"I am." César wants to pet the horse; the extraneous thought is dismissed; no, not his—wait, did he introduce himself? "César Salazar."

He doesn't mind the smile dropping off. Some people find pleasantries hard. The substance of the conversation matters more.

But that doesn't stop César from trying to be the right amount of pleasant without being too forward. He wants to give the other man an out if he doesn't want to talk.