Empathy or Lack Thereof

Opportunity

He didn't visit this section of town often. There was no reason to other than for the occasional party hosted by a friend of his. And that friend was exactly the one Charlie needed to speak with.

Maximus was older than him by a few years and much better off than him. Last he heard from Max, he was running a strip club and it was doing well. And right now, Charlie was desperate for money. He never had issues with sex work, he wasn't a prude or anything like that, but he was concerned about the fact he had no experience with this kind of thing. The only thing that would get him this job would be a miracle or a man on the inside. Luckily for him, Max was one of his best friends.

"Charlie? It's good to see you, man! It's been too long." Maxo said.

"Hey, Maxo!" Charlie said. He hugged Maxo and the other hugged him back. Smiling hurt Charlie's split lip, but he did so anyway.

"I missed you, Slime. Uh... What happened to your face?" Maxo asked.

"Don't worry about it," Charlie said, waving off his friend's concern. "This is a nice place you are running, Maxo!"

"Ah, yes, yes. I have been working on it for a while. Business is hard." Maxo said, looking around his establishment with pride. "Have you met Vegetta?"

"Oh shit, Vegetta is here? I haven't seen him in months!" Charlie said.

"I think he is getting ready for his next dance... Oh, and Roier works here." Maxo said. Charlie's face fell a bit.

"Roier... Yeah, that's cool."

"You don't like Roier?"

"No, well... Eh, we have some history, but he's ok," Charlie said.

Maxo hummed and nodded. He ushered Charlie to a seat and Charlie didn't refuse. It was always a pleasure to hang out with Max.

"What are you here for? It's a long trip from your house, correct?"

"Yeah, that's why I don't visit often. So uh... I am looking for a job. And I knew that THE place to work would be with my friend." Charlie said. "Also, I never went to preschool. So..."

Maxo huffed a laugh at the second part. He sat more relaxed than before, glancing at Charlie over his sunglasses. Ah yes, his signature sunglasses. He'd wear them even in a pitch-black room. That was a joke of their friend group, along with the joke that Maxo was some sort of superhero who had to cover his eyes to not activate his powers. Obviously the most logical explanation for Maxo wearing sunglasses all the time.

"Yeah, of course, Slime. One of my girls is quitting to get a job as a nurse, so..." Maxo said. "Even if uh... how you say...? Even if we were... uh... full. Uh... had enough workers. How do you say that?"

"Uh... that's a good question. Umm... I think the word is over-staffed?"

"Si, over-staffed. Even if we were over-staffed, I would still hire you because you're a friend." Maxo said. "You know want to be a dancer, yes?"

"I would take literally any job. Even if the job is cleaning the floors, I'd take that."

"Mm. Does your need for money have something to do with your bruises?"

"Yup, you caught me. I am 70,000 dollars in debt to the Japanese mafia." Charlie joked, a wide smile on his face and hands up in mock surrender. Maxo huffed a laugh and sat up a little straighter.

"I felt like you were acting weird when I asked you about the bruises." Maxo pressed. "You would normally make some kind of joke about it, not brush it off. And now you are asking for a job and so I thought they were uh... together, y'know?"