The Attainment of Evangeline

Chapter 34

"My sex tends to associate kissing or being bedded as an act of love or affection. But, as I've learned with you, the two can be completed without emotion."

Jack nodded his head in agreement, taking Emily's letter and tossing it back in the pile so he wouldn't have to think on it any longer.

"Women confuse sex with makin' love, but they are two completely different things."

"You said that women know nothing about you. What don't they know?" she asked, resting her head on the desk and looking up at him.

He wrinkled his nose, set aside a few parchments that he had been going over and made a show of shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, for instance, no other woman on this planet knows about Annie besides you. That's something ya need to know before ya confess undyin' love for someone. Those women weren't privy to the things I like and enjoy or the things I hate. Honestly, they knew me name and that was the extent of their knowledge, it didn't even include what color I happen to favor."

"Its blue," she said nonchalantly.

Jack's eyebrow rose in surprise.

"Correct. How did ya know that?"

"You told me! You said you loved the color blue because it was calming, like the ocean."

"I did? I don't recall that. Why don't I know what color ya prefer?"

"Perhaps because you've never asked."

Thinking for a moment, Jack's forehead wrinkled and his eyes narrowed.

"What color do ya like best?" he asked slowly.

Evangeline smiled and rolled her eyes, finding it slightly annoying that Jack was just now asking her.

"Yellow."

"Yellow," he replied. "Why yellow?"

"Hmmm. Well, because it's...it's bright and happy."

"Just like you," Jack chuckled. "What else do ya know about me that I don't know about ya?"

She thought for a moment. She knew many things about Jack Sparrow, things he had outright told her, things he had happened to mention once, and things she herself had personally noticed.

"I know you have a brother whom you dislike and a sister you adore."

"I don't dislike Daniel, I hate him," Jack corrected her with a pointed finger.

"Oh, my apologies. I know you like to read although you would never admit it to the crew. You're terribly afraid of death, and you can read people's faces."

"Damn. Um, let's see. What do I know about Evangeline?" he asked before snapping his fingers and smiling. "Ya hate to be told ya look just like your mother, even though ya do."

"Do you look like your mother?"

"Me mum always said I had her smile and eyes."

"Your mother must have been very beautiful," she whispered. "I mean, you have a beau...a wonderful smile and your eyes are...nice."

Jack chuckled.

"Well, thank ya. And aye, me mum was perhaps the most beautiful woman I've ever met."

"What was her name?"

"Estrella. It means star in spanish, her native language."

"That's lovely."

Smiling, Jack stood up to stretch. He looked over his desk and swayed a bit before making his way towards his bed and laying down, folding his arms behind his head.