"Trust me. Just trust me. Now go down there, and give her the sweetness."
The man took a few steps, then turned back to Shawn with a smirk on his face. "I don't have sweetness. I have rugged manliness."
Shawn did a two-step victory dance. "That's what I'm talking about! Now go on!"
The other man walked away determinedly. Shawn watched him for a second, then turned to meet Gus, who was approaching from behind with a woman on his arm. "Buddy! And hello, I don't think we've met." He held out his hand for his friend's beautiful escort.
To his surprise she held out one fist to him. He bumped it with his own and met her eyes with a boyish smile. She returned it and said, "Gus told me that that was your preferred form of greeting."
"And he was absolutely right," Shawn assured her.
Gus took back the reins. "Teyla, this is Shawn Spencer, my friend I was telling you about. Shawn, this is Teyla Emmagan. She's new in town."
"Well, welcome to our fair city," Shawn said, gesturing at the bar's ocean view. "You couldn't have picked a better guide than Gus. He knows everything about Santa Barbara, don't you, Gus?"
Gus laughed it off, but was gratified that Teyla was still smiling at him. "I will go and order drinks," she offered, slipping her arm from Gus'.
"Hurry back," Gus said in his best suave tones. The dark woman gave him a knowing smile and sashayed off toward the bar.
"Man, she is smoking!" Shawn exclaimed when Teyla was out of earshot. "How did you hook up with her?"
Gus rolled his eyes. "Please, Shawn. A guy like me and a woman like Teyla? How could it not work out? She's here for a week with some friends, which I think is plenty of time for me to impress her."
"Friends? Ooh, Gus, introductions?"
"They're guys, Shawn. Well, mostly. That's Rodney, Ronon, Sam, and John." Gus pointed out the various members of Teyla's group who were scattered around the room.
"Hey, I know that guy."
"You do?"
"Yeah, I just gave him dating advice."
Gus' eyes tracked from John Sheppard to Shawn Spencer. "You gave him dating advice?"
"Yes! Man needs all the help he can get, poor guy." Shawn shook his head with a sigh. "And none of these guys are dating Teyla? What are they, blind?"
"No."
"Gay?"
"Shawn!"
"Well, it's gotta be one or the other because she is wow."
"Yeah," Gus said with a sigh that sounded more goofy than romantic.
"What about Sa- Oh. Oooh."
"What?" Gus looked up from staring at Teyla to where Shawn was observing Sam, Teyla's only female friend, interact with a tall, dark-haired man who had just entered the bar.
"Sam and Lassiter. Love is in the air, Gus. I can sense it."