Page 102 of Everything's Better With You
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 forDance Machine’s upcoming season, so it was off to LA oncemore. 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.”
