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Copyright

The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Copyright © 2022 by Sean Thor Conroe
Cover design by Gregg Kulick
Cover art by Derek Gabryszak
Author photograph by Al Jacobs
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First ebook edition: January 2022

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ISBN 9780316395014

E3-20211123-NF-DA-ORI

Dedication

For

R

Epigraph

Misanthropy comes of an all too greedy love.

—NIETZSCHE

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I

Winter

1

POSTMATE

December 2017

Got into a thing with the Fresh Grocer lady over coffee filters.

It honestly wasn’t a biggie, but why say they’re on sale if they aren’t, all I’m sayin.

She was like This muhfucker. What aisle.

I told her what aisle and we went and checked. Together.

Well we started to, but then she told me not to follow her when she noticed me following her.

I was like Aite, fasho, putting my hands up. Like I’ll hold it down. Man the reg’.

When she came back and said No du’, they ain’t on sale, I snapped.

That’s why I tried to come with! I said. To show you they are.

So we checked, actually together this time, she hemming and hawing the whole way.

Honestly can’t remember whether they were or weren’t, but I’ll never forget that incident. It connected us. It marked the start of a long, fruitful, and strictly nocturnal friendship.

Too fucking cold out.

Too fucking cold!

I balaclava’d up and put my head down, weaving through a herd of incoming undergrads.

Shitfaced.

Not I; but they, very much so by the looks.

Saturday night!

I’d started shopping at 2 a.m., and the pod I listened to while shopping was almost through, so had to be 3 damn near.