18
San Tan Convenience Liquors was only a few miles away, just off the Loop 202. The store was decently stocked with three long main aisles. Nothing froufrou. No cutesy chalkboard signs advertising the latest microbrew. Just shelves of booze for the not-so-discriminating connoisseur.
The guy behind the counter was ringing someone up when I walked in, so I went searching for a replacement for Conor’s mysteriously empty bottle of whiskey. Four other customers cruised the aisles with me, two of them dressed in pajama bottoms and bedroom slippers. In short order, I found the whiskey section and grabbed a bottle of Jameson. A few steps away, I picked up a bottle of Cuervo Gold for myself.
The cashier looked up as I approached the counter. A mix of emotions tore through me as I recognized him
