Page 113 of Flirty Dancing

Mateo didn’t respond.

“Mateo,” Archer said softly.

He shook his head, jaw clenched. “I’m sorry.”

“What do you mean, sorry? That kiss was—”

“I shouldn’t have done it.”

“What are you talking about?”

His voice was flat. “Nothing can happen between us, Archer.”

“Mateo, I don’t—” Words flitted through Archer’s head but refused to come together in any rational way. “Why not?” he asked. From the moment Mateo’s lips touched his, he officially no longer cared that they had to work together, that a breakup might spell disaster. There were only eight days left in the season, and fuck it. He needed more.

“You’re young, you’ve got your whole future ahead of you in New York. You don’t want some washed-up has-been dragging you down.”

Archer shook his head, reeling. “What are you even talking about? First of all, ‘a washed-up has-been’? That’s crazy! You’remadefor Broadway! Nothing has changed about that since the first time I laid eyes on you. And as for me, a future in New York—Mateo, I don’t belong there. I’m nothing. I’m going nowhere. I’m an accountant from Ohio!”

Mateo turned to face him, eyes aflame. “Don’t you get it, Archer? You can do anything. Anything. I don’t even know why you’re here.”

A bitter laugh bubbled out. “No one wanted me, Mateo. No one. But you? You’re a fucking star.”

“No one wants me either.”

“But you haven’t even tried!”

Mateo turned back toward the water, shaking his head. “Archer… I’ve seen you dance. I’ve felt you dance. You have what it takes.”

“Then why did I end up here?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you were nervous at your auditions, or it was bad luck, or maybe it’s just a random, shitty business where talent doesn’t always matter.”

“Maybe I dance better with you.”

Mateo half smiled. “You’ve come alive this summer, Archer, and it’s not only with me. You’ve only gotten better. You’re outdancing me. You will get a job. A big one. It’s inevitable.”

“So could you. You’ve got everything, Mateo. I know it.”

Mateo’s head dropped. Then his shoulders started to shake. He was crying.

Archer climbed onto the rock and slid an arm around Mateo’s shoulders. “What is it?”

It took him a minute to get the words out. Archer waited patiently.

“I’m afraid, Archer,” he finally said. “I’m terrified of trying. What if everyone hates me? What if I… what if I blow it all again?”

“I get it, it’s going to be hard, but… what if I were with you?”

Mateo looked up at him, wet eyes sparkling in the dim light. “You don’t want to do that.”

“Oh, Mateo. I very much do,” Archer insisted, a soft laugh punctuating his words. “You’re Mateo Dixon, don’t you know? I had your face on my wall.”

Mateo laughed, but it was still half sob.

“Even if you don’t want to…bewith me, we can just be friends. I will go with you to every audition until you get a part, before I have to go back to Ohio. And let’s be honest, it will probably only be one audition.”

“If I don’t want to be with you?” Mateo repeated.

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