Only

Delilah Gallo crossed the parking lot to her dance studio and stepped inside the building early Saturday morning. She moved to her small office, setting her things down in the chair beside the door. She flipped open her laptop and sat at the desk, clicking open her music library and choosing a song. Her eyes closed as she leaned back in the chair, envisioning choreography in her head as the music played, the same choreography that had been dancing in her mind as she had sat in traffic ten minutes earlier. A knock on the door frame brought her back.

"Am I interrupting?"

Delilah smiled at her friend as she sat upright. "Not at all, Daisy. What are you doing out on a Saturday this early?"

She had met Daisy Bishop that summer, at a sandwich place back in July, sharing a table in the crowded and popular place and becoming fast friends. Daisy was a dentist, having relocated from Vancouver the year before. Delilah found her easy to talk to, easy to get along with, which was great because opening her own dance studio meant she hadn’t had a lot of time to make friends since her move to Nashville.

After a few weeks, Daisy had revealed to Delilah that she was the team dentist for the Nashville Predators. She had just gotten back from Finland the day before they first met, where her boyfriend, the Predators captain, had proposed. She met Shea Weber later that same evening when Daisy had her over for dinner.

"I’m filling in for one of the other dentists in the practice this morning. I stopped by though because I wanted to know if I came tonight, with some friends, would that be okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"They're friends of Shea's.... You know him but you don't know anyone else."

"I know Craig."

"Yeah, but you grew up with him. This would be guys you haven't met."

Craig Smith had been the secret Delilah shared with Daisy after learning about her job and relationship. Craig had been her first crush as a little girl. They had been in the same second grade class and it had been love at first sight, at least for Delilah. Craig pushed her off the swing on the second day of school and Delilah went home heartbroken and in tears.

That was also the day her mom became best friends with Craig's mom. They had been friends ever since, which meant Delilah and Craig were forced into growing up together. Mostly they didn't get along, no matter how hard their mom's pushed them to be friends. Craig picked on her, she would kick him in the shin and the cycle just went on repeat from there.

Sometime during high school they decided being enemies wasn’t worthwhile and they actually became friends, looking out for each other, Craig playing protective older brother in college and Delilah was always good to run off any potential gold diggers. After college Delilah had moved to New York City with dreams of dancing on broadway while Craig had already moved on in pursing his hockey dreams.

After a few years in the chorus lines, and having grown tired of the constant hustle of living in the city in the tiniest of apartments with three roommates and one bathroom, Delilah decided she needed a change in her life. It was Craig that offered her his spare bedroom so she landed in Nashville and never looked back. With a little help from him, she was able to open her own dance studio and grow the business from there, paying Craig back his loan and becoming one of the hottest dance studios in Nashville.

Having a picture of Taylor Swift exiting her studio hadn't hurt either (even if she was just there to watch rehearsal).

"Strangers see me do this all the time. It's fine, Daisy. I love what I do, you know that. It's a lost art; everyone should have the chance to witness it and fall in love."

Daisy smiled. "Great! I can't wait to introduce the guys to real burlesque."

Delilah returned her smile. "I have a class in thirty minutes. Wanna lunch later?"

"Sure. Do you mind if Shea joins us though?"

"Not at all. He always buys when he comes and no girl turns down a free meal."

Daisy laughed. "See you later!" She called over her shoulder as she walked away.

A little past noon, Delilah and Daisy stepped into a small diner nearby. Daisy made her way through the tables and Shea stood as the two girls reached him, kissing his fiance as she hugged him fiercely. Delilah smiled politely at the other man in the booth.

"Hey, I'm James," he spoke up.

"Delilah," she responded, placing her hand in his outstretched one. He slid over in the booth and Delilah sat beside him. "I'm going to assume you are one of Shea's teammates."

James smiled. "I am.”

"How are you Lilah?" Shea asked.

"I'm good, thank you. Daisy says you guys won your home opener."

"When are you going to come to a game? We play tonight you know."

Delilah laughed. "Was that a not so subtle hint that I need to come soon?”

“Daisy would like it if you came.”

“Well, I suppose I have to now. Daisy tells me you and some of the others are coming to the show tonight after your game and I always said if you saw what I did, then I'd come see what you do."

"I thought you were a dance teacher?" James said in confusion.

"I am," Daisy replied. "But I'm also a dancer at heart and my troupe is performing tonight."

"You said it's performance art," James said to Shea. "You didn't say anything about dancing," he frowned.

Daisy and Delilah exchanged a look and giggled. “What exactly do you think performace art is?” Daisy asked.

Before James could answer, Shea cut him off. "Just don't worry about it."

"I'm just trying to figure out what you've roped us into tonight."

"Do you trust Daisy?"

"You know I do.”

"Then don't worry about it. Daisy swears we'll have a good time."

James eyed Shea suspiciously and turned to Delilah. "Will I have a good time? Or am I going to be bored? Because I had this girlfriend in Dallas who dragged me to the ballet and it was the worst two hours of my life."

"Do you like girls?" Delilah asked.

"I'm a guy; of course I do."

"You could be gay; I don't know."

He scoffed loudly. "I assure you I am not gay."

"Do you like scantily clad girls?"

"Are we going to a strip club?"

"James Neal!" Daisy scolded. "My friends are not strippers and how dare you insinuate such a thing!"

James cheeks reddened and he turned back to Delilah. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Delilah laughed. "You didn't answer my question."

"Oh. Yes, I like scantily clad girls. Doesn't everyone?"

"Not gay guys," Delilah smiled. "Trust me, you'll have a good time."

"I don't know you. Why should I trust you?"

Delilah shrugged. "You don't have to. But do I look like I would mislead you?"

James looked her over, his eyes sliding down her front and back to her face. Delilah was beautiful, plain and simple. He smirked. "No, but you look like you could make me sin and enjoy doing it."

James wasn't honestly sure where that had come from but every impulse to hit on her was firing. Delilah was hot, and even wearing a hooded sweatshirt, yoga pants, and tennis shoes, she was sexy. Her eyes were a striking shade of blue and she had dark, black hair that was shiny and pulled back in a ponytail. She was slightly taller than Tessa and he imagined that under her clothes he’d find her to be muscular and lean in all the right places.

Delilah blushed and looked away from him. Daisy kicked James under the table. "Ow! What the hell, Daisy?"

"Don't look at her like she's lunch," Daisy warned. "I'll tell Mike not to pass you the puck."

"Mike wouldn't do that."

"He would if I told him not to," Shea added.

“I apologize for being a dude,” James said to Delilah.

"Yes, well, I am assured now that you are not gay. I was unsure given the amount of product in your hair," Delilah replied.

"That's not hair product," Shea said. "Nealer only believes in washing his hair once a week." Daisy laughed and Delilah wrinkled her nose.

"Can we please lay off my hair?" James asked as their waitress appeared to take their order. He would never live down that episode of NHL 36 ever. Conversation turned to the guys game that night and when their food arrived, the conversation fell quiet as they all ate. Shea grabbed the check and paid before they headed outside. Daisy walked ahead with Shea and James fell into step with Delilah.

"It was nice to meet you," Delilah said to him as they walked to Daisy's car.

"You too. Guess I'll see you later tonight."

"Yep."

"What do people wear to this kind of thing anyway?"

"There's no dress code; just whatever makes you comfortable." James nodded. Daisy kissed Shea and then walked over to give James a quick hug. Delilah waved to them both as she climbed into Daisy's car before they drove away.