The night began when Rocky Mountain closed. I had not been working that night but Mike and I were hanging out. Our assistant manager Roxy and fellow bartender Spike, Mike also worked there, were the two on the closing shift. Roxy was a grade above me in high school. We shared a Spanish class my freshman year, the only year hats weren't off limits from wearing inside. Then she was a plump girl with a gap teeth and very loud. She hadn't changed a bit. Mike was from Texas. He said his reason for moving was to take care of his sick sister. Spike was from around the state. I had never met them before.
It was Roxy's idea to go out afterwards. Rocky Mtn was closing and she wanted to go out. Neither one of us could find a reason not too. Mike and I waited outside for the others. When they emerged from the building we all decided to go to Ralph's.
We all pulled up the the building, parking around both corners. There was no one inside but us. We planted ourselves around a table near the front. Roxy supported the playing of a game. I couldn't tell you what the game was. I had never played it before or since then. All that can be recollected was the use of dice and the need for shots of alcohol. Mike and Roxy ordered tequila, Spike ordered whiskey. I had two shots of rum. I don't know why. I can't say I enjoy rum all that much, other then the occasional rum and coke I would have.
We came to the end of our game. Either way it was closing time but Roxy still wanted to hang, to get to know us. All three of us were new to the business and company. It was decided that we would continue bonding over a bottle of tequila at Mike's apartment. Of no surprise, I was the only one with any money on me. Everyone else had spent all their cash on their drinks that night. I bought the bottle from the pretty bartender. Outside I followed Mike to his apartment located in the alley behind the Dairy Queen. Roxy and Mike lived close to each other, so they were going to drive home and then come over in one vehicle. They never came.
After a half hour passed I packed it in and drove back home. I left the bottle on the backseat of my car. Days later when I went in to work Roxy explained to me, after I confronted her, on her and Mike's disappearance. She then paid me ten dollars covering the cost of the bottle. She never asked me to hand over the bottle to her so it stayed in my car.
Now if only that was the end of the story about this bottle of tequila. It slightly is but who can tell you the same things that I can?
- That bottle had been with me in nine different states.
- Never once has it left my car since that August night in 2006.
- I already owned a pint bottle of José Cuervo when that one was purchased. To this day, only half of it has been drank.
