What does Molly do?

Molly had not eaten since morning, so she took the busdriver's suggestion and went looking for the cafe. She stepped off the bus and stood on the sidewalk, surveying the area. Then she casually walked down the sidewalk, unaware that the four black men were following her. She stopped momentarily to look at some items in the front window of a drugstore, then upon stepping back, caught the reflection of one of the black men standing directly behind her. Startled by the size and darkness of the reflection, Molly turned around with a gasp.

"Sorry, Miss," said the man. "Didn't mean to startled you none. Me and the boys were headed for that cafe down the street there, and wondered if you'd care to join us. Such a pretty girl as you shouldn't be wandering around alone."

"Uh, sorry," said Molly, "I'm meeting someone there myself. But thank you anyway." She turned and walked quickly down the sidewalk. She felt that she could not get to the cafe soon enough. She was already in the door and seated at a booth, when the four men entered and seated themselves in the booth behind Molly's. She knew that they would soon discover her bluff about meeting someone, leaving her with no room for evading their attentions toward her. So she focused her attention on the menu board next to the table.

"What'll you have, sweety," said the waitress who suddenly appeared at Molly's booth.

"Just a sandwich and a glass of milk, thank you," said Molly, realizing first, that she did not have much money to spend on anything else, and second, that she wanted to finish her meal quickly and head back for the safety of the bus.

"Coming right up," said the waitress, before walking toward the counter.

Only a couple of the other passengers from the bus were in the cafe. They seated themselves on the far side of the room. Molly became painfully aware of her isolation and vulnerability. She could hear the soft laughter of the four men behind her, like one of them had just told a joke. But she began to feel that the joke was more about her. Her heart started to pound faster, and she felt the increased pressure of her teeth on her lower lip.