Finally, the diner's back door opened and Goldie stepped out into the shadowy alleyway. She wiped her hands on her apron and looked him over. Before h... could say anything, Thorny walked quickly into the alley from the street.The waitress tucked her hair behind her ears. Bud thought she looked tired. Dark circles lay under her eyes, her hair was lank, and she smelled like stale hamburgers."So you boys are actually going through with this, huh?"Bud held up the jar, still gripping it with two. It retains the charm of yesteryear, comfortable, but not in any way modern. Having checked in, the "bellhop" took us, and our luggage, up to our room, and gave us a tour of the accommodation.He was a sorry-looking individual. Wearing the traditional porter uniform, well-worn and shiny with too many trips to the dry cleaner, he adorned its shoulders with copious dandruff from his receding hair. He was in his forties, meek, had an air of indifference, and was by no means the hotel's prime asset.. ” “Is that why you ended it?” ‘Hell, no. There was no way I wanted to end it. I hadn’t been that sexually charged ever before. In fact, never was again, until recently. He’s the one that ended it. If he’s still half as good now as he was back then, I completely understand the smile on your face.” “Why did he end it?” “He left me a phone message telling me to meet him. I called back and explained to his answering machine that my husband wasn’t home and couldn’t leave my daughter alone.” “I heard. Claire said, “It would be such a lovely opportunity to get to know each of you a little better.”Steve and Sally exchanged looks negotiating an answer. After a sequence of raised eyebrows, pursed lips, widened eyes, and the slightest of head nods, they came to a decision. It looked like they had been a couple for a long time.Sally said, “I’d love to go.”“Same here,” Steve said, hoping they weren’t making a mistake.All eyes turned to Sanders. He felt like an ant under a magnifying glass hoping.