Two days later, Booth was sitting by himself at the bar. It was almost funny, it was so ironic. Tessa… 'something had come up at work', she'd said, and she couldn't go to Jamaica. He wasn't surprised. Angela had made them both nervous enough with her little relationship 'stage' pep talk, and when Tessa had knocked on his door, he'd known this was about more than just the vacation. He thought back to their final conversation…
"Come on, Tessa…work? Listen, I got off of work, you should be able to."
"Oh, so your work is more important than mine!"
"Well, maybe."
"What?" She'd been furious.
"I help people who need it, Tessa. You…you make rich people richer! I save people's lives."
"You kill people too, don't forget that Seeley."
He'd flinched, hurt. "You know I hate that." His voice was quiet.
"Do I? You never talk to me anymore!" she yelled. "You thought this vacation was going to save this relationship, didn't you?"
He'd stood there, letting his silence indicate agreement.
"Well, it's too late now, isn't it Seeley. It's too late."
"Tessa…" he'd thought to make one more attempt.
"No…it's too late. Get your things, and you can send mine over to me. It's over. I'm sorry." She'd looked at him, and they had both recognized the truth. "Sometimes, Seeley…I just don't get you."
Booth pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes, the movement pulling his white polo shirt tight across his shoulders. He'd given up on the idea of 'the one' a long time ago. That one person who could understand what his job meant, someone who he could share his life with, both good and bad, over dinner. Someone he was comfortable enough talking to, that one person he'd be willing to maybe share his past with in hopes it could turn into a future. He'd given up on that idea long ago. He sipped his drink and even though he wasn't that upset about Tessa, he still felt…lonely…that inevitable loneliness he knew was his destiny. No one…no one could be 'the one', and his most recent attempt to make do with something else had failed.
With a sigh he set his drink back on the table and turned when he heard a noise to his left, someone sitting beside him at the bar.
"Getting yourself in the mood?"
Bones.