Page 7 of Flirty Dancing

7

I Like You

“Morning.” Caleb plopped down next to Archer on the bench at breakfast. “Where’d you end up last night? Your bed was empty when we got back.”

“Oh, I… went for a walk.” His night with Mateo didn’t feel like something he wanted to share. “Did you have fun with Eva?”

“Hell yeah, she’s fucking hilarious. She told us this story about the time when she was just starting out and she lost her bra right before the show, so she had to borrow one from a waitress and stuff it with bar rags. But then the waitress’s shift ended in the middle of her show, and she came on stage and demanded Eva give it back. Eva refused and the woman tackled her, and they ended up wrestling and everyone thought it was part of the show.” The table cracked up around him, and Archer laughed with them. As cool as it would have been to hang out with Eva, he had no regrets.

They had time to kill before rehearsal at two, so they all headed down to the dock for a swim and sunbathing. Caleb didn’t leave his side, touching his arm or thigh to get his attention, offering to get him a drink from the cabin, and even brushing a piece of wet hair off Archer’s forehead when they climbed, dripping, out of the water.

When it was time to head to the theater, they traveled as a pack. Caleb slung an arm over Dominik’s shoulders, laughing at one of his jokes, then took hold of Archer’s hand.

“One sec, Archer.” Caleb pulled him back when they arrived at the theater, while the rest of the crew tramped through the stage door.

“What’s up?”

“Archer…” Caleb smiled up at him through his long eyelashes. “In case it isn’t obvious, I like you.”

“Oh.” He was surprised to hear Caleb say it out loud, and his cheeks flushed. “I like you too.”

Caleb smiled. “That’s good.” Then he leaned forward and kissed him.

Archer’s mind spun. On the one hand, it felt nice to have lips pressed to his again. On the other… it was probably a bad idea to go down this road with a fellow dancer and roommate—it would be awkward as hell if things didn’t go well. Then Caleb slipped his tongue into his mouth and Archer took a step back, ending the kiss. His jaw worked as he tried to think of something to say, but he didn’t need to say anything at all.

“Excuse me,” came the growl from behind them.

He whirled. Mateo. Mateo, looking angrier than ever, brow pulled down so far it almost met the tip of his nose. For some reason, Archer felt like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“Sorry, Mateo,” Caleb said smoothly, stepping aside and pulling Archer with him. “We’ll be right in.”

Mateo leveled his gaze at Archer for a half second longer before he stormed inside.

“Oh, good,” Caleb said with an eye roll. “Mateo’s gonna be a dick again today. Anyway…” He smiled at Archer and squeezed his hand, giving him another quick kiss. “Guess we’d better get inside.”

“Yeah.” Archer smiled back and let Caleb lead him through the door.

The stage was abuzz with stretching dancers and the tech crew up in the rigging, adjusting lights and speakers and doing sound checks. The performers were still in warm-up clothes, although Stewart was in a fancy-yet-rumpled eggplant-colored suit. Judy had a matching sequined bow on her collar.

Dominik came running down the center aisle from the lobby. “Our photos are up!” he announced.

The entire troupe went charging back up the aisle, busting through the swinging doors into the lobby and over to the display. It was quite impressive and took up most of the black wall along the entryway. There was a framed poster for each show, Sunday through Saturday, with the headshots with their names below, all around the outside. Archer’s eyes went straight to the Latin Flame poster, and his lungs emptied.

Holy fuck.

Their picture…

Mateo was dangerously hot, of course, as expected, but Archer… he looked pretty hot, too. They were in their hold, Archer tipped back like they were mid-step. Mateo’s gaze was boring into Archer, burning with longing. Archer’s head was turned away flirtatiously, but his eyes were cast back at Mateo, lips curling in the faintest hint of a knowing smirk.

It was pure sex.

“Goddamn,” Betty murmured, sidling up to him. “That’s a great picture.”

Archer jumped, realizing he was staring. “Oh, thanks. Yeah, the photographer did a great job.” He waved at the display. “These are all great.”

“Yeah?” Betty asked with a teasing smile. “You’ve looked at all of them, have you?”

He wanted to hiss at her to shut up, but then Mateo was next to him, studying their picture, too. He nodded once before moving on down the line.

Betty winked at Archer.

They did a full run-through of Around the World and Retro , then Stewart sent them all off to have a quick early dinner before they’d have to rush back for hair and makeup.

“It all happens tonight, my darlings!” Stewart cried. “Do not be late!”

“I’ll catch up with you at dinner,” Archer told Caleb, eyeing Mateo, who was over chatting with Francisco.

Caleb pecked his cheek. “Okay. See you there.”

Archer waited patiently until Mateo began to make his way off the stage. “Hey, did you want to go over our pas de deux again tonight?” he asked.

“It’s our opening night,” Mateo muttered, walking past Archer down the stairs. “There’s a party.”

Archer followed him. “Oh. Tomorrow night, then?”

Mateo stopped, hand on the door. “I don’t think so, Archer. We don’t need it.”

“Okay. I only thought—”

“You’d better go eat dinner,” Mateo interrupted, before pushing his way out, leaving Archer standing alone in the darkened backstage, trying to process what had just happened. This Mateo was a completely different person from the one who had danced with him in the clearing the night before…

No… surely Mateo Dixon did not give a shit who he kissed. Or maybe the kiss was simply Archer being unprofessional again? Maybe it cemented Mateo’s belief that Archer was only here to party. He sighed. There were no rules about employees hooking up… in fact, he was pretty sure almost every employee did hook up somewhere along the way. He wasn’t going to marry Caleb or anything, but he was cute and fun and… if he wanted to fool around with Caleb, there was nothing stopping him. Except the little voice in his head, but that was easy enough to ignore.

Archer was returning his dinner tray when Betty scurried up to him.

“You and Caleb been awfully cozy lately,” she said with a knowing look. “Did I see him kiss your cheek on his way out?”

“Yes,” Archer said sheepishly. “He, uh… well, we actually, like, kiss kissed right before rehearsal started.”

Betty smacked his arm. “Shut up! That’s awesome.”

“Yeah.” Archer shrugged. “I guess.”

“What do you mean, you guess? Caleb’s hot. And from what I hear, he likes to hook up with the hottest guy here, so”—she fired finger guns at him—“congrats.”

Archer nudged her. “Are you saying I’m the hottest guy here?”

She studied him with a scrunched face. “You’re okay.”

When they got back to the theater, Dominik had poured a round of shots for everyone in the greenroom and handed one to Archer with a grin. “First show tradition!” he announced.

As Archer clinked glasses with Caleb and tossed back the fruity concoction, he noticed that Mateo wasn’t there yet. It wasn’t until the shot glasses were collected and tidied away that Mateo came in. He didn’t so much as glance Archer’s way.

They did their own hair and makeup—Betty helped with his, a bit of a stage makeup expert, it seemed—and got into their sparkly white Retro costumes. Archer examined his reflection in the mirror as a thrill raced through him. It might be a tiny cabaret in the Catskills, but he was proud of himself for being there and working hard the past week to learn so much choreography. The audience out there wouldn’t care if anyone was experienced or learned the choreo that morning. They wanted a great show, and Archer was ready to give it to them. And maybe, just maybe, the right person would be in that audience who could give Archer a break.

With a few finishing touches left, Stewart appeared, eggplant suit even more crumpled than it had been that morning. “Gather round, ducklings,” he said, waving his cane.

They shuffled together, arms around each other in a tight huddle. Somehow Archer ended up between Mateo and Caleb, both warm and solid under his hands, although Mateo was taller and bulkier. He could also smell Mateo’s fresh, forest-y scent again. Then Caleb squeezed his waist. Archer turned to him and smiled, squeezing his shoulder back.

“My darlings,” Stewart began. “The moment is upon us. The moment where you smile and shine and dance your fucking hearts out for the good guests of Shady Queens. It’s like I said to Cooper Knox ten years ago before his first show on this very stage—”

Cooper Knox? Archer mouthed at Caleb. Caleb nodded. Cooper Knox was the understudy for Elder Price in The Book of Mormon . Archer had no idea that Cooper had danced at Shady Queens.

“—these guests want nothing less than your best, and nothing more than to feel .” His gaze traveled around the circle. “Are we ready?”

“Ready!” they replied in a chorus.

“Hands in,” Stewart said.

They threw their hands into the middle. Archer’s heart was full as he scanned the smiling faces.

“Judy be with us,” Stewart intoned. “Shady Queens!”

“Shady Queens!” they cheered.

Stewart nodded solemnly. “Places, please.”

Archer took his spot in the wings next to Betty and rolled his neck, pulse racing. The audience hummed behind the curtain, a mass of excited voices. This was it.

Then Francisco’s announcement boomed. “Welcome to Shady Queens Cabaret! We are so pleased to welcome you to this season’s inaugural performance. Please sit back, relax, and let us entertain you as we travel back in time to the era of leisure suits and disco balls, Cher and Studio 54. We give you… Club Retro !”

“Disco Inferno” started blasting as the curtain rose. Archer let the smile stretch across his face, and he was on stage, following the chain of shimmying dancers. With the lights bright on him, he couldn’t see the audience in the darkened theater but he could hear the cheering over the music. He took Betty’s hand, and she whirled in front of him, her dress sparkling.

They discoed, they hustled, they spun and boogied and dolphined their way through the numbers, sequins flashing and smiles shining.

The audience roared when they struck their final pose. The dancers bowed and bowed again. It was the most fun he’d had performing since he was a kid, and Archer couldn’t believe he got to do this twelve times per week for three more months.

The lights went up, and they waited for photo opportunities with the audience. The resort guests tended toward retirement age, but there were also families and other younger, child-free couples. Eileen Lamb was there, snapping pictures and waving at Mateo.

Once they made their way backstage and the theater emptied, they had time to grab a snack and stretch before the second show.

After the second performance, Stewart was waiting, eyes moist. He sniffled. “You have made this old director so proud. But…” He clapped his hands. “We have work to do! I’ll see you all back here tomorrow morning at eight—”

A chorus of groans cut him off.

“Alright, alright… nine. But not one second later!”

Stewart hugged every one of them before departing, and then they milled around, hugging each other, celebrating their first night, not ready to change out of their costumes quite yet. Archer knew this was just a fun summer job for most of them, but that didn’t lessen the sense of pride and accomplishment threatening to burst his heart in that sweaty crowd. He was a professional dancer. He was doing it.

“Hey.” Caleb took Archer’s hand, grinning at him. Beads of sweat glistened on Caleb’s forehead. He leaned in and gently brushed his lips over Archer’s. Archer’s heart was pounding from the adrenaline still, and his body responded accordingly. He kissed Caleb back and shivered when Caleb’s fingers trailed over the nape of his neck. “You did so great,” Caleb whispered, now stroking Archer’s cheek with his thumb. “How did that feel?”

“Amazing,” Archer said, goose bumps stippling his skin.

Caleb kissed him again. “Let’s go party.”

They peeled their costumes off and hung them up on their racks, then went back to the dorm to shower and change. When Archer got to his room after his shower, he was dripping and wrapped in a towel. He froze in the hallway at his door. There was a sock on the doorknob.

“What the…?” he muttered. It had to be the B-Boys in there… unless Caleb wanted some alone time? Archer looked up and down the hall. Well, now what? He hadn’t brought a change of clothes to the shower, and all he had with him was his sweaty rehearsal gear. He looked up and down the hallway again before dropping his toiletry bag and tank top. He eyed his dance belt. He really didn’t want to put it back on again. But his only other option was to go commando under his tights. He stood there, holding his dance belt and tights and chewing his lip, when Caleb appeared. He was fresh from the shower and looked like a million bucks in slim-fitting white shorts and an unbuttoned blue striped shirt.

He cocked an eyebrow when he saw Archer standing there, then cackled at the doorknob. “Guess the Bs were horny after the show.” He studied Archer. “But your clothes are in there, aren’t they?”

Archer sighed. “Yes, except for these.” He held up his belt and tights.

Caleb laughed again. “Come on, let’s find you some other clothes.”

They went down the hall to Dominik, Gage, River, and Harley’s room, but there was no answer when they knocked. The dorm was otherwise quiet, most of the staff probably already at the cabin, working, or in bed for their early start.

Caleb clapped Archer on the shoulder. “We’ll find you something at the cabin.”

Archer groaned. He decided to wear the dance belt and slid it back on under his towel, followed by his tights and tank top. He left his toiletry bag and towel hanging in the bathroom.

Caleb smirked at him when he appeared back in the hallway. “Don’t worry, you look hot.”

Archer sighed and scratched at his tights.

They made the trek down to the cabin. The rest of the dancers were already there—even Mateo, but minus Beau and Ben, of course—celebrating their successful opening night. Betty and Seta were on the coffee table doing a rather dirty version of their “Ladies’ Night” routine. Dominik and Harley were dancing around the coffee table.

“Perfect, there’s Mateo,” Caleb murmured in his ear. “Go ask him.”

“I’m not gonna—” but Caleb had already pushed him toward Mateo.

“Um, hi,” Archer said when Mateo looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Did someone steal your clothes again?” Mateo asked.

“No, this time I forgot them.”

“Ah,” Mateo said, as if that explained it. It was just that Archer was an idiot.

“See, I, uh—Ben and Beau…” Archer sighed. “Is there any chance I could borrow some clothes, please?”

Mateo’s eyebrows shot up, and Archer was sure he was about to say no, when instead he nodded. “Sure. Come with me.”

Archer followed Mateo down the hall and up the creaking stairs at the back. At the top was another hall. The first door was a bathroom, then Mateo led Archer to the last bedroom.

The room was small, being a single, but immaculate and… much cozier than Archer was expecting. A warm plaid blanket was thrown on top of the standard-issue beige comforter, and the dresser was lined with photos. Next to his bed sat a well-worn copy of Beowulf , stacked on top of a Tolkien biography, a bookmark halfway through. Archer was drawn to the photographs, and he wandered closer to examine them. The first showed a smiling family sitting at a picnic table—a mom, a dad, and a dark-haired boy. The second had to be Mateo in his late teens on stage in a ridiculously beautiful penché, leg extended far over his head. The third was Mateo standing on the sidewalk under the marquee for Robin’s Egg , pointing up at it and smiling, with an older version of the couple from the first photo.

Archer realized he was lost in the images when Mateo cleared his throat.

“Sorry.” Archer straightened, sheepish. “Those are lovely photos. Are those your parents?”

Mateo’s face softened. “Yes.”

“Where was the picture at the picnic table taken?”

“Here, actually.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I came here with my parents once when I was eight. I think they already knew I was gay.”

“Wow, that’s so cool.” Archer studied the photograph again. “Your parents are beautiful.” Archer remembered reading that his mom was from Mexico, and his dad’s family had a Cuban background. They both had Mateo’s black hair, bronze skin, and solid frame, but he had his dad’s strong jaw and heavy brow. And his mom’s smile.

“They were.” Mateo examined the picture with him. “I really miss them.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. Are they…?”

“Yes.” The softness from Mateo’s face was gone. He gripped the edge of the dresser. “My dad had a heart attack and Mom had a stroke not long after. About six years ago.”

Archer did the math. “That was right around…”

“When Robin’s Egg debuted. Yup.” Mateo’s hands flexed on the wood, then he blew out a breath and yanked a drawer open. “You need clothes?”

“Oh, yes. I—Yes, please.”

Mateo dug through a few items, then offered Archer a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. “Here. These are a little on the small side for me.”

Archer wondered if a joke might lighten the mood. “Maybe we should measure width now?”

The corner of Mateo’s mouth twitched. “I’ll leave you to get changed.”

“Thanks. And, Mateo?”

Mateo paused, hand on the door. “Yes?”

“I’m really sorry about your parents.”

Their eyes met. “Thank you. You’d better hurry up. Caleb will be waiting.”

Archer changed quickly, then, with another glance at the pictures, bundled up his dance gear and headed back downstairs. The party was in full swing. River had joined the girls on the coffee table. Archer hoped the ancient piece of furniture would hold up.

“There you are!” Caleb cried, appearing at his side. “Mateo’s clothes look good on you.” He put his hands on Archer’s waist and leaned in for a kiss.

“Thanks.”

“Listen.” Caleb whispered in his ear. “Those guys from maintenance are back, and I think it’s time we took the smug bastards down.”

Archer didn’t see Mateo the rest of the night, but he thought about him, the scent of forest and sunshine lingering in his nostrils.