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Snow narrowed his eyes but kept his mouth shut, but his look said he’d be pulling Andrei into the fold on this one. Damn. He might as well enjoy the fried fat now. “All the things with pork can go on my plate,” he told Sonja with a wink.
Shaking his head, Snow reached for the sherry glass and knocked back the drink.
“Oh, no, don’t!” Andrei reached out to stop him but it was apparently too late.
Snow’s eyes flew open wide, then filled with water. He choked, gasped, then started wheezing. “What…the…fuck?”
Rowe picked up his glass and sniffed it. “Is this what I think it is?”
Melissa followed his lead, but sipped hers. “Hooch?” She threw her head back, laughing hard. “Andrei’s parents make hooch?”
“I may be dying,” Snow choked out.
“It’s palinca,” Andrei said with a chuckle. “A traditional Romanian alcohol made from fruit.” Andrei gave Lucas a wicked grin and handed him a glass. “I know I said I never stepped foot in Romania, but my parents and grandparents brought a few traditions here with them. You can take it slow, which I advise, or you can take a chance like the doc just did.”
“Milos used apricots this time.” Sonja sipped hers without a hint of trouble. “Good batch!” She leaned over her plate, eyeing Snow with an eyebrow wiggle that made Lucas bite his lip. “You okay there, gorgeous?” she asked.
“I’ll live.” Snow cleared his throat and wiped his eyes with a napkin. He frowned when she refilled his glass.
Lucas smothered a grin. He wouldn’t admit he couldn’t handle any more of the drink. Seemed this dinner was about to get very interesting.
“Sip it this time,” she advised, patting his hand. “It’s good for you—makes you want to eat the pork.”
“Oh, man,” Andrei groaned under his breath. He leaned over far enough to whisper in Lucas’s ear. “I think she’s actually flirting.”
“I know she is,” Lucas murmured back.
Snow took a cautious sip of the palinca, then cracked a smile. “Trust me, I don’t need an incentive to eat the pork.”
Milos choked on his pork greaves, his eyes locked on Snow.
“Really?” Andrei rubbed his hands over his face. “Him too? This isn’t happening.”
Oh, this was fucking hilarious. Andrei’s gaze flitted back and forth between Snow, his mother, and father. Lucas reached under the table and gave Andrei’s thigh a comforting squeeze. He’d inform him later not to worry about another threesome. Snow loved them, but not when women were involved. Andrei, as a bisexual, might not totally understand a complete lack of attraction to women. Even Lucas found them attractive enough at times, but not nearly as attractive as he found men. If the Kinsey scale was at all accurate, Snow was at the end. The very, very end.
Ian brought the last dish to the table. “So much good food!” He set the dish down and took the last seat. “Everybody dig in!” He picked up his sherry glass.
Lucas didn’t even think before he reached out and put his hand over the top of the glass before Ian could hit it like Snow had.
“Hey!” Ian frowned. “I don’t know where that hand has been. Wait.” He glared and nodded toward his laundry room. “I actually do know, so take it away.”
“Sorry, reflex.” Lucas pointed toward Snow. “Just wanted to warn you to go slow.”
“It’s palinca,” Ian explained as if Lucas was slow. “That’s how you’re supposed to drink it.” He chuckled. “I take it from Snow’s flushed face he disregarded any warnings?”
“Didn’t listen is more like it.” He saw Snow take another cautious sip of the drink before nodding at it and taking another. He then filled half his plate with Ian’s stuffing.
Laughing, Lucas began digging into his own food.
An hour later, they’d made a big dent in all the food and Snow, Rowe, and Milos were on the closer side of drunk.
“There’s one good thing about all the palinca they’ve put away,” Andrei murmured, his hand rubbing Lucas’s arm. “We should get out of here early.”
Snow reached for his glass, but possibly misjudged because he nearly sent it and another tumbling. The doctor scrambled to right the glasses before their contents could slosh everywhere, while Rowe’s laughter rose above the chatter filled room.
“Had enough there, Doc? Time to cut you off already?”
An evil grin spread across Snow’s lips and his eyes narrowed on Rowe. Lucas sat up a little straighter, his hand tightening on his fork. Normally, he’d welcome whatever was about to pour out of Snow’s mouth, but with Andrei’s parents sitting right there, the timing might not be the best.
“Mel,” Snow started sweetly. “Rowe thinks you’re pregnant.”
Melissa, who had been in the middle of taking a drink, gasped, sucking water down her throat. She choked, pushing back from the table a bit, sucking in air around coughs. Rowe patted her gently on the back while glaring at Snow. “What the fuck, man?” He snatched up a roll and threw it down the table at Snow.
