The following version of this story was used to create the guide: Carver, Raymond. "Why Don't You Dance?." What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. Random House, Inc., 1989. Pages 3 - 10.

In Raymond Carver's "Why Don't You Dance?" a middle-aged man went through a breakup, and took all of the furniture out of his house, and displayed it on his front lawn. Afterwards, he stood in the kitchen window with another glass of whiskey, and studied his work. He contemplated the two sides of the bed. He noted the colors and arrangements of the belongings. He had even run an extension cord outside so that the television, lamps, and other appliances would function in the same way they did when they were inside. Observing the furniture, he decided it was little different on the lawn than it had been in the house.

The man then walked to the market for sandwiches, more whiskey, and beer. While he was gone, a young couple passed the house and saw the furniture. Because they were trying to furnish their own small apartment, they decided to stop. The girl was especially interested in asking about the bed. The boy agreed, and added that he might be interested in the television. Though they guessed no one was home, the boy and the girl moved around the man's belongings as if they were in their own space. The boy turned on the television, settled into the couch, and lit a cigarette. Meanwhile, the girl kicked off her shoes, and stretched out on the bed. When she asked the boy to join her, the boy became uneasy. He repeatedly said he should go see if someone was home so he could ask about prices, yet did not move. The girl agreed, and gave him instructions on how to negotiate.

Shortly thereafter, the man returned home with his purchases. He saw the couple's car. He noticed the girl on the bed and the boy on the porch. He was unbothered. He greeted the girl. He settled into the couch with his drinks, and encouraged the couple to drink, too. They sat at the kitchen table with their glasses, and asked the man about the furniture. He agreed to sell them everything for $10 less than his asking price. The girl was pleased.

As the night went on, the man and the boy and the girl became increasingly drunk. The man turned off the television, and put on a record. He told the couple to dance, urging them even when the boy refused. They obliged him. When the record ended, he put on several more, and the couple kept dancing. When the boy was too drunk to keep dancing, the girl asked the. man to dance with her. During their dance, she noticed that the neighbors were watching. The man said he did not care. The girl agreed it did not matter, then pressed her face into the man's shoulder.

Several weeks later, the girl could not stop telling her friends the story of the night they spent with the man. She knew she was missing something about what had happened, but could not figure it out. Eventually she stopped trying.