Belle & Jack

In any case, plans did have to be made. After their day together yesterday, and the very limited size of her luggage, Jack had the feeling that Belle may not have put a great deal of thought into what she'd actually do once she arrived in Ireland. They'd talked about some of the attractions and beauty spots nearby the day before and the weather seemed to have improved. It wasn't raining at least.

"No idea," Belle replied as they ate. "Maybe we could visit one of those places you recommended yesterday?"

So he listed off again some of the ideas they'd spoken about but got the feeling she was most interested in a walk along the headland that was just next to the property, where the road ended.

"I'm just not sure I have the clothes for it though," she said, looking a little embarrassed. "I didn't really pack very well for this trip."

"Well not to worry," Jack noted, "I can bring you into town. It's not exactly a metropolis or anything, but I'm sure you'll get a few bits and pieces anyway, enough to keep you going."

He felt his heart flutter again when she laughed and remembered the simple joy of listening to her as she lay on the couch the night before.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," Belle replied, "it's just, I didn't think shopping would be the first thing I did when I got here! But you're right. It's a good idea. Let me take a shower and change after breakfast and we can drive into town."

***Belle***

"That was amazing Jack, thanks," Belle said as they finished eating. She'd been thinking about doing something during breakfast. It was what she wanted to do, that is, it was what felt natural, so what she was thinking about was whether it would make him uncomfortable, which she didn't want to do. She came to the conclusion that, whether it did or not, she was going to do it anyway.

He had been quick to wave her off before when she'd been about to try to thank him for his kindness the previous night but she really did want him to know how much she appreciated it.

So as she rose from the table to shower and prepare for the day, she moved around to him and, noting not without humor the mild panic she thought she saw on his face, she leaned over quickly and kissed his cheek softly.

"Thank you Jack," she said quietly and smiled as she saw him blush.

Their shopping trip to town wasn't exactly orthodox but Belle still managed to stock up reasonably well. She'd never heard of any of the brands of the clothes she now owned but that was just fine by her. Newly set up with plenty of warm layers and a decent pair of walking shoes, she felt ready to try the headland walk they'd discussed.

As she changed into some of her new clothes back at the house, it occurred to her that she was expecting Jack to come with her, even though there was absolutely no reason for him to. The trailhead was only a couple of minutes on foot from the house and it was well marked. Theoretically, she didn't need him to come. But she couldn't resist the knowledge that she wanted him to.

***Jack***

Jack was sitting at the kitchen table reading a large, broadsheet newspaper when she came in, dressed and ready for her walk. He had, of course, had the same thought as her. Theoretically, the headland walk was ideal for Belle. Spectacularly beautiful, easily managed by a person on their own and directly adjacent to her accommodation. If she was looking to be alone, there was nowhere better.

But the more he thought about it, the more he felt that she really didn't want to be alone and equally, that he didn't want her to be. More accurately, he had to admit to himself that he didn't want her to be alone, not out of any professional concern for her safety or security, but simply because he wanted to be with her.

Don't be so fucking stupid, he said to himself, just as she came in.

"What do you think?" she asked, doing a mock twirl for him but his smile was nervous.

"Looks great, you won't be cold in all that anyway," he observed and there was a strange moment of silence, the kind of moment that hadn't really existed between them up to then.

"So listen Jack, I was thinking. This trail, I've never done it before obviously and, well, you never know who might be... anyway, I was wondering, and I hate to impose and all, again, but... would you mind... coming with me?"

It took a good deal of effort for Jack to avoid leaping to his feet and saying 'I thought you'd never ask', or something like that, but nevertheless he couldn't shake the feeling as he looked back at Belle that they both understood what was behind her question.

***Belle***

"Oh, of course, no problem Belle. Just let me change my shoes and grab my coat."

"You're sure Jack? I'm really sorry, I just..."

"Don't think another thing about it Belle, sure the walk'll do me good. Cooped up in that car most of the day yesterday, I could use some exercise."

They were smiling at each other as he left the room and, like Jack, Belle had an inkling that he knew just as much as she did why she'd really asked him to join her. But actually, she decided, she didn't care.

So they went together. The rain from the day before had stayed away but there was a strong breeze whipping in from the Atlantic and Belle was very glad she'd gone shopping.

She enjoyed hiking, although it wasn't something she did all that often, one of those things her work didn't leave her much time for, and so she very quickly felt a familiar pleasure as they walked. Despite the cold and the wind, she felt a strange freedom and once or twice she saw Jack looking at her and chuckling at her grin.

"You know most people wouldn't be so happy to be out in this weather," he observed, raising his voice to be heard over the wind.

She paused and looked around. They'd been walking for maybe twenty minutes. The cottage was no longer in sight. Off to her left, the Atlantic heaved and rolled and she felt almost overwhelmed by the beauty of the stark green and brown landscape all around her.

"I know...," she said finally, "it's just... it's so beautiful Jack. It feels like there isn't another person for miles. It's like the end of the world!"

They laughed together and walked on and she almost didn't notice as her hand made it's way inside the crook of his elbow and she leaned into his body for warmth.

***

THREE

***

***Jack***

After arriving at the cottage, Jack the driver did no driving at all until Belle's fourth day in Ireland. They just walked everywhere. And always together. The weather had eased a little, it was a little less cold and the wind had lessened. They explored beyond the headland and the countryside in the other direction, back towards town.

There'd been no more finding spurious excuses for him to accompany her either. After that first time, it was taken as given.

Prepared for the possibility that this job he'd agreed to do would be a dull affair and leave him sitting around with nothing to do for long stretches, he'd brought three books with him and downloaded six or seven movies he'd been meaning to watch to his laptop. But his books stayed unread, his movies unwatched. He spent almost every waking hour with Belle.

Jack wasn't a solitary man by anyone's definition, he had a large, close-knit extended family and a small but intimate circle of good friends. Still, he was also someone who enjoyed his own company, enjoyed the peace and quiet of being alone. It never bothered him. So he couldn't avoid thinking about how unusual it was for him to enjoy just being with someone else for so long, with barely a moment to himself.

On their fourth day together, walking around what passed for a supermarket in the nearby small town as they replenished their supplies, he reflected that it felt a little bit like one, admittedly very long, date. And, he had to admit, a good one at that.

Don't be so fucking stupid Jack, he told himself.

***Belle***

Belle was standing in front of a large freezer, recipe ideas running through her head, when she realized the criteria she was unconsciously using to decide what she'd like to cook that night was primarily focused on what she thought Jack would like.

She smiled to herself and glanced sideways at him, standing beside her, and reflected that for a moment there, she'd actually forgotten about Brian, about running away, about hiding. She was just here. Happy. Enjoying herself. With a man she liked.

This is fucking crazy. Her internal voice was loud and clear in her mind but she pushed it to one side.

"Chicken or beef?" she said.

"What's that?"

"Chicken or beef, what's your favorite?"

"Lamb," Jack said, grinning, "can't beat a nice bit of lamb."

"Lamb? Seriously?"

"Yeah. Or pork. Or ham. Not really sure what the difference is actually. Anything from a pig I suppose."

"You're just being difficult because I said I'd make dinner tonight."

"You asked."

"Anything from a pig. So, what? Pig's face, pig's ears, you'd have no problem with any of that?"

"Not a bit. Trotters even."

"Tell me trotters are not what I think they are."

Jack used his fingers to demonstrate walking, still grinning.

"Stop, that's disgusting!" Belle protested and thumped him playfully.

"Don't knock it till you've tried it Belle," Jack observed and then they were laughing together.

Belle felt her mood rise even higher. It was silly, juvenile even and then when she thought about how she was feeling it did remind her a little bit of being a teenager. And she knew her hand lingered on Jack's arm several seconds longer than it needed to. She also knew that had been happening with increasing frequency as the days passed.

***Jack***

The sun was going down when they arrived back at the cottage. As a result of their mock argument in the supermarket, Jack had insisted that he would make dinner that night, as a penance for any perceived slight. She'd tried to wave him off but he stuck to his guns. He liked cooking, he'd cooked most of Belle's meals for nearly four days now. She'd accepted his offer at last but insisted on buying a couple of bottles of wine as her contribution to the occasion.

They'd been exploring the peninsula on foot for much of the day before their shopping trip so Belle retired for a hot shower while Jack got started on dinner. Although he was alone for the first time that day, his mind couldn't stop itself thinking about her.

Jack understood that he wasn't an unattractive person. Still, he'd never had much success with women. He'd been in a handful of relatively brief relationships but tended to avoid dating in general. Among his circle of friends, the single ones anyway, he was the only one without a dating app on his phone. So he knew that his radar for when a woman was interested in him was unreliable at best.

But that wasn't the only reason he was reluctant to come to the conclusion that Belle liked him. Sure, they'd obviously been enjoying each other's company, they'd learned they had certain things in common and conversation still flowed naturally and easily but ultimately, he just couldn't accept that someone like Belle Melville, global superstar, surely among the pantheon of the most desirable women on the planet, was interested in him, former soldier, temporary driver slash security guard.

"Get your head out of your arse Jack," he said aloud.

***Belle***

"What's that?" Belle said, returning to the kitchen, dressed for bed after her shower although it was still only early in the evening.

"Huh? Oh... nothing, nothing. Feeling better after that?" he asked.

"Much, thanks. This smells amazing." It did smell amazing but Belle knew there was probably another reason why she moved over to the stove to stand close to Jack, to lean in over the pot to inspect his work, her body pressing just lightly against his.

Why can't I stop touching him? she asked herself and retreated to set about opening one of the bottles of wine.

Food was one of the first topics of conversation they'd shared and Belle was beginning to understand how much it meant to Jack. Dinner each night had become more and more elaborate, more and more of an event. That night's even included candle light. The second bottle had been opened by the time they retired to the living room. Jack had lit the fire and the room was roasting hot.

Belle was curled comfortably into one of the arm chairs, absently reading a novel while Jack sat on the couch, his feet resting on the coffee table, doing a newspaper crossword as, Belle had noted, seemed to be his habit at least once a day.

A fairly lengthy comfortable silence had developed, the crackling fire providing their soundtrack. Jack would occasionally ask Belle for a six letter word for something. Belle was thinking about how the only thing their pleasant, peaceful evening was missing was music when Jack interrupted her.

"You know what'd be nice?" he asked, glancing over at her from over the paper.

"What's that?"

"Well... I know you wanted a place without Wi-Fi and all, and I think it's a great idea in general by the way but, you'd miss it for a bit of music, wouldn't you?"

"I was literally just thinking that," Belle said, unable to hide the slight shock in her smile.

"Huh... great minds eh?"

"Yeah... hey, I think I might have a couple of playlists downloaded to my phone, hang on," she said, getting up and heading for her bedroom.

"Ha! Hang on? Where do you think I'd be going?!" Jack called after her and Belle grinned all the way down the hall.

Music had been another of their conversations on that first day so she had some idea what kind of stuff Jack liked, although the very limited selection she had downloaded probably didn't fit into any of those categories. Still, she didn't think it mattered that much. It was atmosphere they were after mostly.

"OK...," she said, scrolling through the music app on her phone as she returned to the living room. "Two options... Grease, the original cast recording or... This is Frank Sinatra." She grimaced in his direction a little bit, feeling a little vulnerable quite suddenly with the thought of any judgement he might make about her odd musical choices.

"Right, well... quite an eclectic mix you have there!" he said, chuckling mildly but Belle was relieved not to sense anything harsh in his aspect.

"Yeah... well... my little sister was in her high school production of Grease a couple months ago and we were practicing a lot together. I think I got a little hooked." She wasn't sure why but she was embarrassed to have admitted this to him, although the memory of that time spent with her sister was a happy one, so her eyes were nervous when she glanced over at Jack, doubly so when he saw the odd look on his face.

"Hey, you don't have to explain yourself to me. You're looking at the Military Musical and Dramatic Society of Ireland's very own Danny Zuko. I'd be happy to put on a little revue for you if you want."

She didn't know whether he was joking or not but she couldn't help the girlish giggle that escaped her lips and she felt her face getting warm and instinctively moved to cover it with her hands. This has got to be some kind of set up, she thought.

"What are you laughing at?! I'll have you know I was very well reviewed!" Belle's laughter grew louder and she waved her hand at Jack in a mock gesture of asking for forgiveness.

"What about the other one then. I didn't have you pegged for a Sinatra fan," he said, still smiling warmly at her from the couch. It took her a moment to calm herself but his question helped.

"I'm... I'm not, not really. It... he was my dad's favorite." It had been seven years since they'd lost Belle's dad to cancer. It had already come up in conversation with Jack, who'd been even younger than she had been when he'd lost his own father, so she knew he'd understand that thinking of her dad was not a raw pain, not something that made her sad. "I like to put it on sometimes, you know, to remind me of him, remind me of when I was younger, when life was a little simpler, slower I guess."

She was smiling over at Jack a little nervously. This wasn't the first personal insight about herself she'd shared with him but it struck her then that it was actually fairly remarkable that he never seemed to stumble when she did, never seemed shocked or unsure how to respond. He just took it in his stride and the warm smile that spread slowly across his whole face, his mouth, his cheeks, his eyes, warmed her heart to the extent that she actually sighed a little.

"Well, I don't know about you but I think something that harks back to a slower, simpler time is just about perfect."

"Me too."

"I'll save my Danny Zuko for another time, eh?"

"I'll hold you to that," Belle replied though fresh laughter.

"Maybe we can do a duet."

The words 'You're the one that I want' were on the tip of her tongue but they didn't escape. She just smiled softly as she set the Sinatra playlist to shuffle.

***Jack***

That song had started playing in Jack's head too, as soon as he'd made the playful suggestion of a duet. He struggled a little bit to understand how he could be feeling that his heart was pounding and yet be utterly content at the same time.

As Sinatra's dulcet tones played softly through her phone, Belle asked him about his experiences with musicals and theatre. It was something he did for fun ever since he was reluctantly recruited by a favorite teacher in school. So it felt a little odd as he regaled Belle with the funnier stories he recalled from his limited experience treading the boards, given that not only was it what she did for a living but it was something she was world renowned for being great at.

Still, that didn't bother him and he knew this was principally because of how Belle's rapt attention and easy laughter made him feel, just like it had for days now.

"So you must have had some dance training then, right?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, plenty. I mean, when I started first I'd never done anything like that in my life, nor would I ever have considered it. But I don't know, I just enjoyed it. Took to it like a duck to water. Sure I could give dancing lessons at this stage."

"Oh come on, I don't believe you." Belle cocked her head playfully and smirked at him. He had meant it as a joke, although he really did enjoy dancing.

"Cross my heart. The last show I was in, it's a few years ago now mind you, the choreographer said I was, and I quote, a dream to work with."

Belle seemed to accentuate the mock disbelief in her look for a moment and then started to stand up. Jack swallowed hard.

***Belle***

"Well now this I gotta see," she said. She admitted to herself as she stood that if she hadn't had three glasses of wine, she probably wouldn't have. Still, she decided it was courage the wine had given her rather than a lessening of her inhibitions.

Fly me to the Moon had just started. The soft drum beat at the beginning always made her smile. It was one of her dad's favorites, and a perfect song to dance to. Jack's game smile had dropped considerably as she held out her hand for him and for a moment she worried that he'd refuse her, that she'd taken it that one step too far until, after only a moment's hesitation he grinned again and threw the newspaper down beside him.

"Now you've gone and done it," he said.

She found that the level of anticipation she felt for his hand taking hers was far beyond what was reasonable. The thought excited her so much she was worried her hand might shake.

But it didn't, although there was an involuntary sharp intake of breath when Jack took her hand and spun her gently before taking her other hand in his and pulling her close to him.

"Nice move," she quipped but Jack only chuckled.

The room was small, their dancefloor tiny and at first they just sort of swayed softly together. But soon they were moving and Belle allowed herself to be guided by Jack as they stepped lightly, both barefooted, across the carpet.