In the end, though, Sarah ended up driving to the location alone with Kyle in his giant SUV, while the married couple Binita and Tanjul drove behind them with Fred, and Rita and Selassie followed in their rental. The remaining men—Grisha, Cole, and Jack—had agreed to share a vehicle, proudly announcing that they were part of the ‘dawn crew’ who planned to shoot all night long.
“That’s part of the challenge for me with these workshops,” Kyle explained as he headed onto the curving two-lane road. “I shoot all night. And sometimes all day, too. It’s about mental focus. A couple of years ago I went cold turkey with alcohol, so I learned to set a goal and make it happen.”
“Sure,” Sarah said politely.
What was it with men like Kyle and the compulsive need to announce their accomplishments? She had known clients like him in her photographer days: handsome, wealthy men who had everything going for them, but still felt the need to tell everyone that they had gone vegan, were training for a marathon, had just gotten their pilot’s license. It was like life was a game and they wanted to make sure everyone knew that they were constantly leveling up.
“So you’ve known Ren for a long time?” Kyle asked, his eyes going between her face and the road.
She nodded. “We met when we were eighteen.”
“Eighteen?” Kyle looked shocked; she wondered if Kyle had assumed that the ‘very old friends’ descriptor Ren had given her was a euphemism for something else. “So has he changed much since then?”
Sarah considered the question. “Yes and no. The same as all of us, I guess. He was always clever and artistic. And kind. But he’s grown up, of course.”
“So he was immature?” It was an odd question, like Kyle was trying to find ways to score points.
“No more than any of us in undergrad,” Sarah said carefully.
“Well,” Kyle began pointedly, and his eyes went right to Sarah again, as if gauging her reaction, “Elka was very insistent on getting time alone with him.”
“Sure. As long as Ren doesn’t mind.”
“Right. Exactly. Elka just needs to be told no. If he wants to say no. Ren can be a little…” Kyle gave a wolfish smile. “He’s not always clear on what he wants when it comes to women.”
This hit Sarah hard, and she wondered if it was directed specifically at her. But if Kyle was playing some kind of a game, testing her feelings, she wasn’t interested in participating. “Well, it can be tough when it’s a client. I used to do family photography and a couple of husbands flirted with me, and there was definitely a dance involved in getting them to stop.”
Kyle glanced at her. “So you said you’re a photographer, but I couldn’t find your website.”
She flushed a little at the idea that he had tried to find her online. Was it an ego thing? Was he trying to assess whether she was worthy of being there? “I took it down when I was dealing with my divorce. I’m going to put it back up again.”
He nodded. “Fair enough. I got divorced a couple of years ago. No kids, fortunately.”
“None for me either.”
“It’s so much easier without kids involved, isn’t it?” Kyle gave her a half-smile as he steered the SUV around another curve in the road.
It was an insensitive question, which she knew Kyle would never realize. But on the other hand, maybe he had a point. She had never thought of it that way: that having no kids with Danny had simplified the divorce. It had always seemed to be the reverse. If she’d been able to get pregnant, would there have been so much tension between them? Danny might have cheated regardless, but she doubted it. They would have been too busy with diapers and children’s theater and carpools. He wouldn’t have spent so much time thinking about what he couldn’t have.
“So if you’re not dating Ren,” Kyle went on, “maybe you’d be willing to have dinner with me some night this week?”
Sarah’s eyes flew to Kyle. She had not sensed him building up to that. “Oh. Maybe at some point,” she replied lightly.
“Maybe?” He smiled. “Maybe is my least favorite word.”
Sarah had no patience for overconfidence; she never had. She kept a light tone as she replied, “Well, that makes this harder for you, then, not for me.”
He laughed out loud. “No wonder Ren likes you. You’re very direct.”
“Brutally honest, Ren called me.”
“I could see that.” Kyle’s smile had more warmth, now, and a little less calculation. “I can respect it.”
She considered Kyle for a moment. Ren had mentioned that Kyle had flown in on his own plane, which was why he’d arrived so much earlier than the others. He was a millionaire who looked like a movie star, and she probably ought to at least consider the offer.
But he couldn’t actually be serious about her. Selassie and Rita were too old for him, Binita was married, and Elka had set her sights on a different target. Sarah was probably the only choice aside from the hotel staff if he wanted female companionship. It wasn’t flattering, even if she had been remotely interested.
“Just be sure to tell me,” Kyle said, “if you’re secretly in love with Ren or something.”
