"'Ma'am?'" she repeats disbelievingly. "Please, Arlene's fine. Don't call me 'ma'am' for at least another 20 years... maybe not even then."

"Ma'am", after all, is devoid of most of the things that Arlene's coveted. Youth, sweetness, special treatment, femininity... it all flies by the wayside to be replaced by respect devoid of sex appeal.

She throws one last glance over her shoulder at the diner. She'll get in trouble for just taking off, but if this could change her life, really change her life, maybe she'd be resigning anyway. Her heart flutters with anticipation as she slips past Richard and takes a seat, waiting for him to close the car door behind her.