I'm a pretty easy going guy as far as my landlady is concerned. I don't throw wild parties or make a lot of noise. I go to bed at a reasonable hour and my apartment doesn't get abused. Having listened to her stories about previous tenants, I was of the mind that she should be glad to have me renting from her. Still, when I got laid off and realized that the 'ol bank account wasn't going to cover the rent for the month, I knew that she had every right to send me packing. On the other hand, I thought, I might have a chance at getting some sort of an extension if I was upfront about it instead of waiting until the last minute and being late.
As I approached her door, I heard her voice apparently talking on the phone from inside. "Damn it!" she yelled, "I didn't need to have that kind of news today." Even before I knocked, I realized that this was probably a losing proposition and my time would be better spent trying to pawn my already second rate sofa. However, in all reality this was my best chance to keep a roof over my head and so I knocked.
She answered the door wearing a sweat suit and a frown. Her demeanor didn't brighten much when she saw me, but at least she tried to fake a smile. Whatever was bothering her, it must've been a real pain in the butt. We exchanged greetings and then I figured it was now or never and dove right in.
"This is not what I wanted to hear this morning," she said after I'd gotten through explaining how I was sure I'd be employed again soon and if she could give me a break I'd make it up to her with a little extra. She continued, "I just stopped smoking and just got word that my car is going to be in the shop for the next two days so I'm a little bit stressed out. Now you can't pay your rent? I ought to boot you to the curb."
"If you're having car trouble, maybe I could help you out by driving you around. Is there anywhere that I could take you?" I asked, ever trying to get some sort of bargaining position.
"I was going to have a massage this morning," she said, "but since I can't get my car, I couldn't get to the appointment and now I'm out fifty-bucks since I already paid for it and since I had to cancel so close to the appointment, they won't refund the money." A light seemed to click in her head. "I tell you what though, if you can give me a halfway decent massage, I'll extend your due date for the rent by a day." It wasn't much, but it seemed like the best deal I was going to get so I agreed and followed her in the door.
We walked into the living room and she instructed me to pull the cushions off the couch and set them in a row on the ground. After that she disappeared into the bathroom and returned with a bottle of baby oil. She dropped it next to the cushions and looked me over. "You know, my normal masseuse usually uses something with a scent of some sort, but this baby oil will have to due today. If you're any good at this, then you'll have to buy something for the aroma therapy, but we won't get ahead of ourselves."
"Since you're not a professional, I think I deserve a show in addition to the rub down. Why don't you do this massage in your underwear?" She smiles as she made this "request."