Working in a bar in New York in 1969, a man grows fonder of his coworkers as he finds his way in the big city. He entertains flirtations with Donna and Nancy, two of the rowdy coworkers. He forms a friendship with Bobby Jackson, one of the chefs in the kitchen. At night, when the bar empties out, the staff put their feet up in the booths and drink free liquor. The bartender eventually begins a tumultuous relationship with Nancy, but the couple is on and off. Bobby is their connection to the New York drug scene and through him, they begin experimenting with drugs, eventually becoming familiar with acid. Looking to make ends meet, the bartender begins considering drug dealing on the side—much to Nancy's dismay. Their relationship suffers more and they break it off, the bartender ultimately losing Nancy due to his own neglect. The bartender's quality of life continues to plummet, miserable from watching his ex-girlfriend meet her new lover at their workplace. He starts stealing money from the bar. In a delirious state one morning, he leaves the bar after his shift, only to have a stranger wake him up in the street. He goes to the hospital and finds out he must've fallen and now has a concussion. After taking a break from the bar to heal, he returns, only to find that Bobby is gone—without a trace. When it is evident that Bobby will not be returning, the bartender attempts to move on to other bars, to other drug-dealing sites—but none of it ever catches on. Flash forward several decades, the bartender has been working in real estate for some time now and caring for his eleven-year-old daughter. Nancy is dead and Bobby disappeared, though the bartender wasn't exactly looking for him. He could go searching, but he's found solace in his daughter and in his old age.