"Well, I'm sorry to say we only have one room available. Mr. and Mrs... . ?"

"Taylor." Kate puts her arm around F.M. "It's okay. I can put up with the racket for another night. And it's such a nice place, isn't it, honey?"

F.M. nods, and Patricia says, "Ina May, show Mr. and Mrs. Taylor to their room. Do you have any luggage?"

"Nope!" Kate replies. "We'll just get whatever we need from the car."

Patricia watches F.M. and Kate follow Ina May up the stairs, noting Kate's boots. She fondles the cross around her neck.

As Ina May opens the door, the pink and red of the room is so overwhelming it nearly blinds Kate and F.M. Everything is overstuffed and flowery. Pictures of Jesus and Mary adorn the walls. The bed, however, looks like it might very well be made of clouds. And there's a huge clawfoot tub in the bathroom.

Ina May hands the room key to F.M. As she closes the door behind her she says, "Complimentary breakfast is served downstairs from six 'til nine."

Kate looks around the room, touching everything. Sitting on the downy bed, she spots the tub through the open bathroom door. "Oh, look at that!"

"Nice... . Why don't you take a bath?"

"You bet." Kate looks over at F.M. "Is this room okay with you? I know the color scheme leaves a bit to be desired."

"It's kinda like living inside a bottle of Pepto Bismol."

Laughing, Kate gets up and begins filling the tub. Half an hour later she's lolling happily in a bubble bath, talking through the door to F.M.

"I mean, Martine is one to talk. She picks the grossest guys, the meanest of the mean. Jack may not be a prize, but he was nice to me at first. I don't know what happened to him. Maybe the thrill was gone or something... . So tell me something about your love life, F.M." No response. "F.M.? Hey, are you there?"

Kate climbs out of the tub, wraps herself in a towel, and steps into the bedroom. F.M. is asleep on the floor bundled up in his coat, one of the pillows from the couch under his head. Kate looks at him for a moment. He's out like a light. She sits on the bed, staring at him, then takes the comforter off the bed and gently places it over him. Then she crawls into bed, looking at the moonlight coming in through the sheer pink curtains. F.M. begins to snore. Kate laughs quietly to herself, then grabs her sketch pad, wipes the paper three times with the back of her hand, and starts to draw.

The next morning Kate sits quietly sketching the flower beds in a lovely garden in back of the B&B. F.M. is inside, settling the bill with Patricia. Ina May exits the house, averting her eyes from Kate, but sneaking looks as she walks. She fills up a pail and moves to water the flowers.

"Will this bother you?"

Kate looks up. "No, not at all. It's Ina May, right?"

"Yeah. Stupid name, huh? It was my grandmother's."

"It's not stupid ... it's old-fashioned."

"Like everything in my life. You have no idea how lucky you are. You're out there in the world. I love your clothes."

"But I got the dress right here in Natchez."

"It's the way you wear it. You're a woman of the world."

Kate laughs. "I'm only twenty-three! Hardly a woman of the world!"

"I'm twenty-three, too, but you'd never know it. I've never been out of Adams County. Mama thinks everything I need to learn is right here."

Kate looks thoughtfully at Ina May. "Well, lemme tell ya, it ain't that great out there."

"Well, I'd like to see for myself." Ina May lowers her voice. "You wouldn't by any chance have a cigarette on you, would you?"

"Sure." Kate hands her one, along with a matchbook.

After a furtive glance at the house, Ina May lights the cigarette. "Ever been to New York?"

"No."

"Well, that's where I'm gonna go. I wanna see the Rockettes and the Empire State Building and go to CBGB."

Kate laughs. "CBGB's."

"Same difference. I've read all about it. It's famous. Everybody all dressed up. Great music."

"I dunno. I remember hearing that it closed."

Ina May's face looks stubborn. "Well, there's lots of other places to see in New York City, although I don't know how I'm gonna get there. Mama never lets me go anywhere or do anything."

"But you're an adult," Kate says. "You can go anywhere you want."

"With what money?" Ina May sighs. "No-my life is all mapped out. Get married, have kids, spend a lifetime, and then die in this town, before I ever really lived. An' all the men in this town are jerks. I mean all of 'em."

"I hate to say it, but it's like that pretty much everywhere."

Ina May looks surprised. "Your husband seems real nice. Cute, too."

Kate shifts in her seat. "Yeah, that's true ..."

Just then Patricia pushes open the back door. "Ina May? Could you help me in here? I want to move the couch in the dayroom so I can vacuum under it."

Ina May discreetly stubs out her cigarette. "Yes, Mama." The back door swings shut.

Kate slips the rest of her pack of cigarettes into Ina May's ap.r.o.n pocket, and gives her a conspiratorial look. Ina May smiles gratefully. "Have a good rest of your trip."

"Thank you. And good luck."

The back door opens again. "C'mon, Ina May. Those dust bunnies ain't gettin' any smaller." As Ina May pa.s.ses her mother, Patricia lovingly moves a strand of hair out of Ina May's face. A sweet, motherly gesture that's not lost on Kate.

F.M. steps outside, too, then he and Kate wave good-bye, get in the truck, and drive off.

Kate and F.M. have pulled into yet another motel parking lot.

"Oh, Christ, not another dump." F.M. doesn't answer. "I'm sick of this. Do you hear me? I'm bored. Here we are again, at another c.r.a.ppy motel. You'll go to your c.r.a.ppy room, I'll go to mine. I'll pace around the room, open up the c.r.a.ppy little soap in its c.r.a.ppy little wrapper, try to get comfortable on a c.r.a.ppy mattress, turn on the TV, switch the channels every three seconds, and wish to h.e.l.l I was someplace else."