A Not-So-Convenient Store

As far as Alex was concerned, the woman before him was repulsive. It wasn't because of the slight scent of body odor and booze that radiated from her as she shifted from side to side with the weight of the two packs of beer she cradled in her arms. No, it wasn't because of her pompous demeanor and far from modest attire. And no, it wasn't because she had happened to have cut in front of him as he waited in the checkout line. But, it was just because she insisted on paying with nothing but the contents of her coin purse. The young man sighed. There was no way he was getting out of here anytime soon.

"Excuse me Ma'am," Alex said as he gently tapped the woman's shoulder. However, his words went unnoticed. She continued counting the handful of pennies that she had placed on the counter. "Ma'am," he repeated calmly with an ounce of stern.

"Oh dear!" The woman cried, "I've lost count." She then scooped up her change and placed them down again one by one on the counter as she whispered numbers to herself.

"Look ma'am," Alex said with a sigh as the held the single solitary item that he had intended to purchase sometime this month, "I'll pay for you."

"Oh, that isn't necessary." The woman chuckled, "I need to get rid of these coins somehow."

The young man shook his head, sighed, and left.

Beneath a flickering streetlight, Alex took a moment to dig in the pockets of his well-worn jeans. His fingers fumbled in the limited light as he pulled out his lighter and a nearly empty box of cigarettes. With the flick of a switch, a little flame sparked to life and ignited one of the cigarettes. Alex leaned back against the lamppost and watched the tail lights of the outbound traffic head to the outskirts of town.

"Huh," huffed the voice of an older man, "Funny seeing you here."

Alex looked to left and spotted that peculiar one-armed man from earlier at the bar. Paul smiled, and Alex returned the favor though with visible unease. The man chuckled.

"You're painfully awkward, you know that?"

The young man shrugged in response as the older one took a step closer. Paul swatted at the rising smoke from Alex's cigarette and gaze though the remnants. He then removed something from the pocket on his white button up shirt. Alex looked over the man's shoulder, just slightly curious.

"Ya know," said the man after acquiring the attention, "Cigarettes ain't got nothing on one of these bad boys."

Paul grinned as he spun a cigar between his fingers. And much to his surprise, Alex nodded in agreement. The kid didn't gamble, but he seemed to know his tobacco. The young man was growing on him already. Paul extend his good arm out towards Alex, offering him the cigar.

"No thanks." He answered with the slight shake of his head, "The last time I had one, my girlfriend got really upset."

"She doesn't like smokers?"

"Well, no."

"What's the problem then?"

"The scent reminds her of her father."

"Daddy issues?"

Again, Alex shook his head before tossing his cigarette to the ground and extinguishing its faint flame with the sole of his sneaker. He looked up at the towering man beside him and sighed.

"Her father isn't around much," Alex said softly, "Or at all... Really..."

"Lucky. Fathers can be pretty protective of their daughters." Paul then pointed to subtle mark above his left brow. "You see this scar here?"

Alex nodded.

"I got this a long time ago." He continued, "Got it from a slight brawl with this one girl's dad. He thought I had gotten her pregnant. He was mistaken though. His daughter wasn't as innocent as he had hoped. She had numerous boyfriends all at once. It's funny really. Seems how she was the pastor's daughter."

Alex glanced down at Paul's missing arm and quickly looked away.

"I guess you'd rather hear about how I lost that instead of my long-ago love life."

The young man teetered uncomfortably but remained silent.

"Bomb shrapnel back in Vietnam," the man stated in a rather matter of fact sort of tone, he then looked down Alex. "You never did tell me your name."

"Alex."

"Well, see ya around Alex." Paul said with a wink before pulling his fedora down over his face and disappearing into the darkness of the night.