"Jack! Get the hell outta here, you damn knucklehead," the bartender said to me quietly but sternly. I couldn't remember his name, but we'd evidently met before. "You're drunk off your ass again. It's bad for business."

"Aw c'mon, guy," I said carefully. "I'm Irish, it's in my blood. Plus tonight's my only night off... You're not gonna do me like that, are you? Your old pal Jack?"

He sighed. "Fine. But I'm cutting you off. Finish your drink then get lost."

I winked at him. 

"I mean it, Jack."

"I know, I know you do." I raised my hands disarmingly. "It's not like I have the cash for another one anyway," I muttered as he walked away.

I took a deep sip and looked up at the TV... We were down seven at the top of the seventh. Some things never change, I guess.

"Aw, this game isn't worth watching anyway," I said loudly, and I walked to the door.

"Hope you're not driving, Jack," the bartender called out as I left.

Joke's on him. I didn't own a car.

Not that I needed one, though. I stepped out into the cool night air and lit a cigarette. Here in the only European-style city in America (it's arguable), everything was just about within walking distance anyway. I raised the cigarette to my mouth and missed on my first try. A girl nearby turned and raised an eyebrow.

"Doing okay there?"

"Never been better, sweetheart. You live around here?" I said.

She nodded. "I just came to watch the game. I don't know what I was expecting," she said with a smile.

"Ain't that the truth," I said. "The name's Jack."

"Nice to meet you, Jack. I'm Anne."

I sighed. "It's a damn shame, though. If I were five years younger with two good knees I'd go and play myself. They need an ace, that's what they need."

"You played professional baseball?" She said. "YOU?"

"See, that's hurtful, dear!" I laughed. "Aye, I spent a few years playing for the Twins. They used to use words like 'meteoric' and 'prodigy.' It came to an end early though, after that accident at the train station."

"You hurt your knee at the train station?" She said. She was playing along.

"That I did, sweetheart. I stepped in between a pair of robbers and some old grandma. I knocked them both out cold but I didn't see their buddy come at me from behind. I was laid up for three weeks before I could even let my dog out by myself. Little guy was going crazy."

She laughed again. "I can't tell if you're screwing with me."

I mimed an X on my chest. "Cross my heart, dear. But now that you mention it, screwing doesn't sound too bad..." I winked.

Anne snorted. "You look like you could be forty."

"And you don't look a minute over twenty five." That was generous. "It's from spending so much time in the sun, dear. I spent a few years traveling the world on my sailboat, it ages you quicker than you'd think."

"You have a sailboat?" She said, skeptical.

"Aye. Well, I used to. I had to sell it to pay for my nephew's college education. He's the first in our family to graduate from Harvard. I dropped out myself after three years. I toured Europe for a few tears with my band, way back in the day."

"Jack, you're full of shit," said Anne. "There's dirt on your face and a hole in your shirt."

"Some things are more important than clothes, dear," I said.

"Alright, well it was nice to meet you," she said. "I have to start heading home." She turned to walk away.

I hesitated, and then called out. "Hey, Anne."

She stopped.

"Care to join me for one more round? I have some whiskey at my place."

"Is it a mansion? Do you have a swimming pool filled with wine?" She said.

"No, it's..." I took a deep breath. "It's an apartment. And I have trouble making rent sometimes. Besides, a swimming pool with wine in it would just get sticky."

She sighed. "Only one drink?"

"I only have enough liquor for one drink." I smiled.

"Fine, let's go," she said. "It's not like I have anything better to do, right?"

"You say that, honey, but I have no problem being a last resort. In fact, it reminds me of back when I used to fly a fighter jet. They'd send me in when nobody else could get it done!"

"Oh brother," Anne sighed.

I winked, and the stars over my city winked right back at me.