by Laura Conway
“What about it?”
“Well, you two are kind of killing it,” Matt said with a laugh.
“Really? I can’t exactly look around. I’m in full concentration mode when we’re dancing.”
Matt laughed. “Me and Jay have plenty of time to look around. We’re screwing up more than we’re doing it right, but you two are really good together. You should ask her out.”
Delaney looked down at her bag, remembering the text from Spencer. She could. She could send her a text, see if she wanted to go for drinks this weekend, but she was enjoying the classes. She didn’t think there was any point in complicating things between them. What if they went out and it was awkward? She didn’t want to give up her Tuesday nights at Club Pink.
“Jay thinks she’s interested,” Delaney said, checking her watch. They still had a few minutes. “But I think she’s interested in everyone, so I’m not taking that observation too seriously.”
“She is a flirt,” Matt said with a smile. “But that’s part of her job. You know, for the tips.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Delaney wasn’t entirely sure that was all there was to it. “She just comes across as a player.”
“I don’t think she is, but I can’t be sure. I don’t really know her that well.”
“I’m happy having Spencer as my dancing partner. That’s enough for now,” Delaney said as she pushed herself off the ground and wiped her pants, brushing away any leaves or grass that were stuck to them.
“I get that. Hopefully, it won’t last much longer. It can’t,” Matt said as they left the park and headed for the office. “I really have never seen anything like this. We should know by now.”
Delaney put on her shades as they walked. “I have some good ideas, but they really only work if we’re finishing this season, and I hate those ambiguous kinds of endings, you know, where the show just stops, and you’re left wondering what the hell the writers were doing.”
“One of your favorite shows do that to you?”
“Yes, and there’s nothing worse. I’d rather they kill off someone than not finish it properly.”
Matt held the door open for her, the air-conditioning hitting her as soon as she stepped into the lobby. “We’re in serious danger of doing just that. I don’t know. I’m going to make a few phone calls. We’ve got three days still to finish this episode. It’s not too late to turn it around, change direction, you know, if we knew what was going on.”
“Well, good luck with that,” Delaney said as they entered the elevator, and she pressed the button for their floor. “I’m not holding my breath.”
They parted ways when they reached their floor, and Delaney retreated to her office, popping two painkillers, her head still pounding. She had another half hour before their next meeting, so she slid her legal pad out of her bag, willing herself to think, but it wasn’t happening. Writer’s block usually didn’t visit her, but that was because she normally had a little more control.
This uncertainty wasn’t just about the direction her writing would take. If they didn’t get picked up for another season, she’d also be out of a job. Delaney closed her eyes for a second as she took a deep breath.
She picked up her phone and opened Spencer’s text. Part of her really wanted to ask Spencer out, not even as a date. She just needed a distraction. Maybe they could go for coffee or find a bar that had a salsa night where they could watch how the pros did it, but Delaney took the easy way out, the safe way. She sent Spencer a short text, thanking her for last night and saying that she was already looking forward to it being Tuesday again.
She just had to get through this week. If they didn’t get any news before the weekend, surely, they’d get it next week.
An alert popped up on her phone from one of the dating sites she’d signed up to. She’d been chatting to a woman her age from Queens. This was the third day in a row that they’d been messaging, and the woman surprised her by asking her out this Saturday.
Delaney’s eyes narrowed as she read the message. Club Pink 9PM. I’ll be wearing a black dress.
She typed a quick reply, saying that she’d have to check her schedule. She didn’t want to commit to a date right now, not with everything that was going on here, but she didn’t want to entirely rule it out. She wasn’t sure about meeting up at Club Pink either. Spencer would probably be working. Would she care if she was on a date? Probably not. Delaney kind of wanted to find out though.
Chapter 7
Spencer ran a hand through her hair, glad for the lull in the crowd. The other bartender was taking care of the couple that just ordered, and it gave Spencer a chance to take a break. The DJ had the dance floor packed already, and it was only nine o’clock. At least, she’d be finished in an hour. Her feet were throbbing in her black boots. This was her fourth day in a row working, and she planned on spending all day tomorrow having an extremely lazy Sunday.
Spencer wiped down the bar and looked up when she could see someone in her peripheral vision approaching the bar. Her heart tripped over itself when she met those steel-blue eyes.
“Hey,” Delaney said with a warm smile, leaning against the bar so that Spencer could hear her over the music.
“Hi.” Spencer returned her smile, hardly believing Delaney was here. This was the first time, that she knew of anyway, that Delaney was here, and it wasn’t a Tuesday. “Today’s Saturday, right?”
“It is.” Delaney turned to take a quick look around the room.
Spencer swallowed as she tried not to stare. Delaney was in all black, and the scoop neck blouse she was wearing revealed a hint of cleavage. A silver pendant caught the strobe lighting as Delaney met her eyes again, tucking a lock of her blond hair behind her ear.
“Meeting someone?” Spencer guessed.
“Yeah,” Delaney said with a sigh. “I’m reluctantly trying online dating.”
Spencer hoped that the dim lighting hid her expression. Her jaw tightened, and she couldn’t shake that jealous feeling, even though she knew she had no right to be jealous.
“Can I get you a drink?” Spencer said, tossing the towel under the bar.
“Sure. A Shiraz, please.”
Spencer unscrewed the bottle and poured her a glass. She tried to look at the positives. If Delaney was meeting a woman tonight, then at least that meant she was bi-sexual or gay. Spencer would see what her type was, and she still had Tuesdays.
“Thanks,” Delaney said as she took a drink.
“Well, good luck with your date.” Spencer gave her a weak smile.
“Thanks. I’m going to need it. Last weekend was a disaster, so my expectations are extremely low.”
“I’m finished in an hour,” Spencer said, resting her forearms on the bar as she leaned forward. “If it’s awful, stop at the bar on your way to the restrooms.”
“You’re going to rescue me?” Delaney asked with a laugh.
Spencer shrugged. “Do you have another plan?”
“No.”
“You should always have an escape route.”
“Speaking from experience?”
“Yes,” Spencer said simply. “Let me know if you want a phone call.”
“Alright,” Delaney said as she picked up her glass. “Thanks. I guess, I’ll find a free booth and see what happens.”
Spencer’s heart thudded in her chest, almost as loud as the bass on the song the DJ just switched to. She wasn’t sure if Delaney thought she was nuts for suggesting that or if she was grateful. She probably shouldn’t have said anything, but if her date didn’t work out, was it so crazy to think that they might go somewhere for a drink?
Spencer served three more customers before she noticed a woman sliding into the booth across from Delaney. She was close in age to Delaney with dark hair that flowed across her shoulders. She was wearing a black dress, and Spencer doubted that Delaney was going to be stopping by the bar looking for an excuse to leave. Spencer certainly wouldn’t. Her date was hot, and Spencer bit her lip as the woman sash
ayed over to the bar.
“Hi. Can I get a gin and tonic, please?”
“Sure.”
Spencer made her drink, her cheeks flushed as she swiped the woman’s card and handed it back to her. This shouldn’t be bothering her as much as it was, but she couldn’t help it. Her jaws ached as the woman strutted back to booth. She hadn’t even realized she’d been clenching her jaw while she’d been mixing the woman’s drink.
At least she’d been done in forty minutes. Spencer didn’t think leaving would make her feel much better though. She’d spend the night wondering if Delaney had gone home with her and regretting not asking her out herself.
The rest of her shift flew by thanks to a bachelorette party that kept her busy. Spencer was about to head into the back and grab her bag when she saw Delaney coming towards the bar out of the corner of her eye.
“Hey,” Spencer said, her heart rate naturally increasing at the sight of her. “How’s it going?”
“Not great.”
“Really?”
“She’s beautiful,” Delaney said with a wave of her hand, “But Jesus, is she self-centered.”
“Ah.”
“Can you call me in five minutes?”
“Sure,” Spencer said, trying to suppress a smile. “I’m just going to head into the back and get my stuff. I’ll wait outside for you?”
“Yeah. Thanks,” Delaney said before she crossed the room to find the restrooms.
Spencer let out a breath as she left the bar and clocked out. Was she going to let Delaney go without asking her to go for a drink? Would she even be in the mood to after a bad date?
She went into the staff bathroom to freshen up, spritzing herself with perfume and touching up her makeup. She stared at her reflection, willing her usually confident self to appear and treat this like any other situation, but this wasn’t a random woman who she was interested in. This was Delaney Meyers.
“Okay,” she whispered. “I can do this.”
Spencer said goodnight to Karen and left, dialing Delaney’s number as soon as she got outside and away from the thumping music. The shriek of an ambulance’s sirens echoed against the building’s walls as it maneuvered its way through the traffic, and Spencer brought her phone up to her ear, turning away from the noise.
“Hey,” Spencer said when Delaney picked up.
“Sorry. I just need to take this.... I can’t hear you, but I’m just going to keep talking and waving my hands so that this looks important. Thanks for doing this, by the way.”
Spencer could barely hear her over the music, but she got the gist of it, and waited for Delaney outside Club Pink, shuffling from one foot to the other, wondering if Delaney had changed her mind.
“Hi,” Delaney said as the door closed behind her. “Thank you,” she said, her hand on Spencer’s forearm for just a second, but it was enough to send a chill through her body even on a muggy summer’s night.
“No problem.” Spencer buried her hands in her pockets. It was now or never. “Do you want to get a drink?”
Delaney hesitated for a second, and Spencer couldn’t stop herself from backtracking.
“Or if you’re ready to head home,” Spencer said, eyeing one of the many yellow taxis that lined the street, “That’s okay. I don’t want you to feel like you have to... If your date was that bad, I’d completely understand if you’d want to call it a night.”
Delaney smiled. “Do you know somewhere nearby?”
“Is a wine bar okay?”
“Absolutely.”
For the second time, Spencer was self-conscious of wearing her work clothes while she was with Delaney. She had a black tank top underneath her button-down shirt which she planned on taking off as soon as they made the short walk to the bar she’d suggested. At least her hair was down. Some days, she put it up in a messy bun while she was working, but it was straight tonight, falling a few inches below her shoulders.
“You were so concerned about me going out after my date,” Delaney said as they walked side by side, “But what about you? You just finished work.”
Spencer tousled her hair. “I’m usually wide awake after a long shift. There’s no point in going home really, not for a while yet, anyway.”
Delaney’s hand brushed against hers as they walked, and even though Spencer knew it was accidental, goosebumps erupted across her skin.
“Here we are,” Spencer said, holding the door open for Delaney as they entered the wine bar that was designed to resemble a wine cellar. The wall to their right was made entirely of corks, and behind the bar, dozens of bottles lined the shelves. A waiter led them to a table for two in the back, away from the busy bar area.
“This is what I love about New York,” Delaney said after they’d ordered. “I’ve never heard of this place. I love a nice glass of wine, so does Matt. Sorry, one of the guys you’ve probably seen me with on Tuesdays. We work together, and we’d often go for a drink or two after work... This is somewhere I know he would love, and I had no idea it even existed.”
“The atmosphere is...” Spencer trailed off. Romantic was what it was. That was why she usually ended up here, because she’d asked a woman she’d met while she was at work at Club Pink to go for a drink with her after her shift ended. “Cozy,” Spencer said, willing the waiter to return with their drinks. She could use one.
“It’s lovely.”
“So, where are you from? Originally. I assume it’s not New York.”
“Upstate. A little town near Albany. What about you?”
“Pennsylvania. Not far from Lancaster.”
Delaney nodded. “So, what brought you to New York?”
Spencer swallowed. She should have stuck with salsa on Tuesdays. There wasn’t enough time to get into their family stories. “I guess, I just wanted to move away from my hometown. You know, meet other gay people.”
Thankfully, the waiter arrived with their drinks. Two glasses of Shiraz.
“I didn’t know you liked Shiraz, too,” Delaney said as she clinked her glass off Spencer’s. “Thank you. For coming to my rescue.”
“No problem. So, what made you want to meet her?” Spencer asked her as she brought her glass to her lips and took a sip of the full-bodied wine, her taste buds picking up the hint of blueberries.
Delaney held her glass in her hand as she spoke, and Spencer found her eyes lingering on her long fingers and manicured nails. “I don’t know. We’d been messaging back and forth for a few days, about nothing really, just our take on the latest news story or a TV show. She seemed nice. She was attractive. I guess, I just thought, why not? She suggested meeting up, and I agreed.”
Spencer nodded. “Will it put you off meeting anyone else online?”
“Possibly,” Delaney said, taking a drink. “I don’t think I’m in the right place to be dating, anyway. Work is crazy right now... What about you? Is it safe to assume you’re single if you didn’t have a partner for salsa?”
Spencer smiled. “Yes. I’m not seeing anyone.”
“Have you ever signed up for one of those sites?”
“No. Not when I’m living in New York. If I’d stayed in PA, I probably would have.”
“Being a bartender at a gay bar probably has its perks, right?”
Spencer caught the glint in Delaney’s eyes. What was she getting at? “If you mean I get to practice chatting up women on a daily basis, then yes.”
Delaney traced the rim of her glass, and Spencer couldn’t figure her out tonight, but then again, on Tuesdays, they hardly had any time to talk. “Is that where you get your confidence from?”
Spencer arched an eyebrow. “I don’t know. You think I’m confident?”
Delaney met her eyes. “I guess, I’m just assuming that from the way you’ve handled the salsa classes, and at Club Pink... You always seem to have a woman beside you, laughing with you, so yeah. I think you’re confident.”
Spencer took a drink. Was this Delaney being jealous? “I was a shy kid,” she said after a se
cond. “I guess, I’m just trying to make up for it now.”
Delaney nodded. “I get that... So, what did your family think of you moving away? Do they visit much?”
Spencer’s jaw clenched. She knew it was a perfectly reasonable question, but she wasn’t going to go there. “If it’s okay with you... I’d prefer not to talk about my family,” she said, doing her best to keep her voice steady. “Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m sorry,” Delaney said in a rush, her hand on Spencer’s arm again, just for a second, before she withdrew it to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “Forget I brought it up.”
“Thanks... You said work was crazy. What do you do?”
Now, it was Delaney’s turn to look nervous, her hands cupping the glass in front of her. “I’m a writer for a TV show. I normally love it, but we’re in limbo right now, because we don’t know whether or not we’re going to get picked up for another season. So, that makes writing the rest of this season challenging.”
Spencer bit her lip. “I can imagine.” As soon as she’d asked Delaney about work, she immediately regretted it. She didn’t know what to do about the whole ‘being a fan’ thing. Should she just bring it up now? Get it over with? Maybe, they’d laugh about it? What if it made Delaney look at her differently? Like a fan girl.
“It’s just such a mess right now,” Delaney said with a sigh. “At least, I have Matt. I have to introduce you to him and Jay on Tuesday. They’ve been going to class too, but I don’t think they’re making much progress on the dancing front. They seem to enjoy it, anyway.”
Spencer let the conversation move away from Delaney’s job. She’d find another time to bring it up, maybe when they knew each other a little better.
It must be so strange, wondering if someone recognizes you or if they’re just befriending you because of your fame.
“You okay?” Delaney asked, taking her away from her thoughts, those crystal blue eyes locking on to hers.
“Yes. Sorry. It’s funny, I know your friends, but only by their drinks, not their names.”
“They are consistent.”
“As are you,” Spencer said with a smile. “Didn’t take me long to get your order down.”
