Normally, when someone entered the liquor store I worked at, I'd do a quick check to see if they at least looked old enough to be there. If they looked like they were a teenager, my eyes didn't leave them for a second. But if they did look old enough, I'd probably watch them for a minute before going back to whatever it was I may have been working at in that moment until they were ready to check out.

But that whole routine changed when he walked in. It was hard to describe him. Of course, I could go with the obvious and go with 'extremely attractive', but there was just something else about him. He appeared to be dressed in a suit of some sort, based on the pants and the wrinkled dress shirt, adorned with a dark blue tie that was crooked. The whole ensemble was topped off with a trench coat—did people still wear those? I suppose I just wasn't used to seeing them very often.

I'm not sure why I watched him so closely though. He definitely looked old enough to be there. I suppose it was just the way he carried himself. I could tell he had some purpose, but at the same time he looked lost… kind of like a puppy dog.

I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my mouth when I watched him cock his head to the side as he stared at one of the shelves. I felt my cheeks warm immediately when he turned his gaze on me and I slapped a hand over my mouth, realizing what I had done.

"I'm sorry," I said once I'd pulled my hand away. I couldn't help but notice how blue his eyes were. I cleared my throat. "Do you need any help?"

He looked around the store for a moment before returning his gaze to me. I maintained our eye contact, even though I badly wanted to look away. This guy was intense, though I wasn't sure if it was the bad kind of intense, or the good kind.

"I… would like to get intoxicated," he finally said, the gravelly sound of his voice seeming to make him even more attractive to me. Seriously, who was this guy? "I was told this was the place to go."

"Well, you're definitely in the right place," I said, looking him over quickly. "I take it you don't drink regularly."

"No," he said. "I am finding myself in a situation where I think alcohol may help a bit."

"I think we've all been in that position," I said, nodding my head. I stepped around the counter and moved to him. "Have any preferences?"

"Something strong," he said, eyeing the bottles warily. "My previous drinking experiences did not seem to affect me at all."

"Aren't you just lucky?" I said, moving along the shelves. I pulled a bottle off the shelf and brought it to the man. "But I think this will produce the desired effect."

He took the bottle out of my hands and looked it over.

"I think I am going to need more than this one bottle," he said and I looked at him in surprise, raising my eyebrows.

"I really think one bottle should do the trick," I said. "Hell, about a quarter of that bottle should do the trick."

"Trust me," he said. "I will need more than this one."

"If you say so," I said, going back to grab the rest of the bottles. I carried them over to the counter, and the man followed me setting the bottle he was holding next to the rest of them.

I went to the register and rang him up before giving him his ridiculously high total. He looked confused for a moment before reaching into the pocket of his trench coat and pulling out some cash. He handed it to me and I counted it.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, why exactly are you planning on drinking so heavily?" I asked as I placed the money in the register.

"It's… complicated," he said. At that moment the door opened and I looked over to see my coworker, Emily, walk in. I looked around at the clock to check the time, realizing that my shift was over now.

"Would you like some help carrying these bottles to your car?" I asked, turning back to the man.

"Car?" he said, tilting his head to the side again. I smiled; he was still reminding me of a lost puppy.

"Did you walk here?"

"I think I can get these bottles on my own," he said after a moment.

"At least let me put them in some bags," I said. "It'll help a little bit."

I pulled out some brown paper bags and put the bottles inside carefully.

"Can I ask your name?" I asked. I could hear Emily in the back room of the store, putting her things away.

"Castiel," he said.

"That's a unique name," I said, smiling. "I like it. I'm Darcy."

I pushed the now full bags towards Castiel with another smile.

"It's nice to meet you," he said as he lifted the bags from the counter before heading out the door.

"Did you get that guys number?" Emily asked from behind me as the door closed. I glanced at her and shook my head. "Too bad. Maybe if you're lucky he'll pop up again somewhere."

"Yeah, maybe," I said, looking back at the door. At the time, I had thought that that possibility was a lost cause. I had no idea that I would see him again, sooner rather than later.