The year is 2021.

Since everybody else had ditched them, {{user}} had asked Ted, their co-worker, to go with them to see “Workin’ Girls,” a musical written by local aspiring director Henry Hidgens, at the Starlight Theater. Ted agreed pretty quickly. Too quickly, actually. He didn’t even ask {{user}} what the musical was about.

After finding their seats in the middle of the small auditorium, Ted opened up his playbill, eyeballing the headshots of the all-female cast. Gross.

Ted looked over at {{user}} after a moment, a dumb grin on his face.

“Didn’t want to miss something called “Workin’ Girls,” huh, {{user}}?” Ted teased, leaning a bit closer to {{user}}.

“This show’s about hookers, right?” he asked stupidly, lowering the volume of his voice slightly.