Benjamin walked out of the door to the old Victorian house. He dusted off his slacks and looked at his new polished shoes. He waved at Mrs. Irons next door who was weeding her garden and walked over to the mail box to check his mail. “Well Benjamin dear where are you off to?”
He seemed to think about it before he told her. “Well, I’m on my way to the news paper to drop off the ad for a new roommate. The taxes on this house are huge you know.”
She chuckled and agreed. “It’s a shame that your grandfather had left it so deep under. You work to hard to keep it.”
“Well it is his legacy you know. I just want to keep a part of him.”
“You’re a good boy Ben,” He smiled his deep dimples showing.
“Thanks Mrs. I. I’ll see you later!” He walked to the end of the drive in hopped into his Explorer. Man, he thought, roommate. He hadn’t had a roommate since Dan. Man, Dan was the most womanizing, beer guzzling jerk he knew. He wondered when he would see his best friend again. It had been seven years since they had graduated college and two years since his divorce. He needed a friend in his old neighborhood like a starving man needed food. He pulled off to Main and dropped of the ad. He sighed lets see what kind of jerks the ad picks up. He stopped by the grocery store and flirted with the cute little cashier and smiled when she took off twenty dollar and he only paid twenty three. She slipped him her phone number and he promised to call her later. He took his purchases and stuffed them in the back seat and drove home. He was pulling up to the old house when he noticed the cab in his driveway.
“Who the hell is this?” he muttered and thought it sure as hell couldn’t be Amanda because she told him to drop dead or was it she said to drop off the edge of a cliff she told him so many things that it was pointless for him to think about it. He got out of the truck and slammed the door. The cab pulled out nearly hitting him. “Hey!’ he shouted at the cab driver as the car nearly collided with his body. He heard a deep chuckle and scowled. Who the hell was the guy anyway? “All that football muscle in college gone to fat, eh?” Benjamin looked up and grinned at Dan. “Dude, when did you get here?”
“Man I got here just now,”
“Why are you here though?”
He looked mulish when Benjamin asked that. He gave a deep sigh. “My crappy job transferred me and unfortunately they didn’t give me a pad to crash in. This berg doesn’t have a hotel. How do you make it in Idaho? It’s like I can feel my self slipping into another era.
Ben laughed “Nuthin’ like New York to appreciate the small things like uh well breathing.”
Dan scowled, “Man, I need a place to stay and I’m willing to pay.”
“Jesus, man you have great timing. I have a floor for rent fully remodeled and everything and plus I was looking for a roommate.”
“How much?”
“Twelve a month and free cable, pool and access to the fridge plus a cleaners down the street.”
He shook his hand “I’ll take it, just let me grab my bags and I’ll be on my way.” Ben ran back to the car and grabbed his groceries and pulled the keys from the ignition. He unlocked the door and let himself in. He set the groceries on the table and helped Dan grab a couple of bags. He was talking a mile a minute as he showed Dan his apartment quarters. “You live downstairs and have a private staircase. You have direct access to the back door and it’s virtually sound proof so you can do what ever you want.” He nudged his shoulder and smiled. Dan seemed confused. “Sound proof?”
His brow wrinkled “Yeah. I became a writer after I left the force. I could have sworn I told you.”
