Chapter 27
Twenty-Seven
J oe
Joe went through the motions for the next few weeks.
The Jackets football team went on to win the conference championship, just as Leslie had hoped, and the cheerleaders were there to support the team, but Joe avoided all persons Payton.
Basketball season was just around the corner and the cheer team shuffled personnel for the upcoming games.
Some of the kids opted not to cheer for the games but wanted to continue working out for the upcoming national competition.
His three-man hype squad expanded to seven and they were excited to perform.
They already had their routines laid out and had been posting teasers on Instagram.
Joe spent every night and some time on weekends working out with the team, and the rest of his time was taken up working on his courses, making them challenging and fun, brainstorming with Marti ways that he could improve for the second semester.
He already had kids, including football players, who wanted into his ballet and barre fitness class.
He researched some local universities and spoke with their dance departments to learn everything he could.
Why not? He had nothing else to do, and being productive made him feel better.
Ish. He could almost say that this work was more fulfilling than anything he’d done in his life up to this point, including his Tony award-winning run in West Side Story .
It just would have been better if he could have shared it with Leslie.
Several times he picked up his phone to reach out, but then he’d feel that gut punch once more.
Yeah, Leslie loved him, but he didn’t trust him, didn’t think enough of him to truly accept him as a partner. And what the hell was he supposed to do about that?
He spent the Thanksgiving break in LA rehearsing for Dance Machine , pouring his heart into new choreography, which the show’s producers guaranteed him would win an Emmy.
He got sick of hearing cracks like “that Iowa weather must have inspired you,” or “there must be something in that Midwest water,” as if Joe’s pain was some kind of magic.
Well, whatever, he used his pain and they used him to increase their ratings.
Everybody used everybody. That was show business, right?
In early December, he met with Barry to discuss the degree program proposal.
“This looks really, really good, Joe. You put a lot of work into this and I appreciate it. Dance is a major I’ve always thought we needed to offer.
My wife went to school here and always regretted that she didn’t continue with dance.
She was on the cheer squad a few years before you were here, you know. She loves what you’ve done this year.”
Joe smiled. “Happy to have a Payton as a fan.”
Barry’s nice-guy smile fell. “Joe, I’m sorry, I know—”
“It’s fine.” The last thing Joe wanted to do was talk about his imploded romance with his boss’s brother. The pain was enough. He didn’t need to add humiliation to his résumé. “So, what happens next?”
“Well, we bring this before the board. You’ll present your recommendations, and then it would require building each course, implementing them year by year so that by year four a degree would be possible.
If the board approves, you’d be looking at a five-year contract, and in addition you’d need to determine faculty needs, and you’d be a part of the hiring process. ”
Joe’s hand shook as he reached for his bottle of water and he nearly spilled it.
“Is that…you would want me for all of that?”
Barry smiled. “Of course. We hired you because we knew you had something very special to offer our community. It’s true, you don’t have an advanced degree in dance, but your experience more than makes up for it.
I did my research, Joe. You’ve studied with some of the greatest experts and choreographers in the business.
We may want to look at bringing someone on with a degree in dance who has collegiate-level teaching experience to support you, but your vision for the degree program is incredible. ”
Joe’s chin quivered and he hid it by taking another drink of his water. “I guess I thought…well, I figured your brother bullied you into hiring me.” He pushed his hair back out of his eyes and smiled.
“Leslie?” Barry laughed. “No, not at all. I was the one who asked for your contact information. We’d already been looking into alumni who might be a good fit and your name was on a shortlist pulled by the search committee.”
“I didn’t…I hadn’t realized.”
Barry laughed. “My brother may be a persuasive guy, but you were our top choice, Joe. It just worked out well for him. Well, I mean—”
Joe sighed and gave Barry a small smile.
“Thank you, for whatever the reason. I wanted to ask you, though, if I were to stay, if you were to offer me the position, I’d need to travel. Not only am I under contract with Dance Machine for another two years, but I’d want to visit some other schools, maybe take some workshops—”
“I’m sure we can work with that, and if we bring on an assistant that can cover your classes from time to time, that would free you up. It benefits the school for us to be flexible. We do the same for our other faculty members when the need arises.”
Barry and Joe worked out a timeline for board approval of Joe’s recommendations and deadlines for course descriptions for the new courses that would begin the following year.
After spending his summer creating the ones for this year, he felt comfortable with the process and knew that with a little more legwork he could have all of it done by March like Barry was asking for.
Joe’s chest relaxed a bit and he sat up straighter in his chair.
They’d wanted him, not because of Leslie, but because of what he’d accomplished.
He was elated when he shook Barry’s hand and left his office.
On the walk back to Higdon, he thought about the path he’d taken.
To Greenvale, he wasn’t just a handsome face with a great ass who could dance circles around the competition.
He was an accomplished professional with a variety of experiences and skills that could benefit a small college program.
Sure, his name and reputation helped, but that was earned.
He’d earned the college’s respect. Maybe he could still earn Leslie’s.
Because bottom line? Joe was a mess without him.
His worst fears had come to be realized.
He’d worried that if he and Leslie had tried to consummate their relationship when he came to Iowa, he’d lose his lifeline, he’d lose his best friend.
And that might sound silly to someone who had close friends who’d been in their everyday life, but Joe had loved that Leslie could be his sounding board without being invested in whatever choices Joe made.
Joe could tell him anything, which he basically had, and Leslie took it all in, never judging him.
Or so he thought.
It had been a big awakening for Joe to realize that the man he was, the man he had been, wasn’t considered trustworthy by the one person he respected the most in the world.
Ouch .
He should be running to Leslie with this good news, but now he wondered if he’d ever be able to confide in him again.
Joe was great at licking his wounds, getting back up and trying again. He’d done it his whole career. So he gave his all to the Greenvale community through cheer, through his dance classes, and through his work behind the scenes preparing for his presentation before the board.
By Christmas break, he was dragging.
He had scheduled some rehearsal time for Dance Machine ’s upcoming season, so it was off to LA once more. Marti made him promise they’d get together for a drink before he left, so the night before his flight, they met at the Goalpost.
Joe had been avoiding the bar, but Marti needed to stay in town because she was getting ready for her family to invade from Kansas City for the holidays, so the Goalpost it was. He just hoped the Paytons wouldn’t be there that night. He wasn’t sure he could handle a face-to-face.
Joe had managed to avoid Leslie since football season ended.
Leslie came to the football offices to work sometimes, but the twins were running workouts for the team.
Randy was in charge of the new fitness center that had finally been completed.
It was gorgeous. Joe met with him for a tour and to schedule time for the cheer squad to work out and Randy had preened under Joe’s compliments.
It had to be hard to live in Leslie’s shadow for both of the twins, but they were coming into their own.
Randy would even be gearing up to take over the baseball program after the winter break.
Joe knew how hard that transition could be.
Sandy texted Joe frequently just to say hi, send a funny GIF, or give him an update on Leslie’s condition, but he didn’t push. Joe knew Sandy had taken a big chance talking to him about Leslie’s medical concerns. Talk about trust.
But Joe couldn’t run from the face-to-face forever.
Soon after he and Marti grabbed a booth at the back of the bar and got their drinks, the twins came in with some of the other coaches Joe had met but hadn’t hung out with, and they headed back to the pool tables with pitchers of beer.
Sandy waved to them and gestured for them to join in the fun but Joe held up a hand.
“I do play pool, you know. We could join them.” Marti raised her eyebrows.
Joe pressed a hand to his chest. “Hurts still,” he said. “They’ve been great, but…I miss him. He’s everywhere even though I haven’t seen him.”
Marti took a sip of her beer. “You haven’t seen him because he’s gone.”
“What do you mean he’s gone?”
She shrugged and tore at the label on her bottle of Shiner Bock. “ Terrence said he left. He’s got something going on, he wouldn’t say what, but he’s going to be gone for a while, I guess.”
Joe was out of the booth and across the bar before Marti finished talking. He marched straight up to Sandy, who was in the middle of a beer-guzzling contest, and he grabbed him by the shoulder.
“What? Twi—Coach Judd, what’s—”
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
Sandy stared at him blankly. “What do you mean, what happened? What’s wrong?”
Joe exhaled and rolled his eyes. “Where’s your brother?”
Sandy showed all the signs of being well on his way to drunk off his ass. He’d probably had a few beers before they’d arrived at the bar.
“Brother Randy? He’s—” He stumbled as he pointed across the pool table to where Randy was dancing with a group of women near the jukebox.
“Sandy,” Joe said, snapping his fingers. “Focus.”
“Brother Barry brought us here… Oh, you mean Leslie?” His smile fell. “He’s gone and I’m not supposed to say where. It’s top secret or something.”
Joe never had patience for drunk people and he was ready to shake him when Randy danced over to the two of them, obviously less plastered than his twin.
“You’ll have to ask Brother Leslie himself. Brother Sandy’s not gonna spill the beans again, is he?”
Sandy shook his head and burped. “Nope. I have my orders and they don’t involve trying to help my brother with his love life. Not anymore.” Then he hiccupped.
Joe sighed. “Fine. I’ll text him.”
“Good luck. He didn’t take his phone. He doesn’t want to be disturbed.”
Joe put his hands on his hips. “But you know how to reach him.”
Randy sighed. “I know how to reach him.”
Joe held out his hand. “Then do it.”
Randy pulled his cell phone out, held it up, made a goofy face into it, and pressed the Facetime button. “He’s under Ginormous Giraffe Turd.”
“I’m not even going to ask.” Joe took the phone and was about to hit the call button when he realized he should—
He turned and Marti was standing there with her beer. “Give me a kiss. I’ll see you next year.”
Joe kissed her and took Randy’s phone outside where he might actually be able to hear.
Then remembered it was fucking December in Iowa and he’d left his coat inside.
He hit the call button and waited.
“I’m busy dipshit—Oh…Joe.”