A bleached-blond waitress surfaced through the smoke to appear in the mouth of their alcove. She wore her hair gathered in a ponytail high on her head and had whitened her features with powder, except around her eyes, nose, and mouth. The hollow-eyed look of her face was accentuated by the downward-pointing triangles of black make-up surrounding each eye. Her nose was similarly hidden in a dark triangle, and black lipstick outlined her mouth. The tattered T-shirt— strategically dipped off one shoulder—and her dirty, ragged black dress added to the impression that she had been hired only after being seasoned by a stint in the grave.