We never learn the maiden name of Sue, nor do we get a good description of her. Here is how Billy sees her:
“Billy looked closely at Sue before he answered. She was wearing a white blouse and tan skirt over which she had put a light coat for protection against the rain. Billy thought she looked beautiful.”
Billy has been told by his friends that she is a sex worker, but Billy doesn’t care and dates her anyway. We kind of wonder if Billy knows there are no secrets and he can’t be hurt. Sue does tell Billy how she became a whore:
“Billy, you’re the nicest guy I met in a long time, so I will tell you the truth and not what I tell my johns. Long story short, I was dating a guy who got me pregnant and he bailed. I started going to the bar to drown my sorrows. Guys would hit on me but I always said no. Then I had a miscarriage and lost the baby. After that, I went back to drown my sorrows about that too. One of the older women explained about the business I’m in and helped me get started with some of her clients.”
Billy tells her it’s a sad story. Their relationship is what we call today “friends with benefits.” In fact, it is Sue who introduces Billy to sex.
When Billy tells Sue it was his first time to have sex, she says, “You gave me something special, Billy. I’ll never forget that. It means a lot to me.”
Billy’s relationship with Sue continues throughout the novel. I’ll say no more.
