CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
"Hey Charlie. Whatcha doing??" Eva asked, placing her bag on the floor.
"Just calling Jody. Juliette is making me stay after with Sandra again."
"She's really good. Have you seen her dance? Jonathan is actually considering letting her be a principal soon."
"Really?" Charlie mumbled.
"Yeah. Hey, Charlie, you ok?"
"Oh, yeah. I was just thinking… about…"
"Jody told you right?" Eva asked cautiously.
"Told me what? She tells me lots of things."
"This morning… she tell you anything?"
"Oh, yeah." Charlie nodded and sighed deeply. "I can't believe it."
Eva touched his shoulder lightly. "I know… well, I gotta get to my next class, see ya." Eva stood up and walked away.
Charlie nodded and dialed Jody's cell phone number slowly.
"Hello?"
"Hey Jody, it's me."
"Hey Charlie!" Jody exclaimed happily. "Excuse me…" Jody said something to someone in the background and then walked out of the room. "Sorry, what's up?"
"Uh, who were you talking to? Are you busy? I can call back?"
"Whoa, chill out Charlie. I was just talking to Coop."
"Oh… you tell him yet?"
"I'm… I'm working on it. It's really hard, because I won't be able to dance anymore. I think I'll just tell him next week after I go to the doctors… just to make sure."
"Ok."
"Well, I see you at home in a few, right?"
"Actually, that's why I called. Juliette is making me stay with this new dancer, Sandra, again today. I can't get out of it, I'm really sorry Jody. I know I should really be with you, now… but I can't. I really wish I could though."
Jody's face fell, but she tried not to let it show in her voice. "Oh, that's ok Charlie. I understand. So… I'll see you at home with Eva and Erik for dinner, right?"
"If I can make it home by then. Sandra's supposed to show me all this new dance stuff and… I'll try. Ok?"
"Ok. Bye Charlie."
"Bye Jody. I love you."
"Love ya too, bye." Jody hung up and slipped her phone into her bag. She went back in Cooper's office and sat down. "Sorry about that, Charlie called."
"You don't look to happy about that." Cooper noted smugly.
"Well, he has to stay at ABC to meet with that new dancer again. And he won't be home for a few hours. But, I on the other hand have to go home. So, I'll see you tomorrow, 'k Coop?"
"Sure. Bye Jody." Cooper waved slightly as Jody left his office.
Charlie leaned against the wall and sighed again. He picked up his bag and went back upstairs. Waiting in one of the smaller rooms was a tall, thin blond with her hair up in a tight bun. She was warming up, but stopped when she saw Charlie watching her.
"Hey Charlie!!" She said excitedly. "I'm so glad you could meet with me again today! Jonathan said that dancing with you yesterday actually made me even better!!"
"Hmmm…" Charlie nodded and set his bag down. "What are you doing today?"
"Oh, Jonathan had this great guy over here earlier and showed me this really cool dance! And he said you knew it too… something about ABA. Wanna see it?"
"Sure…" Charlie sat down on a metal folding chair and watched as Sandra danced Jody's part of the ABA workshop perfectly. "… Wow…" Charlie was speechless as she danced. At the end of the dance (she was dancing to the last part) Charlie clapped loudly. "You are so great!"
"So, how do you know this dance then?"
"Uh, who showed you this dance?"
"Cooper Neilson and one of his principal dancers… Jonnie… Judi… something like that."
"Cooper Neilson and Jody Sawyer??" Charlie asked.
"Yeah! That's it! You know them?"
"Uh huh. We, uh, danced together in the ABA workshop a couple years ago. Cooper was a principal here and Jody and I were students at ABA. Our friend Erik was supposed to be in Cooper's part, but her sprained his ankle."
"Awesome!! You guys must have been great! Cooper's such an amazing dancer!"
"And Jody…?"
"She's ok. She's really good… but she kinda has bad feet… and other stuff too. But I would never think of boring you with stuff like that. How long ago was that?"
"Well… I was 18… so…8 years ago."
"Wow! You still keep in touch with Jody and… what did you say his name was… Erik?"
"You could say that." Charlie smiled. "I live with Erik and our friend Eva. Jody too… we're actually getting married in August."
"Oh!!! That's so great!!" And I'm so jealous, Sandra thought to herself. "When is it?"
"August 29th. That's the day we all meet each other 8 years ago. So we decided just to have it like a double anniversary thing… anyway. You probably don't wanna hear about that."
"Oh, no! How long have you and Jody been together?"
Charlie sighed and rolled his eyes. "We started going out right after ABA. Then we went out for 4 years. Then we broke up… got back together for 7 months… and she moved to California. So we broke up then and got back together a year later. Then… we were engaged for about a month and then we broke up again. Then… uh… a few months ago… we got engaged again… I think that's it… am I boring you?"
"Not at all. Wanna dance now? Cooper and Jody said you could just show me the slow part."
"Oh, right, sure." Charlie stood up and led Sandra out to the middle of the floor.
Jody walked into her apartment and then into her and Charlie's room. She sat down on the bed and stayed there, thinking, for more than an hour. Jody could hear Eva and Erik come into the apartment and she went out to greet them.
"Hey Jody! Where's Charlie?" Erik asked.
"He had to stay late with this Sandra girl again. I met her today because Jonathan was begging Cooper to teach her my old part in the ABA workshop. She's good."
"I know! Charlie was saying he had to stay late again. Do you think he'll be home for dinner?" Eva asked.
"He said he didn't know. I'm not hungry anyway."
"Jody, you can't not eat! Especially not now!"
"Why? What's now?" Erik asked.
"Nevermind. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Jody smiled weakly and went back to her room. A few seconds later she came out and grabbed a box of cookies. Then she went back to her room.
"Don't eat them all!" Eva called.
Jody stuck her head out the door and threw a cookie at her. "Have one!" She smiled and shut the door.
1am…
Charlie walked quietly into the apartment and shut the door behind him. He placed his bag down on the couch ad went into his room. Jody lay sleeping in her bed, without her usual dreamy smile. He changed into some boxers and carefully crawled into bed next to his fiancée.
Jody stirred and opened her eyes slowly. "Charlie?" She whispered.
"Hey Jody. Sorry, I was trying not to wake you up."
"You just now getting back?" Jody checked the clock. "It's 1 in the morning!"
"I know. I went to dinner with Sandra and then she had us dance some more. And them Jonathan was asking me all these questions about how she dances and stuff. But, hey, I heard you and Cooper met her!"
"Yea, today. Honey, this is really interesting and all, but I just wanna go to sleep."
"Oh, right, sorry. Night Jody." Charlie gave her a quick kiss and draped his arm behind her.
"I love you Char…" Jody mumbled something as she placed her head on his chest. She closed her eyes and fell asleep again.
Charlie closed his eyes and started to fall sleep with a smile on his face. "Jody… baby…" He mumbled. His face dropped as he fell asleep.
Jody woke up the next morning and grabbed her stuff. She left the apartment before anyone else woke up.
