Chapter 37
“I don’t believe this, Billy,� Johnny said to his cousin backstage. “This jacket still fits. Glad you saved it.�
Billy looked at Johnny and smiled. “You look twenty years younger, Johnny.�
Johnny looked back at him. “I know, Billy, I just better dance that way.� He looked out into the audience to check if Baby was sitting where she was supposed to be sitting and she was. He smiled. “Billy, I hope my daughter doesn’t get too angry for changing around the show a little.� He checked his look again and smiled. “Well, here goes.�
Billy hi-fived him. “Break a leg, Johnny,� he said.
~~~~~~
Frannie watched as the older dancers got up from the separate tables. She saw them go to the back of the room as they had done in the movie and frowned. This wasn’t supposed to happen, she thought, as her cast came to the back of the room to join the older dancers.
Then she smiled as she realized that Johnny must have had a hand in this change. He was still a dancer and choreographer as well and a good one at that.
She had noticed that her mother was sitting at the Houseman’s table in the corner, a little larger this time than the one in the movie. Her father was on her left and her sister was her right. Frannie shook her head. This was not in the show.
But then Frannie shook her head and smiled. She was beginning to look forward to it. Johnny knew what pleased everyone, after all, he had three hit shows on Broadway. She waited backstage to see what surprises Johnny had come up with.
~~~~~~~
Johnny stepped into the ballroom doorway. The dancers, old and new had greeted him with cheers and calls.
Then he turned toward the Houseman’s table. He walked forward on his way to where Baby was sitting.
Frannie watched in amazement.
“Nobody put Baby in a corner, she doesn’t belong there,� Johnny said to Jake Houseman and held out his hand. Baby turned her head toward him. Smiling, she took his hand and stood up. Jake stood up too, but the two kept walking until Lisa put her hand out to stop him.
“You said the original line,� Baby whispered as Johnny laughed. “Had to, Baby, you knew I couldn’t resist. I always liked to stir up some kind of trouble.�
Baby smiled at him. “That’s what I always loved about you, Johnny Castle. I had never met anyone quite like you.�
Johnny led her up on stage and kissed her on the nose. “That goes double for me,� he whispered in her ear. Then he turned to the audience.
Frannie smiled. She couldn’t wait for it.
“Sorry about the disruption, folks, but I always do the last dance of the season, but this year someone told me not to. So I’m going to do my kind of dancing with a great partner; someone who’s not only a terrific dancer, but somebody who’s taught me that there are people willing to stand up for other people no matter what it costs them. Somebody whose taught me� and here he looked over at Baby, “about the kind of person I want to be, Miss Frances Houseman.�
Then Johnny kissed her nose again and walked off stage.
Frannie nodded her head. She had recited the entire speech with him. She couldn’t wait to see what was coming next.