Vi continues shopping around, trying to get her tapes heard. Finally she's told the only way she can get her songs heard is to sing them herself at an "open mike" night. She goes into one, thinking she'll just see what it's like, but there's an opening and the manager says she can go on in 10 minutes. "The bathroom's back there if you want to get ready…or throw up," she says. They introduce her and some drunks heckle her when she fumbles with the mike. Her stage fright overcomes her and she can't go through with the gig and leaves the stage.

Dejected and depressed, she climbs the stairs to her apartment to find that it has been broken into, all her things are strewn about, and of course, Gloria's money in the freezer is gone. Now she's really depressed, but instead of calling the police, she goes to an all-night diner where Romero, the guy behind the counter, tries to cheer her up with a piece of apple pie. She overhears three women, laughing and joking and making bets with the money they'd earned that night. She asks Romero if they're hookers, and he says they're coyotes. She looks at him questioningly, and he gives her a book of matches from the bar. She overhears that Zoe (Tyra Banks) is leaving for law school and will soon be quitting the club, and gets the idea that maybe she could be making $300 an evening by becoming a coyote herself.

The next day Vi finds the club and sees Lil, the owner, in the basement unloading cases of beer. Vi tells her she would like a job, and Lil says she can "audition."

The next scene is Vi's first impression of the bar. She meets Lou, the bouncer, at the door and says she's here to work her first night. Lou ushers her in-but Violet has a look like a deer in the headlights when she sees what's going on in the bar. The place is packed and "coyotes" are dancing suggestively on the bar. She turns and almost leaves, but runs into Lil. Going behind the bar, Lil compliments her on her t-shirt and then proceeds to rip off the sleeves and the bottom to expose Vi's midriff. Lil recites the rules (Look available but don't BE available and No boyfriends in the bar). Lil introduces Violet over the bullhorn, but forgets her name, and when Vi tells her it's 'Violet' Lil announces it as Jersey. "She's a former kindergarten teacher and and ex-nun who escaped from the convent," says Lil, "and she's tired of being the last virgin in New York City!" The crowd roars.

When a customer orders two margaritas, Vi starts to make them up. But Lil cuts in and says they have no mix, no salt and no ice. She says something like, you can have any drink in the house as long as it's "Jim, Jack, Johnny Red, Johnny Black or Jose, all my favorite men" and as long as it's served in a shot glass. Cammie introduces herself as "The Russian Tease" and Lil says she can't be a tease if she continues to sleep with all those guys. Cammie says, "Yeah, I keep forgetting about that!" Cammie explains that they all have roles to play, and that Rachel is the "New York Bitch."

Someone orders whiskey and water. Rachel yells at Lil, "Do we serve water with our whiskey?" and Lil repeats the question over the bullhorn. The crowd answers, yelling, "Hell no, no H20!" and Rachel drenches the customer with the seltzer/soda gun, much to the delight of everyone in the crowd. Charlie Daniels' "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" comes on the juke box, and the coyotes jump up on the bar and do a lively Texas two-step/stomp. Lil tells Vi/Jersey "it's sink or swim time" and to get up there and show her stuff. Vi replies that she can't do that. Lil hands her some money and her jacket and says thanks for coming in-she failed her audition. Dejected once more, Vi starts to leave, but while weaving her way through the crowd, she breaks up a potential fight. Lil observes her and decides to give her a second chance.

Lil tells Vi to meet the C.U. "fashion consultant" at a shop nearby the next day at noon. "Now go home before I change my mind," Lil says, "and Jersey, I'll be surprised if you survive another day." She smiles at Vi and Vi leaves.