Lawn Boy

Mike is hired for a production job. His job for Chaz Unlimited Limited includes assembling “bobblehead dolls, novelty key chains, posters, and little weird Japanese dolls with puckered lips that sing ‘On Top of Old Smokey’” (78). Besides the flagship business, his boss, Chaz Linford, also owns Chazy Chaz LLC, Chaz in Charge LLC, and All that Chaz LLC. Chaz admits to having “no liquid assets” and describes his business strategy as “smoke and mirrors” (82).

Mike describes Chaz’s strategy as follows: “If I understood Chaz right, everything I knew about finance was ass backward. Apparently, you don’t want to pay your bills on time; in fact, you don’t want to pay them until someone puts a gun to your head. If you can avoid paying them at all, that’s the best scenario” (82).

Chaz tells Mike he wants him to be part of a new import and distribution business venture called Razmachaz.

Seeking to make new friends, Mike starts eating lunch out on the lawn with the employees of a nearby boutique coffee shop. The coffee roasters are named Dallas, Austin, and Houston. Austin seems impressed when Mike tells him about his topiary art. He even accepts Mike’s invitation to drop by his house to see it.