7
The dance hall was jumping by time Rose and Jack arrived.
"Fabrizio and Helga said they were meeting us here?" Rose asked, clinging to Jack’s hand.
"Yeah. They’ll be here soon," Jack started looking for a table.
"Jack! Jack!" Tommy called, heading in Jack’s direction, dragging a blond behind him.
"Hey Tommy! You made it!" Jack hugged his friend.
"Where have you been all day? I’ve been looking all over for you?"
"I was around," Jack shrugged. "So, tell me who’s this," He glanced at Tommy’s date.
"Ursula Burgenhiem," Tommy grinned. "We met at the record store. She was going through the secret stash of swing albums and we got into a deep conversation about Louis Armstrong. And who is this lovely creature?"
Jack laughed. "Rose Dewitt Bukater. Fabri and Helga set us up last night and we've hit it off from there."
"It’s nice to meet you," Rose shook Tommy and Ursula’s hands.
"Your name…it sounds familiar," Ursula frowned. "I just can’t place it."
"Come on you girls, let’s set down. So Jack, where is Fabri?"
"He and Helga are meeting us here," Jack led the way to a table he spotted a second ago. "So tell me Tommy. How did you get out of the house without your parents knowing where you went?"
"I told them that Ursula was introducing me to her brother who so happens to be a Hitler Youth. Genious huh?"
"Totally," Jack laughed.
"So Rose," Ursula cleared her throat. "Tell us more about yourself."
"Yeah, it’s not everyday we see Jack with a date. You must be pretty special."
"Well…there’s really not much to tell," Rose glanced at the table.
"She’s best friends with Helga," Jack replied.
"You do hate Hitler don’t you?"
"Of course," Rose nodded. "It’s horrible what he’s doing to all those people."
"If my folks caught me here…they’d send me to the frontlines themselves," Tommy shook his head.
"My mother doesn’t like it, but she knows she can’t tell me not to go," Jack sighed. "She doesn’t understand that if we let Hitler get his way soon they’ll be coming after us for some reason or another."
"Well I for one am tired of sitting," Ursula got to her feet. "Come on Tommy, let’s dance."
"Now?" Tommy asked, not ready to get up on the dance floor.
"Yes now. We’ll be back," Ursula pulled Tommy away, leaving Jack laughing.
"I think Tommy’s got more than he hoped for," Jack laughed.
"Tommy seems nice," Rose shyly smiled.
"He is. He’s just having a hard time right now. His parents are pressuring him to join the youths and he doesn’t want to."
"Sounds like my situation. My mother wants me to marry Cal, but I don’t want to," Rose sheepishly smiles. Despite her situation, she was indeed having a good time. The music was like getting lost in a dream or something. Plus being there with Jack, to be the only girl he was looking at…it was all magical. Just for one more night she forgot about Caledon Hockley and her domineering mother. For that night she was just Rose, having fun with a boy named Jack.
"Rose!" Helga waved as her and Fabrizio pushed their way to their table. "Was I surprised when Fabri called and told me that we were meeting you and Jack here. I thought for sure you were never going to see Jack again."
Rose smiled. "Let’s just say that I’ve had a change of heart," Rose laughed.
"Come on Rosie. Let’s dance," Jack pulled her onto the dance floor and together they began to move to the music. Following Jack’s moves Rose became quite good.
"Jack who is this song by?" Rose asked curiously, trying to keep up with the moves
"Count Basie. Isn’t he great?" Jack laughed
Rose just nodded and held onto Jacks hand as they continued to danc the night away.