Work Text:
Jilted
by Amazon X
Vic sipped the beer in front of him, oblivious to the brand, until he started picking at the label. Then he noticed, LiAnn's favorite brand imported from Hong Kong. Just the thought, for that brief moment, turned his stomach. He pounded on the bar, getting the bartender's attention. "Can I have a different beer, Mike?" Vic asked.
"Yeah? This is what you always drink."
"I know. Gimme a Molson Canadian, OK?"
"Yeah, OK, Vic." Mike took the open beer off the counter and replaced it with a fresh Molson. Vic took a long pull on it, letting the cold amber liquid roll over his tongue. It wasn't as strong, or as flavorful as the other beer, but it was home, familiar, and comfortable. It was solid and real. It wasn't flashy and new, exciting and scary. It was something Vic could count on.
"I still don't know why people drink such crappy beer," came a booming voice from behind him. Vic looked and saw the tall, lanky frame of Mac sidling up to the bar beside him. Vic took a deep breath and steeled himself for the inevitable onslaught.
"Why do you hate me?" Vic asked, under his breath.
"I don't hate you, Vic. What would make you say that?" Mac drawled and ordered the same beer Vic had sent back.
"I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to God."
"You think God hates you?" Vic asked.
"I know he does."
"Hate him back."
"Thank you for quoting 'Lethal Weapon', Mac. I'd forgotten about that film. I will go watch it at my apartment tonight."
"Ah yeah, that's right. You have to move back to your place, don't you?" Mac said, with too much smile in his voice for Vic's state of mind.
Vic took another drink and said, "I never officially moved in. I kept my place. So, it's still waiting for me. That's the magic of savings, and owning something, and having assets." Vic took a deep breath. "And having a cousin who's an accountant."
"Ah! So...that's how you kept the place while you were in jail. Invested wisely, huh? Had the place kept up for you while you were gone? I always wondered that."
Vic just shrugged. "Is there some reason why you're sitting here, taunting me? Do you want a rematch of the fight we had when you first returned?"
Both men turned toward each other. "Look, Vic, for what you think its worth, I know how you feel. Remember, I lost her, too. Twice, in fact. Once, when I thought she was dead, and then again, when I found that she wanted to be with you. And...I'm sorry."
"Are you?" Vic said. "I'd think you would be happy she's left me. Then you can get her back, with all your flashy, sexy moves. So...have at her. She's all yours."
Mac shook his head. "She doesn't want me. Maybe I don't want her, anymore, either."
"Hey, what was with that Michael guy, anyway? She was supposed to marry him, but they never...you know?"
Shaking his head, Mac said, "No, she and Michael never slept together. Michael loved the idea of LiAnn, but not the actual female. LiAnn was a means to make his father proud of him. That was the love he had for her."
"So...what was the tie to your trio, then? Why was he..." Vic noticed Mac had turned his head away, and the color was rising in his neck, brightening his cheeks. "You? And Michael? I never would have guessed. So...bisexual, huh? That's quite a revelation."
Finally, Vic looked upon Mac with new eyes. Something had been broached between them. Something new was forming. They were comrades in arms, a common bond between them; betrayal by a woman, the same woman.
Mike walked over and asked, "Can I get you guys another round?"
Vic nodded. "Two of what Mac has, and put it on my tab, OK?"
Mike nodded and put two beers on the counter. As he walked away, wiping a clean glass to put away, he watched the two men at the end of the bar, as they clicked bottles and drank together. 'Yeah', he thought, 'they'll be fucking soon. Nice to see another handsome couple together.'
The End
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