Johnny is driving his new gray Subaru along Highway 65 south through Indiana. Long stretches of corn fields, boredom and daydreams. Johnny is making his monthly visit to his mother who is dying of cancer in a hospital. She has been sick for about ten years - but lately her condition has become worse - so Johnny's visits have become more frequent. Johnny loves the drive. It gives him time away from his family and time to be alone with his thoughts, which are no longer predictable or escapable. Corn fields that spawned the roots of the KKK - soothing on the horizon. No bumps ahead. Clear sailing from here on out.
Mary is an 18 year old stripper who recently started working at a club in Louisville called Cheetahs. Johnny always stops to see her on the way. It's right off the highway. This will be the third time. Thinking of her - he reaches into the glove compartment and grabs his cassette tape 'Johnny and Mary' by Robert Palmer. He sticks it in and plays it over and over hundreds of times. He lives for the moment when he sees her. She just had a baby and needs the money. That's her story. He pictures her seeing him walk into the club - running up to him. Her short dress, long legs and beautiful, straight brown hair. And braces - glistening in the black lights and strobes.
Their rendezvous is about to happen again. He is just outside Louisville. Johnny starts rubbing his crotch thinking about her. They always chat for about half an hour before she eventually asks if he's ready. Which of course - he is. He thinks about her sitting with him inside one of the back booths barely able to see her braces clamping down on his dick through his pants. He remembers the first time when he was shocked that she was rubbing him so intensely that he started coming almost right away. And she was equally surprised and shrilled when he reached into his wallet and handed her a $100 bill. I guess they had reached an agreement.
As Johnny pulls into the club parking lot - his anticipation is unbearable. He bends down in the front seat - doing a quick bump to get things going. He starts shaking as he steps out of the car and walks toward the front door. No windows. Two cars outside. He walks nonchalantly - so as not to arouse suspicion. It's a bright sunny day out in the parking lot. It's the opposite inside. In his sunglasses and tight jeans - he imagines that he looks a lot like Robert Palmer opening the front door. And then - disaster. He could not find her anywhere. She is not working there anymore. No more giggles. No more braces. Shit.
So Johnny gets a couple of dances and sulks out of the club. He can't find anyone to rub him at all. In fact - he really pisses off two girls when he insists that it's standard procedure. Stupid blonds - so fake all the time. I guess you need to build up a relationship before you get special treatment. Johnny just wanted Mary - she was his girl. But he would never see her again. She has disappeared back into the landscape of rural Kentucky. So he gets back into his car and pulls back out onto the highway and heads toward the hospital.
The hospital is just a short drive down the road - so he quickly pulls off again. It is one of those old, red brick hospitals that seems to hold people forever. Johnny had visited many people in these places. Depressing - yet surprisingly comforting. The cafeterias always seemed to be pretty good. Before going up to his mom's room - he decides to grab a couple burgers and a salad to take up with him. She would certainly be hungry. She always was. He was looking forward to chatting with her about everything. She always had plenty of complaints about how badly she was being treated.
Johnny smiles as he gets on the elevator and heads up. He really loves his mom - she would actually find the whole story about Mary pretty funny. He decides to tell her about it this time. The elevator arrives at her floor and he gets off and heads down the hallway toward her room. He turns the corner. Something is wrong. All the lights in her room are very bright and the curtains are drawn. She had just died minutes ago. He looks down at her body on the bed - all the tubes had just been pulled out of her. Purple X's dot her arms and legs. Her mouth hangs open with exhaustion. Her hair needs to be brushed.
Johnny is completely alone.
