by Laura Conway
After her disastrous date last weekend, Delaney welcomed that familiar fluttering in her stomach when she glanced over at Spencer. She was lost in the music as her feet easily followed the step, her dark hair falling across her face.
She hardly knew Spencer, but Delaney liked that fact that she didn’t need to try when she was around her. Their interactions were relaxed, and nothing like the stilted conversation she ended up having with her date on Saturday night. She’d only been three years older than Delaney, but she might as well have been twenty. She was so concerned with turning fifty next month, and Delaney had to send Matt a text to call her. She hated pulling that stunt, but the date had been brutal.
Carlos was on the mic, showing them another turn that they were going to try, and Delaney took a deep breath as she tried to take in what Carlos was doing as the lead, knowing she’d have her arm wrapped around Spencer in just a few seconds.
She didn’t know why she was making such a big deal of this. Spencer was attractive. It was normal to be drawn to her, but that was as far as it had to go. She’d ignore Matt and Jay’s encouragement and focus on figuring out how to dance. If Spencer became a friend, great. She could use a few more of those.
Delaney’s eyes met Spencer’s as they both took a step forward and got into position with Spencer’s hand comfortably in Delaney’s left. Spencer gently pushed Delaney’s hair away from her shoulder, brushing her neck with the back of her hand, sending a shiver through Delaney. That was the second week in a row she’d had that reaction. What was wrong with her?
“Ready?” Spencer asked as the music started.
“Yes.”
Delaney followed Carlos’s instructions, trying to get her feet to do what she wanted them to. Spencer was having no trouble, and Delaney felt her competitive side coming out. She didn’t want to let Spencer down either.
Delaney took a steadying breath as she went through the movement again, doing a better job with the turn this time as Spencer came back into her arms. She was rewarded with Spencer’s warm smile.
“I told you, you had nothing to worry about,” Spencer said as they repeated the turn, her hair slightly tousled from the movement.
“I know I’m the one that’s leading, but you’re the one keeping this together,” Delaney said with a laugh as they danced on the spot before doing the turn again.
Julia got their attention as she turned the music down, giving them another move to try. “We only have six weeks with you, so we’re trying to pack as much in as possible. We’re staying around for a few minutes afterwards if you have any questions or if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed.”
“Are you feeling overwhelmed?” Spencer asked as they tried the next movement, a slightly more complicated turn.
Delaney sighed. “Sometimes. I don’t like not being good at something.”
“Who does?”
“I guess, I don’t put myself in too many situations like this,” Delaney admitted.
“Well, I’m glad you chose salsa,” Spencer said as Carlos told everyone to take a short break. “What made you come here last week?”
Delaney followed Spencer over to an empty booth, getting a quizzical look from Jay on the way. What had brought her here? Matt and Jay had both suggested it, saying she needed to go out more if she ever wanted to meet someone.
Delaney didn’t want to sound desperate though. Fitness. That was a much more normal answer.
“I wanted to get in better shape,” Delaney said as they sat down. “I’ve never been one to go to the gym consistently. This seemed like more fun anyway.”
A waitress came over to get their drink order, chatting to Spencer briefly before returning to the bar.
“What about you?” Delaney asked. “Why salsa?”
“My grandfather was Cuban,” Spencer said, leaning forward to rest her forearms on the wooden table between them. “I never met him, but in the last few years... I don’t know why, but I’ve started digging into our family’s history. I’ve been learning Spanish. My dad is fluent, but he never really spoke it at home, and I was never any good at it in school despite my heritage and my last name.”
“What’s your last name?”
“Sandoval,” Spencer said as their drinks arrived.
Delaney reached for the glass of water she’d asked for, quenching her thirst before she took a sip of Shiraz.
“You got lucky then,” Delaney said. “I’ve never heard of a gay bar hosting a salsa class.”
“It was my idea.”
“Really?”
Spencer nodded. “I don’t know if you’ve ever been here on a Tuesday before last week, but it was always very quiet. I figured we didn’t have much to lose, so I found Carlos and Julia, pitched Karen, my boss, and here we are.”
“Well, it’s definitely a success,” Delaney said, glancing around the bar. “The place is packed.”
Delaney watched Spencer as she looked around the crowded bar. She seemed different tonight. Maybe it was seeing her in something other than her work clothes, but Spencer was more at ease tonight.
“I just hope that people keep coming back,” Spencer said with a smile as she took a drink. “There’s four more weeks.”
“I will definitely be coming back,” Delaney said, her cheeks flushing at the admission. It was an innocent comment. They were dancing well together. Why wouldn’t she come back? But Delaney felt like Spencer might pick up on her growing attraction towards her.
“That’s great news,” Spencer said, sliding her phone out of her pocket and leaving it on the table. “Would it be okay if I got your number? You know, in case one of us can’t make it some week.”
“Sure.” Delaney patted down her pockets. “My phone is in my bag, over with my friends.”
Spencer handed Delaney her phone. “I’ll send you a text with mine.”
“Okay.” Delaney entered in her number and passed the phone back to her. “Don’t forget.”
“I won’t,” Spencer said with a confident smile, her eyes on Delaney.
Carlos was back on the microphone, breaking whatever spell Spencer had temporarily put her under. Delaney took another drink and followed Spencer out onto the dance floor.
Jay was beside her as everyone found their partners for the second half.
“She’s into you,” Jay said, grinning as Matt waved him over to the other side of the room. He was gone before Delaney could reply, not that she knew what she’d say.
She was starting to wonder if Spencer was interested in her. The lingering gazes, the charming smile... But what would a thirty-year-old want with her?
They were dancing together. Not that Delaney had much experience with dancing, but she imagined all of this was normal. Being drawn to your partner, building some sort of rapport, enjoying being close to someone...
They danced well together. That was all that was going on. Jay was just being his usual encouraging self.
Delaney took a deep breath as she stood beside Spencer, listening to Carlos and Julia go through the next movement. Four more weeks, and the way they were going, she’d be a pretty competent dancer by the end of it.
Chapter 5
Spencer brought her bottle of beer to her lips, trying not to roll her eyes as Zoey opened up the purple pocket-sized notebook that was in front of her on the bar.
“Well?” Spencer asked. “What’s the verdict?”
“You know I don’t like to form my final opinion until I’ve spoken to the person in question,” Zoey said, flipping through the pages.
“Yes. I’ve seen you do this enough times. I know how the process works. What is your opinion so far?”
“Based on the last two hours and the little bit of research I’ve done,” Zoey said, tapping her pen against the page. “I’m sixty-forty.”
“Which way?”
“In favor. I’m sixty percent sure that she’s gay.”
“Right,” Spencer said, allowing herself a quick glance over at Delaney’s table where she was laughin
g with the two friends she’d been with last week.
They’d finished the class about ten minutes ago. Delaney said she’d be over in the booth by the door. She hadn’t exactly invited Spencer over, so she didn’t want to assume. Spencer took a seat beside Zoey at the bar, curious to find out what she thought.
“I know that’s not very helpful, but it’s actually a very good preliminary score.”
“Oh, really?” Spencer asked. She didn’t quite believe in Zoey’s systematic gaydar. She always preferred gut instinct.
“Yes. If the initial score is over fifty percent, we’re looking at,” Zoey flipped to the rows of numbers on one of the back pages. “To date... A seventy-eight percent success rate.”
“Jesus Christ.”
“I know you don’t believe in any of this, but it’s never failed me. I don’t like falling for straight women so,” Zoey said, taking a sip of wine. “This is essential.”
“If you ask me... It’s not really gaydar. Nothing about that is intuitive. It’s scientific.”
“And I would argue that that makes it better,” Zoey said, pointing a finger at her.
“Uh huh...”
“You’re a lost cause anyway, so it doesn’t really matter what I think.”
“Is that opinion based on science?” Spencer asked with a smirk on her lips.
“Nope. That one’s intuitive. All the looks, the way you dance together. You’re one of the best couples, and you’ve just met. I’m sure some of these people are in relationships... Like those two guys,” Zoey said, discreetly looking over at Delaney’s table. “They’re her friends, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And a couple?”
“Judging by the way his arm is around the other... Oh wait, and that kiss, I’m going to say ‘yes.’”
“They were awful,” Zoey said as she took another drink. “They couldn’t go ten seconds without one of them going wrong. There was no chemistry.”
“And we have chemistry?”
“I would say so, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes,” Spencer admitted. She loved having Delaney’s arm around her, the way they seemed to move so effortlessly together. The bit of practice she’d done with Zoey had probably helped, but this was there from the first night.
She knew she was biased. This was the biggest crush of her life they were talking about, but it was more than that. This wasn’t the same. Her crush wasn’t just an actress to fantasize about. She was here, sitting just a few feet away. She knew Spencer’s name, and Zoey thought she could be gay.
“She is a very attractive woman,” Zoey said, taking her away from her thoughts. “You know, if that’s your thing.”
“What?”
“Older women.”
Spencer nodded. She knew her type, and Delaney was it.
“I get it though,” Zoey said, stealing another glance over at their table, and Spencer did the same. Delaney looked over at the exact same time, and as much as Spencer wanted to dart her eyes away, she held their gaze, and Delaney gave her a smile before turning back to her friends. “Okay. Sixty-five percent.”
“That smile got me five percent?” Spencer said with a soft laugh.
“The smile, plus the eyes, plus whatever’s going on over there now. It looks like the guys are teasing her.”
Spencer took one last look. Delaney covered her face with her hands before shaking her head, but Spencer could see she was still laughing.
“I’m sorry you didn’t get to dance,” Spencer said after she’d torn her eyes away.
Zoey shrugged. “It’s fine. I figured that would happen. Everyone would be partnered up from last week, but this was fun,” she said as she closed her notebook and dropped it into her bag. “So... Are you going to ask her out?”
“No,” Spencer said with a sigh. “I have her number, and we’re planning on being here for the next four weeks. I don’t want to scare her away.”
“Because you think she might be straight?”
“Yeah, and I’m sixteen years younger than her. That’s not a big deal to me, but even if she is gay and even if she might be interested in me... I doubt she’d be mad about the age gap.”
“The older one never is.”
Spencer nodded. “That’s been my experience so far, anyway. I want to get to know her, and if we become friends... That would be amazing. She’s so nice, and she’s easy to be around.”
“And you’re crazy about her.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Probably only to me,” Zoey said, giving her arm a squeeze. “I know you too well.”
“Do you want another drink?” Spencer asked as she finished hers.
“It’s up to you. I don’t know if you want to try and talk to Delaney. I don’t mind staying for another.”
“No. You know what? Let’s go,” Spencer said, grabbing her bag from the hook underneath the bar and slinging it over her shoulder. “I’m only torturing myself sitting here. I’ll see her next week.”
“Okay.”
Spencer knew she’d have to pass Delaney’s table on the way out. She didn’t want to interrupt them, but she didn’t want to leave without saying ‘goodbye’ either. She crossed the empty dance floor and lightly rested her hand on Delaney’s shoulder as she reached their table.
Delaney turned to look up at her as Spencer stood beside their booth. “Hi.”
“Hey... I’m off. I just wanted to say thanks for tonight.”
“Yeah,” Delaney said with a smile. “Thanks for sticking with me. I think we got there in the end though...”
“Definitely. See you next week?”
“I’ll be here.”
“Great. Well, enjoy your night,” Spencer said, returning her smile and giving the two guys across from her a nod.
Spencer held the door open for Zoey who was a few steps behind her.
“Thank you,” Zoey said. “I think we’re up to seventy percent now.” And Spencer just laughed as they left.
Chapter 6
Delaney traced her eyebrow with her index finger, willing her headache to disappear as she glanced up at the clock on the wall. They’d break for lunch any minute now, and she desperately needed the hour to recharge. She couldn’t remember the last time they’d hit such a wall.
Delaney absently tapped her pen against her yellow legal pad, trying to get on board with the direction the episode they were trying to write was heading in. They had to keep these last few episodes open ended, because they had no idea whether they were going to be canceled or renewed, and it was torture to work without that knowledge.
If they knew that this was it, these last few episodes would be written in a dramatically different way, wrapping up the previous seasons with a satisfying ending, but because they didn’t know, they were really struggling. If it wasn’t one o’clock, Delaney was certain that there would be another argument within the half hour. Everyone was on edge. She locked eyes with Matt who also looked like he was biting his tongue.
“Alright,” Matt said when the latest idea was thrown out there and met with very little enthusiasm. He dismissed the six of them with one word. “Lunch.”
Delaney reached for her bottle of water, taking a long drink as the room emptied and it was just her and Matt left. He was sitting at the opposite end of the table, flipping through the notebook in front of him before slamming it shut.
“This is hell,” Matt said as he stood up. “I don’t think I’ve ever worked in a worse environment. The morale has been better when a beloved project has to come to an end.”
“I know. I can’t decide if this headache is work related or Shiraz related,” Delaney said, her head in her hands.
“Work. You never really get hungover, do you?”
Delaney finally pushed herself out of her chair. “Not usually, but that’s because I know my limit, especially on a school night.”
“We probably shouldn’t have had that last one... Do you want to get some lunch? Take your mind off all this?�
�
“Yes. I need some fresh air,” Delaney said, sliding her notes into her leather messenger bag. Her phone vibrated from the bottom of her bag, and she fished it out. It was a text from an unknown number, which momentarily sent her heart rate through the roof, but as soon as she unlocked her screen, she knew it was from Spencer.
Hey. This is Spencer. Just wanted to give you my number. Thanks again for another great night.
“Ready to go?” Matt asked, and Delaney dropped her phone back into her bag. She was extremely selective about who got her number, but she trusted Spencer, even though she barely knew her. She’d hate to stand Spencer up too, if something ever came up on a Tuesday night. She needed to have her number and for Spencer to have hers.
“Yeah,” Delaney said. “I’m craving a chicken gyro.”
“Oh, good idea. Then we can eat in the park?”
“Plan,” Delaney said, following him out.
The heavy summer air hit them as soon as they stepped outside, the pavement reflecting the heat back up at them as Delaney slid on her sunglasses. They made the short walk to one of their favorite food trucks, patiently waiting in line for almost ten minutes to get their lunch. It took another ten minutes to get to Central Park, and Delaney couldn’t wait to tuck into her lunch.
They sat down underneath an oak tree, the leaves providing some relief from the June sunshine. They didn’t speak for the next few minutes, both happy to eat and relax after the intense morning.
Matt sighed. “As much as I want to vent about work, I think we should avoid the topic. We’ll get enough of it later.”
“I hear ya,” Delaney said, wiping her mouth. “God, that was worth the wait. Perfect hangover food, but I won’t be making the same mistake next week.”
“On your best behavior?”
“I have to be. It’s going to be even worse next week, unless of course we have an answer. Sorry. Not talking about work.”
“Tell me about last night,” Matt said, leaning back against the tree.