“Then same-foot lunge…” Mateo continued.

Forty-five minutes later, Archer—sweating and trying to be erect, yet not—noticed Stewart shuffling in from backstage, dog under one arm, cane in the other. “Good morning, my darlings!” he announced. “You’ll have to forgive my tardiness this morning. One of us…” He paused and lifted the dog up to press a kiss to its shiny fur. “… was having a bit of a lie-in this morning, weren’t you, Judy? Well, enough faffing about, from the top!” He settled into his usual front-row seat.

“He’s late ’cause of his dog?” Archer murmured under his breath.

Mateo shot him a sardonic look. “He told me that he takes an entire week off every year for Judy’s birthday.”

The opening tango number began with a series of partner duets, Mateo and Archer first. The pairs split up into the left and right wings while Francisco, their tech guy, fiddled with some knobs. Then the music began.

Archer started his walk in time with the music, matching Mateo’s pace, until they met in the middle in their hold. Slow, slow, quick, quick … Archer blew out a breath at the halfway point of their duet. Okay, this is—

“Stop!” Stewart shrieked.

Archer and Mateo dropped out of their hold as the music cut off.

“Stop, stop, STOP!” Stewart stomped up the stairs in his leather sandals, Judy still tucked under one arm. He reached the top and thrust an accusing finger toward Archer. “You.”

“Me?” Archer squeaked, as if there was any doubt as to whom Stewart was pointing at. Mateo shuffled back a few inches. Oh God, am I getting fired? Do I suck that bad?

Stewart marched toward him, although it was really more of a waddle. “This is the tango, boy. The tango.” He waved pinched fingers at Archer. “It is hot. It is spicy. It is sex on the dance floor. I need to believe you want to devour your partner.”

Archer licked his dry lips and flicked his gaze over to Mateo, who looked only amused.

“Well?” Stewart barked.

“Um.” Archer blinked at him.

“‘Um,’ he says. So help me, Judy, he says ‘um.’ Mateo, get over here. Let me see your hold.”

Archer’s cheeks flushed as Mateo took hold of him, their noses only an inch apart. He stared at Mateo’s chest.

“Now, see, you can’t even look at him. Look into his eyes! See that he wants you!”

Archer was only seconds away from melting into a puddle and seeping through the cracks in the floorboards, never to be seen again. He lifted his chin to find Mateo’s dark stare boring into him.

“Yes! Yes. Feel his desire. Yearn for him. Smell him!”

“Smell—?”

“It’s pheromones, boy! We’ve got to believe he is driving you insane on a chemical level. Breathe him in.”