Chapter 9 – Pleasure To Meet You
Romi's face had drained of all its color. Jack noticed how she suddenly became uneasy and squinted an eye at her. Diego had a surprised expression on his face as well. Neither one said a thing though.
"Romi? Ye alright luv?"
"Yes I'm fine, sorry. I just remembered something, that's all." She tried her best to put on a smile.
Jack wasn't thoroughly convinced. "This is Diego, he will be joining the crew."
He extended his hand and Romi hesitantly shook it. He placed a kiss on hers. "Pleasure to meet you Romi."
His gaze was somewhat disturbing and Romi felt a bit queasy.
Jack's gaze went from one to the other and decided he needed to break this up. He could see it was bothering Romi quite a bit.
"Come Diego, why don't I show ye to the quarters ye'll be sharin' with my men. We can all talk later at dinner aye?"
"Aye Captain, good idea." He nodded his goodbye to Romi as she stood there staring after him.
Angela had been watching the whole thing unravel before her eyes and came up behind Romi. "What's he doing here?" The sudden noise behind her startled Romi out of her trance.
"I don't know."
"Are you going to tell Jack?"
"I'm not sure if that's such a good idea."
Angela let out a deep breath. "Well whatever you decide on, make sure it's the right decision." Angela left to make sure the kids were alright and Romi went back to her room.
She was in her room pacing back and forth when Jack came in minutes later.
"Want to tell me what that was all about back there?" He folded his arms in front of his chest waiting for her answer.
"Nothing Jack. He just looked like someone I knew and it kind of startled me." She tried her best to keep a straight face. Jack wasn't buying it though. He knew her well enough that he could see she was disturbed by something. But considering everything they just went through and the fact that she was pregnant, he decided to drop it for now.
"Alright then." He sat on the bed and motioned for her to sit with him and she did without a fuss.
Jack brought Romi into his embrace and she felt much better. Then he suddenly remembered the necklace he bought her.
"I almost forgot. I bought ye somethin'."
Romi quirked an eyebrow at him. "Oh really?"
"Aye close ye're eyes." Romi did as he asked and Jack took the trinket out of his pocket. He moved her hair off to the side as he slid it around her neck and clasped it on. Romi opened her eyes and looked down at the green gemstone.
"Oh Jack it's beautiful!" She brought her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his lips. She got up to admire it in the mirror that hung on the wall. Jack grinned seeing how it brought her some happiness. "I bought one for Celeste too. Is she around? I want to give it to 'er."
"Actually I haven't seen her all day. She's been out playing with Brennan."
Jack stood up and made for the door. "I'll go find 'er." Romi nodded and Jack left the cabin.
Out on the deck he could hear them laughing and it was coming from her room. He went over and opened the door. Celeste and Brennan were sitting on the floor playing a game they made up. As soon as Jack walked in, her smile faded and she just looked at him. Jack's face fell. His daughter never looked at him like that when he was with her before. Inside, he cursed himself.
"Brennan, could you please wait outside so I can talk to Celeste?"
Brennan looked at his friend for approval. Celeste silently nodded and Brennan got up and left the room. She stayed on the floor with her legs crossed. Jack noticed she wasn't wearing her bandanna. He went over and sat down on the floor next to her.
"Celeste I'm deeply sorry about the things you heard me say. I never meant them."
Celeste kept her face looking down at the wooden floor. "Then why did you say them?"
Ah a child's manner of thinking. "I don't know. It was very foolish of me to ever even think those things. I swear on pain of death, I will never say those things again. Will ye ever forgive me?"
Celeste looked at her father and he tried his best to look like he was pouting which made her giggle. "You promise? You really do love me and mommy?"
"I promise. I love ye more than me own life."
"And more than the Pearl?"
Jack grinned. "Even more than the Pearl."
Celeste cracked a smile, jumped up and flung her arms around Jack's neck. He held her tightly against him as he felt a wave of relief wash over him. "I got somethin' for ye."
She pulled back and had her eyes open wide. "What is it?"
"Ye have to close ye're eyes first."
"Ok." She closed them and Jack stood up to put the necklace around her neck. "Ok go look in the mirror."
She stood up and ran over to the mirror. "Wow, it's so pretty! What's this?"
"That's a shark's tooth."
Her eyes got even wider. "I'm never taking this off." She ran over to Jack to give him one more hug and ran out the door to show Brennan. Jack put his hands on his hips and sighed heavily. Celeste ran in again and grabbed her bandanna that was lying on the floor and ran back out. Jack laughed out loud and left the room.
He went back out to the deck and looked over the railing to see how the holes were coming along. Diego was there now helping his crew. It seemed they almost had one completely patched up. Jack looked at him through squinted eyes, thinking to himself why this man caused his wife to react in such a way.
Will came up behind him. "Is everything alright Jack? You look troubled."
"Not sure mate. Romi acted very strangely when I introduced Diego to 'er."
"Have you talked to her about it?"
"Aye, she said it was nothing. That he just reminded 'er of someone. I decided to just let it go since she is pregnant and I didn't want to get 'er frustrated."
"Romi's pregnant?"
"Aye. Just found out today meself."
"Well congratulations are in order then."
"Thanks mate. But now this whole Diego thing has me worried. I'm not sure I should let 'im come along." He leaned his back against the railing.
Will nodded understanding his friend's worries. He looked down where Diego was still busy fixing the holes. "He seems to be getting along with the crew just fine. And it looks like he really knows what he's doing."
"Hmm." He stroked his beard as he thought about what to do.
"But of course if you would feel better getting rid of him, it's entirely up to you, you are the captain after all."
Jack looked at Will and breathed in deeply. "You're right mate. If he gets out of line, we'll get rid of 'im immediately."
THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO TAKE THE TIME TO ACTUALLY REVIEW. IT'S FOR YOU I WRITE THESE CHAPTERS AND KEEP THIS STORY GOING!!!!
Romi's face had drained of all its color. Jack noticed how she suddenly became uneasy and squinted an eye at her. Diego had a surprised expression on his face as well. Neither one said a thing though.
"Romi? Ye alright luv?"
"Yes I'm fine, sorry. I just remembered something, that's all." She tried her best to put on a smile.
Jack wasn't thoroughly convinced. "This is Diego, he will be joining the crew."
He extended his hand and Romi hesitantly shook it. He placed a kiss on hers. "Pleasure to meet you Romi."
His gaze was somewhat disturbing and Romi felt a bit queasy.
Jack's gaze went from one to the other and decided he needed to break this up. He could see it was bothering Romi quite a bit.
"Come Diego, why don't I show ye to the quarters ye'll be sharin' with my men. We can all talk later at dinner aye?"
"Aye Captain, good idea." He nodded his goodbye to Romi as she stood there staring after him.
Angela had been watching the whole thing unravel before her eyes and came up behind Romi. "What's he doing here?" The sudden noise behind her startled Romi out of her trance.
"I don't know."
"Are you going to tell Jack?"
"I'm not sure if that's such a good idea."
Angela let out a deep breath. "Well whatever you decide on, make sure it's the right decision." Angela left to make sure the kids were alright and Romi went back to her room.
She was in her room pacing back and forth when Jack came in minutes later.
"Want to tell me what that was all about back there?" He folded his arms in front of his chest waiting for her answer.
"Nothing Jack. He just looked like someone I knew and it kind of startled me." She tried her best to keep a straight face. Jack wasn't buying it though. He knew her well enough that he could see she was disturbed by something. But considering everything they just went through and the fact that she was pregnant, he decided to drop it for now.
"Alright then." He sat on the bed and motioned for her to sit with him and she did without a fuss.
Jack brought Romi into his embrace and she felt much better. Then he suddenly remembered the necklace he bought her.
"I almost forgot. I bought ye somethin'."
Romi quirked an eyebrow at him. "Oh really?"
"Aye close ye're eyes." Romi did as he asked and Jack took the trinket out of his pocket. He moved her hair off to the side as he slid it around her neck and clasped it on. Romi opened her eyes and looked down at the green gemstone.
"Oh Jack it's beautiful!" She brought her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his lips. She got up to admire it in the mirror that hung on the wall. Jack grinned seeing how it brought her some happiness. "I bought one for Celeste too. Is she around? I want to give it to 'er."
"Actually I haven't seen her all day. She's been out playing with Brennan."
Jack stood up and made for the door. "I'll go find 'er." Romi nodded and Jack left the cabin.
Out on the deck he could hear them laughing and it was coming from her room. He went over and opened the door. Celeste and Brennan were sitting on the floor playing a game they made up. As soon as Jack walked in, her smile faded and she just looked at him. Jack's face fell. His daughter never looked at him like that when he was with her before. Inside, he cursed himself.
"Brennan, could you please wait outside so I can talk to Celeste?"
Brennan looked at his friend for approval. Celeste silently nodded and Brennan got up and left the room. She stayed on the floor with her legs crossed. Jack noticed she wasn't wearing her bandanna. He went over and sat down on the floor next to her.
"Celeste I'm deeply sorry about the things you heard me say. I never meant them."
Celeste kept her face looking down at the wooden floor. "Then why did you say them?"
Ah a child's manner of thinking. "I don't know. It was very foolish of me to ever even think those things. I swear on pain of death, I will never say those things again. Will ye ever forgive me?"
Celeste looked at her father and he tried his best to look like he was pouting which made her giggle. "You promise? You really do love me and mommy?"
"I promise. I love ye more than me own life."
"And more than the Pearl?"
Jack grinned. "Even more than the Pearl."
Celeste cracked a smile, jumped up and flung her arms around Jack's neck. He held her tightly against him as he felt a wave of relief wash over him. "I got somethin' for ye."
She pulled back and had her eyes open wide. "What is it?"
"Ye have to close ye're eyes first."
"Ok." She closed them and Jack stood up to put the necklace around her neck. "Ok go look in the mirror."
She stood up and ran over to the mirror. "Wow, it's so pretty! What's this?"
"That's a shark's tooth."
Her eyes got even wider. "I'm never taking this off." She ran over to Jack to give him one more hug and ran out the door to show Brennan. Jack put his hands on his hips and sighed heavily. Celeste ran in again and grabbed her bandanna that was lying on the floor and ran back out. Jack laughed out loud and left the room.
He went back out to the deck and looked over the railing to see how the holes were coming along. Diego was there now helping his crew. It seemed they almost had one completely patched up. Jack looked at him through squinted eyes, thinking to himself why this man caused his wife to react in such a way.
Will came up behind him. "Is everything alright Jack? You look troubled."
"Not sure mate. Romi acted very strangely when I introduced Diego to 'er."
"Have you talked to her about it?"
"Aye, she said it was nothing. That he just reminded 'er of someone. I decided to just let it go since she is pregnant and I didn't want to get 'er frustrated."
"Romi's pregnant?"
"Aye. Just found out today meself."
"Well congratulations are in order then."
"Thanks mate. But now this whole Diego thing has me worried. I'm not sure I should let 'im come along." He leaned his back against the railing.
Will nodded understanding his friend's worries. He looked down where Diego was still busy fixing the holes. "He seems to be getting along with the crew just fine. And it looks like he really knows what he's doing."
"Hmm." He stroked his beard as he thought about what to do.
"But of course if you would feel better getting rid of him, it's entirely up to you, you are the captain after all."
Jack looked at Will and breathed in deeply. "You're right mate. If he gets out of line, we'll get rid of 'im immediately."
THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO TAKE THE TIME TO ACTUALLY REVIEW. IT'S FOR YOU I WRITE THESE CHAPTERS AND KEEP THIS STORY GOING!!!!