Rufus Scott is a broke African American jazz musician who lives in the Greenwich Village district of New York City in the 1950s. After sleeping in a cinema during the day, he wanders through the streets. He is too embarrassed about his poor, disheveled appearance to enter any diner or restaurant. In contrast, he remembers when he was a well-known, respected, and successful drummer.

Rufus remembers a gig seven months before. After the concert, he meets a young white girl from the South named Leona. They go to an afterparty together where Leona is the only white person. As they drink and talk, Rufus begins to sense that he should “leave this poor little girl alone” (18). When he tries to kiss Leona, she begins to cry and he feels an unexpected “tenderness” (19) toward her as she clings desperately to him. They begin to undress one another on the balcony, ignoring the other guests. She cries while they have sex, and afterward he wants to hear her sad story about her abusive ex-husband and the child she is no longer allowed to see. Leona admits that she likes Rufus and asks him not to hurt her.