Every job has its perks; mine was no exception. I was an assistant manager for a store in the mall, and got perks like a store discount and a mall employee discount. The ladies at the Ancient Orient Chinese restaurant in the food court would hook me up with overloaded to-go boxes for dinner. My frat brother Josh worked as a cook at the Chik-Fil-A, and he gave me free chicken sandwiches whenever I wanted. I spent my free t...

My fascination with her started with one glance, one small smile. I had seen her around before, but never really noticed her. One day it changed. I had gone to the corner store for some snacks before the game that night, and she was visiting her dad, who lived downstairs in my building. As I got home, she was sitting outside on his front step, listening to her music player. I glanced up as I turned down the driveway, and...

She spent the summer working at the ice cream shop down the road from my house, and was the most adorable creature I had seen since moving there. At 22, I had taken a position as a night DJ at a local radio station about two hours drive from the college I had finished my broadcasting degree at. It was a small time gig, but the pay was decent, and a single guy like myself knew how to stretch a dollar. I knew I was in troub...