Chapter 69

Not having been there for over five years brought back memories. It was an all-new orchestra, with a new conductor, Herbie must have retired or passed on.

After getting everyone settled, I walked up and introduced myself and met the new conductor, Harold Watson, better known as Hal. He was aware of who we were and had a large number of our music ready for us.

There was no live singer this evening, just a nice meal and dance music. I sat between my wife and my daughter.

“Daddy,” Rose said turning to me. “Kalista taught me her ‘I’m Not That Girl’ routine. Could we all do it tonight?”

I felt my eyes leaking as I answered, “Sure can, Beautiful!” That made her blush a little. Our server came over and started taking our orders.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we’d like to welcome old friends back here tonight — put your hands together for Charles Newman and his beautiful wife, Kalista.”

A spotlight came on, catching up to us as the many other patrons made a wonderful noise. The opening strains of ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ began and we started to dance to it. As with Claire before, the peripheral sights and sounds faded, as all I saw was her beautiful face, which still reminded me of that first day we met.

Our modified Slow Rhumba was enchanting; as we did our version of a hesitation step a couple of times in a row. We enjoyed this number so much as it began to wind down, when we started the spins that Claire and I had enjoyed ending dances with. We finished with a nice flair and her bending back to show her flexibility.

I brought her back up to bow to the crowd who were standing for us in appreciation. After our bow, we kissed, and then motioned to Hal and his orchestra.

As we went back to our table, a faceless voice said, ‘There’s more to come, they’re not the only dancers in the family.’ I looked over to Sammi and said: “Thanks Sammi — it feels great to dance in front of an intimate crowd again.”

She blew me a kiss, which I caught — causing the young ladies to all giggle.

We heard the opening measures of ‘Hernando’s Hideaway’, so Michael got up, took his beautiful sister’s hand and they ran up and got in position and started this ‘Electric’ Tango. They were really stepping up, with flair and grandiosity. Damn, these kids are good.

This version was vocally similar to the Johnny Ray classic and they really added some schmaltz to it. I taught him how to listen for the end of the dance, and they stopped cold, with Hal and the gang. He gave her a kiss, and then they bowed.

“That was Michael and Rose Newman, Charles’ oldest. That was fabulous. That was a demonstration of what good genes can do for you!”

The crowd applauded, as they came back to the table, with Michael helping his sister sit down first, getting a kiss on cheek from her. It’s nice to see that good manners haven’t skipped a generation. They do make a sensational dancing couple.

Annette looked over to Kallie and asked, “Can I dance with him, too?”

My wife nodded consent.

Our food arrived, which was very tasty. The music continued just a bit quieter while we ate and talked about this and that. I looked up and saw Sammi texting someone.

The song ‘Phantom of the Opera’, from the Broadway show of the same name was starting. Michael grabbed Annette as they ran to the stage. I got up and saw that Sammi was running things from where she was sitting. I leaned over and gave her a kiss.

She blushed, saying, “It’s easier this way, Charles!”

Meanwhile, Michael and his cousin were doing well together, keeping a wonderful rhythm with their legs and arms. They each have a style that makes you watch them, wondering what they will do next — and I choreographed it - mostly!

I ate and watched; looking for moments to tell them that needed improvement. I saw him fumble a foot position, but he corrected it by himself. He was paying attention. They look as good together as he does with his sister. This could be a long tour ahead of us.

At the end of the evening, there was time for one more. I asked Sammi to request ‘I’m Not That Girl.’ I told Rose to get on her ballet shoes - she had already.

In the darkness, we all got up on stage.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight we’ll see a piece of the Next Generation at their best. Charles, his wife and daughter are performing to recorded music from WICKED, ‘I’m Not That Girl!’”

I nodded to Hal, as my wife and I performed our few measures, with Rose — en point, just like Kallie did — running out and stopping to Idina’s beautiful vocal.

She was crying, but dancing — reminding me of how amazing the woman in my arms was. She put her personal flair into a few of the moves. The audience was surely as impressed as I was, with my arms around my wife watching the solo debut of Rose. She ended with a pot stirrer, done all by herself – K must have taught her that. I was so very proud!

The audience, as one, stood and applauded as Rose took her own curtsy than we moved forward to bow together. I heard whistles, probably at both my wife and my daughter. It didn’t matter to me.

Every one of our group got up and hugged Rose as she got ahead of us getting back to the table. Her last hug was from Annette, who whispered something to her cousin.

I said, I would be right back. I walked back to Hal and gave him a hug for a wonderful evening of music. Sammi was responsible for this evening as well. I gave her a big hug and kiss on the cheek.

First thing in the morning, I start my new workout regimen.

We got home, to find our babysitter, 16-year old Kimmee Johnson, a close friend of Annette’s, in front of the TV. She turned it off saying both Xavier and Claire were very good, and asleep. I paid her, and she said, ‘Good-bye, ‘ and was out the door in a flash.

After checking on the kids, I thought I would see how many places wanted us on Tour.

Bringing my newest iPad in with me, (I stay up on the newest technology best I can), I said: “Hey everybody, do we want to be on Tour, one, two or three years?”

I was sitting between Annette and my wife, who remarked, “How many cities have responded, hubby?”

“A total of 2,567 have shown interest. Using the number of cities, we went to on our most recent tour, this number of cities would take six years to complete,” I said. Not bad when you consider there are only just over 35,000 cities and town in the USA?

Michael jumped up and said, ‘Yeah, why don’t we go on tour for six years? That would be really cool!”

Annette and Rose pulled him back down, giggling at his energy.

“Charles,” my lovely and still seductively gorgeous Sammi said, “How about eighteen months, then we come home for six months, and reassess after that?”

“Daddy,” Rose said, getting up from where she had been sitting, “While six years is too long, eighteen months doesn’t seem long enough.” She came over to my lap and sat down, then spoke again, “I think (kiss) that two years (kiss) sounds just about right (kiss on mouth)!”

“Does anybody else have a point to make, Annette, Lily, — Sammi?” I asked keeping a very tight hold of my oldest daughter.

Sammi got up, shooed Rose off my lap and said sitting down, “Charles (kiss) I think two years (kiss) sounds really good (kiss) but you are the final decision maker (a Wow kiss)!

Annette and Rose blushed and shook their heads in agreement, mouthing ‘two’!

Everyone laughed at the display of affection and emotion between us all. K grabbed me by the hand and said: “OK, everyone to bed, sleep in if you want. Goodnight!”

We watched as Annette walked up to Michael and took him by the hand. That was brazen, but it got the reaction from Rose that Annette wanted.

K and I checked in on Xavier. Sammi checked in on Claire for us — giving us a thumbs up as she went to her bedroom, right next to ours.

From all of the hoopla and dancing, I was ‘rode hard and put away wet’ — and fell asleep the moment I pulled the covers up over my shoulder, with my lovely wife behind me, wearing only panties and a satisfied smile.

I had set my alarm to get up and work out. I pulled myself out of bed having had only five hours of sleep and went to my workout station just outside our back porch.

Oh, those twenty-five pull downs seemed like 100 pounds, instead of what I typically do. I went to my curling machine and was tempted to do five instead of twenty, but I needed to be in better shape. With my back to the glass door, I heard it open and close.

“Hello,” my wife said with much too much perkiness in her voice. At least I heard her groan getting up on the incline board to do her crunches.

She learned those from Sarah, who had kept herself beautiful and in great shape...

I started to cry as I remembered when Sarah and Annie were coming home late from an out-of-state Charles & Claire Dance Studio.

Stupid black ice - There’s no fucking way to see it or know it’s there. They could still be here to see their grandkids dance if it hadn’t been for black ice. They were only in their 60s when it happened...

“Charles, are you OK?”

“Just thinking about Mom and Sarah,” I answered.

“There’s nothing you could have done, it was five in the morning,” she said to relieve my stress. She could always tell when I was stressed — so could Claire.

I moved to the leg press and was doing better when Kallie broke my concentration asking, “Are you going to teach Michael the ‘Time of My Life’ routine?”

“I don’t think he’s ready for it ... maybe in a few months. We learned it in a pool in two days on the road. He doesn’t pick things up as quickly as you or Claire did. He’s still maturing,” I reasoned.

I was done, so I stripped my sweats off and got in the spa. Oooh my! That was such a nice feeling no matter where on my body the jets were hitting.

I just heard a song on my iPhone XX, that I remembered was called, ‘The Boy is Mine.’ (from 1998 ... a long time ago)

“That would be a great song for Annette and Rose to perform to — you could let them choreograph themselves?” my fabulous wife said, slipping into the spa.

“I was thinking the same thing. They would get a kick out of it, you think?” I asked her.

I pulled her over to sit in front of me, getting my hands on her tummy for a good ten minutes.

The sounds of an infant broke the silence. I got up, gave K a kiss, dried off a bit, and went up to see which infant was calling. I found Xavier taking baby steps while holding onto Sammi. She was humming the ‘Phantom’ music from last night.

“Sorry, I wasn’t here sooner, Sammi — I started working out again. I hope he wasn’t too much trouble.”

“You were taking some personal time. You know I don’t mind looking after these little ones. I love them almost as much as you do. See, he’s such a happy boy, just like his father,” she said.

“He loves you, almost as much as I do, Sammi,” I said taking a step closer to them. We were closing in on a kiss...

“Hey, how is little X doing?” my wife bounded in.

In my position, I took him from Sammi and handed him to his mommy. I glanced over to her, and she shied away.

“I guess we decided on two years?” I said to my wife.

“Well, you were coerced into two years, but that’s OK with me. I guess Sammi was the clincher,” Kallie said.

“Only if I can clinch her,” I punned.

“Go ahead, I know how you feel about each other, just not in front of the youngest of the kids please,” she said looking at her little boy and not seeing me approach Sammi.

I wrapped my arms around Samantha and gave her a nice wet kiss, which she reciprocated. I heard either Rose or Annette coming, so I let go and waved good-bye to my former sister-in-law.

“Time to shower, join me if you’d like,” I said leaving the hallway.

“I think ... he meant me,” Kalista said smiling, passing X-man back to Sammi. Nervous giggles abounded.

By eleven am, everyone was up. Sammi, Kalista and Rose worked together to fix us all brunch, using the taco recipe Annie and Sarah passed down.

It was great; I ate while holding little Claire in my lap. She was smiling up at me while I ate. I was singing to her; glad I took up dancing instead.

With a mouthful of food, Michael asked, “Do you have any new set lists for us to start learning?”

Rose slapped her brother on the back of the head, causing everyone to laugh. Déjà vu?

“You keep refining the two sets you have got so far. You all danced very well last night, but you could have been better, especially you, Michael. You need to be physically stronger to make both of your dance partners look their very best. Still, I’m very proud of the three of you,” I said.

“Should I start working out a little, Dad?” my son asked.

“Wouldn’t hurt, but start easy, legs and shoulders first?” I told him. “Then you can start lifting them during routines.”

He quickly finished up his Sugar Pops and went straight to the workout bench. I followed him with his half-sister in my arms. Lily had taken our bowls to the sink for us.

I gave him suggestions on which do to first. I stayed as he went through a complete system, moving back between muscle groups. I learned something from all those backrubs I got from Sarah.

She taught me a lot!

After he was through, I told him to take a quick shower so dance rehearsal could begin. Sammi took baby Claire, and my wife and I started things off with our medium Samba.

Besides watching us, I saw the kids moving to the music, trying to imitate our moves. Michael and Rose were attempting the mirror image of what we were doing.

They were doing the dance steps, but I told them to step back and watch something. I flipped K turning into a sexy Samba and she was enjoying it.

I saw Rose and Annette cover their eyes for a second, then watched until we were done, with a good pro style ending, with my wife lying on my extended knee — with our hands up.

“That is doing more than the steps, kids — Remember, you have got to show, whoever you are dancing for, that you are enjoying yourselves. Don’t be afraid to try bigger moves than what you have learned from watching other dancers.”

“You have the Newman and the McArthur Genes — don’t waste them!”

While they worked on the next couple of routines, I pulled up iTunes and tweaked the next set list:

SET THREE
Michael & Rose — 16 Going on 17
Charles & Kallie — Who’s Got the Pain?
Annette solo — Nadia’s Theme
Rose solo — I Have Confidence
Charles and Kallie — Sing, Sing, Sing
Michael solo — Gaston
All Five — Dancing Through Life
Michael and Annette — Lady is a Tramp
Kalista solo — Show Off
Charles and Rose — Fallen From the Sky
Kalista & the kids — Doin’ What Comes Naturally
Charles and Annette — I Don’t Need Anything but You

Just under 54 minutes!

Getting nearer to 40 every year, means I need to be in great shape again to do all eight minutes of ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’.

We went through both sets twice, and then I cut everyone loose to do whatever.

Interestingly, while K and I stopped and took a rest, Michael and the girls kept on going. I was very proud of my boy. They were all helping each other.

I got up to help them. Annette saw me coming towards them; I was going to be her helper. I got in the middle of things, moving arms and legs to better positions than they were in. After I spoke to them, and explained myself better, I asked my Princess to help me show these ‘whippersnappers’ a thing or three.

Without music, we did some of the moves I had been showing them. I was stretching myself to my maximum, with kicking legs and complicated combinations, the kids just weren’t getting.

At the end of the practice, K got down on her back and stretched her leg up, like she’d been doing her whole life. Rose and Annette were impressed, while my son seemed aroused.

“OK, guys — start stretching every morning before dance rehearsal, for a solid thirty minutes, starting tomorrow. Michael, if you want to work out before that, go ahead. I’ll be up at seven am every morning to get myself back in shape. If I can’t do it, I can’t teach it!”

As K and I walked away, I told her that I saw Michael looking excited when she did her stretching on the floor.

“Don’t worry, Charles. I am certain both Rose and Annette will be stretching for attention as well,” she said. “Nobody gets me ... but you!”

It was time for a break from dancing. I shocked everyone by saying that. I told everyone to pack for a week in Vincennes. All the kids had been eager to take a ride on the Honeycomb Monorail System.

Driving to Columbus, getting on the HMS, and ending up at Vincennes is very comforting, and inexpensive.

Over these Tour years, we had driven under the HMS many times in many places. It wasn’t practical to use with all the stop and go, get a car, get on, get off, there would have been.

We may have made some big money during all of this, but Michael Thomas barely used a twentieth of his wealth, to take the HMS, which started in Vincennes, and went reasonably due west, including using a boring machine he helped design, and somehow went through the Rocky Mountains, and came out just east of Stockton, designed a massive cloverleaf that took it up to Kennewick, Washington, and down to the outskirts of Bakersfield, winding it toward Las Vegas. It also goes east, all the way out to Charlottesville, with another cloverleaf currently being built to go up to Maine and down to Florida.