Page 10 of Flirty Dancing

10

Sweet as Pie

After the show the next night, on their way to hang out at the cabin for a bit, Caleb pulled Archer into the trees and pushed him up against a maple. “You looked so sexy tonight,” he murmured before leaning in and brushing their lips together.

“Oh, yeah?” Archer asked, responding with a lip brush of his own. “Was it the line dancing that did it for you? Or the Irish step dancing?”

“The line dancing, actually. I have a thing for cowboys…”

Caleb was a good kisser, and a tingle swirled in Archer’s stomach when Caleb’s lower lip settled between his. Caleb pressed up against him, sliding his hands under Archer’s T-shirt.

Archer laughed at the tickle. “Getting frisky in the woods?”

Caleb gave him a look with lidded eyes. “Maybe we go back to the dorm and put a sock on the doorknob?”

“Everyone’s waiting for us,” Archer demurred, softening the no with another kiss. “But… soon.”

“Alright.” Caleb took his hand and pulled him back into the path. “I can wait.”

And Caleb did seem okay with waiting. The days passed, one show blurring into the next, and he hardly left Archer’s side. Week two came to a close, with Drinking UNO for Game Night—much less contentious than Monopoly, although there was a disagreement over whether one had to pick up four if a pick-up-two was placed on a pick-up-two—then week three passed without incident.

Archer barely spoke to Mateo, with Caleb almost always attached to his hand or lips during their free time. When he did try to talk to Mateo, he got brusque replies, although their tango sizzled as usual. Game Night that Saturday was charades. There was no fighting over the rules this time, but Harley got super pissed at Daniella when she didn’t immediately guess Michael Jackson after his moonwalk and crotch grab. Her excuse was that she was laughing too hard, but Harley didn’t take the loss of that point well. It was a long, loud night, and Archer was really looking forward to sleeping in on Sunday when he and Caleb stumbled up the path in the wee hours of the morning. That was why it was extra rude when he woke up on Sunday to Caleb shaking him, much earlier than he would have liked.

“Wha…?” Archer muttered, rolling over and blinking Caleb into focus.

“You want to head into town today?” Caleb sat back on his own bed to put his shoes on.

Archer sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Town?”

“Hallfield. It’s like an hour’s drive. Small, but they have a good general store, some cute shops, and a market on Sundays.”

It had been nearly a month since they arrived at Shady Queens, and Archer had gotten pretty cozy in this world, blocking out the outside reality most of the time. But the idea of venturing away and leaving cranky Mateo behind for the day sounded like fun.

He stretched. “Sure, I’m in.”

“Great, we leave in thirty. Let’s go, princess!”

Mrs. C loaned them one of the resort shuttle vans for the day, charging them only for the gas. Betty volunteered to drive, and it looked like most of the dancers were loaded up when Archer arrived. He climbed in and was shocked to see Mateo sitting against the window in the first row.

“You like shopping?” Archer asked, settling next to him since the back was full.

“I consume products such as toothpaste and deodorant, and on occasion I need to buy more,” Mateo said dryly.

“Okay, fine,” Archer muttered.

“Why are you always surprised when I join in on group stuff?” Mateo asked after a pause.

Archer parsed words in his mind so his reply didn’t sound too rude. “I don’t know, it seems to me like you prefer to keep to yourself.”

Mateo looked out the window. “True enough.”

Dominik made them listen to Taylor Swift the whole drive, although Archer didn’t mind. The music was loud enough that he didn’t feel like he had to talk to Mateo, so he leaned his head back and enjoyed the girl-power anthems and fresh air from the rolled-down windows.

Hallfield was about what Archer expected for a quaint tourist trap town in the Catskills. There was a main street without a franchise in sight—all independent cafés and shops, freshly painted clapboard fronts and hand-lettered signs.

But at the end of the street, behind a big sign for a farmers market, was an entire carnival. A Ferris wheel soared above the nearest buildings, and they could see a haunted house, a carousel, and other assorted booths and striped tents. It buzzed with excitement, the street crowded with people flooding in and out of the grounds.

“A carnival!” Betty squealed when they saw it.

“Can we go to the carnival? Can we? Can we?” Dominik bounced up and down in his Converse high-tops.

For some reason, they were all looking at Mateo.

“We can go,” he said. “We just have to have the van back by—”

But they were all gone, charging toward the ticket booth. Caleb grabbed Archer’s hand. “This is going to be so fun!”

Archer agreed. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been to a country carnival like this. They all bought tickets, even Mateo, then scattered once they got in.

“What do you want to do first?” Archer asked as he looked around.

“The haunted house!” Caleb announced.

Archer groaned. “I hate haunted houses!”

“Why?”

“I don’t like being scared.”

Caleb laughed. “Come on, you big baby. I’ll protect you!”

Archer hated every minute of it. The haunted house was comprised of the same narrow, pitch-black hallways he remembered from when he was a kid, but now they were even more cramped and panic-inducing. Every jump-scare sent his heart crashing through his rib cage, even though he knew they were coming, and he clung to Caleb with his eyes screwed shut when the man in the Michael Myers mask started following them. Still, he had to admit, once safe in the sunshine again, the adrenaline coursing through his veins was kind of fun.

“What’s next?” Caleb wondered, blinking in the bright light.

“The Ferris wheel!” Archer decided.

This time it was Caleb’s turn to groan. “Nooo, I’m afraid of heights.”

“I believe the phrase I’m looking for is ‘Come on, you big baby. I’ll protect you.’” Archer tugged Caleb toward the line up.

But once they got to the gate, Caleb looked up with huge eyes. “No. There’s no way. I can’t!”

“Okay,” Archer sighed. “Let’s go do something else, then. I don’t really want to go by myself…”

“I’ll go with you, Archer.”

They turned at the deep voice. It was Mateo.

Archer’s heart fluttered at the idea of being high above the crowd with Mateo. “Oh. Okay, thanks.”

“Well, maybe I—” Caleb looked up again. “Okay, I can do it.”

“Are you sure? You look a little pale—” Mateo said.

“It’s fine. Let’s go.”

Caleb marched them into line, and they were able to get on when the wheel was next loaded. Archer sat in the middle of the narrow bench. The seats were designed to fit three people, but Archer and Mateo were both rather broad, and the three grown men were a snug fit. Once again, Archer was very aware of Mateo’s body pressed to his.

Caleb flinched when the worker shut the restraining bar across them, and he gripped Archer’s hand.

“Are you sure about this?” Archer asked. “You can still get off.”

Caleb shook his head, lips forming a hard line.

“Get off.” Mateo snickered under his breath.

Archer looked at him, eyebrows raised.

“Sorry.” Mateo frowned. “I’ve been around Dominik too long.”

Archer turned back to Caleb. “You’re absolutely sure?”

Caleb squeezed his hand tighter, eyes closed. “I’m sure.”

“Okay.” Archer patted the back of his hand. “Here we go.”

Caleb shrieked when the chair heaved forward, then took a deep breath. “Okay, this isn’t so bad—” He cut himself off with another shriek when the chair lurched to a halt and began rocking back and forth. “What’s wrong? Why did we stop? Is it broken? Are we trapped?”

“Shhh…” Archer patted Caleb’s leg and ignored Mateo’s eye roll. “We’re just loading the next car. It’ll start and stop at every car so they can unload and load the riders.”

“Oh, God,” Caleb moaned. “Can I get off now?”

Mateo stiffened as he held in a laugh.

“Not now, Caleb. But it’s okay. You’re going to be okay. Take some deep breaths and picture something happy in your mind.”

“Like getting off,” Mateo supplied.

Archer glared at him, trying not to smile. You’re not helping , he mouthed.

Sorry , Mateo mouthed back, then he leaned over to look at Caleb. “Statistically, you’re more likely to die in the van on the way home than you are on this Ferris wheel.”

“Maybe don’t bring up dying?” Archer said through clenched teeth as Caleb started to hyperventilate.

Sorry , Mateo mouthed again.

Archer spent most of the ride making soothing noises at Caleb, but there was a moment at the top where Caleb stilled, eyes screwed shut as he clutched the edge of the car. Archer took a slow breath looking around at the green rolling hills and flashes of blue water around tiny Hallfield. Mateo took a deep, contented breath at the same time.

“It’s pretty,” Mateo said. His knee bumped Archer’s.

“Yeah,” Archer agreed.

Then Caleb let out another squeak and Archer went back to soothing.

It was definitely the longest Ferris wheel ride Archer had ever been on. When they were finally done, Caleb staggered out of their seat and down the stairs, face green.

“You did it!” Archer informed him. “Look at that!”

Caleb clutched his chest. “Never. Again.”

“Definitely never again,” Archer agreed.

“Excuse me, gentlemen.” A Black woman with a tight black bun and a frilly apron approached, clipboard in hand. “My name is Agnes, and I’m running the pie baking contest today. I was wondering if you three would be interested in judging for us?”

Caleb shook his head, face pinched as he pointed at himself. “Gluten-free.”

“Hmm, not you, then.” She turned to Archer and Mateo. “How about you two?”

Archer was awfully hungry, but… “How many pies do we have to eat, exactly?”

“You’ll each be given a slice of six different pies, but you don’t have to eat the whole thing. Just enough to rate them. Hallfield is famous for its pies, and I guarantee they will all be delicious.”

Archer looked at Mateo while Caleb went to collapse onto a bench. “I am hungry… I’m game if you are?”

Mateo nodded. “Let’s do it.”

“Wonderful!” Agnes beamed. “Follow me!”

“Are you coming, Caleb?” Archer called over to the slumped figure on the bench.

He offered a meek wave. “Go on without me. I’m going to go find some booze.”

“There was a pub back where we parked,” Mateo told him.

Caleb flung his arm over his eyes, nodding. “Thanks. I’ll head there in a minute.”

Agnes led them to the center pavilion. A long table covered in red-checked tablecloths and dozens of absolutely delectable-looking pies was set up in front of a low stage.

“Oh, damn,” Archer said. “These look so good!”

Agnes was pleased. “They will be! Now come on up here to the judges’ table.”

They climbed the few steps to the stage where they joined two women and another man already seated. “You can sit here,” Agnes said, pointing to the open chairs at the end. “And we’ll begin shortly!”

“Hope you really like pie,” Archer said, as they watched an aproned swarm descend on the table below and begin piling thick slices onto labeled paper plates.

“I do, actually,” Mateo said. “My mom was a baker. She used to make the most delicious key lime pie.”

“Oh, yeah? I love key lime. I think my favorite is blueberry, though.”

“Well, you’re in luck,” Mateo said, as a huge slice of blueberry and a scoresheet was placed in front of each of them. “Let’s dig in.”

“Oh my God, I’m so full,” Archer said, half laughing, half groaning, leaning back in his chair. “But that was amazing.”

“Sooo amazing,” Mateo agreed, patting his stomach. “And so, so full. I’m not sure I needed to finish off every bite of that last key lime.”

“Yes, you did,” Archer assured him. “And the one be fore. But we should probably get going if we’re going to do our shopping and get the shuttle back for Mrs. C.”

Mateo moaned. “I don’t know if I can get up. Thank God we don’t have to dance tonight.”

“No kidding.” Archer stood and held out a hand to Mateo. “Come on, I’ll help you.”

Mateo took his hand and Archer hauled him to his feet and… neither of them let go. They held hands down the stairs and through the crowded pavilion until they reached the main thoroughfare and it felt like too much space around them to keep holding on.

Mateo paused outside the entrance, jamming his hands in his pockets and nodding at the nearby pharmacy. “I’m going to head in here.”

“Okay.” Archer realized he was mirroring Mateo’s posture and took his hands out of his pockets. “I’d better go find Caleb.”

“Right.” Mateo turned to go.

“Right… Hey, Mateo?”

He paused again. “Yeah?”

“Thanks. That was fun.”

“Yeah.” Mateo nodded, eyes on a tuft of grass poking through the sidewalk crack. “It was.”

Archer found Caleb in the pub with Betty and a few of the others, a pile of shopping bags at his feet.

“There you are!” he cried when he spotted Archer. “How was the pie?”

“Urgh,” Archer moaned, slumping into the chair between Caleb and Betty. “Delicious, unfortunately, and plentiful. How are you feeling?”

“Amazing! The cutest boutique opened since last summer. It’s all reclaimed, remade vintage stuff. Look at this hat I got…” Caleb turned to rummage through a bag.

Archer shook his head. Nothing ever threw off Caleb for long. He ordered a beer from the server and sipped it as he dutifully admired Caleb’s purchases. Then, with Caleb safely a few drinks in and exceedingly cheerful, Archer made a quick solo trip to the general store. He cast a wistful look at the used bookstore on his way but didn’t have time to check it out before they had to meet at the shuttle and head back.

Archer climbed into the van and settled into the back row with Caleb this time. He closed his eyes as Caleb chattered, smiling, the taste of blueberries still on his tongue.