One Shots 3.0 [boyxboy]

Lit

The bar was quiet, with just a handful of people sitting in booths near the back and one or two others a few stools down from me near the taps, which suited my purposes. From where I was seated, I could see directly into the restaurant across the hotel lobby; I had a beeline view of his table. Their table.

I stirred my drink, the ice cubes clinking and clacking against the glass, not taking my eyes off them. She had ordered some creamy pasta-looking thing, and he'd gotten the steak, as usual. He said something. She laughed.

'You look like you're having a good night.'

I glanced up to see the bartender standing in front of me, a white towel draped over her shoulder. It was the only non-black thing she was wearing; tank top, leather shorts, and eye make-up were all dark.

'Isn't that why people come to bars alone at eight in the evening?' I asked. I lifted my glass to my lips and drained it.

'You want another?'

'Keep them coming,' I suggested, and she poured a measure into a clean glass.

'You hungry or something?' she asked, and I could see a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. 'You keep looking over at the restaurant. We have a bar menu.'

'No thank you,' I said, taking my drink. 'Liquid dinner for me tonight.'

'Sounds like you're drowning something.'

I took the straw out of my glass and pointed it towards the restaurant. 'Him,' I said, and she followed my gaze.

'Sitting across from the green dress?'

'That's the one.'

'Your ex?'

'Soon to be,' I corrected her.

She laughed, sounding incredulous. 'You're kidding. He's cheating on you? Right now?'

'Sure looks like it.'

'That guy is your boyfriend?'

I slid my phone, which was sitting on the bar, across to her and hit the home button, lighting up my lock screen. A picture of him kissing me on the cheek came to life and she picked it up, shaking her head.

'Snake,' she said. 'How'd you catch him?'

I laughed humourlessly. 'He told me he was going to a book club meeting. Fucker can barely read.' I shook my head. 'I've been suspicious for a while. He comes home smelling different.'

She lifted the phone, pointing it in his direction, and I saw she'd opened the camera app from the lock screen. She zoomed in and snapped a dozen photos in quick succession. Glancing over at me, she said unapologetically, 'Evidence. What are you gonna do?'

I shrugged. 'Go stay with my parents for a while, I guess. Join a gym and delete Facebook, you know, the usual.'

'Come on,' she said, putting the phone down and leaning her forearms on the bar, her head close to mine. 'You gotta get back at him somehow.'

'Like what? Put on a spare waitress uniform and go serve them dessert?'

'That would give him a good scare but I think Jennifer Garner already did that,' she said, smirking. 'Go old school on his ass. Biblical. Break his car windows. I could go ask the chef to spit in their tiramisu; he owes me a favour.'

'Those are both worth considering,' I conceded, taking another mouthful of my cocktail.

'If it was me, I wouldn't let him get away with it,' she said. 'I'd take vengeance before disappearing.'