Geoffrey, an artistic painter, has been ordered to call a collections agency to deal with his financial problems. Once "Ashton", the clerk to whom he speaks, gets Geoffrey's account number and subsequently Geoffrey's personal information, "Ashton" divulges his true identity to Geoffrey. Their telephone conversation devolves into one which should have taken place before Geoffrey got into financial straights, but also includes discussion about a beloved dog to both, the dog named Rugburn.