Quick Note: This is a musical fic, so it might be helpful to scroll to the bottom and look up the songs listed in the Author's Note before you start reading.
George sighed and rubbed his hand down his face, leaning back in his easy chair and looking out the window. Some days, he thought it was hopeless. At this rate, he'd never be able to find a job. Knitting his eyebrows together in frustration, he crumpled up the "Classified" section of the newspaper he'd pored over for the last half hour and tossed it into the wastebasket. It was useless to him now anyway. None of the jobs listed there were of interest to him; he could never imagine being a plumber, a store clerk, or a busboy at a restaurant. But he'd been unemployed for about three months now, only taking in the slightest bit of income doing housework for his neighbors who had kindly offered to help him in this trying time. He'd have to settle for some kind of occupation eventually.
The phone on the table next to his easy chair with its sudden shrill bell sounded off then, and snapped him from his thoughts. He picked it up with a short "Hello?" and the smooth soft voice on the other end made his heart skip a beat.
"Hello, George? It's Meg."
George smiled at the greeting and all his frustration and worry from before seemed to melt away. "Oh yes, hello Meg! How are you?"
"I'm good, George. I was just calling to see if we're still set to go out tonight."
"Oh, right," George replied. "Yes, we're still going out! Does the diner on Fifth Street still sound good?" They had been to The Luncheon on Fifth plenty of times since they began to go steady, but it was their personal favorite diner because it happened to be the place where they had their first in-depth conversation after meeting at the train platform.
"Of course! I was just making sure. I'll see you tonight then!"
"All right, sounds swell! See you tonight, Meg!" The conversation ended and George's spirits began to lift significantly as he placed the receiver back on the old rotary telephone.
He still had a hard time believing that Meg was actually his girlfriend. It seemed like it was just yesterday that he'd caught a glimpse of her at the train station and had spent hours throwing silly paper airplanes out his office window trying to capture her attention. They must have been destined to meet that day, and although George had lost his job, he gained a companion who he found he was falling for more and more each day.
With a smile and spring in his step, George began tidying up his apartment and a song emerged from within:
Things are looking up!
I've been looking the landscape over
And it's covered with four-leaf clover
Oh, things are looking up
Since love looked up at me
He looked toward the crumpled newspaper in the wastebasket and for a brief moment thought of his still ongoing job search. But then, an image of Meg appeared in his mind's eye.
Bitter was my cup
But no more will I be the mourner
For I've certainly turned the corner
Oh, things are looking up
Since love looked up at me
His gaze moved to the bright sun outside that filtered in through his window.
See the sunbeams
Everyone beams
Just because of you
Love's in session
And my depression
Is unmistakably through
With one last burst of enthusiasm, George belted out the rest of the song:
Things are looking up
It's a great little world we live in
Oh, I'm happy as a pup
Since love looked up
Oh, I'm happy as a pup
Since love looked up at me!
That night, George arrived at Meg's apartment and was greeted by the gorgeous dame who was wearing one of his favorite dresses of hers – a deep gray circle skirt style with black floral designs.
He himself was wearing a simple black suit like he always did on dates, but Meg still gasped. "Well, aren't you a dreamboat?" she asked, beaming and fluttering her eyelashes a little at him. George blushed in response.
"You say that every time."
"Well it's true!" She leaned up to peck him on the cheek.
"You look as beautiful as ever, Meg," he said finally when he felt his cheeks cool a little. Now it was her turn to blush.
"Thank you, George. Now, let's go!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him along down the stairs and toward the taxi that would take them to their destination. He chuckled a bit to himself under his breath at her enthusiasm. She always got excited, even for the simplest of things, and that was one of her traits that he adored.
The taxi dropped them off about a block away from the diner, but neither of them minded much. They admired the shops as they passed, and Meg stopped for a moment at the window of a pet shop to coo at the puppies.
They ordered their usual meals at The Luncheon and, for dessert, got a chocolate milkshake with two straws to split. They chatted about nothing in particular for a while, and then Meg asked how George's job search had been going. He knew this topic would come up.
"To tell you the truth Meg, it's not going very well. I've been looking through the Classified ads every day, and I've applied at a few places, but it seems my qualifications are never enough." He looked down and stirred his straw in the milkshake absentmindedly.
"Oh, George, I'm sorry," Meg said, placing her hand over his for comfort. "I wish I could do something to help."
He looked up at her and saw the worry in her eyes. "You are helping me, Meg," he replied with a smile. "Going out with you always lifts my spirits."
Meg smiled but shook her head. "You know what I mean. Are your neighbors still offering you odd jobs?"
"Yes, and I'm very thankful," said George. "It's just that I know I'll need to find a steady job eventually. These last few months have put me through the wringer."
They finished up their meal and decided to take a nice stroll through the city afterward. When Meg mentioned the cool evening breeze, George offered her his jacket, and they continued on their way hand-in-hand. Soon, George began to sing:
The night is young, the skies are clear
So if you want to go walking, dear
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely
I understand the reason why
You're sentimental, 'cause so am I
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely
You can tell at a glance
What a swell night this is for romance
You can hear dear Mother Nature
Murmuring low,
"Let yourself go!"
They quickened their pace a bit and swayed back and forth together as George continued.
So please be sweet, my chickadee
And when I kiss you, just say to me
"It's delightful, it's delicious
It's delectable, it's delirious
It's dilemma, it's delimit, it's deluxe
It's de-lovely"
Then Meg joined in to sing the next part.
The night is young, the skies are clear
So if you want to go walking, dear
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely
I understand the reason why
You're sentimental, 'cause so am I
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely
You can tell at a glance
What a swell night this is for romance
You can hear dear Mother Nature
Murmuring low,
"Let yourself go!"
Then, Meg and George sang the last bit together.
So please be sweet, my chickadee
And when I kiss you, just say to me
It's delightful, it's delicious
It's delectable, it's delirious
It's dilemma, it's delimit, it's deluxe
It's de-lovely"
Meg and George belted out the last of the song with wide smiles that turned into fits of giggles. They stumbled over each other and grasped at each other's arms to right themselves, then continued on their stroll.
"Ah, that was fun!" Meg exclaimed when they'd each calmed their laughter.
"It was! And you're an excellent singer," replied George.
"You're not too bad yourself."
George pulled her in a little closer and kissed the side of her head. Keeping one hand on his coat that she was wearing, Meg wrapped her free arm around his torso and they walked in contented silence for a few minutes, taking in the bustling imagery of the surrounding city.
They were so engrossed in admiring the cityscape around them that neither of them saw the woman who was walking toward them in the opposite direction until she bumped into George's arm.
"Oh, excuse me!" the woman said. "I wasn't quite watching where I was-" she trailed off when she looked up and saw Meg. "Meg, is that you?"
Realization dawned on Meg's face when she suddenly recognized who this woman was. She was older than the last time she'd seen her, but nonetheless, her tall, thin frame and wildly curly dark hair were unmistakable. "Ms. Caswell? Yes, it's me, Meg! Gosh, I can't believe it! It's been so long!"
The two women hugged each other and George stood politely to the side, confused as ever. After a moment, Meg put her hand on his shoulder to introduce him.
"George, this is my dance instructor from when I was a child, Ms. Caswell. Ms Caswell, this is George, my boyfriend."
The older woman gasped. "Look at you, all grown up! And going steady even! My my Meg, it has been a while." She smiled warmly at the young couple. "Oh, but please, call me Josephine."
"So, what are you doing in New York?" asked Meg. The last time Meg had seen Ms. Caswell, Meg had been a teenager and living in Iowa; both she and her instructor were from the Midwest. Meg herself had moved to New York in her early adulthood for more job opportunities, and she was curious to know why Ms. Caswell had moved here as well.
"Well Meg, it wasn't easy. But I finally saved up enough money to move to the big city! Do you remember how I used to talk about wanting to own my own night club?"
Meg nodded. Ms. Caswell loved to dance, and as much as she enjoyed teaching dance classes for young girls, it had always been her dream to open her own night club where people could perform every night. Meg remembered her talking about it all the time during classes.
"Well, I finally did it! It's not open yet because it's still under construction, but I am now the proud owner of a New York City night club!" She was practically jumping up and down with excitement. "I had no luck in Iowa, so I moved here about two years ago to better my chances of achieving my dream. And it worked!"
"That's great, Ms. Caswell!" Meg said as she hugged the older woman once again. She found she couldn't force herself to say 'Josephine.' It seemed too weird, seeing as she had been her teacher for so many years.
"I know, isn't it?" she replied. "It's going to be called 'Josephine's Theater.' You know, I could arrange a tour for you two so you could come and see it."
"That would be swell! George, what do you think?" Meg looked to her boyfriend for input. George was dumbfounded by this whole experience, but he loved that eager look on his girlfriend's face. Her smile was contagious.
"I think that would be nice," he said, smiling back at her and Josephine.
"Wonderful! I'll set something up for tomorrow. Here's the address for the club." Josephine reached into her purse and pulled out a pencil and piece of paper, scribbled something on it, and handed it to Meg. "You should come by around 2:00. That's when most the construction workers take a break."
"Great! We'll be there!" Meg exclaimed. "It was good seeing you again Ms. Caswell!"
"It was good seeing you too, Meg! And please, call me Josephine."
Meg winced. "Sorry. I'm not sure if I can. You were my teacher for so long and I just don't feel comfortable calling you by your first name." Josephine rubbed her arm.
"It's all right. We'll work on it," she said with a wink. Then she turned to George. "And it was very nice meeting you, George! Meg has sure snagged herself a keeper!" She laughed and this made George blush all the way to his ears.
"It was nice meeting you too, ma'am."
They said their goodbyes and George called for a taxi to take the couple to their respective apartments.
"Gosh Ms. Casw-, I mean, Josephine, this is amazing!" Meg could hardly contain her excitement at seeing Josephine's Theater for the first time. Like Josephine had said, the building was still under construction, but it was evident that the place was close to being finished. From what Meg could see, there were only a few spots left on the outside that still needed a paint job, and there was a clear space near the top where the sign would eventually go.
George was also impressed. "Yes, I agree, this does look like a fine place for a night club!"
Josephine beamed. "Come on inside and I'll show the both of you around," she said, and led the way through the double doors and into the club.
Despite the outside of the club appearing nearly close to being finished, the inside was fairly bare. The main dining area and elevated stage at the front were empty, though Meg and George were a bit overwhelmed at how massive it seemed.
"It's so big!" Meg observed, half jogging to the middle of the dining area to observe the stage more closely.
"Yes. I'm planning on being able to seat at least a couple hundred people in here. I want as many people as possible to be able to come and see our shows!" Josephine spun around with her arms outstretched to emphasize her point. "And the stage," she said, pointing to where Meg was looking, "I wanted to make sure it was big enough for people to dance."
"Oh, you're allowing dance acts to perform?" Meg asked.
"Of course! We're gonna have dancing, singing, comedy – any kind of performance so long as it's appropriate. Actually, I'm currently looking for acts to agree to perform here once the place is open. And that should be in about… three to four months given that those table and chair orders go through on time."
Meg's face lit up. "You're looking for acts to perform? Well, I haven't danced in a while, but I'd be happy to come up with a routine for this place!" Then, a thought suddenly occurred to her and she ran over to George and grabbed his arm. "Oh, I have an idea! How about George and I come up with a dance routine to do together?!"
George blinked and looked at his girlfriend in shock. "What?! Meg, I don't know…"
Josephine chuckled. "Looks like someone is an eager beaver! You always did have such enthusiasm, Meg. And you always were my best student."
"Thank you, Ms. Caswell," Meg said, her cheeks flushed with a tinge of pink. "So, do you think we could do it?"
"Oh, I'm sure you could. And I would be very grateful for it! You would be the first act to agree to perform! But," she said, looking to George, "I think you should talk it over with George first."
Meg suddenly looked to her boyfriend. "Oh George, I didn't think to ask you about this first. I just get so excited and I blurt things out without thinking them through, and…"
"I'll do it."
Meg stopped mid-sentence. "What?"
"I said I'll do it," replied George. "It sounds like fun!"
"Oh that's wonderful!" Meg cried, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend in a tight hug. George loved seeing Meg so happy. He wondered what it would be like to perform on that stage - he cut himself off on that thought when it occurred to him that he had absolutely no idea how to dance.
"Uh, there's just one problem Meg," he said sheepishly, suddenly avoiding eye contact.
"What is it?" Meg asked, her smile vanishing to be replaced by a worried frown.
"I… um…," George trailed off. "I can't dance," he admitted finally, looking to the floor and rubbing the back of his neck absentmindedly.
"Oh, well….," Meg looked off into the distance, thinking. "That's okay. I can teach you!"
"Really? I mean, I've never danced before, never even tried."
"It doesn't matter. Anyone can learn to dance! Right Ms. Caswell?"
Josephine laughed softly at Meg using her old motto from her days as a dance instructor. "That's right, Meg. And you would be an excellent teacher for George! I wasn't kidding when I said she was my best student."
George pondered this for a moment. He supposed it might be fun to learn to dance, especially since Meg would be his teacher. It would no doubt be nerve-wracking to perform on that big stage in front of hundreds of people, but he pushed that thought aside for now. Meg wanted this. And despite his low skill level, he would do this for her.
He smiled at Meg. "Okay, let's do it. I can't promise I'll be a great dancer, but I'll give it my best shot."
Meg let out a whoop and hugged him again. "This will be so fun, George! I'll have to start with some basic dance moves to get you started and then we can move to some more complicated things." She stepped back from him and put her finger to her chin. "Hmm, I suppose we'll need somewhere to practice. My apartment isn't quite big enough, even with the furniture moved out of the way. And your place isn't much better…"
"If you need a place to train," Josephine piped up suddenly, "I think I know somewhere that would be perfect for you."
"Oh, that would be great, Ms. Casw-, I mean, Josephine," Meg said, catching herself before she called her 'Ms. Caswell' again. "Where is it?"
"There's an old abandoned dance studio on Irving Avenue that you two could practice in. I'm friends with the owner of the building, and I'm certain he wouldn't mind. It's been empty and closed to the public for over five years."
"That would be perfect," George said, "but are you sure the owner would let us do that?"
"Yes, we wouldn't want to impose," Meg added.
"I guarantee that he won't mind," Josephine replied. "I know Bill. Once I explain the situation, he's sure to allow you to use it."
"Thank you, Josephine!" Meg cried, moving in to hug her. "George and I will not disappoint, I promise!"
"Yes, thank you!" George chimed in. "You've really saved us a lot of trouble here."
"You two are very welcome! I'll talk to Bill tomorrow and see if I can set something up with him for next week."
"You know," George mentioned nervously. "Since I'm no good at dancing right now, it's probably going to take us a long while to train and prepare for a performance. Do you think the owner of that building will be open to letting us train there for a long period of time?"
"Don't worry your little head about that, George. I'm sure he'll be fine with it," Josephine said, smiling widely at him. "And Meg, this will be just like dance classes. You two will train together three times a week, and practice moves at home as well. After a while if you need someone to help choreograph a performance for the club, I'd be happy to help."
Meg and George both thanked her again. Then, Josephine wrote down the address for the abandoned club and gave it to them. They exchanged phone numbers as well.
"I'll give Meg a call once I've talked things over with Bill," Josephine said. "Like I said, I should be able to plan something out with him for next week, and I'll explain that you two will be training there three times a week for however long you need to prepare."
Meg and George left Josephine's Theater feeling nervous but excited for the upcoming months. It was going to be tough, but they were willing to take the risks and try their best to train and prepare for their big performance at the club.
Two days later, Meg and George went out shopping for tap shoes; they had talked it over, and since tap dancing is what Meg had trained in since she was a little girl and was the most proficient in, they decided that they would do a tap routine for their big performance. George picked out a pair of black and white tap shoes for himself, and Meg chose a simple pair of black high-heeled t-strap shoes.
Just as Josephine had said, Bill, the owner of the abandoned dance studio, was more than happy to let the couple train and prepare for however long they needed. He had even gone so far as to give them a key to the building so they could come in and out as they pleased (just as long as they promised to lock up after each session).
Before they knew it, the first day of training had arrived, and Meg realized just how much work she had cut out for her.
They entered the old studio and were delighted to find that the place, though abandoned, was still nice and intact. The main floor area was plenty large enough for them to move around on, and, just like Meg's old dance studio back in Iowa, there were large mirrors that filled the walls on two sides. Mirrors would be helpful in teaching George the proper form and steps.
"You ready to start, partner?" Meg asked, smiling and adjusting the little black bowtie on the front of her shirt. She was wearing a white silk blouse with short black shorts so it would be easier to move freely for the training. George rather liked this outfit for her; it was quite cute.
"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess," replied George with a nervous grin. He was wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a casual pair of brown pants with suspenders attached. Meg had blushed a bit when she'd first seen him in this attire. His slim, long frame was well suited for this look and, despite the fact that she would have to teach him the proper steps, she was eager to see him dance in it.
"Okay, well, let's start with something simple and basic," Meg said. She motioned for George to stand behind her and positioned herself in front of one of the mirrors.
"First thing's first, make sure your feet are a shoulder width apart, and bend your knees a little," Meg continued. George obeyed. They began with the heel drop and ball dig, and Meg allowed George a few minutes to get the hang of those moves. Then, she showed him the combined move of the ball-heel and was pleased that he seemed comfortable with it. He practiced doing the move slowly for a while, then tried going a little faster.
The next move Meg demonstrated was the shuffle, combining the brush-forward and brush-back movements of the foot. George picked up these basic moves well, but Meg instructed him to keep the movement of his leg minimal when she noticed that he was swinging it a little too high.
After George began to feel more comfortable with the basic moves, Meg started to show him some combination moves such as the shuffle hop-step and the heel-step together, among others. These proved to be more difficult. At first, George tripped over himself trying to get them right. Because of this, Meg focused on these combinations for the next few lessons until he mastered them.
"You're doing great with this, George!" Meg said one day after they had gone over all the combinations she'd taught him so far.
"I've been practicing as much as I can at home," George replied, and Meg praised him again. She was very appreciative of the fact that George spent time practicing at home as well as during their sessions. Whenever George committed to doing something, he always put all his effort into doing it and doing it right. His unwavering determination was one of the things Meg loved about him.
Over the next couple of months, Meg and George focused on building up George's tap skills. At times, Meg would become a bit frustrated with him, but those situations were always resolved quickly. Her eagerness got the better of her sometimes, and she knew that. So, as George concentrated on improving in dance, she concentrated on being patient with his progress. Their sessions together were good learning experiences for them both.
During one lesson in particular, George got frustrated with himself because he just couldn't get the moves right. The harder he tried, the more he tripped over his own feet, it seemed. Meg was aggravated as well, but she didn't show it. Instead, she comforted him and showed him the steps again, slowly. She had seen George's growth through the weeks and was sure that he could get this right.
"Come on George, let's try the steps again," she offered. He shook his head. "Oh, but-," she started, then in a sing-song voice:
As you listen to the band don't you get a bubble?
George slumped down on the floor and crossed his arms over his chest. "Nope," he answered. Meg went on.
As you listen to them play don't you get a glow?
She gestured for him to join in, but he still wouldn't. She rolled her eyes playfully and continued on with the song herself.
If you step out on the floor
You'll forget your trouble
If you go into your dance
You'll forget your woe
So..
Come
Get together
Let the dance floor feel your leather
Step as lightly as a feather
Let yourself go
She ran over to where he had plopped himself on the floor in discouragement and held out her hand for him to grab. Reluctantly, he took it, and she pulled him along in a simple dance.
Come
Hit the timber
Loosen up and start to limber
Can't you hear that hot marimba?
Let yourself go
He loosened up a little then, relaxing enough to dance along with her. She continued.
Let yourself go
Relax
And let yourself go
Relax
You've got yourself tied up in a knot
The night is cold but the music's hot
So
Come
Cuddle closer
Don't you dare to answer "No, sir"
Butcher, banker, clerk and grocer
Let yourself go
By the end of Meg's song, George was dancing and laughing with her, completely relaxed. He smiled, and they kissed.
"Thank you, Meg," George said after they had parted. "That really helped me. I think I'm ready to try the steps again."
Meg beamed. "I know you can do it. And if you can't get it right today, that's okay! We can spend the next few lessons on these moves if we need to."
George practiced the steps over the next couple of weeks and, as Meg had predicted, he mastered them with only minor problems along the way.
It was about three and a half months later when Meg felt confident that she'd taught George everything he would need to know in order for them to create and perform a routine at Josephine's Theater. He, of course, still felt that his skills weren't as honed as they could be, but Meg reassured him that he was ready to learn the moves for their big performance. They asked Josephine for her input when they struggled a little to come up with a routine, but with her aid, they had come up with something that was sure to dazzle the audience when their big night arrived.
They spent the next couple of months only practicing their routine. Since George felt much more comfortable with tap dancing than when he first started, he allowed himself to get lost in the movements during these new sessions. He was relaxed and loose, and his dancing appeared more fluid that way. Meg was glad that he was now more relaxed. She found that dancing with him had become almost effortless.
They tapped and they jumped and they twirled and they sang. Every moment of it was bliss. One or both of them would occasionally flub a step and throw everything off, but in those mistakes, they found laughter and giddiness as opposed to frustration. They never could have imagined it, but dancing together like this had brought them closer to each other than they had ever been. Each was falling more in love with the other as the days passed, and friends and family members knew that a marriage proposal couldn't be far behind.
It was two weeks before the night of their big performance, and George was freaking out.
It wasn't that he was insecure about his dancing skills; he and Meg had worked hard together to ensure that he was as prepared as possible. And it wasn't that he was afraid he'd forget the lyrics to the song they'd paired with the routine. At this point he could recite them forward, backward, and, of course, while tap dancing.
George was utterly terrified about performing in front of hundreds of people.
As it turns out, George has quite a bit of stage fright. Meg, though a little nervous about performing on their big night, was not as anxious as George because she had spent years dancing in front of people. She had danced in numerous competitions and recitals when she was younger. It was second nature to her. Granted, she'd never performed in front of hundreds of people before, but still, she was not nearly as worried as her boyfriend.
George had never performed any kind of thing in front of people like this. Especially not a tap dance routine. The idea of all those people focused on them for an extended period of time while they performed made George's stomach do flip flops and his palms start to sweat.
In order to hopefully ease George's discomfort a little, Meg asked Josephine if they could practice their routine a few times on the stage of Josephine's Theater outside of business hours. That way they could at least get a feel for what they'd be dealing with on the big night.
"Of course you could practice on stage! That's a great idea! The club opens at 7pm and closes at 1am, so that gives you two plenty of time outside of that."
"Oh, thank you so much, Josephine!" Meg said. "I'm sure this will help George ease up, and it will give us a chance to see what it will be like on the big night."
"Anything for my best student," Josephine replied with a wink, and Meg beamed.
They practiced a few times on stage, but George found that the little bubble of anxiety in the pit of his stomach still persisted. The main floor area of the club was massive, and there were too many tables and chairs to count. Meg's soothing voice pulled him back to reality and grounded him when he began to get dizzy staring out at where the audience would be seated, and she taught him a quick deep breathing exercise to calm himself. He didn't know how he was going to get through their big night, which now seemed to loom over his head, but looking into Meg's eyes, he knew he'd find a way to do it.
Two days before the big performance, Josephine announced that she had a surprise for Meg and George. Curious, they arrived at her apartment as instructed and awaited the supposed surprise.
Josephine stepped into her closet and emerged with what appeared to be clothing. Then, she went back and pulled out a shoebox. She brought the items out to her living room and laid the clothing across her couch; it was two outfits: a gorgeous silky white dress and a tuxedo with a white bowtie. In the shoebox was a pair of white high-heeled tap shoes to match the dress.
"Ta-da!" she exclaimed, smiling widely and motioning toward the outfits. "New outfits for your big performance! I had no doubts that you two would have worn something dazzling for the big night, but I was just so grateful that you agreed to perform at my club that I picked out these clothes for you as a 'thank you' gift."
Meg and George were stunned. They looked, open-mouthed, at the gifts. They were absolutely impressive and beautiful and… much too expensive.
"Holy mackerel, Josephine, they're, they're magnificent! Th-thank you! So much! But… you really didn't need to do this," Meg protested.
"Yes, we are very flattered, but you don't need to spend money on us like this," George added. This was far too much and Meg and George felt guilty.
"Honestly, it's nothing, my dears!" Josephine cried. "You two have been a delight and you have worked so hard on your performance. I just wanted to show you how much I appreciate your cooperation and hard work. You deserve it!"
Meg and George thanked her over and over again, and Josephine continued to wave it off as nothing. They really did owe that woman a lot. They accepted the outfits and decided to rest for the last two days before their big night.
The night of their big performance arrived in the blink of an eye, and George was a nervous wreck. All the things that he hadn't been nervous about before suddenly worried him when he and Meg arrived at Josephine's Theater. The place was absolutely packed with people.
"I just don't know if I can do this," George said, voice wobbly and hands shaking as he and Meg changed backstage into the outfits Josephine had given them.
"George, I promise, everything will be alright," Meg said soothingly. She slipped on the white shoes and clasped the diamond choker necklace she had chosen around her neck. Then, she twirled around, watching the silky dress swirl and billow smoothly around her legs. "I'm just as nervous as you are."
George snorted. "I seriously doubt that."
They finished putting on their outfits and, as an added touch, snagged a couple of roses from a random bouquet backstage (after they'd asked permission of course) and added them – one on the front of George's tux, and one in Meg's hair. After that, they began to do a last-minute overview of their performance. George's anxiety temporarily melted away as he became mesmerized watching Meg's dress swish and swoop and her hair bounce as she danced. Likewise, a warm sensation washed over Meg as she admired George's suit and giggled at the way his hair rustled itself in every direction with his movements. For a moment, they were engrossed in each other. Then, George accidently backed into a young woman who was passing by. He immediately apologized.
"It's all right. No harm done," she replied with a smile. She had striking green eyes and very long blonde hair that was curled but still fell to her lower back. She was followed by three other young women who were all wearing the same outfit as her: short frilly pink dresses with big pink bows in their hair. Meg and George realized that they must be the chorus girl act slated to perform ahead of them. Two of the girls had to be sisters judging by the way they looked so much alike; one had red hair in a short curled style, and the other had shoulder length white-blonde hair with bangs that were curled and swooped over the top of her head. The last member of the group was an African American woman with short hair that was slicked back and curled at the edges.
She winked at the pair as she passed them by. "Good luck you two," she whispered with a grin, then followed the other chorus girls toward the curtain that led out to the stage.
Meg and George heard their act being announced as "The Crown Jewels" and noticed that the announcer mentioned that they were "as pretty as princesses." This confused them for a moment, but they shrugged it off and went back to doing their last-minute practice.
During The Crown Jewels' performance, George started to panic when it sank in that he and Meg were mere moments away from going out on that stage. He started hyperventilating, and Meg stepped in to breathe with him and get him to calm down.
"I know you're edgy, but everything will be just fine. I promise," Meg said in a low tone. She placed her hands gently on either side of his face and looked directly into his eyes. "I'm scared too. I may have performed in competitions and recitals when I was a child, but I've never performed in front of this many people before."
"You haven't?" George asked, genuinely surprised at her admission.
"No, I haven't. And it terrifies me," she continued. "But I know that we can do this. I know that you can do this." She moved her hands to rest on his shoulders. "We have each other. It's only us. Don't even think about that crowd out there." She gestured briefly to the curtain that was only a few feet away. "It will be just like when we practiced alone. As long as we're together, anything is possible." She pressed a small kiss to his lips. Then, in a very hushed tone that only he could hear, she sang a familiar line:
If you step out on the floor
You'll forget your trouble
If you go into your dance
You'll forget your woe
So..
Come
Get together
Let the dance floor feel your leather
Step as lightly as a feather
Let yourself go
George smiled at her then, his tight nerves relaxing a little. She smiled back at him, and they went through a breathing exercise once more before it was finally their turn to take the stage. Hands clasped together, they walked on slightly shaky legs to the middle of the stage and prepared to perform.
Finally, the music started and they began, George taking the first verse:
I could dance nightly
Just holding you tightly
My sweet
I could keep right on
Because you're so light on
Your feet
You're easy to dance with
They began to dance, and George realized that the steps came easier to him than they ever had before. Meg joined in singing the second verse, their voices harmonizing together perfectly:
There is no doubt in
The way we stand out in
The crowd
Though it's called dancing
To me it's romancing
Out loud
You're easy to dance with
They continued on to the more complicated parts of their routine, focusing on stepping and twirling and sometimes jumping. They found themselves smiling at each other the whole way through, and the shaking sensation they had experienced when they first stepped onto the stage had completely vanished. George sang on.
Loving you
The way I do
Makes you easy to dance with
That is why I'm always right on the beat
Before, George had feared that he would mess up this part, but when the moment came, he tapped exactly as he had in numerous practice sessions. This time though, his taps echoed loudly in the theater.
All those charms
In one man's arms
Makes you easy to dance with
I can hardly keep my mind on my feet
Again, Meg joined him in singing the next part.
Let's dance forever
Come on, say we'll never
Be through
It's so easy to dance with you
Faster and faster they moved, and faster and faster they tapped as they neared the end of their performance. George twirled Meg around, then Meg twirled George, and then they were twirling together and swaying together and jumping together, each becoming more breathless as their routine sapped their energy.
Then, they sang the last line of the song
It's so easy to dance with you
and ended on a pose facing out toward the crowd, breathing heavily but smiling ear to ear.
The crowd, they realized, was not only giving them thunderous applause, they were giving them a standing ovation. Meg and George looked at each other with wonder in their eyes as they hugged and bowed.
After a few minutes, they walked backstage again, and Meg could not contain her excitement. She tackled George with the biggest, tightest hug she had ever given him and squealed.
"That was amazing!" she shouted, still latched onto him. He grinned and hugged her back just as hard.
"It was amazing! And you know what? Once we started, I didn't feel nervous at all!"
"I told you, you silly man!" She slapped him playfully on the arm. Then, the two started off toward the dressing room, arms linked together. Waiting for them at the door though was Josephine, wearing a modest but sparkly red gown, who looked absolutely awestruck.
"You two were FANTASTIC!" she cried happily, hugging them both. "Congratulations! The crowd really went wild for you!"
"Thank you, Josephine! Oh it was so much fun!" Meg said.
"Yes, it was a lot of fun!" George added.
"I'm so pleased you feel that way," Josephine replied, "because I was very impressed, and I got to thinking…" She placed her arms around Meg and George's shoulders. "How would you two like to become regular performers at this club?"
Meg and George were astonished. George's jaw dropped with surprise.
"Are… are you offering us a full-time job here?" he asked, his hopes rising dangerously high, but he didn't care. He couldn't pass this kind of opportunity up, especially considering his current unemployed status.
"Yes!" Josephine said. "I think you two would be a great fit for this club, and I'd love to have you perform routines here on a regular basis."
Meg and George looked at each other then. Meg desperately wanted to say yes immediately, but then remembered her tendency to be over-eager. "What do you think, George?" she asked. "I know you struggle with stage fright, but if this became a regular thing… I think it could get easier over time."
George smiled. "I think we should do it."
"Really?!"
"Yes!"
On a whim, he picked her up and spun her around as they both laughed. Josephine clapped happily and said something about figuring out a schedule, but neither of them heard her. They were too wrapped up in each other and the prospect of this newfound profession to register anything else. Perhaps it was too early to tell, but this young couple certainly felt as though they had found their new calling.
As they spun, the scene seemed to fade away, and Meg and George found themselves on a stage again, but this stage was different. It was larger and flashier, and when they looked out to the crowd, there was no one there.
They looked down and found that they were wearing bright gold matching sequin outfits that shimmered and sparkled. George's outfit was a suit – a sparkling gold jacket, pants, and bowtie with golden men's tap shoes. Meg's outfit was a short gold sleeveless dress with silver trim, golden arm warmers, and golden high heeled tap shoes. They glanced at each other and at the stage in shock and wonder, the confusion disappearing to be replaced by wide smiles that slowly creeped onto their faces. They shrugged, and then began to sing:
Come on along and listen to
The lullaby of Broadway
The hip hooray and bally hoo
The lullaby of Broadway
The rumble of the subway train
The rattle of the taxis
The daffy-dills who entertain
At Angelo's and Maxie's
At that moment, a crowd unexpectedly appeared, and there were many more people here than there had been at Josephine's Theater. In fact, the crowd was so large, it looked like an entire ocean of faces.
At the same time, a huge chorus appeared behind them. Bright lights shot beams down that illuminated the stage, and the massive chorus group began to sing and dance along with Meg and George, who took the lead.
Come on along and listen to
The lullaby of Broadway
The hidee hi and boopa doo
The lullaby of Broadway
The band begins to go to town
And ev'ryone goes crazy
You rock-a-bye your baby 'round
'Til ev'rything gets hazy
Though they didn't know the routine, Meg and George kept dancing along to the song, tapping and swaying and twirling like they had earlier, only this time it felt even more effortless than it did before. It was almost as if they were qualified professionals, though they didn't know how this could have happened so quickly. Instead of dwelling on the details, they got lost in the fantasy and in each other, and their dance became almost like a work of art; they were staying still yet moving so fast at the same time. Whatever it was that was happening, they enjoyed every blissful second of it.
Toward the end of their number, they noticed that a huge fluttering swarm of paper airplanes was flying through the theater and around their bodies, keeping time with the song and their dancing.
At the last beat of the song, a lone paper airplane broke away from the rest and landed directly in front of Meg and George on the stage. It was the plane with the kiss mark stain from all those months ago. Meg and George looked at each other and laughed, and then they kissed while the crowd gifted them with another standing ovation.
George suddenly snapped out of his daydream and smiled to himself. He was looking eagerly ahead to the future.
Author's Note: This drabble is a collaboration between me and Superfan44. A long while ago, he suggested the idea of an art piece to me involving Meg and George from the Disney short film, Paperman. I liked the idea, so I agreed to draw it, and eventually, we began talking about the backstory behind the picture. From there, we constructed a story based on the picture, and eventually, I decided to go ahead and write that story in the form of a (long) drabble. The story was completely written by me, but Superfan44 contributed the ideas for the songs, the outfits for the characters, and many of the plot details, so I still consider it a full collaboration. This fic is supposed to read as a sort of musical, and it pays homage to the classic Broadway and Hollywood musicals of the 1930s-1950s. That is why there are song lyrics interspersed throughout the writing, as if the characters are singing them. If you're curious, here is a list of songs used in this drabble (in order of appearance):
1. "Things Are Looking Up" by George Gershwin from the musical Crazy for You
2. "It's De-Lovely" by Colin Donnell and Patti Murin from the musical Anything Goes
3. "Let Yourself Go" by Kristin Chenoweth (originally sung by Ginger Rogers from the musical Follow The Fleet)
4. "You're Easy to Dance With" by Fred Astaire from the musical Holiday Inn
5. "Lullaby of Broadway" by Doris Day
I'd also like to mention that the line I used right before the fantasy sequence (the one that says "this young couple certainly felt as though they had found their new calling") was supplied by Superfan44. It was a great line, and I couldn't resist using it.
Also, if you read closely, you'll catch a cameo from a few Disney princesses in there! ;) See if you can guess which ones.
Thank you to Superfan44 for all your help in creating this drabble, and of course, thank you readers for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! :)