Crispin, a middle-class teenager, and Gardo, a working-class man easily 20 years his senior, meet in a dark, cruisey theater. When Gardo's companion dares him to approach "the twink" and ask for a "dance," Gardo takes him up on the offer. Not two seconds later, Crispin and Gardo's eyes lock and their lips meet.

The romance between the two blooms after a blackout sends the mismatched couple out into the night and away from the safety of the dark theater. Gardo's affection seems more than anything paternal, as when he cautions Crispin to study hard for his upcoming finals, or when he sits still to allow the boy to sleep more comfortably on his shoulder.

Eventually, though, in an intense climactic scene, pressures from forces outside their relationship lead Crispin and Gardo to end their affair.