Page 24 of Flirty Dancing

Idea!Archer texted Lynn the next morning.Why don’t you take her to that pop-up bar in Tribeca? The one that’s in the alley, which sounds creepy, but it’s all strung with a million fairy lights. I saw some pics on Insta and it’s gorgeous. You could get the bartender to garnish her drink with the ring.

Ooh! That sounds beautiful,she replied.I’ll suggest that for our next date. I think we’re going out tomorrow night. Thanks, Arch! How are things going with you? Mateo in love with you yet?

Lol. Mateo is all business. He barely talks to me. But… remember Caleb? The one who stole all my clothes? Turns out… he’s kinda cute.

Oh yeah? Like fuckable cute?

Archer considered for a moment.Maybe? I don’t think it’ll be anything serious, but…

Get it, girl. Keep me posted. And GOOD LUCK TOMORROW! BREAK A LEG!

Thanks, babe. You too.

Sunday rehearsal went smoothly. Archer was confident withRetro, which they would perform tomorrow on theiropening night.Latinwas always fun—even though Mateo barely looked at him when they weren’t dancing—and hip-hop felt good, too. There was more to learn later in the week, but he was ready enough.

Archer was pulling his sweats on after rehearsal when Mateo approached.

“Archer, can I talk to you for a second?”

He sucked in a breath and waited for Mateo to give him shit about his turnout again. “Yeah, what’s up?”

“I was just wondering if you wanted some extra rehearsal? I don’t mind meeting with you a few times to go over the choreo this week. You’ve had a lot to take in, and we haven’t even gotten to contemporary yet.”

Archer’s stomach dropped.Wow, he must think I’m absolute garbage. Didn’t offer it to any of the Bs.“Sure, I guess, if you think I need it.”

“It’s not that—we have a pas de deux in that show. Thought we could at least start blocking it out before the group rehearsal.”

“What? We do?” Archer’s brow furrowed. Why on earth would they give him a pas de deux with Mateo fucking Dixon?

Mateo read his confusion. “They were looking for a male ballet dancer at the audition specifically for this. They chose you.”

“They were? They did?” The weirdest feeling blossomed in Archer’s chest.

“Well, yeah.” Something close to a smile threatened to creep over Mateo’s face.

The words swirled around his brain. Why was Mateo being so nice to him? It was hard to swallow with the lump in his throat. “Thanks,” he scratched out.

“So… do you want some extra rehearsal?”

“Yeah. Yes. Yes, please. Definitely.”

Mateo’s eyes softened. “If you want to watch Eva tonight, we can do it after the first show?”

“Sure. Where, though, if the theater is full?”

“Yeah, there’s not really anywhere great, but if you find me at the cabin after, let’s say at eight, I’ll show you.”

Shady Queens was at her sparkling best. The buildings glowed a fresh white in the afternoon sun. Brightly colored boats painted like different LGBTQ+ flags bobbed in the water along the main dock. The grass was green, the paths were neatly trimmed, the sand was raked smooth on the volleyball courts… Everything was ready for the guests.

Off-duty staff were generally not to be seen around the resort, but they had free rein of the staff dorms, dining hall, and cabin. They could even swim around the employee dock as long as they weren’t loud or rowdy. Archer had definite plans to work on his tan this summer, but for now he had one thing on his mind: sleep.

He showered and crashed hard in his bed until Ben shook him awake a couple hours later at dinnertime. He realized he hadn’t had much of a chance to talk to his other roommates the last few days, having spent most of his free time with Caleb.

“How’s your week going, guys?” Archer asked, digging into his stir-fry.

“Good,” Ben said at the same time Beau snipped, “Fine.”

Archer glanced between them. “Okay?”

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