**Disclaimer: same as chapter 2**
Chapter 6:
The next day I snuck away from everyone unnoticed at about noon hour and went to find Brianne at the pub. Aidan laughed when I walked in the door and told me that I was in for it now. I laughed and hopped over the bar. Aidan shook his head at me as I walked past and up the stairs. I was not two minutes in the bloody door when Brianne grabbed me and shoved me into a bath tub. She scrubbed my hair using perfumed shampoo. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I was going to smell like a rose garden. I wasn't too sure about whether or not I wanted to.
She handed me a chunk of perfumed soap and told me to get all the grime off my body. I was thinking about making a crack about liking the grime, but though better of it. Ten minutes later, glowing and clean, I got out of the tub and stepped into a satin red dancing dress that had thick straps, no sleeves, and an almost scandalously low cut neck line. It was nipped at the waist and flowing free to my ankles. I put on high heeled satin dancing shoes. She came at me with instruments of torture, brushes, blushes and various pots and jars. She curled my hair softly and left it down. I looked into the mirror to see someone that wasn't even close to looking like me. I smiled and thanked Brianne, giving her a huge hug before walking down the stairs to wait in the pub. I was sure by now, 3 hours later, Jack would've noticed that I wasn't there and come running. Sure enough I hit the bottom stair and I heard Jack's voice carrying.
"Listen here, geezer, I know she's here, so why don't you just give her up. She made a bet and now she has to pay up." I laughed softly to myself and walked out.
"Right you are, Jackie boy, I'm right here." He looked at me then did a double take. His eyes got large and his mouth was hanging open. He quickly shut it, but continued to stare at me. He, himself had been holding out on me. He had on his best. A clean shirt and vest, suspenders and a clean pair of black pants completed the ensemble. He had had a bath too. He looked wonderful.
"What happened to you?" He asked me.
"A bet happened, that's what, boyo, now can we go?" I asked. He simply nodded and offered his arm. I took it and with a small wave to Aidan, we walked out onto the street.
The rest of the boys were waiting there when we walked out and the all started shouting.
"Jack, I thought you were going to grab Lexus. She has a bet!" Someone said and caused an outburst from the rest of them. He tried to quiet them down and I shouted over them.
"Shut yourselves up, you bunch of damn Yanks. I know damn well I have a bet and I intend to pay up full well, so just relax." Silence.
"Lexus?!?! What the hell happened to you?" Someone shouted and then the crowd rushed toward me.
"Well, damn. It is her!" Blink shouted after staring at me for a minute.
"Can we be going now, you vultures? Are you quite done assessing me?" I fumed and they laughed. Jack slipped an arm around my waist and led me down the street. We caught the street car and took it right to the old Union hall.
We walked in and the music was in full swing. The boys dispersed throughout the room, finding different people to dance with. Jack led me to a table and Spot came over.
"Hey, Jack, where's the Irish kid?"
"You're looking at her," he answered and Spot reaction was basically the same as everyone else's. I laughed and let the two of them talk, looking around the decorated room. There was a dance floor right in front of the band which was up on the stage. Tables were all around with waiters wandering between with drinks. Balloons and streamers hung from various parts of the roof and rafters. Spot left a few minutes later and Jack pulled me to the dance floor. We started with a rousing swing dance and I shocked the hell out of him. He didn't think I could dance. I informed him with a laugh that he shouldn't underestimate my talents.
We sat down after a while and some of the boys took that as an opportunity to hit on me. I started to politely decline their offers to dance when they started to get persistent. I then informed them to go roast over a slow spit in hell. Some of the boys from our side of town came over to talk to us, ask how the night was going and make idle chit chat. Jack seemed to ignore every one of the girls that were making moon eyes at him. I tried to ignore him staring at me, pretending to look at the structure of the building, the cleanliness of my glass, the stability of my spoon, anything but Jack.
We danced a few more fast ones and then a slow one started. I turned to walk away, figuring he'd had just about enough of me, when he grabbed my hand and pulled me into a tight hug and started moving with the music. I let myself go and put my arms around his neck and my cheek on his chest. I felt him sigh deeply and nuzzle my hair. The song ended and we walked out to the back patio.
I sat on the railing that outlined the patio and Jack stood beside me with an arm behind me in case I fell. I found the action sweet and annoying at the same time. We didn't say anything for a long time when I asked, "Why aren't you in there dancing with any of the other lasses?"
"Why would I when I have you?" He asked softly and pulled me off the railing and into his arms. He slowly lowered his head and touched his lips to mine. A second later, he lifted his head and smiled. My head reeled. He kissed me again and this time we heard cat calls and wolf whistles from the boys around. They all seemed to fade into the back ground. Reality slowly sunk in to the fog that had surrounded my brain. I pulled back suddenly with a hand on my lips. This can't be real. It can't be me he's wanting to kiss so bad. It's just the illusion that Brianne created for me. This wasn't real. I turned and ran for the door. I didn't stop until I was on the street car and safely away. I looked out to see Jack chase after me until the trolley started to pull away. Damn, I thought as I wiped my tears away. You've done it now, lass, you've fallen in love with the untouchable.
The next day I snuck away from everyone unnoticed at about noon hour and went to find Brianne at the pub. Aidan laughed when I walked in the door and told me that I was in for it now. I laughed and hopped over the bar. Aidan shook his head at me as I walked past and up the stairs. I was not two minutes in the bloody door when Brianne grabbed me and shoved me into a bath tub. She scrubbed my hair using perfumed shampoo. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I was going to smell like a rose garden. I wasn't too sure about whether or not I wanted to.
She handed me a chunk of perfumed soap and told me to get all the grime off my body. I was thinking about making a crack about liking the grime, but though better of it. Ten minutes later, glowing and clean, I got out of the tub and stepped into a satin red dancing dress that had thick straps, no sleeves, and an almost scandalously low cut neck line. It was nipped at the waist and flowing free to my ankles. I put on high heeled satin dancing shoes. She came at me with instruments of torture, brushes, blushes and various pots and jars. She curled my hair softly and left it down. I looked into the mirror to see someone that wasn't even close to looking like me. I smiled and thanked Brianne, giving her a huge hug before walking down the stairs to wait in the pub. I was sure by now, 3 hours later, Jack would've noticed that I wasn't there and come running. Sure enough I hit the bottom stair and I heard Jack's voice carrying.
"Listen here, geezer, I know she's here, so why don't you just give her up. She made a bet and now she has to pay up." I laughed softly to myself and walked out.
"Right you are, Jackie boy, I'm right here." He looked at me then did a double take. His eyes got large and his mouth was hanging open. He quickly shut it, but continued to stare at me. He, himself had been holding out on me. He had on his best. A clean shirt and vest, suspenders and a clean pair of black pants completed the ensemble. He had had a bath too. He looked wonderful.
"What happened to you?" He asked me.
"A bet happened, that's what, boyo, now can we go?" I asked. He simply nodded and offered his arm. I took it and with a small wave to Aidan, we walked out onto the street.
The rest of the boys were waiting there when we walked out and the all started shouting.
"Jack, I thought you were going to grab Lexus. She has a bet!" Someone said and caused an outburst from the rest of them. He tried to quiet them down and I shouted over them.
"Shut yourselves up, you bunch of damn Yanks. I know damn well I have a bet and I intend to pay up full well, so just relax." Silence.
"Lexus?!?! What the hell happened to you?" Someone shouted and then the crowd rushed toward me.
"Well, damn. It is her!" Blink shouted after staring at me for a minute.
"Can we be going now, you vultures? Are you quite done assessing me?" I fumed and they laughed. Jack slipped an arm around my waist and led me down the street. We caught the street car and took it right to the old Union hall.
We walked in and the music was in full swing. The boys dispersed throughout the room, finding different people to dance with. Jack led me to a table and Spot came over.
"Hey, Jack, where's the Irish kid?"
"You're looking at her," he answered and Spot reaction was basically the same as everyone else's. I laughed and let the two of them talk, looking around the decorated room. There was a dance floor right in front of the band which was up on the stage. Tables were all around with waiters wandering between with drinks. Balloons and streamers hung from various parts of the roof and rafters. Spot left a few minutes later and Jack pulled me to the dance floor. We started with a rousing swing dance and I shocked the hell out of him. He didn't think I could dance. I informed him with a laugh that he shouldn't underestimate my talents.
We sat down after a while and some of the boys took that as an opportunity to hit on me. I started to politely decline their offers to dance when they started to get persistent. I then informed them to go roast over a slow spit in hell. Some of the boys from our side of town came over to talk to us, ask how the night was going and make idle chit chat. Jack seemed to ignore every one of the girls that were making moon eyes at him. I tried to ignore him staring at me, pretending to look at the structure of the building, the cleanliness of my glass, the stability of my spoon, anything but Jack.
We danced a few more fast ones and then a slow one started. I turned to walk away, figuring he'd had just about enough of me, when he grabbed my hand and pulled me into a tight hug and started moving with the music. I let myself go and put my arms around his neck and my cheek on his chest. I felt him sigh deeply and nuzzle my hair. The song ended and we walked out to the back patio.
I sat on the railing that outlined the patio and Jack stood beside me with an arm behind me in case I fell. I found the action sweet and annoying at the same time. We didn't say anything for a long time when I asked, "Why aren't you in there dancing with any of the other lasses?"
"Why would I when I have you?" He asked softly and pulled me off the railing and into his arms. He slowly lowered his head and touched his lips to mine. A second later, he lifted his head and smiled. My head reeled. He kissed me again and this time we heard cat calls and wolf whistles from the boys around. They all seemed to fade into the back ground. Reality slowly sunk in to the fog that had surrounded my brain. I pulled back suddenly with a hand on my lips. This can't be real. It can't be me he's wanting to kiss so bad. It's just the illusion that Brianne created for me. This wasn't real. I turned and ran for the door. I didn't stop until I was on the street car and safely away. I looked out to see Jack chase after me until the trolley started to pull away. Damn, I thought as I wiped my tears away. You've done it now, lass, you've fallen in love with the untouchable.