Dani stormed out of one of the many NYADA rehearsal studios after ending things with Sadie, a junior in the musical theater program. They'd only been casually hooking up for the past two weeks or so, but Sadie constantly asked Dani for her help while rehearsing, only to then pick a fight when Dani gave her constructive criticism or overshadowed her vocally while singing backup. Dani decided she'd had enough of girls like Sadie, they were all the same. At first, they were all over Dani and her talent, but then their own egos and jealousy got in the way and led to drama and tension.
Dani let out an exasperated huff and ran a hand through her blonde hair as she walked down the hall of the unfamiliar building. She silently vowed to herself that she was done with performing arts hopefuls. She would no longer waste her time with students at Tisch, NYADA, or Julliard. As much as Dani loved finding attractive gay or bisexual girls who were as into music and performing as she was, they always seemed to come with a ridiculous amount of emotional baggage and narcissism.
As she continued to make her way down the hall, searching for the exit, the unmistakable sound of Paula Abdul lyrics caught her attention. She tried to ignore it so she could get out of the building and away from the temptation of talented women in revealing dance clothing. However, there was something about the voice singing the familiar song that caused Dani to hesitate before continuing toward the room where the music was coming from.
As soon as Dani peered into the room, she was immediately glad she'd made the detour. The most beautiful woman she had ever seen was currently dancing on scaffolding while surrounded by backup dancers. Dani leaned against the doorjamb, stunned at how gorgeous and talented the Latina was. The rational part of her brain tried to remind her that only a moment ago she'd vowed to have nothing to do with performing arts girls anymore. However, she silenced the thought as the gorgeous woman continued to show off her talent and flexibility.
Dani noticed that the woman seemed to be performing for a guy who was seated in a folding chair. He looked too young to be a teacher, so Dani figured this must be a personal performance rather than a class. Based on the song choice, Dani surmised that the beautiful woman dancing was calling out her cheating boyfriend, who seemed oddly emotionless as he watched the performance.
As the song came to an end, her suspicion was confirmed as the Latina approached the guy seated in the chair.
"Pack your bags," the woman instructed before continuing past him to disconnect her phone from the aux cord en route towards the door. Her determined pace faltered as she caught sight of Dani in the doorway, her resolved expression slipping into one of curiosity as she continued towards the exit.
"Sorry for intruding," Dani apologized, taking a few steps back into the hallway to allow the woman to exit, "I just heard the song and wanted to see what was going on. You have some good moves." It was an understatement, to be sure, but Dani knew gushing about how much she'd actually enjoyed watching the woman would only make her seem even creepier.
The woman quirked an eyebrow and a smirk appeared on her face as she walked out of the room; she held Dani's gaze while nodding towards the hall in the direction she was walking, giving Dani the indication to follow.
Dani definitely wasn't passing up the opportunity to follow the dark-haired beauty and she quickly fell in step beside the woman, "Sorry your boyfriend's such a dick. If I'm being honest, you can do a lot better."
"Boyfriend?" The woman scoffed, but an amused smile played at her lips, "Oh hell no, that over-moussed, boy band reject is definitely not my boyfriend. I mean, he probably wishes he was. He's dating my roommate, but I know he's up to some shady shit and I want him to stay away."
Dani had to admit she was pleased to find out the gorgeous woman wasn't dating the guy who had been watching her performance. "So you're trying to protect your roommate then?" Dani clarified as she followed her down a flight of stairs.
The woman nodded, "Don't get me wrong, she annoys the hell out of me most of the time, but she's like family to me. So I refuse to let that moronic Ken doll take advantage of her."
"Well, I hope your plan works," Dani said as they reached the first floor, "Honestly though, if I were that guy, I would be at your apartment ten times as much after witnessing that…and not to spend time with your roommate."
The woman smirked and turned to face Dani, her gaze drifting over the blonde as she properly took her in for the first time. "I suppose that is a risk, but he knows he has no chance in hell with me - and not just because I'm a lesbian, but because I find him completely obnoxious and repulsive in just about every way."
Dani couldn't help but grin as she caught the mention of the woman's sexual orientation, "Like I said, you're way too good for him, even if you were straight," she said with a flirtatious smile. "I'm Dani, by the way."
"Santana," the woman introduced herself, her smile matching Dani's as the chemistry between the two only seemed to heighten once Santana's sexual orientation was out in the open. "So, Dani, are you a student here?"
Dani shook her head, "No, I was, um, kinda hanging out with someone who goes here, but she had yet another dramatic meltdown and I decided I'd had enough, so I left. I was on my way out when I noticed your performance and you really caught my attention."
Santana's smile widened at the compliment, or perhaps at the subtle comment about Dani having been 'hanging out' with a female student, which clearly sounded like code for fuck buddies. "Well, I'm glad I caught your attention," she said as she shifted closer, "And honestly, I'm glad you're not a student here. Between my two obnoxious roommates and that shady creep Brody, I've had about enough of arrogant NYADA students."
"So you're not a student here?" Dani clarified, surprised by the news.
"Not a chance," Santana said as she shook her head, "I mean, I never auditioned and I could definitely get in if both Berry and Hummel made the cut, but I've seen the crazy hoops they have to jump through for their classes and that's just not my style. I went to University of Louisville for a hot minute on a cheerleading scholarship, but the whole college thing was just not for me. I want to be famous and I'm not going to let college take up my time and hold me back, I'll just get a job and go to auditions and stuff until I get my big break."
There was a lot in that mini-monologue that Dani really liked - especially that Santana was not a NYADA student, that apparently she'd been a cheerleader, which definitely had it's benefits, and that she had career ambitions very similar to her own.
"I agree completely," Dani said with a nod, "These arts students are scary driven and total narcissists, but getting a degree from NYADA or Juilliard doesn't ensure fame or success. In the entertainment industry, it's all about talent, and if you have it, it doesn't matter if you have a degree in musical theater or if you're waiting tables; if you put in the effort to get discovered, you can make it. And that's why I love this industry."
Santana nodded along with Dani's explanation and tilted her head to the side as she assessed the blonde, "Does that mean you're an industry hopeful too?"
Dani smiled and gave a small nod, "Yeah, I love to perform. I've been singing and writing songs ever since I started taking piano lessons in elementary school. I have a day job at a restaurant, but I do what I can to work on my career in my off hours."
"I'd love to hear you sing sometime," Santana commented with a flirtatious smile, "And not just because a gorgeous girl with talent is a huge turn on for me, but because future stars like us need to stick together."
Dani grinned at the way Santana was blatantly flirting with her and couldn't help but notice the way her body was reacting to the gorgeous woman in front of her. The attraction between them was undeniable and Dani had every intention to do something about it, "Do you want to go get a drink?" She asked with a charming smile before glancing over at the clock that hung in the hallway and noticed it wasn't even noon yet, "Or, maybe coffee?"
Santana chuckled at her correction and glanced over at the clock as well, "I'd love to, but unfortunately I have a job interview that I have to get to."
Dani frowned and wondered if she'd completely misread the situation and the other woman wasn't as into her as she thought. Fortunately, any uncertainty disappeared when Santana held out her phone.
"Give me your number and I'll definitely hit you up for a rain check on that drink," Santana said with a smirk.
Dani eagerly took her up on her offer and entered her number into Santana's contacts. "Don't take too long on that rain check," Dani flirted as she gave her a playful wink.
"Oh trust me, I won't," Santana grinned as she took her phone back, "See you soon, Dani."
Dani watched as the other woman walked away, taking the opportunity to check her out from the back. She bit her lip and shook her head slightly, unable to believe the events of the last several minutes. Any disappointment or frustration over Sadie's bitchiness was long gone and all thoughts were consumed by Santana. She really hoped she heard from the other woman soon.
A/N: This is the first chapter of a short multi-chapter fic based on the events of 4x16. Please review to let me know your thoughts on the first chapter!