In a cynical corporate landscape where climbing the ladder means sacrificing one's soul, Bud Baxter, a lonely insurance clerk, finds an unlikely way to ascend: by lending out his Upper West Side apartment as a clandestine tryst haven for his superiors. As he becomes increasingly entangled in their affairs and develops feelings for an elevator operator named Fran, he must confront the true cost of his ambition and decide whether to stay a "mensch" or maintain his own happiness at any cost.