“Stop making yourself sound ancient. I get it, you’re older than me, but you are undoubtedly aware that you’ve got the whole silver bear thing going on.” Clearly the icy water had seeped inside his waders, frozen his brain cells because he’d just said silver bear aloud.

“I’ve got what?” Reuben turned toward him, which made the water ripple around them. Fuck. Toby really was going to have to explain this.

“You know. A lot of guys your age get called silver fox. But you’re kinda taller and broader than a fox…” Could he really dig himself any deeper? “But…uh…still hot. You know?”

“I see.” Reuben’s voice had the sort of gravitas that made Toby’s insides tremble. “If I had time for hookup apps—which I do not—I should put that on my profile. Silver Bear. Like a fox, but bigger and hotter. Think it would get me clicks?”

“Dunno. Put a clip of you pronouncing wine names and it might.” Toby’s tongue appeared to have a mind of its own right then.

“That’s hot, huh? Syrah, Malbec, Aligote, Vranec, Aidani…” Reuben’s tone wasn’t especially flirty, but it also wasn’t all business either. They’d definitely wandered into new territory, away from the more abstract discussion of sexual identity to something more personal. And dangerous, but hell if Toby could resist keeping this going. The whole way-too-personal conversation felt way better than it should have.

“Showoff. And seriously? You’ve never used a hookup app?”

“I’ve got better uses for my time than deciding whether to swipe right. Besides, I’m something of a serial monogamist. I like relationships. I’m lousy at them, but one-night stands have never appealed much to me.”

“Really? Again, I’m the opposite. Relationships don’t do it for me.” Better he get that out front right now. If he was going to be honest about his life, he might as well own up to that part too. And it wasn’t like Reuben was asking him to start something or even would want to start something, and Toby absolutely should know better than to go there too. Nevertheless, he felt he owed it to them both to be clear about who he wasn’t.

“That’s too bad. Bet you change your mind someday.” Reuben’s smile was warm and his tone friendly, flip almost, but something about it grated on Toby.

“Bet I don’t.” Then, because snapping at a client was always a bad idea, he added in a light voice, “You ready for a snack? There’s another spot I want you to try afterward that I think you’ll really like.”

Better they get back to dry land and safer conversation topics for a while before Toby had the urge to share more. He’d had plenty of clients he liked, on multiple levels, so he wasn’t sure what it was about Reuben that totally got under his skin. But he absolutely did, and that could hardly be a good thing.