Eddie tended to drift into whatever jobs were available that would pay the rent.

He spent some time on a construction site hauling wheelbarrows of wet cement. The work was backbreaking, and the foreman was a jerk, but any kind of employment for a felon was rare.

Eddie tried his hand at stripping. He discovered he was pretty good at it, and, once he got used to strangers—men and women—fondling his junk while they stuffed dollar bills in his G-string, the money wasn’t bad. The job, however, had a shelf life. Once he hit thirty-five and became a bit doughy around the middle his admirers and tips dwindled.

His friend, Tommy, introduced him to the Messy Business website.