Chapter Twenty-Six
November 20th, 1913
New York City, New York
Jack walked towards downtown. He had his hands dug deep into his coat pockets, his face etched in a mix of anger and sorrow. How could Frenchie and Iris act this way towards him? They knew he had been trying to recover from losing her, he had been so guarded, so careful of his actions, or so he thought. They knew he had been endlessly pining after Rose. He had never attempted to keep that a secret. How could they be so unaccepting of him finally being reunited with her? Jack shook his head, grounding his teeth together. He and Iris didn't belong together, he knew it. Why was he the only one who saw that? Why did Frenchie's family have their hearts set upon the vagrant who lived in the attic? Jack sighed as around him, the buildings began to reach for the sky.
Jack paused and cocked his head up, looking towards the sky that had few clouds floating through it. It was a rather goregous day with only a slight nip in the air. Jack simply couldn't enjoy it, though. His mind was too preoccupied, but he was determined to clear it. He knew it was early enough in the morning that Rose was still waiting tables. He decided he needed to see her. His feet began automatically in the direction of the diner, his eyes darting everywhere, trying to keep his thoughts away from the large blow-out he just had with his friends.
He passed by a park and glanced fleetingly over the rocky wall to see a few mother's and children occupying the space. Their squeals of delight faintly made it to his ears. Jack swiped some hair from his eyes and kept walking, crossing the street. He paused on a street corner and looked around for a moment, deciding which way could be the fastest. But something familiar caught his eye. Slowly, Jack approached a directory posted on the outside of a tall gray brick building. Jack fidgeted with his hands in his pockets as he saw the worlds, TIM CALVERT, ATTORNEY AT LAW, LEVEL 12 OFFICE 3. Jack squinted as he glanced up the towering building, the sunlight reflecting off the many windows.
Jack didn't quite know what he was doing as his muscles pushed him forward into the marble foyer of the building. A receptionist kindly greeted him. Jack looked towards the vaulted ceilings and then glanced to the ground level offices. The doors were propped open and he saw many people sat at typewriters and organizing shelves of information. Jack wandered towards the elevator.
"Good morning, sir," The attendant nodded towards him, "Which level did you need?"
"Uh," Jack tore his eyes away from a large plant, "Level twelve, please."
As the elevator climbed towards their destination, Jack rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. He had no idea what he was doing. He couldn't justify to himself why he was here. His heart thudded in his chest as the elevator slowed and the attendant pulled the gate back for him. Jack gave him a polite nod and stepped off, sheepishly looking both ways, up and down the hallways. He heard the elevator groan as it returned to the foyer. Jack was all alone in the deafeningly silent office corridor. A sign in front of him indicated Offices 1-5 were to the left. He scuffed his boots against the thick carpet for a moment before slowly beginning in the direction of Tim's office.
Jack gnawed on his lip for a moment before he raised his hand to the door and knocked. After a few moments, someone called for him to let himself in. Jack gripped the doorknob and took a deep breath, pushing it open. Jack paused, looking out the windows towards the city down below. Slowly, his eyes turned on Tim, who was sat at his desk behind a typewriter, several books laid out around him on his workspace. Tim adjusted his glasses and rose, smiling politely.
"Hello," Tim came around the desk, straightening his vest, "how can I help you?"
Jack didn't know what he was thinking. He cleared his throat and looked to Tim, though the very sight of him nearly scorned him, "Yes, I was wondering if you had time for a consultation."
"Oh, yes, of course," Tim nodded and closed the office door, gesturing towards a leather arm chair by his desk, "Go ahead and take a seat. Let me just grab my portfolio," Jack slowly seated himself in the leather chair, gripping the arms of it tightly. Tim opened a drawer in his desk and pulled a black leather portfolio out. He flipped it open to a blank page and reached for a fountain pen left forgotten in the binding of book. Tim came around his desk, leaning against it in a friendly manner in front of Jack. His professional smile never wavered as he placed the point of his pen to the blank sheet, "Well, I guess let's start with introductions," He laughed lightly, "My name is Tim Calvert."
"Jack..." Jack replied slowly, "Jack... Barnes..."
"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Barnes," Tim grinned as he scribbled the name across the front in perfect penmanship.
"You can just call me Jack," Jack told him, pressing his hand to his chin, "Can I call you Tim?"
"Yes, of course," Tim replied, looking up from his page, "I like to keep things casual between my clients and I. That way we can develop a trust. I want all my clients to trust me with handling their affairs. So, Jack, what can I do for you today?"
"I needed legal assistance in regards to... a marriage," Jack said slowly, calculating his words carefully, "Do you specialize in family law?"
"I've assisted in maybe a few dozen divorce and custody cases," Tim grinned.
"Great," Jack nodded, "That's what I need help in."
"Okay," Tim nodded, "You're interested in divorcing your wife?" Jack confirmed with a curt nod of his head, "Alright, what's her name?"
"It's, uh," Jack felt a devious feeling spreading in the pit of his stomach, "Rose."
"Rose?" Tim's head snapped up at the sound of her name, "Rose Barnes?"
"Yeah," Jack relaxed in his seat slightly, "you'd think a girl named after a delicate flower would be similar. But she's not. Word of advice: don't go after the girls with the names of plants."
Tim chuckled at this and grinned crookedly, "Funny you say that. My beloved is named Rose, too," Tim reached around a small garden plant on his desk and handed Jack a picture frame. Jack felt his blood turn to icy slush upon taking it into his hands. In the rather grainy photo, Tim and Rose were posed together on the porch of someone's quaint little house. They both had glasses of wine in their hands, Tim's arm snaked around her waist, holding her against his side. Jack's eyes followed the curly embroidery on the chest of Rose's dress, "You can't tell in the picture, but she has bright red hair to match her name."
"Lucky you," Jack licked his lips, glancing up from the picture that was searing his pupils, "How long have you two been together?"
"Oh, for the better part of the year," Tim shrugged as Jack handed the picture back to him. Tim looked to it nostagically for a moment, before setting it down, "Since April."
Jack smirked, "Yeah, my Rose was a sweetheart in the beginning, too. I married her within the first year of knowing her and boy, was that a mistake," Jack continued, shaking his head.
"So, how long have you and your wife been together?" Tim asked, holding his pen ready.
"About two years total now," Jack rubbed his chin for a moment, "We married in 1911."
"Any children?"
"Thank God, no," Jack shook his head. Tim smiled politely, "Trust me, Tim, when I say all girl's named Rose will do nothing but break your heart. When we first started seeing each other, everything was perfectly normal. She was sweet, smart, and could just about melt your heart with that smile of her's. Then slowly, she got odd about things... acted distant. I fooled myself into thinking maybe she was just playin' hard to get. She had more baggage than I was bargaining for. I made the mistake of thinking proposing to her would chase all her skeletons off."
Tim lowered his portfolio for a moment, pondering what Jack said. Jack pressed his fist to his mouth to conceal the smirk growing across his face. He realized he had hit the nail on the head with Tim and Rose's relationship. He felt slightly triumphant in the moment that maybe Rose could only trust him, no matter how hard Tim tried. Tim quickly regained his composure, however.
"Well," Tim's smile returned, "we can't generalize all women named Rose, can we?"
"Just be certain," Jack nodded his head towards the picture on the desk, "You seem like a good guy, a well-put together guy. Don't make the same mistake I did. Really think carefully about your life before you put a ring on it. You don't wanna be in the same mess as me, do you?"
"Thank you for the concern, Mr. Barnes," Tim laughed, lowering his pad, "I can tell you I think I've thought everything through."
"So... you're going to propose?" Jack asked.
"I plan to at her birthday in Feburary," Tim told him, "I already have the ring picked out."
Jack's entire body tensed, "Sure you wanna do that, Tim?"
"I think so, yes," Tim replied, "She's unlike anyone I've ever met before. Trust me, if you knew her, you would be smitten, too," He took a curt breath and placed his pen to the page before saying, "Okay, so let's talk logistics about this matter you'd like to bring to your wife's attention," Tim licked his lips, "Can you give me specific examples about where you and your wife most collide?"
Jack adjusted himself in his seat, feeling quite smug, "She's got secrets. I don't know what they are, but she disappears for afternoon's with lame excuses as to where she's been. Sometimes she just holes herself up in a room and doesn't answer the door."
"Has your wife ever been pregnant, Mr. Barnes?"
"No?"
"Was your decision to not have children unanimous?"
"Yeah, we couldn't afford 'em anyway," Jack shrugged, "Why?"
"It's a common issue amongst marriages," Tim replied as he scribbled on his pad, "Just trying to cover all the bases. Now, excuses as to where she's been? Examples?"
"Book club, number one most used excuse," Jack said, making Tim pause. Jack felt his heart skip a beat for a moment. Quickly, he faltered and said, "The woman doesn't even like to read."
In the next beat, Tim grinned, "That's too bad. Reading is wonderful."
Jack exhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring, as he sunk into the cushion of the chair. He chewed on his lip for a moment and his eyes darted to the patiently waiting Tim. He bobbed his knee absent-mindedly and pondered some words for a moment, "What do you think the secret about women is?"
"What do you mean?" Tim arched his eyebrows.
"What do you think is the way to a woman's heart?" Jack sat forward now, pressing his elbows to his knees, "What do you think will please her the most?"
Tim thought for a moment. The only sound was some distant honking and the clock in Tim's office ticking faithfully, "I just think it's all about respect. Understanding," Tim looked to Jack with his hazel eyes, "We live in a time where women just want rights. To be equal. As someone who only has sister's, I can empathize. It's important to nurture a smart woman."
Jack lowered his eyes to the carpet, stewing over his words. He hated to say, but he agreed in every way. Jack didn't want to think Tim was right or a smart man, but he did. It was clicking inside him that maybe that's why Rose had been attracted to him in the first place.
"I need to go see Rose," Jack lifted his eyes to Tim, "Can I come back some other time?"
"Yes, of course," Tim's grin was ear to ear. He gingerly laid his portfolio on his desk, "It's not often I get to hear those words, but it sure does make being a lawyer worth it when you can see someone wanting to work it out outside of the court system."
Jack came to his feet, rather flustered. A suffocating feeling was drawing in on him every moment he stood in Tim's office. Jack nodded stiffly to Tim, "Sorry for wasting your time."
"It's never a waste," Tim stood up straight and held his hand out to him, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Jack. I hope everything turns out well with your Rose."
"Same to you," Jack breathed, weakly gripping his hand. He left without another word, opting for the stairwell.
...
Jack found himself continuing in the direction of Rose's apartment. He lit a cigarette while he walked, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to be sure Tim didn't have the same idea. Rose had told him he would drop by only at the thought of her. Jack shook his head, frustrated.
Jack hated to finally admit it, but Tim was a genuinely good guy. He meant no ill-will. He certainly was not Cal Hockley. But, Jack still thought Rose was the only one for him. Knowing she was alive, them accidentally crossing paths, spoke to Jack on an astrological level. He thought he and Rose were really meant to be together. After all their trials and tribulations, how could they not have each other in the end? They had overcome so much, he felt they were so truly bonded, that surely, Rose couldn't be having doubts. A chill came over him at the question of second-thought.
No, Jack thought as he exhaled a plume of smoke from his lips, she's not having second thoughts. If she was, she wouldn't have even entertained the affair-ordeal. She wants to be with me. I'm certain. Neither Tim nor Iris could ever change that, His mood soured even worse at the thought of Iris. He scoffed, placing his cigarette in his mouth, Iris, I'm so mad at you, I could scream. I thought we had an understanding. I told you not to dip your heart in the water. You only made yourself shark bait.
Jack stopped in front of Rose's apartment complex. He finished his cigarette, tossing it to ground and stomping his boot over it. He sighed and began up the steps and through to the foyer. He paused once more to throw a glance at the pedestrians on the street before he continued to first door on the right. He gave a few curt raps, but heard no shifting on the other side of the door. Jack glanced down the dim hall towards the foyer, examining the light pouring through. It was quite possible she was still not home from work yet.
Jack sighed. He pressed his back to the wall and slid down, bending his knees to his chest. He rest his arms on top and sighed again, settling into his spot for the time being. Jack was convinced the entire day was his most unlucky yet. Everything had gone wrong and he was wound up, angry, frustrated. And he'd let that frustration come straight out of his body. Rose was not going to be pleased he saw Tim, but he had to, he told himself that.
"Hi!" Came a high pitched voice. Jack perked up, his head snapping to the right to see a rather young girl with blonde hair coming down the hallway. She was lugging a watering can at her side. It was so full, she was nearly off balance. She was wearing a dark blue long sleeve dress with black lace hems and a matching blue headband, "Are you moving in?"
"Oh, no," Jack cleared his throat, his face turning red, "I was just waitin' for a friend."
The girl glanced to the door and smiled giddily, "For Rose?" Jack only nodded. She set the watering can down, "You're just friends?"
"Yeah," Jack nodded, folding his legs to sit criss-cross. His hands fidgeted, "I've known her for a while. Old family friend, y'know?"
"Oh, you must be from Wisconsin, right?" Her eyes lit up, "She said she visited family there last year."
"Yup, I'm from Wisconsin," Jack replied, "My train just got in. I must've beaten her home," Jack hoped the girl wasn't attentive enough to notice he had absolutely no luggage with him, but the thought never seemed to cross her mind.
"Well, my name is Liliana," The girl lunged towards Jack, holding her hand out. He was startled by her sudden movement and accidentally bonked his head against the wall. He swallowed roughly and shook her small noodle-like hand, "Rose and I are really good friends."
"That's nice," Jack smiled crookedly, "She's a good girl."
"So, how long have you two known each other for?" Liliana sat daintly on her knees in front of Jack, splaying her skirt in a circle around her, "Oh my gosh," She gasped sharply, "Are you two childhood sweethearts?"
Jack brought his knees back to his chest, smirking at the question, "Our families were close."
"So surely that meant they wanted you two to get married, right?" Liliana was so perky and her mouth was going nearly a mile a minute, "But Rose is such a strong, independent lady that she said 'no way!' and ditched it to New York, huh? But you, the ever so kind gentleman, never held it against her and still hold a cordial relationship. Is that it, huh?"
Jack couldn't help but laugh. It sounded straight out of an over-glorified romance novel. Jack's shoulders bounced against the wall as he looked to ever-eager Liliana, "Sure, something like that."
"Does that mean you're single?" Liliana leaned forward with a big grin.
"Well, uh," Jack's voice cracked slightly, "Not necessarily."
"How long will you be in the city for?" Liliana's smile never wavered, "Have you ever been to The Big Apple before? I can't imagine the shell-shock from rural Wisconsin to urban New York City! You know, I would love to be your guide. Oh, you never even told me your name. A good tour guide always knows her tourists names!"
"Jack," He told her.
"Jack," She echoed and then giggled, "That's a great name."
"Thanks," He laughed, "My parents gave it to me."
Just then, the foyer door swung open and Rose came in with a bag of groceries balanced on her hips. As she came to the mouth of the hallway, she paused at the scene before her, her heart nearly thudding to a stop. She knitted her eyebrows together.
"Rose!" Liliana hopped to her feet, "Your friend Jack is so nice! I wish you'd invite him down from Wisconsin more often! We should take him sight-seeing!"
Rose's grip loosened slightly on her bag of groceries. She did her best to smile between the two of them before breathily saying, "Jack! I'm surprised your train got here in the time it did. You probably want to wash up, right? Come on, let's go inside. You can tell me all about the journey."
"Oh, I want to hear the stories, too!" Liliana grinned, watching as Rose fished her keys from her pocket.
"Jack's probably tired," Rose said, glancing over her shoulder, "Maybe another time, Liliana?"
"What about sight-seeing tomorrow?" Liliana asked, clasping her hands together, "He should see the Statue of Liberty!"
"We'll let you know," Rose told her, swinging her apartment door open. Quickly, she ushered Jack inside, fully aware of Liliana's eyelash batting in his direction, "Good night, Liliana," Rose said, before swinging the door shut without waiting for an answer.