Hungry Jim pretended not to be surprised to see Mary. By mutual consent, Mary said nothing, but just went to work as if nothing had happened between them. She made sure, however, that she was never alone with Jim again, especially not at closing time. It was an unspoken, uneasy truce.
Mary lapsed into coma-like unconcern. It no longer mattered to her that Polly took the best customers, the high-tippers, or that she managed to make Mary do the menial tasks like making iced tea and clearing the tables.
Life was on automatic pilot. One day merged mirthlessly into the next. Why didn't Joe come? Why didn't he come?
Mary was still cleaning up after the breakfast crowd when customers started coming in for lunch. She finished up and went out to check on the guests. She took one step into the dining area and froze. Unable to move, breathe.
Joe was sitting at the table near the window. He was leaning forward, looking into the eyes of a stunning blonde. The girl had long, wavy hair and sparkling blue eyes. Although she seemed young, she had a full figure almost bordering on plump. She had a mysterious, ageless quality. Despite her cheerful smile, there was an underlying seriousness; a maturity that hinted she might be older than she appeared. She was smiling at Joe and talking. Mary thought she was going to be sick. At last she managed to take a deep breath. A moment later she was able to put one foot in front of the other. She walked up to the table.
"May I help you?" she asked.
Joe looked up, surprised. "I -- I didn't know you were back here," he blurted out.
"Had to make some money," Mary replied. "May I take your order?" Joe couldn't look her in the eye. He bowed his head and muttered something. Mary brought his usual -- cheeseburger and fries. The rest of the day was a blur.
Mary decided her life was over. She went home and promptly vomited. She hoped she was dying. She felt that she was dying.
The screen door banged. Mary wasn't dead. Polly stood there, a smirk on her face. "Joe was too nifty for me, too," she said. "We're not in his class. You'll get over it. We all do." Mary turned away. She said nothing. She went to bed early.
[Mary was running, running, running. Something terrible was chasing her. She could sense it. Terror gripped her. She ran faster. The demon ran faster. Now she could hear its heavy footsteps. Blackness all around. The ground turned to muck, clutching at her. Branches reached out to grab her. She felt the demon's breath on her neck. She turned, fists flailing. She screamed.]
"You goin' nuts on me?" Polly was shaking her. "Wake up. Cut it out."
Mary struggled to wake, struggled to shake the dream from her conscious thoughts. She staggered into the kitchen and started trying to make breakfast. Suddenly she felt ill. She ran to the kitchen sink and heaved. Her stomach turned on itself, cramping, aching.
"What's wrong with you, girl?" Polly asked. "You still mooning over Joe?" She paused and laughed. "-- Or is it morning sickness?" Mary didn't go to work.
-----
Joe had his arm around the blonde beauty, who said her name was Demondra. She was an even bigger mystery than Mary. She had just arrived in town and caught Joe's eye (and the eye of every other male in Centreville). But she had -- a wonder -- seemed attracted to Joe. When he tried to find out who she was, where she came from, who her folks were, she was vague. It seemed as if she had simply fallen out of the sky. What were the chances? Mary and Demondra -- two girls suddenly appear in sleepy Centreville out of the blue.
But Demondra agreed to go out with Joe. He wasn't about to question his luck. She let him take her to the railroad trestle on their first date. He got farther with her than he had with any girl. His head was swimming. He couldn't believe his good luck.
Joe's mother was watching from the window when he came home. "When are you going to let me meet your new girlfriend?" she asked.
"Sometime. Don't rush me."
The next night, Joe took her out again. His blood was pounding in his head. He drove to the trestle, found a secluded spot. Demondra wrapped her arms tightly around him and sucked his breath away. As they grappled, somehow her clothing seemed to slip away. Joe did not sense the scales, sharp teeth and claws beneath her soft, luscious exterior. She screamed triumphantly when he exploded.
