Max walked into work at a South Florida Department Store feeling sluggish in the summer heat. Right by the door, he saw Allison. He had known many Allisons, and the name had always intrigued him. He had never been able to seduce any of them. He was a clown, and he was only good at making people laugh, mostly unintentionally. He had worked with this Allison for 6 months since she transferred from another branch.
"Hey Max, so I hear you're at checkout now. Do you like it?"
Max thought it was okay. He used to work customer service with Allison, and he greatly enjoyed spending time with her, but they were at work. And apparently she had a boyfriend, though Max never saw him.
In addition, Max hadn't felt the same since the witch Caroline bumped into him. She was in a hurry and really in a rage. After she bumped into him, she looked at him with wide open eyes. So much anger was in them that it scarred his soul. He couldn't even get up the courage to ask out a girl outside of work. He needed to find his mojo.
While sitting at the checkout counter, with the store mostly empty, Max had a lot of time to think. He couldn't be a scoundrel at work anymore, so he thought about his ideal home. A nice condo by the water. Stucco siding on buildings, illuminated by red and green lights that shone up from the palm trees. It must've been from a childhood spent being raised by grandparents, who taught him things that were useless in the 21st century. But despite the uselessness, there was something useful about the techniques. Something adaptable. He wondered how he could adapt his style into something interesting and desirable.
"So Allison, how's the family?" he said one day back on the customer service floor, trying to make chit chat.
"Oh, they're good. I wish I could spend more time with them."