 Ruby, a young woman, arrives in a Florida resort town during the off season to make a fresh start. She gets work as a sales clerk in a souvineer shop run by Mildred Chambers. She dates, and sleeps with, Ricky Chambers, Mildred s conceited son, but breaks off with him when she finds she s just another conquest. She gets involved with Mike, a left-wing greenhouse worker. As the seasons change, Ruby s relationships with others and herself go through metamorphoses as she makes choices and discoveries establishing her own identity. A character study.