Baby looked up at the stonewash colored building which definitely showed its age. Two old pillars held up the main entrance trellis as the sign Jack Stroud School of Dance shined in the air.
Baby entered the double door as she entered a small little waiting area. Pictures of ballet dancers and Broadway dancers were all along the walls. A young lady sat at the front desk and noticed Baby immediately.
"Can I help you miss?" The young girl rose to her feet and walked toward Baby.
"Yes mam I am looking for Johnny Castle." Baby told her.
"Is he expecting you?" She asked as she eyed Baby.
"No, no he isn't." Baby could see the girl's eyes watching her every move.
"I believe he would be in his office. Right down the hall and make a left, third door on the right." She pointed in that direction.
"Thank you."
Baby walked down the long hall as wood paneling surrounded her. Baby walked slowly as she was scared of seeing Johnny's handsome face again. She turned left and spotted the door to his office which was open.
She took a deep breath and went for it with all she had. As she made it to the door she saw her past coming back to haunt her. Johnny sat at his desk decked out in his collared shirt and tie. He hadn't seen her yet. He was busy filling out some type of form and never noticed out of the corner of his eye his past was standing before him.
"Johnny." Baby said quietly.
Johnny looked up from his desk and fixated his eyes on the sight before him. "Oh my God!"
Baby walked into his office as Johnny rose to his feet. "I bet you are shocked to see me." Baby couldn't think of anything else to say.
"That is an understatement." Johnny smiled sweetly at Baby.
Baby now got a good look at the man who stole her heart all those years ago. His hair was a bit longer now and he was still as handsome as ever. Age looked good on Johnny. Josie favored her father so much.
"Am I interrupting something?" Baby asked as she placed her pocket book in the nearest chair.
"No not at all." Johnny walked around the table toward Baby. "I am just floored to see you."
"I can imagine." Baby told him with nervousness in his voice. "Don't I get a hug?"
"Yes, yes, of course." Johnny walked closer to Baby and pulled her into a tight embrace. It was the same old feeling all over again. "What are you doing here?"
"It's well, a long story." Baby told him as he broke the embrace. "Six years worth."
"I know, I can't believe it has been that long since we have seen each other." Johnny said as he couldn't move his grin from his face.
"You have a minute to go grab a cup of coffee?" Baby asked hoping he would say yes.
"Sure, I was just about to head out for the day." Johnny told her as he picked up his briefcase. "Let's go. There is a coffee shop within walking distance."
"That would be perfect." Baby said as she followed Johnny out the door.
They stopped by Johnny's car so he could drop off his briefcase and headed to the coffee shop.
"I am still so shocked to see you. You look great." Johnny told her as she got a good look at her now.
"Thanks you do too." Baby returned. "Six years is too long."
"I agree. You will have to tell me what has been going on with you." Johnny told her as he checked the traffic for them to cross the street.
Baby was thinking in the back of her mind that is what I plan to do. How would she even bring up the subject of Josie? Should she just come right out and say it or weasel her way into the conversation carefully?
"Two coffees please." Johnny told the waitress as they sat down.
Baby noticed Johnny sitting across from her staring at her. "What?"
"Just so shocked to see you. I never thought I would see you again." He told her. "I mean we just lost touch."
"I know. It was crazy back then." Baby said as she knew it was her fault too they lost touch.
"I meant to call you-" Baby stopped Johnny in mid sentence.
"Don't. That was the past and no excuses need to be made." Baby didn't want to hear his excuses and she didn't want to offer him any.
"Yeah, guess you are right." Johnny said as he blew on his coffee to cool it. "Tell me what has been going on."
"Well, as you probably know I graduated Mt. Holyoke and I now live in New York. I teach third grade." Baby said cooling her coffee as well.
"Made a great life for yourself huh?" Johnny returned.
"I have tried. It hasn't been easy but I made it." Baby said wondering if she should tell him now.
"Well, as you can see I teach dance now. I have been doing it about four years." Johnny said.
"I think that is what you were meant to do all along." Baby told him. "You are great at it."
"Thanks, I love dancing you know that better than anybody." Johnny leaned up in his chair closer to Baby. "I have thought about you a lot these past couple of years."
"I can honestly say the same." Baby knew all she had to do was look at Josie to think of Johnny.
"We sure surprised everyone at Kellerman's huh?' Johnny said smiling bigger now.
"Yeah, we did. No one would have paired us in a million years." Baby said losing her willpower not to let him get to her.
"You haven't changed any." Johnny told her.
"Trust me more than you know." Baby corrected him quickly.
"Oh really? How?" Johnny asked as he looked down at her left hand for a wedding ring. "I see you never married."
"No not married, you?" Baby asked in return.
"No, no wife." He said smirking a little. "How did you know I would be here?"
The time was coming. He was wondering now why Baby had found him. "I am fixing to blow your mind."
Johnny sat back in his chair and studied Baby's face as if trying to read her mind. "I am a little confused at this point."
Baby could imagine he was. She was fixing to throw him for a loop. He had no idea what was coming.
"Baby, why did you come all the way down here to see me?" He asked her cautiously. "Why after all these years?"
"I don't want you to hate me Johnny." Baby began to get nervous at this point.
"Baby, I could never hate you. We shared something wonderful at Kellerman's and I have never forgotten that. A piece of you has always remained with me." He told her. "Now what is on your mind?"
Baby reached into her pocket book and pulled out a picture of Josie and laid it in front of Johnny. "Her name is Josie."
Johnny picked up the picture and closely at it. "So you have a daughter now?"
Baby was scared to mutter the words but she knew she needed too. "No, we have a daughter."
Johnny dropped the picture from his hand as it fell on table. He looked Baby dead in the face and was utterly speechless at this point.
