Page 83 of Everything's Better With You
Joe smiled and closed his eyes. “You just want to see my morning routine, don’t even lie.”
Leslie laughed and his body flooded with warmth. “I do want to see your morning routine. I want to be part of your morning routine. I want so much with you, but mostly I want you to feel better. Call me if you need me and I’ll be right here.”
Joe kissed Leslie’s hand and then let go. “Everything’s better with you.”
When Joe didn’t say more, Leslie figured he’d fallen back to sleep. He stood and moved quietly as possible through Joe’s apartment, onlygrunting once when his shin connected with a low table. He soothed himself with thoughts that in the very near future, he’d convince Joe to move to Payton Manor where Leslie wouldn’t have to worry about leaving in the middle of the night, where he knew the placement of all the furniture, and where there’d be no sneaking around.
Where they’d be a permanent team. In love. Forever.
Twenty-Three
Joe
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 dothat. 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 runtoLeslie.
“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.
