The Six O’Clock Ritual

‘‘The Woman Who Came at Six O’Clock’’ unfolds in a small, diner-like restaurant over roughly thirty minutes. The tale begins as the clock strikes six, and a prostitute enters as she does daily at this hour. José, the hefty owner of the restaurant, affectionately calls her ‘‘queen,’’ a nickname he often uses for her. He wipes down the counter with a cloth, just as he does after each customer arrives.

The woman appears tense and remarks that José should act more like a gentleman, suggesting he light the unlit cigarette between her lips. José obliges and tells her she looks beautiful. She retorts that flattery won’t make her pay him, and he misinterprets her foul mood as indigestion. Offering her a steak, she declines, saying she can’t pay. José points out that she never pays, yet he feeds her every day at six. She insists today is different.

Turning Back the Clock

José recounts their usual dinner routine, which the woman acknowledges as correct. However, she claims she didn’t arrive at her usual time today. He disputes this, asserting the clock is accurate, but she insists she arrived fifteen minutes early. José accuses her of being drunk, but she claims sobriety for six months. Relenting, José says he doesn’t mind if she wants to believe she’s been there longer, as it changes nothing.

The woman argues it does matter and extends the claimed time difference by another five minutes. José agrees, saying he’d give her even more time if it pleases her, and he confesses his love for her.

The woman grows agitated—a reaction José again mistakes for indigestion—and tells him no woman would sleep with him due to his size. Though hurt by the comment, José conceals his feelings by cleaning the restaurant. He accuses her of being grumpy and suggests she eat and rest. She insists she isn’t hungry and softens her tone, calling him Pepillo, a term of endearment. She asks if he truly loves her. Despite her hurtful words about his weight, José affirms his love, saying he wouldn’t sleep with her and would even kill the man who does.

Justifying a Murder

The woman jokingly accuses José of being envious, but he responds that she doesn't understand him today. He expresses his deep love for her and mentions his discomfort with her working as a prostitute, reiterating that he would kill one of her clients. The woman feigns fear, acting as if she was unaware of his murderous intent. Despite his attempts to change the topic, she steers the conversation back to the idea of José killing one of her clients and questions whether he would protect her if she were to kill one of them.

José hesitates, noting that it would depend on the situation. The woman points out that his reputation for honesty is so strong that the police would believe anything he says. José is perplexed by the discussion, especially when she glances at the clock and seriously asks if he would lie for her. It dawns on José what she is implying, prompting him to inquire about her predicament.

She assures him that he might not need to kill anyone and reveals that she can no longer continue her work as a prostitute and intends to leave the next day. José thinks she's overreacting but acknowledges that prostitution is a sordid business. She then probes José with questions about a hypothetical scenario where a woman kills a man, trying to coax him into saying that such an act would be justified. She first asks if it would...