Not All Treasure is Silver and Gold...

Chapter 7

Will you honour your Captain with a dance, Miss Callaway...?

Did I mention that you look lovely tonight...?

Thank you for the dance, Captain...

I tossed and turned for hours, the idea of Jack and me kissing fixed in my mind. I couldn't believe I had almost done that, my lips only millimetres away from my Captain's. I had almost jeopardized our friendship.

Why had I even wanted to kiss him anyway?

The ship had returned to Tortuga to drop off the guests, and, as the deck would now be clear, I decided to go for a little walk. Past Jack's cabin perhaps, if I could think what to say to him.

And yet...what would I say to him? Could it be possible that he was feeling even the slightest bit of the confusion I was? Did he care about what he had almost done? What could have happened? What would have happened, had Mr Gibbs not interrupted? I placed a cool hand to my aching head in despair.

And before I knew it, my feet had led me straight to the cabins though out of my control. I reached it with baited breath, and was about to knock, my hand balled up into a firm fist, but once again, I heard voices from inside. Frustrated, I decided to knock anyway, but my fist froze just inches away when I noticed Will was in Jack's cabin too, his soft, calm voice distinctive through the wooden door. Taken aback, I pressed my ear against it, listening intently.

"...Like I said before, you need to find yourself a girl, mate," I heard Jack say, sounding distinctly like he was grinning.

"Well...maybe I already have," I heard Will say defiantly, and I could picture him standing there in front of Jack, head held high in determination, brown eyes flashing. There was a creak of a chair and a thud of feet on the wooden floorboards and I heard Jack say in a very different tone, "You...you mean Elizabeth, aye?"

"No, I have someone else in mind," I heard Will mutter awkwardly and then there were a few low mutters. I strained my ears to listen but they were too quiet, barely audible at all. I jumped suddenly as Jack said, "Ah William...are you sure she's your type? Because I think her type might go for someone who she wouldn't think was her type, so really you think she's your type, though I think she most definitely isn't your type. Savvy?"

There was a pause before Will replied, "Jack...I cannot find women like her with the ease that you can; she's smart and beautiful and fun and...I don't know..." He drifted off dreamily.

"Oh, I know," Jack replied quietly, sounding deep in thought. I heard footsteps coming towards the door and I attempted to back off hurriedly, brushing and smoothing my hair and dress down. However, despite distancing myself from the door, Jack swung it open walked out, gazing at the floor and knocked right into me, sending me to the ground. Jack sighed as he observed me through his dark eyes, and eventually reached out his hand to me, but I didn’t take it.

"This seems to be a common theme at the moment," Jack said perceptively, watching me slyly with his large, chocolate eyes. "I open my door or walk past and catch you listening to my conversations, and usually send you flying."

"...Would you believe me if I told you I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time?" I asked, wincing and rubbing my side.

"Oh, definitely not," Jack smiled teasingly, his expression warm. I noticed a blush spread over his cheekbones and he couldn't meet my eyes.

"And er, this time, did you hear what me and Will were discussing?" He asked, trying to sound casual though his voice was strained with the attempt at normality.

"No," I lied once more. Will appeared in the doorway, arms folded as he stood beside Jack.

"Miss Callaway," he nodded, but I noticed he too was blushing. He gazed at the strange scene between me and Jack and smiled.

"I see Jack has truly knocked you off your feet," he said wittily. We all smiled politely, but in truth I felt uncomfortable, and it was all too evident why.

It was because what Will had just said...it was beginning to look, to me, as though it might be coming true.