In an effort to secure employment at the upscale Westfield Century City in Los Angeles, Jennifer (Sobieski), a 17-year-old "Goth subculture-punk subculture" girl who just graduated from high school, makes a nuisance of herself at a clothing store run by 49-year-old Randall Harris (Brooks), who eventually hires her on a trial basis as a stockroom clerk. Jennifer refers to herself simply as "J", and thus asks Randall if it's okay if she calls him "R", to which he accedes.