The book begins with Clive reminiscing his past and his encounter with Eve and the impact it has had on his life and everything he ever had, as he writes a book.

Two years before, Shipping Clerk Clive Thurston is met with ailing writer John Coulson, who is given company at Clive's apartment. Coulson has written a play and wants to publish it, but dies of tuberculosis soon after, and Clive decides to claim the play as his own work with a different title Raincheck and gets it published. With the play being a success, Clive rises to fame as a celebrity script writer in Hollywood, with wealth and women at his beck and call, but eventually by misusing Coulson's work.

One stormy night, while visiting his vacation house Three Point away from the city, Clive finds it occupied by a vagabond named Barrow, and a glamorous lady by name Eve Marlow. Clive learns that Eve is a hooker and Barrow has paid her for her services and they have come to his unoccupied house for the same. Clive beats and drives a weeping Barrow out of the house into the storm, throwing at him 110 USD which Barrow had paid to Eve. Clive then proceeds to touch Eve but she hits him cold and vanishes.

Clive regains senses and returns to California. It is revealed that he is in a relationship with Carol, a pretty script writer in Hollywood who wants to marry him. How