On a desolate stretch of highway in Idaho, narcoleptic Mike Waters fights to stay awake. He talks to himself about having seen this stretch of road before, which he compares to a face. Suddenly, Mike’s knees buckle, and he collapses in the middle of the road. While sleeping, he dreams of his mother petting his head and telling him, “I know you’re sorry.” Mike goes to Seattle, Washington, where he turns “tricks” as a male prostitute. One day, a “john” named Walt performs oral sex on him. Mike takes the cash Walt tosses on his belly and begs for ten more dollars. At night, he goes home with a regular client who makes him dress in a “Dutch Boy” costume and scrub his apartment clean. Later, a middle-aged woman named Alena summons him to her car. Mike comments that women hardly ever pick him up, especially rich, pretty ones. In the living room of Alena’s mansion, Mike recognizes fellow hustlers, Scott Favor and Gary. When he and Alena embrace, he imagines his mother and collapses on the floor. Alena panics. As Scott and Gary drag him outside, Scott explains that Mike suffers from narcolepsy, brought on by stress. Scott leaves Mike asleep on the lawn. He glances around and recalls his upbringing in a similar neighborhood, bemoaning the pressure he felt to be heartless and competitive like his father, Jack Favor, who is now mayor of Portland, Oregon. Scott is due to inherit a lot of money when his father dies. In the meantime, he disgraces the family name by turning tricks and posing nude for magazines. In the morning, a man named Hans offers Mike a ride into town. Suspecting Hans to be a pervert, Mike rebuffs him, but when Mike collapses, Hans pulls him inside his car. Mike wakes up in Portland. Scott explains that Hans was about to drop Mike off in Seattle, but Scott persuaded him to drive them both to Portland. Mike fears Scott sold his body while he was asleep, but Scott insists the ride was free. They meet up with Gary, who has come to Portland with a client. At a Chinese restaurant, Mike mentions that Bob Pigeon, Scott’s mentor, might be in town. Mike asks about Scott’s relationship with the older man, and Scott claims Bob was in love with him. He viewed Bob as a teacher, but says he loves him more than both his parents. The next morning, Mike wakes up on the roof of a building, where several other prostitutes are squatting. From the roof, Gary spots Bob walking down the street with his friend Budd, and everyone runs to meet them at the derelict Governor Hotel. Scott looks for Bob, who has already fallen asleep in one of the rooms. He finds Mike stealing Bob’s cocaine. When he wakes up, Bob rants about his missing drugs and announces the hotel is full of thieves. Gary presents Bob with an idea to steal money from a group of concert promoters who walk home late at night with cash. Mike does not want to be a part of the scheme, but Scott pulls him aside and suggests they play a prank on Bob during the robbery. That night, Bob leads a group in holding up the concert promoters. They are intercepted by Scott and Mike, disguised in hooded cloaks, and run away scared. The next day, Scott taunts Bob by asking where the stolen money is. Bob admits he no longer has it and tells an exaggerated story of how he and his cohorts were ambushed by as many as eleven men. Scott reveals he and Mike stole the money, but Bob does not retaliate because he would never “kill the heir apparent,” referring to the money and influence Scott will inherit. Police arrive in search of Bob. As everyone scatters, Scott and Mike pretend to have sex in one of the rooms. A policeman delivers the message that Scott’s father wants to see him. Later, Mayor Jack Favor reprimands Scott for disappointing him. Scott throws himself at his father’s feet and defends his honor. He looks disturbed when his father convulses and clutches his chest. Soon, Mike says he wants to visit his brother in Idaho. He and Scott ride to Idaho on a stolen motorcycle. At night, they make a campfire. Mike confesses his love for Scott, who insists he only sleeps with men for money. He regards Mike as his best friend, however, and invites him to sleep in his arms. The next day, they visit Mike’s brother, Richard, in his mobile home. Scott goes to the bathroom and overhears Richard yelling at Mike. When he emerges from the bathroom, Mike has collapsed into sleep. He awakens, and Richard talks about their mother, Sharon, who lost custody of her sons when Mike was very young. Mike is disturbed as Richard describes how she slept around and used a loaded gun as a cooking utensil. He claims she used the gun to kill Mike’s father at a drive-in. Mike argues that is impossible because Richard is his real father. Richard comments that Mike knows too much. He shares the most recent postcard he received from Sharon, sent from the hotel where she works in Snake River. Mike and Scott go to the hotel, but a manager informs them that Sharon left for Rome, Italy, a year ago. In the lobby, they run into Hans, who brings them back to his room for a kinky ménage à trois. The next day, having sold Hans their stolen motorcycle, Mike and Scott buy airplane tickets to Rome. There, they earn some money by turning tricks before taking a taxi to the forwarding address the hotel manager gave them. They arrive at a country house, where Mike searches for his mother, to no avail. Meanwhile, Scott becomes smitten with Carmella, a young Italian girl who lives in the house. She explains that Sharon was there to teach her English, but has since left. When Mike realizes Sharon is gone, he sobs in Scott’s arms, and tries to recall the color of his childhood home. Calming down, he announces he is ready to leave. Instead of going, Scott finds Carmella and has sex with her. Consumed with jealousy, Mike witnesses as Scott and Carmella fall in love over the next two days. Finally, Scott gives Mike cash and parts ways with him, suggesting they might meet again later. Back in Portland, Mike returns to the streets, and becomes increasingly unhinged. One night, he huddles against a building with Bob and Budd. A limousine appears and a well-dressed Scott emerges with Carmella. Scott ignores his old friends and walks into a restaurant, where people greet him with reverence and lament the recent passing of his father. Bob follows him inside, but Scott declares he has changed and warns Bob to stay away. That night, Bob dies. His friends blame Scott for breaking his heart. Bob’s funeral takes place at the same time and cemetery as Jack Favor’s. Bob’s friends and Mike raise a ruckus loud enough for Scott to hear, but Scott ignores them. Back in Idaho, Mike stares at another desolate stretch of highway and imagines it goes on forever. He collapses. A truck pulls over, and two men run out. They steal Mike’s bag and shoes and drive away. A second car pulls over, and the driver pulls Mike inside the car.