Impractical Assistant

Chapter 14: The Man who Danced

Murray watched as Lilly glided out onto the stage, the spotlights glinting off of her red dress as it swooshed around her. The panic that had taken hold in her eyes moments before seemed to vanish as she took the nearest microphone to her. She addressed the crowd with a poise and grace that seemed effortless. Her mezzo-soprano timber rang in his ears as she began to speak, but he didn't hear the words that she was saying. All he could hear was her repeating the words Just us. No one else. She was moving around the stage as she spoke to the crowd, all of them enraptured by what she was saying. It was easy to be under her spell, he thought to himself as he smiled along with the crowd's laughter. I would never have known she has anxiety if I didn't see it for my own eyes. He glanced over to his friends and saw Q's head turning. Usually that made him nervous; the tilt of his hair, the racing pan of his eyes usually spelled trouble for one member of the group. This time, though, was different. It wasn't full of mirth or plotting. It was focused, driving, and it made Murray lose his focus on Lilly for a moment. A cough drew his focus back to Lilly,  his eyes leaving Q's face. Lilly's head was turned towards them as the crowd applauded and her eyes flipped towards them. Sal's hands flew up in Murray's peripheral vision, thumbs up and a wide grin plastered on his face. Lilly inhaled deeply and nodded, turning back to the audience.

"Now it is the biggest pleasure to introduce to you our main act. These gentlemen made a name for themselves in comedy before finding their way to the TruTV schedule. Billed as four best friends who will do anything to embarrass each other, they have proved time and again that they really do mean anything. From skydiving to tattoos, live punishments to cruises, these four gentlemen are indeed always the life of the party. Ladies and Gentlemen, from Impractical Jokers, the Tenderloins themselves: Joe Gatto, Brian Quinn, Salvatore Vulcano, and James Murray!"

The crowd roared to life as the four Jokers jogged onto the stage. Joe reached her first and he grinned at her easily, bringing her into his side to whisper a quick "nice job" in her ear before Q swept her off of her feet. Quite literally, he abrasively swept her into a one arm spin that had her red dress swirling around the pair of them, that Murray swore created a cacophonous purple hue around them. Sal was much calmer than his best friend, but Murray could still see things that the audience couldn't. The way Sal pressed his lips close to Lilly's ear, murmuring something indecipherable that caused Lilly to blush, pull away, and wink at him in rapid succession. Sal pressed his hand to his heart, eyes following her form as she made her way, finally, to Murray. For a brief moment, he didn't know what to do. He hadn't interacted with her the same way that the others had. He wasn't suave or clever or moody. He was often considered the boring one, the stickler, the crybaby. But apparently that was enough, for Lilly extended her arms and wrapped him in the briefest of hugs. Her head fell right on his shoulder and he learned in and whispered to her.

"No one else." He felt her chuckle against his chest and she pulled back to meet his gaze.

"Just us," she smiled widely at him, her eyes sparkling against the lights. "You go out there and kick some ass."

'We'll do what we can," he shrugged.

"No. You got kick some ass. Don't worry about those other yahoos. Just do what you do best."

"And what's that?" he asked with a breathless laugh.

"Be charming and level-headed."

"You think I'm charming?"

"Of course!" Lily said as if it was the most simple answer in the world. "And handsome too." Murray laughed loudly, his high pitched giggle capturing the attention of the others who had begun to chat with the crowd.

"If you're done flirting ya ferret," Q teased, much to the delight of the crowd.Lilly winked at Murray before handing him his microphone back and exiting the stage gracefully. As soon as Murray turned to the crowd everything else faded. Lilly faded from his mind for the first time in 24 hours and all that mattered was the crowd and the three friends by his side.