Chapter 22: Annie

Annie narrates her shifts at the Elektra, where she scrutinizes women who could be her mother, Hattie Lee. She fixates on a woman in tangerine lipstick, defies house rules to serve her, and argues with Babydoll about approaching the stranger. Annie brings the obsession home, asking Bobo if she is crazy; when he suggests her mother may not be alive, Annie withdraws, recalling childhood loneliness.

Over winter, the woman doesn’t return. Annie stabilizes enough to move from mopping to waiting tables and earns modest tips. At Christmastime, staff and customers celebrate; Mr. Wilson dubs her “Spoken For,” and she mixes cocktails, hoping for a chance to tend bar.

During the after-hours staff party, the tangerine-lipsticked woman reappears, drunk and injured. Mr. Wilson ejects her; Annie breaks past Babydoll to the street but cannot find the woman. Humiliated and adrift, she returns inside as coworkers look on, and Babydoll scolds her.

Walking home, Babydoll complains about covering for Annie’s episodes, saying their friendship makes Annie’s behavior reflect on her. Annie recognizes the strain she has caused.

At home after 2 a.m., Bobo is absent. Annie washes up, eats, and writes a late-night letter to Vernice (“Niecy”). She recounts a recent night at the Eureka: she thought a tall, elegant woman might be Hattie Lee, joined by a polished man; after they moved tables, they curtly sent Annie back. Bobo accused her of a “fixation,” and she left, feeling shamed. Annie insists that longing to find her mother is normal and seeks Vernice’s validation.