Chapter 29: Aidan San Francisco — 1981 Quitting

Aidan has become a regular at Mike’s. No matter the hour, Mike is there, always in the same faded, grungy T-shirt and jeans. Aidan imagines he can see the big blonde’s lips fading each time he visits, until all that is left are her teeth. In spite of his size, Aidan never sees Mike eat. Instead he constantly, surreptitiously, sips dark wine from a paper cup. After working at The Vamp, Aidan is familiar with red-veined bulbous noses and bloodshot eyes. The lack of teeth is more common in meth users than alcoholics, but Mike is too heavy to be a meth head.

Aidan begins frequenting gem shows, picking up agates, garnets and an occasional piece of red glass. But he soon stops. He is never happy with the results of pieces made from findings purchased anywhere but from Mike’s.