“Thanks.”
“I’m sorry, man. For what it’s worth, I had no intention of hooking up with him.”
Cato guffaws. “Why? Everyone else does.”
“Not my type. I’m more of a brunette guy.”
He smiles slightly, sliding onto the barstool. “I’m so stupid. I knew our relationship was failing, but I dug in and booked this romantic vacation to try to reconnect. I had no idea he was cheating on me.”
“You’re not stupid. Happens to the best of us. Happened to me too.”
“No way. Someone cheated on you? You’re…”
“What?”
“You know. You meet the bartender face code.”
“The what now?”
“Bartender face code. It’s a fact that all bartenders are hot. It’s a law or something.”
“Uh, thank you?”
The sound of a suitcase rolling through the lobby catches our attention. Kyle looks into the bar, regret all over his face, then turns and walks out the door.
“He’s gone,” Cato says, his voice catching in his throat. “Two years I invested in that guy. Oh well. I’m still young. Sort of. I’ll figure it out.”
I pour him another drink. “You’re young and very attractive. There will be something great out there for you.”
“Yeah.” He slams the tequila back. “Thanks for the drinks. I guess I’ll pack up and get out of here too. Maybe in a few hours so I don’t have to see him. With my luck, we’ll be on the same plane.”
“You should stay for the weekend. Decompress. It’s nice here.”
“What would I do alone?”
“Dude. This is San Diego. There are a million things to do.”
He shrugs. “I don’t know.”
“Hey. Don’t decide right now. You just went through a lot.” I study him for a second. He’s gorgeous, even with the sad face. Kyle is a dumbass. “I get off at six today. We could have dinner, and I can fill you in on all the cool things you could do.”
“Dinner?”
“On me. Least I can do after unintentionally exposing your boyfriend as a cheater.”
He laughs softly. “I think you did me a favor in the long run.”
“I do too. What do you say?”
“Sure. Why not. I’m already here, and you seem okay.”
“High praise.” I wink. “What room are you in?”
“Three hundred.”
I nod. “Meet here at six-thirty? It’ll give me time to put on street clothes.”
“That works. Uh, sorry I made a mess.”