Over in the kitchen, Terry shares a private joke with Lafayette: the spoon in the soup that's going to Royce, heated over an open flame. Sookie's giggly and funny, complimenting Arlene's hair -- which to be fair does look particularly cute, in a Saving Grace kind of way -- and she squeals about how the scarf around her neck, hiding the mark she gave herself to take away the marks she didn't, is "double cute." Which is, after all, exactly what it is: it's cute because it's cute, and it's double cute because it means she's free. "There's something different about you. You need to tell me what is going on." She searches Sookie's face and gasps. "...Is it a man?" Sookie pulls back on the reins a bit, and says she's not comfortable discussing her personal business, especially at work, where everybody wants inside. "Well? Everyone else's personal life is open to you," Arlene laughs, in a dorky and loveable way, and demonstrates her moral fiber: "I forgive you because I know you can't help that, but it does make being your friend kinda lopsided..." Or does it? We're all books that take a moment to read; her mouth drops open. "Please tell me it was Sam, not that vampire!" But the girl is gone: "Yes! It was Bill! And I think I might be in love with him! Don't tell anybody!" Um, have you met my friend Arlene? She works fast. Royce throws the red-hot spoon to the floor, and Lafayette grins: "Sook, order up."

Arlene runs straight to Rene with the news, but he just blows her off. I wonder if she's told him about the baby yet: "Oh, my Lord! Suppose she gets pregnant, how in the world can she nurse a baby with fangs?" Sam's not happy about any of this. Not happy at all. But Rene is his usual level-headed, normal, supportive and caring self: "Uh, you just be her friend. She need one now more than ever."

Sookie babbles at a customer about the okra special, and as she's turning over an order to Sam, he jumps at her like a beast, ripping the scarf off. Marked. "Hey! You keep your hands to yourself, Sam Merlotte. You have no right to touch me!" He tells her she's stupid, and the bar goes quiet. "What I do on my own time is no concern of yours. Or any of y'all's," she shouts at the patrons. "Yes, I had sex with Bill, and since every one of y'all's too chicken to ask, it was great! I enjoyed every second of it! And if you don't like that, you can just fire me," she grunts at him, shoving her tray into his chest. Lafayette is loving it, the crowd does that talk-show ooh, Sam realizes he's fucked up, Sookie still doesn't understand that she's signed her own death warrant for the tenth time, Rene drinks his beer, Arlene stares.