After a whole summer of silence (Europe is gorgeous and Governor's School is the best month I ever spent), and an infuriating case of writer's block, I finally sat down and outlined the story instead of paying attention in my Government class. The result is that now I know where the heck this story is going and the block is gone, so I hope you enjoy 'cause I missed a fiery debate about the Bush administration to make sure y'all had something to read...
Disney owns the Newsies, TCF owns Moulin Rouge, Sapphy appears in cameos courtesy of herself. And now...The Show must Go On!
Jack was a skilled speaker; he had an uncanny gift for knowing exactly what to say and how to say it. So it made absolutely no sense that he had been dancing in silence for almost an hour. It was not that he wanted to spend the next five hours merely staring at Roxanne, but every time he tried to formulate a conversation, he would take one look at her and coherent human speech fled his brain, especially when he caught a whiff of the jasmine scent hovering seductively around those gleaming dark curls. Roxanne herself was perfectly nice about it, but Jack could see boredom glazing those dark eyes beneath her pasted on smile.
I gotta do something he thought rapidly, we're both gonna scream if this keeps up, I gotta say something, God she smells good! No! I gotta...
"Do you wanna go up to the roof?" Roxanne's dulcet voice shattered his mental train wreck.
Jack cleared his throat, caught off guard, "Excuse me?"
Her smile widened and his pulse quickened, "Its quieter up there, we might actually be able to talk." She paused, "Unless of course you like it better down here..."
"No!" Jack interjected quickly, "No, the roof sounds...good." He smiled lamely, still unable to string his words together and waited for Roxanne to lead on.
She raised one of her beautifully curved eyebrows in a coy manner, "Aren't you going to be a gentleman and offer me your arm?"
Jack's face glowed crimson, "Oh, God, yeah, I'm real sorry, its just..."
She laughed, a pretty sweet sound, "Don't worry yourself Jack, it makes you far too adorable. If your not careful I might have some trouble letting you go in the morning."
Still laughing, she looped her arm through his and led him up the sweeping staircase. Up they climbed, past the rollicking balconies full to the brim with gentlemen and the dancers. Gradually the noise fell away as the stairway narrowed and they passed the floor devoted to offices. Finally, Roxanne reached out a hand into the impenetrable darkness and pushed on a latch.
The door swung open to reveal an expansive slate roof not unlike a million other roofs Jack had been on in his life, except this time there was a difference. A very big difference.
Roxanne hauled herself up on the roof ledge and hiked her skirt up far over her knee; a packet of cigarettes was secured under her garter. Pulling one from the pack, she offered it to Jack, "Smoke?"
"Sure, thanks," gratefully he took it from her outstretched fingers, and paused for her to light it. He waited until she was settled with her own before he eased down on a barrel opposite her.
"So," she finally said, a stream of smoke uncurling from her sensuously parted red lips, "They call you Cowboy. Is there a cute story that goes with that?" humor played in her fiery eyes, and suddenly, Jack felt his throat unstuck just the slightest bit.
He ducked his head, grinning, the barest hint of a blush tinting his cheeks "It's cause I'm gonna be one some day."
She smiled, "Oh?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna catch a train outta this place, head west," he flicked ash off the end of his cigarette thoughtfully, "Start fresh."
"What about your life here? Being a Newsie and all that. You know I've heard of you before, Jack Kelly," His head sprang up, drawing another beautiful laugh from her, "Yes, back during the strike. I read about you in the paper, you did some amazing things, you and your boys."
He smiled, shaking his head, "They was great times, but I'm gonna be too old for the business in a year. I gotta be thinking about my future."
"Well you could always become an activist," her eyes danced as she inhaled on her cigarette, "Something you've already got plenty of experience in."
Jack shook his head again, "Nah, I might hang around here for a bit, but Santa Fe's where I want to be." He looked up at the glittering stars as the thrill of an old dream trilled in his blood, "I don't care if it takes a million years. I'm gonna make it there one day."
Roxanne arched her back, luxuriously stretching her spine, "So what do your parents think about this dream of yours?"
It was as if a candle had been extinguished. All the fire and idealism faded from Jack's eyes, his shoulders curved in ever so slightly, his voice adopted a sullen edge, "They don't got anything to say about it; I haven't seen 'em in something like ten years."
Silence settled in as if to puncture the statement. Jack carefully avoided Roxanne's eyes as he placed the cigarette against his lips once more, inhaling the calming vapors. After what seemed like an eternity her voice, soft and concerned broke the screaming stillness, "Where are they?" Jack finally looked up, "Don't tell me if you don't want to."
He ran his long fingers through his hair clumsily, "No," he said huskily, "No, I don't mind. My mom died when I was nine, her and my baby brother. Dad didn't take it so good, he used to get real depressed and one night he was out drinking, got in a fight and killed the other guy." Jack paused to crush the remains of his cigarette on the gray concrete. His eyes burned as he watched the orange ash go cold, "They took him off the next day and I haven't seen him since then...guess he went to jail." Once more then echoing silence fell between the pair as Jack studied his shoelaces with vigor and Roxanne trained her eyes on his face, "God, listen to me," his voice was suddenly...forcibly, much lighter, "I'm going on and on about me, you're probably bored to death. So, what about you? Are you're folks around?"
For a moment her beautiful face was as hard and cold as carved marble, "No," she smiled wryly, "My parents are not around."
Jack was smart enough to realize the finality in her tone. Swiftly, he cast about his mind for a new conversation, "You're a really good performer." He said hurriedly, "Where'd you learn all that stuff?"
Her smile sweetened, "That's very nice of you to say. I learned my techniques in Paris as a child."
Jack's interest sparked, "Paris! Are you French?"
"Half," She replied looking out over the rooftops, "I lived there until I was twelve."
He leaned forward eagerly, "What was it like to live in Paris?"
For a moment, Roxanne's cool physique melted away and she closed her eyes, savoring the sugar that was her memory, "It was perfect, "she whispered silkily, "The sun shines almost every day and makes everything rosy. From my window I could see the Tulleries with the riot of flower gardens everywhere. The scent of them used to drift into my bedroom at night, mixed with the music from the corner café." A contented sigh escaped her rouged lips as though she could almost feel what she described, "I could have stayed there forever."
He was so enraptured in her speech that Jack did not fully think through his next question, "So why did you?"
Immediately Roxanne's eyes snapped open again, the sleek mask of perfection slid over her exposed facade and her smile turned patronizing, "It doesn't really matter," she said a little too lightly, "I'm here, sharing a lovely evening with you." She flashed her eyes flirtatiously, "Surely you don't regret that."
Jack was struggling to say that of course he didn't when a Sparrow's song erupted from its chimney pot nest. He jumped, startled and was suddenly aware that the inky sky had already lightened to pre-dawn grayness. Roxanne Slid off of her perch as easily as silk over marble, still smiling she glanced over the rail, "You're friends are waiting downstairs," she told him, "You'd better go give them all the juicy details." Rolling her eyes, inviting him to share in the joke, she looped her arm through his and led him back downstairs.
"I can't believe its morning!" Jack told her, "It didn't feel like we were up there for three hours."
They had reached the landing and Roxanne released his arm, "Well, Jack Kelly, you're a very interesting client; I'm not surprised at all." She turned to ascend the stairs to some unknown part of the building, "I hope you make it to Santa Fe someday."
"Wait!" Jack called somewhat desperately, Roxanne turned back to face him eyebrow raised, "Can I...can I come see you again, sometime, maybe?" He fumbled over the words.
A slow smile spread on her perfect mouth, "We'll see if the price is right."
"You know I don't earn much money."
"I didn't say money." She said with an ironic sort of grin, "I'll see you around Mr. Kelly." And with that she disappeared into the darkness of the stairwell.
Jack stumbled onto the street feeling as though he was still within a thick, jasmine scented fog. Racetrack was the first to greet him, "Jacky-boy! The luckiest man alive, be honest, what was she like?"
Jack shook his head as if to clear it while his other friends flocked over, "Look at this," Spot crowed, "He's still in shock, she must really live up to the rumors!"
Something snapped and suddenly Jack seemed to see everything in clearer focus. Smiling easily he clapped Race on the back, "Yeah I had fun. How bout' you boys?"
Grinning, Race stuck a cigar between his teeth and hunted for a match, "Today I am a man Jack, today I am a man."
"And why would that be?" a female voice cut through the early morning air like a razor through lace, "I thought it was 'just dancing!'" From the steps of the adjacent building Sapphy stormed over the pavement, blue eyes scorching the boys where they stood, "'What Sapphy don't know' huh bud...but I do know, pal, I always know."
Race gaped like a beached fish, "How did you...were you...how..."
"Let's just say I know a little bird with connections." She shot off each word with the force of venomous darts, instinctively, the boys all fell back a step.
"Bird?" Mush cocked his head in confusion.
"Tweet, tweet, tweet," Ireland appeared at his elbow. Everyone but the fuming Sapphy jumped in surprise.
"Ireland!" Spot exclaimed
She kissed him lightly on the cheek, "You think you're the only with connections, Brooklyn?" The boys stared at her dumbly, "One of the waiters is an old friend of mine."
"That's my girl!" Spot hugged her to him with a laugh, "He told you I was good right?"
"Very good"
Race groaned, "Sapphy, if I tell you I was drunk will it make any difference?"
She gave him a blistering look, "No."
The sun was breaking on the horizon by now, and the police officer on the corner was giving them all a shifty look. Together, she group began to move down the street back towards the lodge. Race trailed after Sapphy like a kicked puppy, Spot and Ireland, arms around each other chattered away with Blink and Mush. But Jack paused for a moment, looking back up at the roof, for just a second he thought he saw movement among the shadows but when he looked again whatever...whoever it was, had disappeared.
Once again, a thousand apologies for the long dry spell. Like I said, updates should be more frequent now. Not very many reviewers last time, so do me a favor, if you love me, tell your friends, get them to read, get them to review, it'll motivate me to keep producing more quality entertainment for your reading pleasure! And now, on to the shout-outs...
NaughteeLady- Thank you so much for the review! I'm so glad you liked it; approval makes me feel all fuzzy inside. Silly girl, the boys can't NOT get in trouble, then we wouldn't have a good story! Thanks again!
Sapphy- Well Sapphy, though I am not widely loved, I've got you...which is why I made you Race's girl! Darlin' I couldn't give him to anyone else! It wouldn't be right...like chocolate pickles, Race just don't work with any other girl. You know I love you.
Yes the Tonys were superb, and of course I got to school the next day babbling about them and all the idiots are like, "huh?" I think I'm gonna get to see Wicked when I go to NYC to look at college. I'm quite excited about that.
Hey, people like you on FFN, could you help me boost my readership? I want all the writers I admire to see what I can do...which hopefully is a lot. I'd really appreciate it. big hug Love ya babe!