Rusty carried over a heaping plate of patties and set them on the tabletop, before sliding into the seat next to Kaylin. She grabbed his hand and lifted it to her mouth, kissing it quickly before passing over a bowl of salad. Rusty only ever ate salad. Sawyer chuckled. When he got as old as Rusty, he might need to worry about his metabolism, too.
For now though,Sawyer thought, layering mayo onto his burger, it was good to be young. And single. He bit into the burger. Having someone fuss over you all the time, seemed like a pain that he wasn’t ready to deal with.
With his burger now done, Sawyer sat down and set his plate on the table and reached for a handful of chips. Rusty pushed a pitcher of water down the table to Sawyer.
“I’ll get you a real drink,” Kaylin said, standing. She brought him the beer he’d just put back in the cooler.
“Can’t argue with a lady,” Sawyer said, tipping the beer at Rusty.
“You were talking work with him, weren’t you?” Kaylin admonished, shaking her head at both of them.
Rusty shrugged in defense. “Just for a moment.”
“Let the boy enjoy himself for five minutes.” She held up her beer can. “It’s a party!” Everyone cheered and clinked their glasses.
“Sawyer doesn’t have trouble enjoying himself,” Colt winked.
“Hey now,” Sawyer said. “I’m a professional.” His tone and countenance betrayed those words. He was a professional, no doubt. But as Natalie might put it, he was a professional in another enterprise.
“Professional flirt,” Natalie scolded, with a fond smile on her face.
Sawyer tried to hide his grin behind his burger, but failed. He was proud of his reputation.
“Seriously, though.” Rusty said. “Don’t flirt too much with your client.”
“Good luck,” Kaylin remarked, picking the lettuce off her burger. “Lila’s definitely the sexy, brainy librarian type. Sawyer’s only human.”
“Sawyer’s right,” Rusty replied. “He’s a professional. Plus, librarians aren’t his type. This is the man who made his way through college with a sorority girl of the week.” He gave Sawyer his best boss’s stare.
“I like a girl who can hang,” Sawyer shrugged. “Besides, let he here who was one hundred percent professional with his clients cast the first stone.” Sawyer raised his eyebrows knowingly at Rusty and took a drink, before turning to Colt. Both men were engaged to or dating former clients.
“No changing the subject -” Rusty wrapped his arm around Kaylin.
“ - Couldn’t help myself -” Colt retorted at the same time, before kissing Natalie.
“Anyway, less talk, more eating.” Rusty finished.
Sawyer thought he caught the hint of an embarrassed flush on Rusty’s cheeks, but he had to admit – he’d never seen Rusty as happy as he was now, with Kaylin.
Sawyer would take another bullet to find the same kind of happiness, even if he’d never admit it.
He cracked open the beer on the table. Player life suited him fine. No getting hurt that way. He swigged the beer. Lila Morgan would just be another job and another girl, he thought. There were always plenty of girls to choose from, when you were lucky enough to be him.
