Joel Reynolds is the owner and founder of Reynolds Extract, a flavoring-extracts company. His best friend Dean, a bartender and pothead, offers to ease his mind with Xanax and various other drugs, but the strait-laced Joel refuses. Although his business is successful, his marriage is now completely sexless, as Suzie, his wife, has an unwritten rule that once her sweatpants go on at 8pm, they don't come back off. It doesn't help that he is also often accosted by his annoying neighbor, Nathan, who heads him off and won't let him get by without finishing what he has to say, and often assumes the wrong things about what Joel responds with.
One day, a series of mishaps occurs at the extract factory, resulting in an employee (Step) losing a testicle. Cindy, a con artist and drifter, reads a news story about the accident. Hatching a get-rich-quick scheme, she gets a temporary job at the factory, flirting with Joel in order to manipulate him into giving her more information about Step. She also begins a series of petty thefts from her co-workers, who suspect or openly accuse each other of the thefts. Although Step initially decides not to sue the company, he changes his mind after a "chance meeting" with Cindy (that she sets up in order to meet and flirt with him). Under Cindy's influence, Step hires ambulance-chaser attorney, Joe Adler.
Joel, unhappy in his marriage and mistaking Cindy's manipulations for genuine attraction to him, entertains the idea of an affair with Cindy; however, he still loves Suzie, and wants to avoid actions that would leave him with regrets later. At the bar, Dean suggests that Joel hire a gigolo to seduce Joel's wife, so that Joel can then have a guilt-free "revenge" affair. Joel initially balks at the idea; but, after his judgment is impaired after ingesting a ketamine tablet that Dean mistakenly told him was just a Xanax, Joel eventually agrees. The friends hire Brad to seduce Suzie into an affair, while posing as the pool cleaner. The next morning, Joel sobers up, realizes what he has done, and tries to stop Brad from going to his house; but by then, Brad and Suzie have already begun an affair. Things backfire further, as Brad falls in love with Suzie and wants to run away with her. After smoking marijuana with Dean and his friend Willie, Joel attempts to call Cindy, but soon realizes that he is calling Willie's number. Just then, Cindy walks into the apartment. Willie realizes that Joel is trying to get with Cindy [who lives with Willieâthey're lovers], and, infuriated, punches Joel in the face.
Joel meets with Adler and his associates, in the factory office, to discuss the terms of the settlement. The workers, believing that the meeting is about a buy-out of the factory by General Mills, organize a strike. Frustrated by Adler's uncompromising negotiating style and the growing disrespect from his employees, Joel storms out and goes homeâwhere Suzie admits her affair with Brad to him. Joel admits to Suzie that he hired Brad to do it, then leaves the house after Nathan appears at their door.
Joel moves into a motel, where he spots Cindy, staying in another room. When he goes to her room, he notices a purse stolen from one of his employees, along with other stolen items, and realizes that Cindy is not only a thief, but is also behind a lot of the company's problems. He begins to leave and call the police, but softens when Cindy confronts him and breaks down in tears. Ultimately, the two spend the night together. The next morning, Cindy disappears, but leaves the stolen items behind.
Step meets with Joel at the factory, where he offers to drop the lawsuit if Joel promotes him to floor manager. Meanwhile, while cleaning the pool herself, Nathan stops by and Suzie loses her temper, finally telling him what she really thinks of him and all the things Joel probably wanted to say to him, and just as she finishes her tirade, he collapses and dies. Feeling guilty, Suzie attends the funeral, where she runs into Joel. After a few awkward moments, the two agree to share a ride later, hinting at a possible reconciliation. It is revealed that Cindy has scammed Adler, too: she steals his luxury car, leaving him Step's truck in its place.
What does Cindy do to manipulate Joel?
flirt with him