Chapter 9 #3
Jack waved forward to Jenna’s left. Turning, Jenna saw JJ, Pumpkin and Dosia’s five-year-old daughter, and Lila, Bulldog and Abby’s eight-year-old daughter, come forward.
Both were dressed in tutus with their hair done up pretty.
Lila had on a green leotard, tutu, and ballet slippers while JJ wore a white leotard, red tutu, and white shoes.
They came to stand before Jack. He stepped off the stair and crouched down between his two young nieces.
“Lila and JJ have been working hard in their ballet class for their holiday recital. Since we won’t be here for it, they wanted to put on a private one for you.”
Jenna’s heart swelled as she smiled down at the two little girls. “Oh, sweethearts. Thank you!”
JJ, who was newer to the club family, was slower to smile than Lila.
She looked more nervous to be front and center, too.
Lila had more energy than the Energizer Bunny after drinking a case of Red Bull.
She looked thrilled and proud to be standing up on stage with her Uncle Steel.
Last year, she’d played the Virgin Mary in the nativity play Jack had the kids put on at the last minute to help cheer Jenna up.
Though no one knew it at the time, last Christmas had been hard for Jenna, because she’d only just received her diagnosis and not even her kids knew yet.
“We love you, Aunt Jenna!” Lila exclaimed.
Jenna fought to hold back tears as her nose burned. “I love you too, babies.”
Jack stood, a hand on each girl in front of him.
“There’s more. Since the girls won’t be dancing alone at their recital, they were worried about how their routine would look with only them dancing up here.
So…” His voice trailed off before he cleared his throat loudly.
“We brought in some backup dancers for them.”
Out from Jack’s office under the stairs, dressed in red tutus, tights, ballet slippers, and a variety of Christmas headsets came Bulldog, Cage, Bear, Lucky, and Pumpkin.
Jenna’s jaw dropped because she hadn’t even realized they weren’t standing behind her.
The massive chair Jack had practically dumped her in blocked most of her peripheral view.
She wondered if that had been the point.
Ghost stood up from his chair down the row from Jenna and stripped off his cut and shirt to reveal a red Santa bikini top covering his chest. Slipping off boots that were already untied, he pulled his feet out, already donning red ballet slippers.
And then, to the hoots and hollers of the women present, he unbuttoned and unzipped his black jeans.
A little hip wiggle later and his pants hit the floor to reveal a matching red Santa tutu.
It clashed horribly with his ginger hair.
Scotty also came running forward. He was in a black leotard with a tank top and long pants, plus green flats and a green lei around his neck.
But when he got up to his dad, he complained loudly, “This thing is itchy!”
Lucky, bare-chested and in a long-ish red skirt, took the plastic necklace off his son’s neck and then placed it around his own.
Jack left the makeshift stage. He came over to Jenna’s large chair, plucked her up, and then sat back down with her on his lap. Jenna laughed and gave him a huge kiss on his cheek, leaving behind a trace of her lipstick.
Ollie stepped forward, clapping his hands. “Okay, places, everyone! Just as we practiced!”
Scotty, JJ, and Lila took their place in front of their backup dancers.
Pictures and laughter from the crowd ensued as they tried to find their positions.
Apparently there was no tape on the clubhouse floor like there had been in the garage where they practiced, and this error threw the scantily clad men off.
Bulldog had a fairy wand that he accidentally hit Cage’s ass with, Bear’s reindeer antlers kept sliding off as he moved into position, and Pumpkin had an exaggerated limp, even though he was over a week out from surgery, and per Dosia, his balls were “just fine”.
Ollie finally approved of everyone’s placements. He looked to Jordan who stood back by the kitchen. A moment later, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree started playing from the speakers throughout the clubhouse.
In all honesty, it was a train wreck. But it was hilarious!
Lila and JJ danced beautifully while their fathers and uncles attempted to do so.
Jenna cringed when she saw Cage try to do the popular floss dance move when he forgot the next steps.
Pumpkin put his arms over his head and spun around and around, claiming that this was the only move he could do that didn’t further injure his balls.
Ghost kept doing a knee jump that made him look like he was imitating a mid-air frog.
Bulldog kept trying to go up on his toes as ballerinas could while Bear got the marvelous idea to use Lucky as a balance beam as he tried to lift one foot in the air.
Ollie leaned back and whispered to his parents, “Believe me, this is an improvement.”
Jenna laughed.
The next song, Jingle Bells, the six men got into two rows of three while Scotty rode behind them on his ‘sleigh’. They led him around the room, skipping and hopping like reindeer while JJ and Lila danced at the front. Being five and eight, the two were adorable in their routine.
Scotty got tired after the second song and had to sit down during the third and fourth songs, Up on the Rooftop and White Christmas. But he got up to join them during the fifth and final song, Mariah Carey’s I Don’t Want a Lot For Christmas.
The six talentless men and three wonderful children got a standing ovation.