All Nola (Emmy Rossum) can think about is how much her life will improve when she becomes a successful singer. Tired of her abusive stepfather, she travels to New York hoping to find fame and her real father. Once there, she takes a job at a local diner whose owner, Margaret (Mary McDonnell), also happens to operate an escort service. Before long, Margaret invites Nola into her home to live amidst a crazy cast of characters.