Mae and Johnson both work long nights in the city. Johnson has trouble waking up in the afternoon, completely exhausted by the long nights he spends working in the plants, constantly on his feet. Due to his exhaustion, he is also regularly late . When he gets to work, his boss, Mrs. Scott, chastises him for being the worst worker as far as punctuality goes. As she chastises him, she calls him a racial slur, saying that people like that are the worst of the bunch. Johnson must resist the urge to beat her, thinking that if he did, it would be the last time she ever used that word. Hours into his shift, Johnson gets in line to get coffee just as his coworkers are doing. When he gets to the front, the woman serving coffee denies him coffee, clearly on account of his race. He and all the Black men behind him will be denied. Because of this, Johnson considers beating her too, thinking that if he did, she would never deny a Black man coffee again. Johnson finishes up his shift and heads back into Harlem. He is in a bad mood, and Mae attempts to cheer him up, but he is inconsolable. When Mae tries to joke with him, Johnson begins beating her, unable to stop himself, unable to control his urge.