it to the Jacobs' apartment building within the allotted time they estimated to be there. Esther hated tardiness. Upon hearing a knock at the door, she openly greeted both Jack and David as they entered her home with their ladies. Esther first noticed Apollonia as she smiled shyly at her with her dark eyes. Then she noticed Giselle, also looking somewhat bashful. Mayer was standing right behind his wife.
"Momma, this is Giselle, the woman who I have been spending quite a bit of time with."
"And this is Apollonia, the love of my life." Esther was quite taken with both young ladies. She swiftly hugged both of them, with Mayer quickly following suit. Both were taken immediately by the contrasting beauty of both young women. Apollonia was obviously the more out-going of the two, with her beautiful dark features and kind demeanor said to her that Jack finally found someone that he could love forever. They could see it in Jack's eyes that he was truly content. Giselle seemed more serious, but they could tell that she was of good character. Immediately, Esther guided them to the dinner table for a home-cooked, nighttime feast.
They spent the hours discussing several topics. From David's work to Jack's exploits with the rest of the Manhattan crew to Les' study habits were discussed in heavy detail. Now came the moment of legitimacy, the Jacobs wanted to know how Jack, Apollonia, David, and Giselle met. Jack spoke first. He filled in all of the details about his growing relationship with Apollonia. Everything from when they first met to when they went on their first date was mentioned. Of course, Jack made sure not to mention absolutely everything. He did not bring up the conversation between him and Spot. Only David and God knew of the exchange between the two former leaders.
Esther and Mayer grew very fond of Apollonia and Giselle in the short time they had to become acquainted with them. Giselle, although more relaxed, remained quiet throughout most of the dinner. But that would soon change once Esther began interrogating her with questions.
~
Jack and Apollonia made themselves comfortable on the fire escape of the Jacobs' apartment. They excused themselves once David began informing them of issues revolving around work, and Jack wanted a little privacy with her. They could see the lights on in the buildings around them, seeing people rove back and forth through the aging tenements. Below they could see people walking to and fro through the streets of Lower Manhattan. It was the usual hustle and bustle of a typical New York night, but it was different somehow this night.
Jack was enjoying the pleasure of having his girlfriend introduced to his family. He was totally enthralled with her presence. As Jack planted biting kisses on her neck, he reached down and lifted up her skirt, running his hand up her calf and along her thigh. Apollonia was both elated and embarrassed by the activity they were engaged in, primarily because David's parents were close by. She quickly stopped his hand from going any further. Jack, however, was persistent. He continued to fondle her, hugging her in a tight embrace as he moved his hand back to her thigh, reaching back to claim her backside. He felt himself growing hard, hot for her with every passing second. He began trailing kisses up towards her ears, lightly nibbling on her earlobe. He whispered something extremely risqué to her.
Apollonia laughed at his action. "Why do you insist on treating me like one of those tramps you used to sometimes fool with?"
"Because you're ten times as pretty and I want you ten times as bad."
Apollonia smiled at him. "Why can't you be courteous this time, Jack? We are at the home of your surrogate parents and ex-girlfriend." Jack shyly looked down. "Please don't remind me of dat. I just wanna be here and enjoy my time with you. Don't bring up da past, alright, baby?" He said, pulling her further into his lap.
"I'm sorry, Jack. I didn't mean to reopen old wounds." He lightly kissed her on the hand, whisking his lips across the top of her fingers. "No, you don't have anything ta be sorry about. That was da past. It has nothing ta do with us in the here and now."
Jack did not bring it up, but he remembered when Sarah had seduced him two weeks before he asked her out to the party Medda gave at the theatre years ago. He noticed when he was there the week before that the bed had been replaced by a sofa. He was grateful that he did not have to look at the bed where they had sex in and even more grateful that Apollonia did not have to gaze her eyes upon it. Jack just sat there on the fire escape, nuzzling her neck as she graciously accepted his advances. She loved the smell of his cologne and how it mingled with the fragrance of her perfume. She even caught the scent of his hair; its aroma overtaking the inhalation of her nasal passages. He became hotter for her the longer they sat outside. Her warm flesh was smooth and silky against his skin, prompting him to kiss her heatedly. Abruptly, he elevated her from his lap and pulled her into the window after him.
"Well, we should be getting outta here. Apollonia has a lot of work to do at the store tomorrow and I've gotta get a good night's rest. We're expecting a shipment of new materials tomorrow and I've gotta be on hand ta make sure everything goes to da right place. So, we'll see ya latah, okay?" Without delay, Jack gave Esther a kiss on the cheek and shook Mayer's hand before escorting Apollonia out of the apartment.
"Okay, you kids. It was very nice meeting you, Apollonia. We are very glad to have finally met you. Don't be a stranger. You are welcome anytime." Both Esther and Mayer each gave Apollonia a kiss and a hug. She felt that the Jacobs' were warm and friendly people. She was glad that Jack had this substitute family to make him feel like he was a part of something. Now that she was a part of his life, in many ways she felt that this family was, in a sense, hers as well.
"Well, Jack is certainly very happy with her. Apollonia is a very charming young lady."
Giselle and David looked at each other and grinned. They both knew exactly why Jack and Apollonia left in such a hurry. Casually, the picked up from where they left off from their conversation.
~
Two nights later, the good-looking foursome made their way to Luna Park, a park that was just as popular as Dreamland. Jack had suggested that they go to Luna Park instead because, giving Apollonia's past experiences of going to Dreamland with Spot, Jack did not want to have any memories resurface. Even though more than a year had passed, he knew that she was still sad.
They headed to Surf Avenue, where Luna Park's entrance was located. Crossing the threshold into pleasure and excitement, the two handsome couples happily marched through to a night of fun-filled games and activities. Their first stop was the Mountain Torrent. It was a combination of a roller coaster and Shoot-the-Chutes. The passengers rode up an escalator to the top of an 80 foot mountain that featured a sequence of cascading waterfalls. They then boarded tracked cars that raced down and through the mountain in a flume. The ride ended with a splash in the glacial lake at the bottom. Apollonia was ecstatic, yet scared that her hair would get wet. Jack just laughed at her. Giselle was equally worried.
"You girls need to stop worrying about your looks so much." Said David.
"Exactly. Whether wet or dry, you're both angels among society." Jack added. The women began glowing. They then exited the cars, racing to go to another ride. This time they went to ride an elephant. Apollonia and Giselle asked the guys to go on with them. Both Jack and David made disgusted faces, but their girlfriends simply pouted their lips and batted their eyes to get them to obey their whim. Jack and David just looked at each other and complied.
They quickly went up to one of the "mahouts" to pay a fare to get on one of the massive beasts. One was named Gyp; the other Judy. The ladies had to hoist their skirts up so that they did not trip and fall flat on their asses while trying to board an elephant. After the guys made it to the seating above Gyp, they casually strode down the street. Jack thought that the ride wasn't as bad as he thought. He always fantasized about riding a horse, an elephant was certainly a new experience for him. David was scared the entire time. Every time Gyp would move, their seating gave him the impression that he was going to fall due to Gyp's movements. His heart was beating rapidly. Jack looked over at him and smiled. David's hand was holding onto Giselle's knee so hard, his grip began pinching her. Shortly, the ride came to a halt and they departed. They decided to go on the Dew Drop spiral slide, a vertical tower that allowed them to slide down in a circular pattern from a 50 feet high platform. Apollonia slid down with Jack closely attached to her. He had his legs opened wide enough for her to fit between them so they could slide together. David looked over at Giselle, who made a move to sit on the top of the slide first. She motioned for David to take a seat right beside her so that they could land at the bottom side by side. Within moments, they met their friends who were waiting patiently with them. They decided to attend Luna's Great Train Robbery, an outdoor show. In the first of the 30 minute show, the scenes took place in the mountains, where bandits were around as a train approached them. They stopped the train and robbed the passengers of their valuables. Afterwards they would escape to their mountain town hideaway. The hideout contained miners and cowboys smoking and drinking in front of coarse-looking saloons. The sheriff's posse tracks them down and takes them by surprise. In the midst of the struggle, the men were shot and plunged into the streams, head-first. Once the bandits were overpowered and captured, the audience stood to their feet and applauded the scenario. The actors certainly gave them their money's worth. Jack thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition, in part because he wondered if Santa Fe would look something like the scenery he saw. Once the show was over, the four walked over to a clearing to be away from the oncoming crowds.
At this time, Jack pulled David aside and thought that it would be a good idea to split up for about an hour so that he could get better acquainted with Giselle and he and Apollonia could continue spending quality time together. David agreed. Jack patted him on the back for reassurance. "Don't worry, stud! She seems to be enjoying herself with ya. Just relax." David nodded and gave Jack a look of confidence. David walked over to their sweethearts and informed them of the current game plan. Apollonia and Giselle were fine with it, as they checked their hair and makeup. Jack casually walked up to Apollonia.
"Wouldja like some cotton candy?"
"Yes, please."
"Me too, kid. Got some?"
Apollonia just looked at him and playfully slapped his arm. He then revealed some cotton candy that he was hiding behind his back. She tore off some for herself and then fed him some from her sticky fingers. Jack licked her fingertips and then began kissing them tenderly. Apollonia giggled as she took him by his arm and pulled him to the next attraction.
It had been almost two hours and Giselle was having the time of her life. She witnessed several couples throughout the park who were dallying around with their lovers as they passed by and went from ride to ride, enjoying the splendor of the place while relishing in the company of their significant other. She saw numerous couples kissing and whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears. She seemed unaffected by the spectacles, however. Giselle was very pure in thought, even though David considered stealing a kiss from her. She turned her head to see if David was enjoying the sights that they were viewing. She quickly took notice of the expression on his face. It was straight, but she noticed a different look in his eyes. A look that was hard to pin down. In the blink of an eye, David's lips covered hers. Giselle was taken off-guard by the sudden move. She lightly gasped at his impulsive gesture. As soon as his lips left hers, he looked at her, wondering if she had enjoyed the kiss as much as he did. Giselle stood speechless. She didn't know if she wanted to kiss him back or what. Normally, she would have slapped a man for making such a bold action. But she was not angered in the least. She simply smiled at him, sniffing the posies that he had purchased for her earlier as he looked at her with much adoration. He smiled as he put his arm around her shoulders, enjoying the park's dynamic environment.
Jack and Apollonia were on the opposite side of the park, riding a Ferris wheel taking them around into the air every minute. Jack loved how Apollonia would laughingly freak out when he would shake the carriage that they were riding backward and forward. Jack loved making her laugh. He liked seeing her eyes light up with joy. They looked like polished gems when he looked into them. He thought that they resembled circular spheres of dark chocolate, inset in an angelic face with a fiery spirit lying within. He relished every minute of their being together; softly riding romantic states of mind that played on the night breezes of New York City. Her playful beauty caressed his ego implicitly.
Eventually the ride began coming to an end as they noticed the slowed pace of its movement. One by one, the carriages that reached the bottom opened up to release the present occupants and inviting new ones into it. Apollonia and Jack looked out over the flamboyant spectacle of Coney Island as their carriage was halted at the very top. Jack, with his arm around his sweetheart, enjoyed the view as much as she did. With his head leaning on hers, he pondered to himself about how fortunate he was to have the life he was currently enjoying. He had a job, a roof over his head, a family that adored him, and a woman that loved him. He couldn't remember the last time he was this happy. Then it dawned on him; he wasn't this happy since his childhood; before his mother passed away and his father was sent to jail. He looked back on his life and, although it was riddle with heartache and hard times, he could honestly say that it was almost worth it. If it wasn't for his hard scrabble existence, he would not have appreciated the accomplishments he had made in his life. Everything from the strike to his winning the woman of his dreams, he knew that he had achieved some level of happiness. Almost, just almost, he felt complete.
~
Several months had passed and all was well with the Manhattan crew's existence. On the weekend, Jack and Apollonia would spend much of their time together as usual. She had been running her business with Giselle nonstop and the money was rolling in. Today, she and Jack met up with Race, Blink, and Mush to watch a fight between two boxers. One was tall, blue- eyed, bulky, and Irish. The other was shorter, darker, and Italian. They were well into the seventh round when the couple joined them. Everyone around them was rooting for the boxer they placed bets on. They cheered and jeered as the boxing match went on and on. Jack liberally sipped his beer as Apollonia looked on. Racetrack was shouting approval loud and clear every time the fighter he chose would come up and give a good left cross. Apollonia clapped as the crowd applauded loudly when the twelfth round was over. The fighters sat on opposites sides of the ring, being treated for their black eyes and bloody noses. Jack noticed the pretzel vendor, who was a few feet away from him.
"Wouldja like a pretzel, sweetie?"
"Yes, please."
"Okay, I'll be right back." He said before kissing her on the cheek. Apollonia sat near Racetrack as he recounted the activities that occurred in the ring. They had really good seats. Blink wasn't happy when sweat from one of the boxers splashed onto him and hit him square in the eye. Mush laughed at him, as usual.
While Jack was purchasing a pretzel from the vendor, he was accosted by newsies who were happy to see him. Many of them looked up to Jack as a legend and wanted to converse with him as much as possible. He was giving them tips on how to make more money, in the same way he tutored Les in the ways of selling papers. As one of the newsies was near a well-dressed man drinking beer, he decided to use Jack's advice on the man. It seemed to have worked. As Jack laughed at the newsie's usage of his instruction, he looked over and saw someone talking to Apollonia.
The man appeared to be young, no more than nineteen years old. Jack noticed him sitting rather close to her and saw a hand come up and land somewhere. Jack could not see where the guy's hand landed due to being in the way. His body obstructed Jack's view.
Jack rushed over with quick steps and roughly grabbed him. He punched him in the face and took him by the shirt. "WHAT DA FUCK ARE YA DOING!? WHAT ARE YA DOING, HUH!?"
"Nothing, nothing, sir!"
"YA TRYING TA MOVE ON MY WOMAN, ARE YA! WELL, SHE'S MINE, DAMN IT! MINE! YA CAN'T HAVE HER!"
"No, sir! I was just trying to ask her something, that's all!"
The surrounding crowd then turned their attentions to Jack and the chap that he held firmly in his grasp. Some even started placing bets on who would win between this conflict. All bets were placed on Jack.
Jack threw the lad to the ground and threatened to punch him. The young man simply held up his arms as a means of shielding himself from Jack's assault. Racetrack, Blink, and Mush rushed up to the two to keep the fight from escalating further. Blink and Mush grabbed Jack's arms while Racetrack tried to pry the young fellow from Jack's hands.
"Alright, alright! Dat's enough, Jack!" Yelled Racetrack.
After Jack released the young man from his clutches, he stood there, out of breath and sweating. Blink and Mush kept their hold on him until they were sure Jack had calmed down. The visiting spectators then began turning their attention back to the boxers in the ring.
"Jack, what's got into you, huh?"
Jack just stood still, looking down, trying to avoid eye contact with Race. It wasn't working. Race was very short and Jack very tall. He whipped up his head, looking around for Apollonia.
"Where is she?"
"She ran into Tibby's. Ya should go and talk ta her." Blink stated. Jack walked into the restaurant, scanning for Apollonia. Eventually, his eyes caught sight of her very dark hair. Bumlets stepped to Jack and tried to ask him if he should inform her of his presence. Jack declined. He quietly walked over to the booth where she was sitting.
"Baby?" He said to her, prompting her to look up at his hazel eyes. Jack slowly slid into the booth next to her. He could tell that she was upset. Although there were no tears in her eyes, she was visibly discontent. Jack put his arm around her shoulder and rubbed her lap, caressing her thigh.
"Do ya still love me?"
Jack's question struck her as strange. Why would he ask such a thing? She thought to herself.
"Jack, what's wrong with you? Why are you asking me such stupid questions? Of course, I love you."
Jack felt like an idiot. He was letting his anger get the best of him. He saw something that annoyed him and jumped to conclusions. Running his hand through his hair he knew that he made himself look like a complete ass to Apollonia. His inhaled and exhaled slowly.
"God, Apollonia, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean ta be such an asshole. I mean, I saw ya talking ta that guy and things just started running through my mind, and ...." He trailed off, unable to find the right words to finish his point.
"We were just talking, Jack."
"I didn't like it."
"He was just asking me about my jewelry because he wanted to get something nice for his girlfriend."
"I didn't like it." Apollonia just looked at him. "I didn't like seeing another guy talking to ya. He looked like he was sitting too close to ya and I thought I saw him touch ya and all and...." Jack just sat there with one hand on his hip while rubbing the back of his neck with the other. Apollonia understood his jealousy. She leaned over to him, encircling his waist with her long, slender arms.
"Jack, the day I decide to leave you is the day that will spell death to anyone who crosses your path. No one can take me away unless I am willing to go."
Jack looked into her eyes. He knew that what she said was true. Jack hugged her tightly, apologizing once more for his erratic behavior. Bumlets walked over to them, smiling as he watched them kissing each other.
"How about chocolate pudding for the two of ya?" He inquired.
"With whipped cream." Added Jack.
