The Things We Need

"Reggie felt a sadness for the animal. He was staring at himself. Locked in a vicious cycle only to be killed by outsiders that had no skin in the game being played."

The Things We Need is a contemporary story about working-class life from the perspective of a carpet cleaner named Reggie Skinter whose low-paying job has him living in a motel on the side of town where sexual promiscuity, murder, drugs, and being accosted by the local police is the norm.

Needing to earn more money and faced with the impending slow season at Fair Zone Carpet Cleaners, Reggie and his assistant Dustin decide to use the clients to subsidize their income.

The "WE" in the title signifies that the experiences are because of the character's positions in life. From the Indians who run the motel, the Mexican lady working the taco stand, the clients at Fair Zone, or Reggie's assistant Dustin, the book looks at the different faces of life and also what comes with living in impoverished surroundings.