Chapter 37: Neil San Francisco — 1983 Bert’s

It is foggy as usual. Neil, damp to his bones, pads dark streets trailing Aidan. Aidan rounds a corner. Neil runs to the curve, but Aidan is gone, vanished as though he had never been. Neil stands under the hazy street lights. The moon is visible only as an obscure round glow behind the mist. Somewhere along the coast a howl ascends skyward like a lost soul. Neil shivers. It is 2:00 am. He is tired. Tired of pursuit and tired of desire. Tired of getting up early, to be at Jo-Jo’s after a long night of wandering. Tired of chasing Aidan and tired of not knowing why.

Across the street, Bert’s coffee shop glows orange and warm. Neil enters, leaving Huck circling outside. He slides onto a stool at the counter. The stools are intense orange and pink vinyl. The light is harsh and unfriendly. A mirror feathered with gold veins lines the walls. The place is nearly empty.