Eva opened with a Cher song, and the audience ate it up. She was funny and smooth, pulling assorted guests up on stage as the show went on. The first participant was a small, delicate-looking elderly woman who was wearing a lilac dress with a matching hat, but she bounded up onto the stage with the alacrity of someone half her age and hugged Eva like they were old friends. She came up to the drag queen’s rib cage.

“Give it up for Ms. Eileen Lamb!” Eva cried.

So they did know each other. “Who is Ms. Eileen Lamb?” Archer whispered to Caleb as Eva wrapped a feather boa around Eileen’s shoulders.

“She’s basically a resident guest, been coming for years and years,” he replied. “She’s here all summer, and she almost never misses a show. She hits on the other elderly lesbians.”

“Oh, nice,” Archer replied, watching Eileen shimmy along to the music.

Eva was fabulous—upbeat, whip-smart, and a little naughty. Archer could see why she was starting to make it big.

“Archer, you coming?” Betty asked when it was over. “We’re gonna go grab a drink with Eva before the second show.” She bobbed her head at the greenroom.

Mateo would be waiting for him. “Nah, I told my parents I’d call them.”

For some reason, he didn’t want Caleb to know where he was going. He ran back to his room to change and grab his duffel, then made his way down to the cabin.

Mateo was leaning on the railing, hands loosely clasped, gazing out over the lake. There were a few employees drifting here and there, but most were either working or at the theater.

Mateo turned his head when the step creaked under Archer’s foot.

“Hi,” Archer said. “You didn’t want to see Eva Stiff?”

“Nah. Not in the mood for a crowd.” He turned back to the water.

“Hmm.” Archer joined him at the railing and took in the view. “Nice night.” The sun was just vanishing behind the trees, leaving the water a shimmering molten gold.

Mateo nodded, the light reflecting off his eyes. “It’s beautiful.”

“You feel ready for the week?” Archer asked. There were a few butterflies in his stomach, to be honest, after seeing how incredible Eva was. Shady Queens didn’t mess around with amateurs.

Mateo half shrugged. “We’ll pull it off. Helps that we’re working on our pas de deux now.”

Archer nodded. “So where are we going?”

Mateo grabbed a flashlight off the railing. “Follow me.”

They thumped down the steps, but instead of heading back toward the resort like Archer expected, Mateo turned and went past the cabin, taking a shadowed path that led farther into the trees.

Archer hurried after him, following the patch of light at Mateo’s feet.