Page 51 of Flirty Dancing

When he got down to the dock, he barely had time to pull off his T-shirt before Caleb hauled him into the lake. He surfaced, laughing and wiping water from his eyes, and he found Mateo watching him. Archer smiled and flicked a few drops at him. “You coming in?”

“Nah.” Mateo lay back, a lazy smile on his face. “I like it up here.”

“Come on, Mateo,” Caleb called, sloshing him with a wave of water.

Mateo sat up, spluttering. “Fuck off, Caleb!”

Caleb rolled his eyes and splashed him again. “It’s only water.”

Mateo stood and, with another glare at Caleb, marched off down the dock.

“Okay, seriously, what’s your problem with Mateo?” Archer asked, pulling himself onto the edge of the dock.

Caleb followed. “I’m sick of him acting like he’s better than everyone else.”

Archer sighed. There was no denying Mateo held himself at a distance from the rest of them.

“He’s not that bad,” River said from where they were reclined on the dock. “He’s just… you know, a little older. Not into partying.”

“Then why is he even here?” Caleb continued. “He was a fucking Broadway star. It’s embarrassing.”

Archer had no reply to that so he tried another angle. “Look, it’s my birthday, and he made me a cake—”

Caleb rolled his eyes.

“—so can you give him a break? Please, for me?”

“Don’t know why you like him so much,” Caleb muttered.

“Hey…” Archer took Caleb’s chin in his hand, then leaned in for a kiss. “I likeyou.”

“Do you?” Caleb asked with a small smile sneaking onto his face.

“I do.”

“Good. I like you too.”

Their kiss was cut short by Dominik charging up behind them and shoving Caleb back into the lake. “Get a room!” he cried, and the brawl was back on.

The day ticked away in a pleasant haze of cool plunges and warm kisses. Archer had the last slice of cake for lunch, basking on the sunbaked dock. It was really, really hard when it was time to get moving for the night’s show. “I should get the night off for my birthday,” he grumbled as the rest of them began to gather their towels and other belongings.

“Let’s go, princess,” Caleb said fondly, threading his fingers with Archer’s. “You can dance some of that cake off.”

Archer patted his stomach. “Rude.”

Archer was waiting in the wings before the six o’clockLatinshow in his black pants and shimmery scarlet and purple shirt when Mateo approached.

“Hey,” Archer smiled, feeling shy with Lynn’s words ringing in his head. “Thanks again for the cake.”

“It was no problem.”

“And I’m sorry about Caleb. I don’t know what his issue is.”

Mateo grimaced. “People get weird when you get a littlefamous. And I know I’m not… the friendliest person on earth.”

“Still…” Archer looked up and saw Caleb watching him and Mateo from the other wing. “I’m sorry.”

Mateo looked like he had more to say, but Francisco started his welcoming announcement, and he had to bolt to get around back to the other side for his entrance.

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