Hunter stormed out of the office building, the heavy steel door slamming behind him. The cold air of the city hit him like a wall, but it did little to cool the fire burning inside him. Another rejection letter, another job interview that had gone nowhere. The position he had applied for---secretary at a prominent law firm---seemed like a perfect fit. But as he read the email again on his phone, the words "We have decided to move forward with another candidate" stabbed at him like a cruel joke.

He had always prided himself on his organizational skills and attention to detail. He'd studied hard, taken courses, and even volunteered to gain experience. Yet here he was, once again left empty-handed. As he walked down the crowded sidewalk, his frustration grew into a gnawing bitterness. It wasn't just the rejections that stung---it was the belief that something else was at play.

Hunter's mind raced back to the interview room. The last two places he'd interviewed at had been filled with confident, well-dressed women---women whose charm and beauty seemed to captivate everyone in the room. He couldn't shake the feeling that, despite his qualifications, something was missing. His frustration turned into a resignation that seemed to grip his entire outlook.

He ducked into a small cafe to escape the biting wind and to gather his thoughts. The cafe's warm, inviting atmosphere did little to calm the storm brewing inside him. He found a corner table and slumped into a chair, staring at the list of pastries on the wall. The scent of fresh coffee did nothing to lift his spirits.

The cafe's door chimed, and a woman walked in---a woman with an aura of effortless grace. She smiled at the barista and chatted easily while waiting for her order. Hunter couldn't help but notice how people responded to her---a magnetic charisma that seemed to turn heads. His internal grumbling intensified. "Of course," he muttered under his breath, "it's always like this."

While drinking his latte, Hunter decided upon a foolish idea. "If all the good secretary jobs were going to gorgeous young women, he would use the Medallion of Zulu to make himself into the perfect secretary." Now all that Hunter needed was a body. "She's perfect," Hunter thought referring to the barista.

But the only way to get her body was to obtain an item of her clothing. He couldn't walk up to the woman and ask her for some part of her clothing. That would be too weird. He certainly couldn't tell her what he wanted it for. Hunter looked the woman over. Did she have a scarf or something that Hunter could say his girlfriend would like and then buy it from her? She was wearing the cafe's uniform. There wasn't anything he could borrow. Even though the woman was wearing a ponytail, she was using a rubberband instead of a hair tie. Hunter couldn't ask to buy that.

After some thought, Hunter decided there wasn't anything he could do. Besides, there were plenty of pretty young women to try.

Hunter decided to start spending time at the local laundry. If he found a pretty woman, maybe he could steal something that belonged to her. But he felt like he was being watched, so he never got the chance.

A young woman struggling with an overflowing laundry basket entered the laundry mat. Her floral hair tie, a vibrant burst of colors, caught his eye...but not as much as her body. She was five foot seven, probably 115 pounds, with large breasts and a gorgeous figure. She was perfect.

"Hey there," Hunter said, trying to sound casual. "Nice hair tie."

She looked up, her eyebrows raised in surprise. "Thanks. It's one of my favorites."

Hunter hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. "I know this might sound a bit strange, but would you be willing to sell it to me? My girlfriend would really love something like that."

Hunter knew it sounded corny. Still, it was better to buy an article of her apparel than his original plan of stealing something.

The woman's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm sorry, but it's really special to me. I've had it for a while."