“You’ve never had beer?”
Luca cursed himself. “No.”
“Where the hell have you been, under a rock?”
Luca waved a hand at the table. “Your turn.”
Vic stepped closer. “I was just kidding.”
“I know.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
Vic still didn’t look convinced.
Luca shrugged. “I haven’t spent a lot of time out of the house, and when I was out of the house, I was in the hospital.”
Vic wrinkled his brow. “What was wrong?”
“Cancer.”
“Wow.” He dropped his gaze. “Sorry. I mean, yeah, that was lame. I don’t know what to say.”
“Nothing. Let’s just keep playing.”
“Sure.”
Vic cleared the remaining balls. “I think that’s the first time I’ve legitimately won a game of pool against someone.”
“Legitimately?” Luca tried to take another sip of beer. The rank flavor cinched his throat, but he managed to swallow.
“Yeah, usually I have to bribe my way to a win by agreeing to bottom.”
“To…” He meant sex. Luca’s face burned. He tried to cover it up with another swig of beer. It was still just as disgusting, but the liquid cooled his throat.
“TMI?” Vic grinned.
“Just caught me off guard.”
Vic took out the rack. “Another game?”
“Sure, why not?”
They played for a while, exchanging jabs. Vic won a second time. “I feel like I’m cheating.”
“Why?” Luca tipped up his beer bottle, but it was empty.
“You’ve never played, and I might be terrible, but at least I have experience being terrible.”
“I’ve never done a lot of things other people have.” And Luca never would. But this was nice. “At least now I can cross this off my bucket list.” Luca regretted saying it as soon as Vic’s expression fell. “Uh, I’m going to go out and get some air.” Luca put the cue back on the wall rack.
Vic did the same. “Wait up.” He followed Luca out.
Stars scattered across the endless stretch of dark sky. Luca stopped over by one of several tables with an umbrella. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so grim.”
Vic leaned against the table next to him. “How long do you have?”