The Dancer
It was the first day of autumn, and the leaves were already beginning to change colors. There was a coolness in the air.
Summer had passed quickly, and Johnny Fallon had worked around the clock every day. The downtown studio had survived the summer, and for the first time in three months, the books showed a profit.
Johnny had hired three college students — all home for the summer and all enrolled at Arizona State University in Tempe, in the School of Film, Dance, and Theatre. Twins Rebecca and Rachel Farnsworth, along with Derrick Green, had all received scholarships to ASU and were three very coachable and personable young adults.
That left Johnny time to concentrate on his No. 1 project, the Tavern on the Hill. Judge Haskins was true to his word, and not only had Clyde Hart come through with all the materials, but local builders had chipped in and volunteered their time — the Tavern on the Hill had grown from the ashes into a 100,000-square-foot building.
It was time to set his plan in motion for the interior, using all the knowledge he had gathered over the years from his father, John Fallon, who had left his son with blueprints from the old days when the family owned three dance halls in New Jersey. Not to mention all the memorabilia, pictures, records, and family artifacts he had at his fingertips, thanks to his trip to California earlier in the year.
Johnny had set up a corporation under the name Fallon Enterprises and established a central office in one of the backrooms of the dance studio. An ad had gone out statewide, offering jobs at Fallon’s — now advertised as the dance hall of the future — the largest nightclub in the northern part of the state.
He would need managers, bartenders, waitresses, cooks, secretaries, and office workers, and he needed to be ready for the grand opening on the first day of spring.
It was a typical Saturday morning at the downtown studio.
Johnny’s three employees were busy teaching a class of eighteen elementary school children the art of tap dancing. The students were set to graduate from the class by the end of September and were scheduled to perform at Forest Hills High School as the opening act in the school’s first play of the year, The Wizard of Oz, which was expected to run the first week of December.
There was a knock on the office door, and Rebecca Farnsworth opened the door slightly. “Mr. Fallon, there’s a lady in the lobby. She said she is answering your ad.”
“That’s fine, Rebecca. Send her in.”
Johnny cleared off his desk the best he could, and the office door opened. “Well, hello, Mr. Fallon.” Samantha Reed said with a smile. “I see you have been a busy man.”
“Samantha! What are you doing here?”
She wiggled the newspaper. “I’m applying for a job. According to the paper, Mr. Johnny Fallon is looking to fill some positions in a town called Forest Hills.”
Johnny smiled, and the following words out of his mouth were, “You’re as beautiful as ever.”
“Why, thank you. Mr. Fallon.”
“Would you like to go for a ride?” Johnny said. “There’s something I’d like to show you.”
Samantha agreed. Johnny had Rebecca take over the studio. It wasn’t long before Johnny had maneuvered his way through town and glanced over at Samantha. The windows of his ’57 Chevy were down, and Samantha’s red hair blew freely, covering her face. She noticed him staring at her. “You’d better watch the road, Mr. Fallon.”
“Why do you keep calling me, Mr. Fallon?”
“I don’t know. I suppose it’s because we haven’t known each other very long, and maybe I’m just joking with you a little,” she said with a smile.
Johnny smiled back at her. “Please call me Johnny.”
“Okay, Johnny,” she said. “Where are you taking me?”
He explained to her he was en route to the Tavern on the Hill.
“When I was a little boy…”
“I bet you were a cute little boy,” Samantha said, still joking with him, something she was becoming very comfortable with. She gazed at the tall trees and breathed in the scent of the mountain air.
“It’s so beautiful up here.”
Johnny made the turn onto Ramsey Canyon and continued to fill Samantha in on the nightclub's history. “It was originally owned by Slim Walker. He was like a grandfather to me...”
Samantha took in every word and was saddened to hear the tragic story of Wanda and Bernie Berlson. “That’s very sad, Johnny. The way you describe them…sounds like they were loved by all the patrons.”
“They were great owners,” Johnny said as he pulled into the new black-topped parking lot.
Samantha opened the car door, stood up, and took a look around the facility. A strong gust of wind blew strands of her red hair across her face. She pulled her hair back and pinned it in place. “This is a huge building, Johnny.”
“Yes, it is. Over 100,000 square feet. We’re advertising Fallon’s as the biggest nightclub in the northern part of the state. We estimate we can accommodate 150 couples dancing on our 1,000-square-foot dance floor. It’s all solid wood inside and outside the building — all the lumber for the floor coming from right here in Forest Hills. The steel roof is top-of-the-line.
“I can see why you are so excited, Johnny.”
Johnny shuffled around for the keys to the entrance, unlocked the door, and motioned for Samantha to walk into the building.
“There’s still a lot of electrical work to be done. So watch your step,” he said. Johnny grabbed her hand, and they stared at each other for a moment. They both smiled.
“Miss Reed. Welcome to Fallon’s.”
“Johnny, please call me Samantha.”
They both laughed. Johnny took her by the hand. “The dance floor is almost done. Samantha, would you care to dance?”
“That would be lovely,” she smiled.
“I have a song in my head,” Johnny said.
“I, as well. Mr. Fallon.”
For three minutes, they danced around the room.
Johnny decided to drive north, a twenty-minute drive to Lake Mary, to a restaurant on the waterfront owned by the daughter of Judge Haskins. Phoebe Ann, now 58, married Jeremy Tolleson, the town’s only prosecutor, and she led a comfortable but busy life, along with her husband, maintaining their business and their home, which was located on the south shore of the lake.
It was noon, and Phoebe Ann had just opened her doors for business. “Johnny, what brings you out here?”
“Well, for one thing. Those pot pies of yours, and I want you to meet a friend of mine, Samantha Reed.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Phoebe Ann said as she hugged Johnny and shook hands with Samantha. “Why don’t you two take the table overlooking the lake? I’ll bring you both a cool glass of water.”
They ordered lunch. Johnny listened as Samantha explained why she had knocked on his office door. “I lost my mother about two months ago. The last time I saw you, my mother was ill, and things got worse quickly. I sold the studio and our home in Carefree and decided to move to Forest Hills. I just arrived last week and spent the last few days getting the cabin in order.”
“I’m glad you’re here and so sorry to hear about your mother. Looks like we’ve both lost our parents. I still can’t believe my parents are gone. It leaves a hole in the heart that never completely mends.”
Samantha looked at Johnny. She knew he’d understand. She felt so at ease around him. She knew the man sitting across from her had been through his share of heartbreak. There was an instant connection. She felt it months ago when they first met, and now, on this beautiful autumn morning, she was sure of it.
Johnny and Samantha continued to converse, taking time only to glance out over the lake and catch the geese in flight, creating a moment in time that they would remember forever.
They discussed anything and everything. Johnny talked about his relationship with his parents and how they supported him throughout his young life, encouraging him every step of the way. He told Samantha of his love for Betty Lou and the tragic ending to her life. He told Samantha how he ran away from it all and ended up far away from Forest Hills.
He told her how he reached a new low in his life when his parents passed away…together. How he turned to a devastating drug to get through each day… how he found help and slowly made his way back to reality…and how he ended up back in Forest Hills, where it had all begun.
Samantha continued her story about her mother and father, as well as her love for dancing. She told Johnny stories of how she helped her mother survive the loss of the love of her life, and how they ended up in Florida and finally moved to Arizona.
“Mother loved the sun, and she loved her beautiful cabin in the mountains, but in recent years, we found ourselves in and out of hospitals in Phoenix as Mother battled cancer, a battle which she lost on a Sunday morning as we were getting ready for church. Mom grew weak and said she wanted to rest for a while. Minutes later, I went to check on her, and she was gone. I held her hand for an hour in shock. Suddenly, she was gone. I felt alone and devastated, although I had planned for the moment. It still hit me so hard.”
Johnny watched as the geese disappeared behind the forest line.
“Life is so fragile. I lost my way for too many years. I’m practically a middle-aged man now. Okay, as he saw a slight grin coming from Samantha. “I am a middle-aged man.”
Samantha let out a bigger smile, “Johnny, you have a lot of years left. There’s plenty of time to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.”
Feeling slightly embarrassed, he grinned at Samantha. “I guess maybe I’m talking too much.”
“No, Johnny,” she said, touching his hand. “I feel like I’ve known you forever. It’s a good feeling.”
“Oh, by the way, Samantha. You’re hired.”
“And, just what am I hired for, Mr. Fallon?”
“You are my new assistant manager at Fallon’s.”
“Why, thank you, Johnny. When do I start?”
“That’s soon enough for me.”
On the ride back into town, Samantha didn’t want the beautiful day to end. “Johnny, I know you have to get back to the studio, but when you close up for the day, why don’t you come to dinner? I’ll fix something nice and show you around the place. It’s over on Clover Lane, just south of town.”
“Why, thank you. To tell you the truth. I don’t want this day to end either.”
Johnny dropped off Samantha and headed back into the studio. He was on cloud nine. He tried to gather his thoughts, but just as he had been a few months ago, when he said “goodbye” to Samantha and jumped into his truck with Bobby Joe to head for California, he was flustered. He felt young again. Ready to take on the world.
He hadn’t had that feeling for a long, long time.
“Are you all right, Mr. Fallon?” Rebecca asked as Johnny stumbled through the front door of the studio.
“Yes…Yes. I’m fine, Rebecca. How did the class go?”
“Great, Mr. Fallon. The children are so cute. They are progressing nicely. Mrs. Anderson just picked up her daughter, Amy. They were the last to leave.”
“Good, Rebecca. Why don’t you close up shop? I’m going to do some paperwork and close the doors at six tonight.”
“You have a date, Mr. Fallon?” Rebecca said, with a big grin on her face.
“Yes, Rebecca. I have a date.”
Johnny pulled his pickup into Samantha’s circular driveway. The cabin was located just around the first curve on Clover Lane, the two-story building surrounded by tall oak trees. A screened-in deck was situated at the front of the cabin, and a separate driveway led to the garage in the back. He noticed a late-model, white Chevy Tahoe in the driveway near the garage, and he heard a dog barking in the backyard.
Samantha emerged with a collar and snapped it in place around the neck of a beautiful white and sable Collie, who was playfully bouncing up and down.
“This is Buddy. A fourth-generation Rough Collie from back home in Scotland. His great-great-grandfather was a sheepdog. Isn’t he beautiful?”
“He sure is,” Johnny said, his eyes focused on Samantha’s long red hair as she wiggled the ears of her dog. “Just lovely.”
Samantha smiled. “Well, come on in.”
Johnny was impressed with the cabin's interior.
“A woman’s touch,” he said. “My place is more like a man cave. No matter what I do, I haven’t been able to duplicate the way my mother decorated our old family home over on Fourth Street.”
“I guess it was a trait I picked up from my mom,” Samantha said. “My mother taught me so much. I miss her dearly.”
“Is this your mom and dad?” Johnny said as he picked up the picture on the mantel just above the fireplace.
“That’s an old picture of them, back when they first met.”
“Your beauty, I see where it comes from,” Johnny said as he returned the photo, gently, to its rightful place.
“You’re going to make me blush, Samantha said. “Sit down, Johnny. Would you like a glass of red wine or a beer…I believe I picked up a six-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Johnny smiled. “A beer is fine. How did you know what kind of beer I like?”
“I didn’t until today. Everybody seems to know you in town… especially at the City Market. I asked the clerk if she knew Johnny Fallon. She was a woman in her 30s. I’m guessing on her age, of course. I’m not quite that forward. She said you gave her tap dance lessons when she was just a little girl. So, I asked her if she knew what kind of beer you preferred. Surprisingly, she answered.”
“Margaret Stewart!” Johnny said with a giggle. “She was just a little tike. “She grew up and married Travis Stewart. Travis runs the Farmer’s Insurance Office over on Second Street, and Marge, well, she’s been the head clerk at the City Market for quite a long time.”
Samantha handed Johnny the bottle of PBR, grabbed her glass of wine, and moved a log around in the bed of the fireplace. The flames grew brighter. She placed the iron poker on the stand next to the fireplace, patted Buddy on the forehead, and sat down on the couch next to Johnny.
Buddy turned his head to the right and wasn’t too sure what to think about the visitor who was sitting next to his master.
Johnny eyed the room. The surroundings. The fireplace. The beautiful Collie, now sitting quietly with his head resting on his two front paws, and Samantha, glowing…smiling. It was like a 1940s Norman Rockwell painting.
“I can’t believe all this,” Johnny said.
“A few months ago, my life was in turmoil, and suddenly I’m back in my hometown, feeling young and full of life for the first time in a long while…and sitting across from a beautiful woman, the fireplace is crackling, and inquisitive, beautiful dog staring at me, wanting to know what is this man doing in his house.
"A few miles from here, I have a business up and running, and another five miles north, I’m in a partial partnership in what is going to turn out to be the biggest dance hall in the state. It’s just unbelievable. My life has not been like this. I’m not sure I could dream all this up.”
“Johnny, you seem happy.”
“Happy, that’s a word I haven’t heard for a very long time.”
“Johnny, do you believe in second chances?”
“I feel the same way, Johnny. I have been going through the motions for so many years. For the longest time, it’s been my mother and me…and now she’s gone. I’ve made my share of mistakes, but this isn’t one of them. Moving up here and finding the kind of job I’ve been looking for. It’s exciting, Johnny. Maybe it’s our second chance.”
Johnny realized everything was moving too fast. He felt like he had boarded a fast-moving train, but all he could see in front of him was Samantha Reed, and he knew he had already arrived at his destination.
“Time to eat,” Samantha said.
Winter had arrived in Forest Hills. The first big snowstorm of the season had pounded the nearby mountains. The streets in town were covered with snow, and the residents were huddling and scurrying around, enjoying the winter wonderland.
Johnny had his nose to the grindstone. By midday, a truck had arrived from New Jersey, carrying five brand-spanking new jukeboxes. Johnny was elated. He had received Judge Haskins's approval over a month ago. It had taken a little coaxing to get the “thumbs up” from the Judge. “My goodness, Johnny. Are you trying to break our budget?”
“No, Judge. I have a spot for all five, and every single one of them will be full to the gills with 45s. You can name your own tune, and chances are I’ll have it.”
Johnny had convinced the Judge that the coins in the jukebox and the coins in the pool tables were all moneymakers. “We can’t afford to have bands seven days a week, but a handful of quarters in a slot…well, it all adds up.”
Samantha worked hand in hand with Johnny as they spent their days at the Tavern on the Hill. They worked as a team. With the blueprints spread out across a table, it was easy to see what Johnny had in mind: A main dance floor, a circular walkway dividing the main dance floor, and a series of enclosed rooms — an ice cream parlor with its own jukebox, filled with 50s and 60s records — from Elvis Presley to the Beatles, a second room with another jukebox filled with 70s records and a room with yet another jukebox, filled with the current number-one hits — all three with their own little dance floor — all enclosed in a soundproof area. In short, a tavern for all ages.
And a special room for the novice dancer. Beginners would be able to learn the steps and move to the latest craze with expert instruction from Fallon’s staff — especially Rebecca and Derrick, who not only announced their wedding plans but were married on Christmas Day in Las Vegas. Both Rebecca and Derrick were quickly becoming the best swing dancers in the state and returned to Forest Hills to work for the newly formed Fallon Corporation.
By mid-February, Johnny and Samantha announced their wedding plans — the date set for the day before the opening of Fallon’s Place, a June wedding. It was a second chance at happiness — a second chance for Johnny Fallon to tie the knot with his partner for life — on and off the dance floor.
By the first day of spring, the final touchup was underway at Fallon’s Place. Mandy Ferguson had been busy all winter with her caricatures — portraits of all the movers and shakers who had made Fallon’s Place a reality. All the previous owners — Slim Walker, Bernie and Wanda, the Judge, and a special portrait to be revealed on the day of the opening — the newlyweds, Johnny and Samantha Fallon.
There was one more surprise, one more caricature to be placed in the center of the Fallon Hall of Fame — a likeness of Johnny’s parents, Marsha and John Fallon. The town of Forest Hills had become known through the years as “the town of the dancers,” and it had all started back in 1941.
It was only fitting for Mandy Ferguson to honor both of them with her artistic talents. She couldn’t wait to see Johnny’s face light up at the unveiling.
By mid-May, Johnny and Samantha had finished the hiring. Not only had Mandy finished all the caricatures, but she helped Samantha with the purchase of uniforms for the employees — from bartenders to cocktail waitresses, to the 50s attire needed for the rock and roll room, the 70s attire for the disco era — every detail completed to Johnny’s specifications.
Johnny Fallon was ready to open the doors. The Tavern on the Hill would have a new look — including half a dozen “shoeshine girls” to welcome the patrons, all of whom would have a hankering to get their dancing shoes polished and shined, ready for action.
Fallon was pretty sure the shoeshine girls would pocket more money than he ever did as an eight-year-old hustler.
The Fallon wedding went off without a hitch. A weekend extravaganza in Forest Hills.
The wedding was held at the First Baptist Church. Samantha and Johnny said their vows in front of a packed house — everyone crowded into each pew. A reception was held at the Tavern on the Hill.
The years that followed were a far cry from the painful years Johnny had endured. Fallon’s Place opened the day after the wedding. The word got around of a new honky tonk — not just a honky tonk, but a spacious acreage which included a dance hall where patrons could dance the night away, and outdoors, plenty of room for weekly barbecues, hayrides…something for everyone — young and old.
Business blossomed — especially on the weekends when the hotels and motels suddenly were forced to put up No Vacancy signs — as the small, quiet town of Forest Hills had become known as the Land of the Dancers.
The Fallons remodeled the old homestead on Fourth Street and turned it into an office building for Fallon Enterprises. Johnny would soon open nightclubs all over the southwest — one in Albuquerque, one in Laughlin, another in Las Vegas, and one in San Antonio, Texas.
Johnny and Samantha sold the cabin, bought a five-acre spread, and built their dream home one mile from Johnny’s Tavern on the Hill — a house big enough for a family of four — as Samantha happily announced in 1991 that she was pregnant with twin girls.
When the twins were born, Johnny entered another phase of his life — the raising of two tall redheads, Jill Elizabeth, and Joanie Abigail — Jill carrying Johnny’s grandmother’s name and Joanie proudly named after Samantha’s mother.
Johnny and the twins became inseparable — they received the best upbringing and, of course, dancing and more dancing, as the two girls, extremely gifted, carried the family bloodline, the Fallon name, into the future.
