Page 41 of Flirty Dancing

“Fine,” Beau said, arms still crossed.

Mateo sighed, but it was drowned out by Francisco’s announcement.

He caught Archer’s eye and Archer shrugged. Hopefully that would be the last of the Bs drama… but somehow, he doubted it.

“Oh, hey,” Archer said to Mateo after the first show. “I meant to ask you…”

It was hard to focus as Mateo peeled the top half of his jumpsuit down and began toweling off his glistening torso. “Yeah?” he asked.

“Um. So. Uh, yesterday I ran into Eileen Lamb, you know that resident guest who comes to every show? She’s always wearing flowered dresses?”

“I think so?” Mateo said, now tipping his head back to chug from his water bottle.

“Well, she is a big fan of ours, I guess. She used to be a dancer. She stopped me to tell me how much she loved the pas de deux, and she invited us—like, you and me—to tea on Wednesday.”

Mateo paused to cock an eyebrow. “Tea? In her cabin?”

“Yeah, I guess it’s a little odd, but she seems really sweet and just looking to make friends. Relive her glory days.”

Mateo shrugged. “Sure, I guess so.”

“Great, I’ll find her and let her know.”

“Ready to go?” Mateo appeared at Archer’s bedroom door Wednesday afternoon.

“Yup.” Archer scrambled to his feet.Shit. Mateo was early. Archer had planned to meet him outside the dorm. Mateo looked amazing though—breezy white linen shorts and a matching shirt that made his tawny skin pop. His black hair was tousled perfectly over his forehead. Archer wondered if he looked nice enough in his faded raspberry T-shirt and khaki shorts.

“Ready to go?” Caleb looked up and frowned. “Go where?”

“Um, Ms. Lamb invited Mateo and me to have tea in her cabin.”

“What?” Caleb scrunched his face. “That’s weird.”

“I guess, but… can’t hurt, right?” Archer reached under his bed for his flip-flops, but then noticed Mateo had slate blue canvas loafers on and changed his mind, digging for his white slip-on sneakers.

Caleb’s eyes narrowed. “So the two of you are just… going to have tea… with an old lady.”

Archer nodded, eyes flicking to Mateo, who looked completely unbothered by Caleb’s skepticism. A real talent of his.

“Whatever,” Caleb shrugged, attention going back to his phone. “Have fun.”

“Thanks. We’ll be back for dinner.”

Caleb nodded without looking up again.

Archer slipped his shoes on while Mateo hovered in the doorway, then they headed out into another beautiful day at Shady Queens. They walked in silence along the path toward the guest cabins and onto the grassy flat by themain beach. Archer smiled at a pigtailed toddler chasing after a ball, her moms following her, popsicles melting in their hands.

“Are you having a good time here?” Mateo asked as they took the next path toward Eileen’s cabin.

“What? Oh, yeah. Definitely. I mean, a paying gig for almost four months, not having to pound the pavement in the city, getting rejected every couple days.”

“Yeah…” Mateo nodded. “It’s not really the same, though, is it? Performing at Shady Queens versus a stage in Manhattan?”

Archer stiffened. “Not all of us can land roles on Broadway.”

Mateo studied the lake and the ripples kicked up by a warm breeze. “That’s not what I meant. I—”

“Helloooo!” They were interrupted by a distant trill.

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