Page 89 of Flirty Dancing

“Okay, thanks. I’ll meet you guys at the theater then.”

Archer wrapped his towel around his torn shorts and made the trek back up to the dorm. He unlocked their door and, as he pushed it open, was met with a mass of moving flesh and blankets. It took him a second to realize what he was looking at. “Oh, shit, sorry…” He started to back out when he realized… that was not Beau and Ben. Beau was down at the dock. And one of the people in the bed had brown skin… It was Caleb. And Ben.

Archer’s heart stopped. The two naked men scrambled to separate and cover themselves with sheets. “What the fuck?”

“Archer! It’s not what it looks like!” Ben’s eyes were wide and frantic.

Archer blinked. “I’m pretty sure it’s exactly what it looks like.”

“Fuck, please don’t tell Beau!” Ben begged.

Archer shook his head. “Holy shit, Ben. You can’t ask me to keep that secret.” Then he looked back and forth between the two of them as a thought occurred. “How long has this been going on?”

Ben and Caleb shared a look.

“Only a couple days,” Caleb replied. Archer didn’t miss the guilt that flashed across his face.

Ben reached onto the floor for his clothes. “Please, please, please, Archer. You cannot tell Beau!”

“Either you tell him, or I do.”

“Okay, yes.” Ben nodded and yanked a T-shirt on. “I will absolutely tell him tomorrow.”

“No deal. You have to tell him tonight. Now. He’s on his way to the theater. Stewart’s back and we have a meeting in a few minutes.”

“Fuuuuck,” Ben moaned.

Caleb squeezed his hand. “It’ll be okay. Just tell him what you told me.”

“It’s not that simple, Caleb.” Ben dragged his hand through his hair.

“You made it sound pretty simple.”

“Shit,” Ben muttered. “We’d better go.”

It was a quiet march down to the theater, each person lost in their own thoughts. Archer’s mind whirred. He wasn’t sure he believed Caleb about how long it had beengoing on, and that opened up a whole new can of worms he did not have the mental energy for.

When the three of them hurried into the greenroom, it looked like everyone else was already there, lounging in a rough circle.

Stewart stood, glowing when he saw them. “Brilliant! Now that we’re all here—” he began.

“I’m really sorry,” Ben said, voice brittle, “but I need to talk to Beau.”

“We’re about to start a meeting—” Mateo protested.

Archer interrupted. “Hereallyneeds to talk to Beau. Right now.”

Beau stood, his face a mask of confusion. “Is everything okay?”

“Can you come with me for a second?” Ben led Beau out of the room.

Caleb awkwardly slid into the nearest chair, eyes down, hands fiddling with the strap on his bag.

Archer took an empty spot next to Mateo.

Mateo leaned over to murmur, “What’s up?”

Archer opened his mouth when a bloodcurdling shriek reached them from the hallway.

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