by Laura Conway
“Come on,” Matt said, tapping his watch. “We’re cutting it close.”
Delaney adjusted her bag on her shoulder, picking up the pace. They were less than a block away from Club Pink, and the class was starting in ten minutes. She should have sent Spencer a quick text while they were all at dinner, but she only thought of it a few minutes ago, and taking the time to send a message now didn’t make sense. That would definitely make her late.
Delaney hardly spoke at dinner. Jay wanted to take them both out to celebrate the good news about the show, but Delaney found her mind wandering back to Friday night. She woke up with a slightly swollen jaw on Saturday morning and a pounding headache, but despite that, she rolled out of bed with a smile on her face.
Spencer had kissed her, or maybe she’d kissed Spencer. She didn’t know. It had all happened at once. They’d been dancing, better than they ever had before, and when the music stopped, Spencer was in her arms. Delaney knew she should have stepped away from her, but she didn’t. Spencer’s body fit so perfectly against hers.
Delaney didn’t know how long they’d stayed like that, catching their breath, but when Spencer turned in her arms, her dark hair mussed from all the turns, Delaney couldn’t look away.
The chemistry they’d had on the dance floor extended to kissing, and Delaney had to remember to breathe when she’d instinctively pulled Spencer down on top of her.
Somehow, they’d gone back to dancing after that, even more in sync than before. Everything was smoother, more relaxed. Delaney wasn’t worried about what she was feeling when Spencer’s hand brushed across her shoulder or when her body was pressed against Delaney’s. She was just going with it.
That was Friday night, and Delaney wasn’t sure what to expect tonight. She hadn’t seen Spencer since she left her apartment just after midnight. They’d shared another intense kiss at the door, and Delaney spent the last four days wondering what this was.
If Spencer wasn’t a player, did that mean she was interested in dating her? Between the dancing and the kissing, they hadn’t really spoken much on Friday night, and there was never much time to chat on Tuesdays. Delaney didn’t know what this was for Spencer, but she knew she was in trouble.
Matt held the door open for Jay and Delaney as she caught up to them. “The usual drinks?” Matt asked as they found a free booth near the door.
“Yes,” Delaney and Jay said at the same time.
“So,” Jay said as he sat down across from her, “We’ll get to see if your extra practices are helping. Matt told me,” he added when Delaney arched her eyebrows.
Delaney took a quick look around the room, her eyes finding Spencer sitting at the bar beside a blond-haired woman that Delaney recognized. She left with Spencer after the class was over a couple of weeks ago. That was one of the reasons Delaney had assumed Spencer liked to play the field, but Delaney swallowed her jealousy. Spencer said she wasn’t like that, so she had to trust her.
“Was it that bad?” Jay asked when Delaney didn’t say anything.
“No. No. It went well,” Delaney said, tearing her eyes away from the bar.
Jay followed her gaze. “Oh. I see... That well then?”
“What?”
“Did you finally kiss her?”
“Finally?” Delaney asked, her mouth hanging open.
“Was that a ‘yes?’”
Matt was back with their drinks.
“I win,” Jay said with a smug grin as he held out his hand for Matt. “Pay up.”
“What’s going on?” Delaney asked, glancing between the two of them.
“Did you kiss Spencer?” Matt asked.
“Yes,” Delaney admitted reluctantly.
“Ha,” Jay said, his hand on Matt’s arm now, giving it a playful squeeze. “Hand it over.”
Delaney watched as Matt took a fifty-dollar bill out of his wallet and put it on the table in front of them.
“You’ve been betting on me?” Delaney asked, bringing her glass to her lips.
“It was Jay’s idea.” Matt said as he put his wallet away.
“And I knew enough to say that betting on whether this would happen or not was pointless.”
“So, what did you bet on?” Delaney asked.
“The time frame,” Matt said, picking up his beer. “I said after the dance classes were over. So, July.”
“And I said before,” Jay said with a satisfied smile. “You surprised me though. I thought it would be week five or six, but I guess having her in your apartment made it a lot easier to make a move.”
Delaney sighed. “It wasn’t like that. I was genuinely thinking about the dancing, not about seducing her.”
“Sure.”
Delaney looked at both of them. “And I don’t even know who seduced who. It just happened. But it was just a kiss... Well, you know. It’s really early days,” Delaney finally managed to say. “So, please do not say anything to her. I don’t even know what this is, what she wants.”
“Do we know any of her exes?” Jay asked Matt.
“No. I don’t ever remember her hanging out with anyone here,” Matt said, “But maybe she has another bar she goes to. Keep business and pleasure separate,” he said with a shrug.
Delaney took another drink as Carlos came on the microphone to get the class started. If she wasn’t already nervous, that little bit of information, or lack of it had her even more worried. If she has no exes, doesn’t that mean she’s a player or at the very least, someone who wasn’t capable of being serious?
Spencer gave her a warm smile as she crossed the room. Delaney shook away those thoughts. They’d get to know each other better, finish this class. She just hoped that Spencer wasn’t lying to her. Nothing was more important to her than trust.
“Hey,” Spencer said, her hand light brushing across Delaney’s as they found their usual spot at the back of the dance floor. “No elbows this time. I promise.”
Delaney smiled. “I hope not. This is just healing.”
Spencer stood beside her, studying her face, but Delaney knew she’d covered up the bruise with makeup. Spencer looked like she was about to say something, but Carlos and Julia were demonstrating a new turn, and they both gave the instructors their attention, following their footwork.
Delaney ran through the movement in her head as Spencer stood in front of her, her hand on Delaney’s shoulder. Spencer’s eyes flickered down to Delaney’s lips, and she had no idea how they were going to get through the next two hours.
She’d had no intention of saying anything to Spencer, but Delaney was starting to wonder if she could ask her back to her apartment tonight.
“Ready?” Spencer asked, taking her away from her thoughts.
“Yes,” Delaney said. She needed to focus. She slid her hand up Spencer’s back, and Delaney didn’t miss the way Spencer’s breathing changed. Maybe she wasn’t the only one having trouble concentrating tonight.
They got the new turn on their fourth try, and Julia stopped to give them a few pointers, making their next attempt even smoother. By the end of the first half, Delaney hadn’t forgotten about her attraction to Spencer, but it had somehow become part of the way they moved together. Instead of distracting Delaney, it was helping her, making her steps and turns more fluid. They’d put that attraction, that chemistry into the way they danced together.
By the break, they were both breathless. Spencer disappeared for a minute, but she was back with two glasses of water.
“Thanks,” Delaney said, fanning herself with a flyer that had been left on their table.
“Do you want to get some air? There’s a tiny rooftop area that’s not open to the public.”
“Yeah. Sure.”
Delaney followed her down a hallway and up three flights of stairs where Spencer pushed the door open, revealing a garden area with a picnic table. Potted plants and shrubs lined the edges of the space, leaving just enough room for the table in the middle.
“This is perfect,” Delaney said, the d
rop in temperature immediately noticeable as a light breeze ruffled her hair.
Spencer sat on the top of the picnic table, her black boots on the bench beneath. She took a long drink and left the glass on the table behind her.
“I might have had an ulterior motive,” Spencer said, her voice laced with desire.
“Oh yeah?” Delaney asked, taking a step closer. “And what was that?”
Spencer reached for her hand, and Delaney sat down beside her on top of the table.
Spencer turned to face her. “I know you probably can’t stay long after the class, and you’ll be with Matt and Jay... And well, I really wanted to do this,” Spencer whispered as she leaned in.
Delaney’s eyes fluttered shut, the familiar scent of Spencer’s perfume drifting towards her. It was starting to remind her of the ocean the more she was around Spencer.
Spencer’s lips met hers in a soft kiss, and Delaney rested her hand on Spencer’s neck as she parted her lips, deepening the kiss. Spencer’s tongue slid across her own, sending a surge of electricity right to her core.
How could a kiss do so much to her? Delaney tried not to overthink this, but she had to know what this was for Spencer.
Spencer’s hand was in Delaney’s hair now, her fingers raking across her scalp, and Delaney sighed into the kiss. This was not normal. Kissing Spencer was nothing like any other kiss she’d ever experienced. At first, Delaney thought it was the newness of it, the excitement, the way it had happened Friday night, but here they were again, and Delaney was having trouble keeping her hands from wandering over Spencer’s body.
They eventually came up for air, their foreheads pressed together until they dropped their hands, and Delaney met Spencer’s eyes.
“I was thinking,” Spencer started. “Are you free Friday? I have the night off.”
“Yeah. Were you thinking of having another practice?”
“No. I was wondering if you wanted to go out. I don’t mind whether it’s the movies or for dinner,” Spencer said with a shy smile. “I’m aware that because of the way we met, we’ve haven’t actually spoken that much. We’re always dancing or...”
“Kissing?”
“Yes,” Spencer said with a grin. “Not that I’m complaining.”
Delaney’s hand found Spencer’s. “I know what you mean. Sure. Friday night sounds great. You pick though. I don’t mind what we do.”
“I’ll text you,” Spencer said as she tilted her wrist and glanced down at her watch. “We should probably get back.” Delaney must have looked disappointed because Spencer’s hand was on her cheek as she smiled at her. “Hey, I don’t want to. I’m just thinking about this competition.”
Delaney smiled. “One more kiss,” she said, brushing her lips across Spencer’s. “For luck.”
Spencer’s thumb caressed her jawline as she parted her lips, her tongue finding Delaney’s again. She almost told Spencer to forget about the competition, but Friday was only three days away. Surely, she could make it until then.
Delaney pulled away, and Spencer’s hand slid down her arm, taking Delaney’s hand in hers.
“Let’s go,” Spencer said, leading her back downstairs.
Delaney’s eyes fell to Spencer’s ass and the way her jeans hugged her curves. She darted them away, even though she knew the chances of getting caught were slim, and what if she did get caught?
They were giving into whatever this was, and as much as Delaney wanted to know where she stood, she was terrified of finding out. Dancing with Spencer was so easy, and kissing her was... She didn’t even have a word for it.
What Delaney was worried about was finding out that Spencer was actually immature or that she wasn’t looking for anything serious or that she’d get bored with Delaney. As busy as work was, she knew those thoughts would keep going around in her head until Friday night.
When they got back to the bar area, the group was already out on the dance floor, and Delaney didn’t miss the look she got from Jay as they squeezed by Matt and him to find some free space. She wondered what Matt thought of all this. Matt and Jay were practically the same age. Maybe there was a year or two between them but nothing worth counting. Did he think she was having some sort of midlife crisis?
Not that it mattered what he thought. Even if one of her closest friends thought this was a terrible idea, Delaney didn’t think that would deter her from seeing Spencer. In just a few short weeks, Spencer Sandoval had her completely smitten.
Chapter 13
Spencer knocked on Karen’s office door even though it was open. “Hey.”
“Hi,” Karen said, looking up from her laptop, her reading glasses perched on her nose. “You’re here early.”
“I was hoping to talk to you for a minute. If you’re not busy.”
“Yeah, sure. What is it?”
Spencer closed the door behind her. “You know you’re one of only two people that know,” she said, standing somewhat awkwardly in front of Karen’s desk. “About my past.”
Karen nodded but didn’t say anything as she took off her glasses and left them on the desk.
“I haven’t been to a meeting in-” Spencer sighed. She couldn’t even remember when the last time she’d sat down and openly talked about it. “Years.”
“Do you think you need to?”
“No. Yes,” she said with a shrug. “I don’t know. I mean, I’m fine. But, I’m kind of seeing someone. I think.”
“What do you mean kind of?” Karen asked with a smile.
“It’s really early. I just don’t want to screw it up.”
“It’s not your actress. What’s her name? The one who was here-”
“Yeah. It’s her,” Spencer said as she paced the tiny room. “We’ve been dancing together.”
“I noticed.”
“Really?”
“You two look good together,” Karen said. “I recognize her, from that show.”
“Yeah.”
“So, you’re doing more than dancing together?”
Spencer nodded. “I asked her out. Tomorrow night.”
“Oh wow. That’s great, Spence.” Karen smiled as she closed her laptop. “What’s the plan?”
“I don’t know. She’s um... Older than me.”
“Hmmm. I gathered that.”
“Yeah. I want to make the right impression. You know, so she doesn’t think I’m too young for her.”
“Well, if she said yes, you must be doing something right,” Karen said, leaning back in her chair.
“I don’t know about that, but I’ll figure out what we’re doing. That’s the easy part. The hard part is talking about what happened and putting myself out there. She already asked me a simple question about my family, and I just shut down,” Spencer said, her hands on waist. “I don’t know. I don’t want her to think that I don’t want to let her in, but it’s not that easy.”
Karen pushed herself out of the chair and came around to the other side of the desk to give her a hug. “Do you think going to a meeting would help? Get some advice from people who’ve been through the same thing as you?”
Spencer blinked back her tears. They always came out of nowhere when she got even remotely close to the subject of her past. “I probably should. It’s just-”
“Do you want me to go with you?”
“No,” Spencer said. “No, but thanks. It’s not that. A guy that Delaney is friends with goes to the same meeting that I always did. We’re friends. And we’ve been introduced by Delaney, and both of us pretended to have never met before then. It was weird. I haven’t spoken to him properly in years, but he was a good friend when I was younger, maybe eight or ten years ago.”
“He wouldn’t have said anything to her, would he?” Karen asked, sitting on the edge of her desk.
“No. It’s highly unlikely. What’s said in those meetings is confidential, and definitely as a friend, he wouldn’t.”
“So...?”
“I don’t know. I just think it could be weird going ba
ck there and seeing him, and there’s this elephant in the room. Delaney thinks we don’t know each other. I like her, and he’s probably one of her best friends, but we’re pretending that we don’t know each other.”
“He might not still go to them or to that particular group.”
“I’d say he does,” Spencer said with a sigh. “He’d been going for years he told me when we first met.”
“Well, it’s up to you,” Karen said, rubbing Spencer’s arm. “If you think going is more hassle, but then if you don’t go... Can you handle it? Can you talk to Delaney?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is there a meeting before your date tomorrow?”
“There’s one tomorrow at four. I could go to it before I meet her,” Spencer said, thinking about loud.
“Go with your gut. It usually serves you well. And call me,” Karen said as she pulled her into another hug. “I mean it. If you’re unsure or just need someone to talk to. Call me.”
“I will.” She glanced up at the clock. “Okay. My shift starts in a minute. Thanks for listening.”
“You okay to work?”
“Definitely.”
“Okay,” Karen said as she sat down again, and Spencer left.
She didn’t know what to do, but somehow, even those few minutes with Karen helped.
Chapter 14
Delaney stood beside Spencer, taking in the sunset across the water, the oranges and reds fading as darkness descended over the Hudson River. When Delaney left her apartment this evening, she had no idea where Spencer was going to take her, but a walk on the High Line had been a pleasant surprise, and it was the perfect evening for strolling along the elevated rail line.
“I can’t believe you’ve never been up here,” Spencer said, her hands in the pockets of her khaki shorts, her black hair flowing across her bare shoulders, her white tank top contrasting against her tanned skin.
“I’ve lived in New York for ten years now, and there’s still so much that I haven’t seen. I just fell into a routine with work and, you know, it’s easy to keep going to the same parks, the same bars. I’ve only been to Brooklyn a few times. I have my usual walk through Central Park when I’m on my lunch break,” Delaney said, knowing she was rambling. “So, thanks for suggesting this.”