It is wintertime in Santa Cruz, and most of the boardwalk concessions stands are boarded up. Only one restaurant owned by a man named Pendleton seems to be open. The restaurant sells Mexican food, where a stocky Mexican man comes in every day to eat his dinner.

One day, to Pendleton’s interest, the Mexican, whom Pendleton refers to as the Toltec, walks in with a new companion, a very tall man wearing dandy clothes and an unbuttoned blouse. The Toltec plays a pinball game while the tall companion smokes a cigarillo and then sings karaoke in a terrible singing voice. 

The next day, the two men return and eat the same meal, while performing the same activities. Pendleton’s other customers, however, complain about the awful singing. Pendleton tells the short man to ask his friend to quiet down. The man does so. 

Days later, the Toltec walks in the restaurant without his friend. Pendleton ask about him and the Toltec says that he was not a friend, but rather someone who merely asked where to get a decent meal. They talk about the tall man and Pendleton discovers that he is apparently a fisherman from Chihuahua who goes by the name Damaso. For the next couple of days, the Toltec comes to eat supper alone. After that, however, Damaso accompanies him once again. Damaso sings again and the leaves first before the Toltec follows him later after miserably failing to woo a random girl. 

Pendleton sees the Toltec alone days later when he comes for supper. This time, the Toltec says that he feels that Damaso is really gone and tells Pendleton to forget about Damaso for good.