Chapter 23
Twenty-Three
J oe
Homecoming weekend was a big deal for Greenvale College.
The Jackets football team were playing their biggest rival, Culver-Stockton, Friday night and were favorites to win.
A win would clinch a playoff berth and Leslie was determined that would happen.
Joe was so thrilled for Leslie that the team had come together.
Watching him lead the young players this far was so inspiring. Joe hoped he could do the same.
The cheerleaders would be performing their competition routine at halftime of the football game.
Saturday morning, the Jackets cheer team would be headed to Kansas City bright and early for the Heart of America Conference cheer competition.
Placing in the top three meant a bid for nationals in March, which Joe was counting on.
The kids were unbelievably talented and driven and had come together as a solid team with a fighting chance.
President Payton would also be introducing the new faculty to the alumni and families joining the school community at homecoming, which meant Joe would have to act all collegial and shit, which had grown increasingly difficult.
Ever since Leslie had found Joe in the ice bath, they’d become a bit daring.
Joe spent almost a full night at Leslie’s, Leslie had come over to Joe’s when he was less likely to be seen, and they’d even made use of the athletic office storage closet because Joe hadn’t been able to wait until later that night.
All of it flustered Leslie, but he loved every minute.
Since the athletic center reopened, the teams were both using the facility.
Proximity had made it more difficult to remain professional and they’d been nearly caught making out more than once.
Joe’s hip was much better. He’d come clean to the team, told them he’d been injured, and asked for their help in reminding him to set a good example by letting it heal and not working out with them.
Leslie had been instrumental in his rehab, working him out in private, pushing him as far as he could take it and no further.
After three weeks, he’d been able to give up the cane and lead stretches…
carefully. He figured after another three weeks he’d be able to start dancing again, easy at first of course, but he was determined to be okay.
The football team was ahead in the fundraising, but Joe cared less about that than he should. How bad would it be to lose the wager? He had everything he wanted, including Leslie, and the team was doing great. He and Marti continued to brainstorm more ideas, but his heart wasn’t in it.
The night of the homecoming game, Joe was getting ready in his apartment, finally dressing warm because they’d had their first chilly weather that week, when his phone rang.
“Hey Joe, it’s Arthur. Listen, Dance Machine ’s producers called. They want to do a nationwide tour. They want you to choreograph it and they want you to star.”
Joe’s chest tightened. On the one hand, he was elated to be asked. On the other, he was frustrated that he was being asked.
“This puts me in a tough situation, Arthur. What are the dates?”
“They’re still in the planning stages of booking the shows and the talent. They want the winners from each season, but they want you as the headliner. They’re talking spring and summer.”
Joe exhaled and dropped his chin to his chest. “You know I can’t do that. I’ve got the job here through May. Choreography, maybe, but I can’t be gone more than a few days. The kids need me.”
And he needed the kids. He’d come to love the practices and his classes.
He’d worked with the dean of instruction to outline a degree program, done the research to see what other same-sized colleges had done, and was working on a proposal to share with Barry and then the board.
The more he worked on it, the more excited he got, and the more excited Leslie got.
Because Leslie wanted him to stay. Because they were in love. And Joe wanted a life with Leslie.
How could he even consider being away from him?
The running away he’d done for all those years seemed so foolish now. All he wanted to do now was run to Leslie.
“Are you there, Joe? They said they’re willing to discuss your schedule because they want the Joe Judd stamp on the production. I can tell them the tour would have to be in the summer, but rehearsals…”
“Yeah. Look, thank you for taking care of this, Arthur. I’ve gotta get to the game.”
“As your agent, I’ll say this is important, but as your friend, I’d encourage you to consider sitting this one out. With your injury—”
“I hear you. And thank you. I’ll let you know after this weekend. If we qualify for Nationals tomorrow, it will be tough for me to get away. Let me think on it.”
“And talk to Leslie.”
“Yeah,” Joe answered. Leslie’s feelings mattered in all of this. He didn’t want Leslie to think for one minute that he wasn’t serious about staying and committing to a life on the homestead with him.
Joe walked at a brisk pace to the field and caught up with the Payton brothers outside the gates.
“Coach Judd, care to join in on the wagers for the game?”
Joe raised his eyebrow. “Who’s betting against your team?”
“No, no no no, it’s not like that. We have more important things to bet on. Like, will Brother Leslie swear? Will Brother Randy throw down his clipboard?”
“Ah,” Joe said to Randy. “Of course. Put me down for yes to both.”
Leslie turned on him with mock shock. “I can’t believe you’d bet against me.
” He blinked his big blue eyes and Joe wanted to kiss him until his pout went away.
He didn’t really need an excuse to want to kiss him, though.
He never thought he’d be so sappy as to want to kiss all the time, but he really did. He loved kissing Leslie…
“You could always add to the bets whether or not Coach Judd bites his nails during the team’s performance.”
“Ooo, I’ll put fifty on that,” Randy said, pulling out his phone and typing into a spreadsheet.
“You guys are like bookies here.”
“Yeah, but it’s all harmless,” Sandy said. “It’s all in fun.”
Joe turned to Barry who was shaking his head. “And you allow this type of Paytonfoolery?”
He shrugged. “The alternative is them pulling pranks. Like the time they filled Leslie’s water bottle full of saltwater, or the time Randy kept dropping wads and wads of chewed gum on the ground so Leslie kept stepping in it.”
“That was funny. He was like stomping around the sidelines, wiping his feet on the grass—”
“It was not funny! I got that shit everywhere. Ruined my shoes.”
The brothers continued laughing about it as they walked into the stadium together, but Joe and Leslie hung back.
“You all packed for tomorrow?” Leslie asked. They walked close together and spoke in low voices.
“I’ve still got room in my duffle if you want to come with,” Joe said with a wink.
Some kids came running through and knocked into Joe.
Leslie’s arm came around his back to steady him.
Joe smiled up at him, but then he noticed a couple of his kids from his beginning dance class watching the two of them wide-eyed.
Joe raised an eyebrow as if to say, “carry on” and they giggled and skittered away.
Leslie noticed it too and removed his hand.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not,” Joe said. “I’d walk in here right now holding your hand. Hell, give me your varsity jacket. Wait, what’s the college equivalent of that?”
“I don’t know, Joe,” Leslie said in a mocking voice. “Since we aren’t college students—”
“Ooo, I should wear my number thirteen Payton 49ers football jersey. I love that thing. It’s huge on me.”
“Stop it. You do not have one of my jerseys.”
Joe giggled. “It was an impulse buy. I was with some dance friends in San Francisco and we went to the 49er team store at Pier 39 and I just had to get it.” He leaned closer and spoke next to Leslie’s ear.
“I also bought one of those ladies crop top versions, the mesh ones? Somewhere there’s a whole photoshoot of pictures of me in that and barely there trunks. ”
Leslie stumbled and turned to glare at him. “You can’t tell me that right now!”
Joe smiled sweetly at him. “Love you.”
And Leslie’s cheeks turned that lovely shade of pink that Joe adored.
They may not have been college students, but he felt the internal butterflies like a young person in love. The way Leslie looked at him, not even trying to hide how much he felt for Joe, made Joe feel like he was flying. He hoped the flight was smooth and not careening out of control.
“I gotta head into the locker room and make sure everyone is all set,” Leslie said. “Will I see you after?”
Joe wrinkled his nose. “I’ve gotta be up by four. Bus leaves at five. But I’ll call you before bed.”
Leslie’s blue eyes, so bright under the stadium lights, sparkled just for Joe.
“You do that. Oh, and by the way, we have a surprise for you.”
Joe frowned, but Leslie strolled away, being as the big coach was needed on the field, of course. Joe wanted to march down there after him and demand he explain, but then Joe was surrounded by cheerleaders tugging him toward the field as it was time for a pregame huddle.
Joe and Marti met them down on the track as the team stretched and warmed up as a group.
“You got your pep talk memorized?” Marti asked him.
“Pep talk? Uhhh… ”
“Hey, Coach?” Terrell asked. “Sorry to interrupt, but Genesis is worried about our partner stunt. Can you talk to her?”
“Sure. But let’s huddle first.”
Joe didn’t think he’d ever get used to the kids looking to him for leadership and guidance.
It was different than working with contestants on Dance Machine or choreography for group numbers.
They were there to learn the routine and move on.
These kids wanted to learn from him, were inspired by him, and that was a whole new ballgame.