Growing Old With You (Part of Those Three Little Words threequel)

Part 19

31st December 2000
Brian's POV
"Hang on a sec. Toilet's calling" Roger whispered and got up from the table, just managing to rush out before the next lot of dancers came into the room. The choreographer got straight to work in teaching them a part of the routine and I looked over all of them, seeing who were the quick learners and who were maybe falling behind already.

I scribbled down a few of their numbers to keep an eye on and showed Jim, "they're good" I whispered and tapped the paper with my pen as he scanned the numbers then the crowd and nodded. "They are, yeah. Where's Rog?" He leaned past me and I looked then remembered where he was, "loos. He shouldn't be long" I whispered then carried on watching the dancers practice.

"Alright! Everyone think they know the routine?" The choreographer shouted and all of them started nodding. The music started and Roger rushed in just in time, sitting down and skidding into me. I caught him and got him upright as his face went bright red, "god, that's embarrassing" he mumbled then looked at my piece of paper, "are these good?"

I nodded silently, watching all of them and seeing who really impressed me. They were all brilliant and I felt bad knowing I had to let some really amazing dancers go but some of them had a different style to what I imagined we needed. When they finished, they all sat on the floor and me, Rog, Jim, Ben and the choreographer showed each other which numbers we thought were the best and made a collective decision.

We kept the ones we thought would be a good fit for what we wanted for the show and Ben was the one who had to deliver the news to all of them. He read out all the numbers and told them to come and get a letter from the front and we shook their hands, congratulating them on getting through and on the brilliant auditions they gave.

There were a few of them who didn't talk or were very quiet and I found them very sweet but Roger didn't seem to think the same. "They can't be shy with this... are you sure you don't want someone else?" He whispered and I shook my head, "you saw them dancing, when they get to it, they won't be shy"

He raised his eyebrows and looked at his watch then broke out into a little grin, "half an hour to go" he said and I looked down at his watch, "jeez... this year's gone so quick" I sighed and he put his head on my shoulder. "I don't like it, it feels like time's running away with us. Next thing we know, we'll be old and grey with ten grandkids" he looked up at me and I frowned, "well I think you'd look cute with grey hair so don't you worry about that"

"Thank you, Brian... but what about the wrinkles? And the belly? And my knees, you know my knees are bad anyway! They'll only get worse" he sighed dramatically and I chuckled, "it'll be fine, Rog. If they get that bad, they'll let you get them replaced" I said and he shuddered, "no!"

"What's that for?" I laughed and he looked up at me, "well it's metal in my knees... y'know, metal knees! It's not my knees, it's a bit of metal and... they have to cut open my knees and-" He shuddered again and I held him, stroking his arm, "it'll be fine. You won't have to have it, anyway, your knees are okay"

"Yeah but what if-" he started and I put my hand over his mouth, "no what ifs... you'll be okay" I said and he looked up at me then poked his tongue out and licked my hand. I pulled it away straight away and wiped it in the back of his shirt, scrunching up my face at him, "that's gross"

"You know what else is gross?" He asked and I looked down at him, "if you say knees, I will push you off that chair" I warned and he broke out in a huge grin, giggling to himself, "yeah, I was gonna say knees... how do you know me so well?"

"Well, after thirty years you pick up a thing or two about people" I chuckled and he sighed, "god, thirty years" He looked around the room then both of us jumped, "almost midnight!" Ben shouted and scared us, making my heart pound out of my chest until I saw his grinning face, "don't do that to an old man, you could've killed me" I said and he started laughing, "sorry, guys... um, if you want to go outside for the new year then you can, we've not got people coming in until half past now"