A young woman living in late 1940s America moves from Philadelphia to the desert, where she has gotten a job in an oilfield. She takes a bus until she arrives at the point where she can meet the company's driver, who takes her to the women's bunkhouse at the job site. She is awoken early the next morning for breakfast, where she meets a woman named Udell who complains that all the male workers are quiet and standoffish. The woman meets with her manager and finds out that she was not expected to start until later in the month. For this reason, she is temporarily assigned to a job that she has no experience in. The manager tests her abilities, but she does not complete the assignment accurately. The manager, growing frustrated, decides to tweak the project and have her try again later. That night, she goes to the employee clubhouse despite Udell's warnings. She is approached by a few men, who offer to teach her how to play pool. The woman enjoys her time and wonders why Udell feels so strongly about their male colleagues. Slowly, the woman begins to improve at her job and even settles into a routine, working in her cubicle during the day and playing pool at the clubhouse after dinner. One night, the woman is on a walk with Udell when a riderless horse comes galloping towards them. The woman stands frozen, and Udell has to pull her out of the way. She soon discovers that the horse belongs to Shorty, the man who taught her pool at the clubhouse. She suddenly begins to feel out of place. She has disturbing nightmares and can't focus enough to properly aim during her games of pool. When Shorty invites her on a moonlight ride on his horses, she feels even more uncomfortable. Shortly after, the woman agrees to a weekend trip with Udell to Fresno, where her husband lives. They arrive, but her husband Frank Henry is not home, which makes Udell angry, especially since he didn't leave a note for her. Frank Henry finally comes home, explaining that he had gone fishing. He and Udell argue for a while, while the woman sits awkwardly nearby. Eventually, Udell decides to go into the city without Frank Henry, and so they drive to the woman's hotel. At the hotel bar, the woman accidentally knocks over a man's drink. She feels nervous and awkward, but he is polite and refuses when she offers to pay for his next one. Udell then decides she wants to call Frank Henry to apologize. The women go upstairs, and after calling Frank, Udell plans to go home. The woman then realizes the man from the bar has followed her upstairs, and he approaches the room to invite her back to the bar for a drink. She nervously turns him down, but he attempts to persuade her. Before she leaves, Udell tells the woman that she lets people walk all over her and never stands up for herself. The woman eventually goes back down to the bar, and the man approaches her again and buys her a drink. When he asks her to come home with him, she agrees. They drive for a while in silence until he brings the car to a stop at a lake. There, he tells her about his time serving in the war and then asks her if she believes in God. The woman does not answer his question and instead begins to wonder why she agreed to come with him. As she sits there in the car, she feels a deep sense of grief.