House Rules
The reply comes within the hour. An address, a time, and a name: Charlotte. No small talk, no questions about you, just the details and a single line at the bottom.
*Please be punctual. We have a process.*
A process? For renting a room. You almost laugh. Almost.
You write the address down and tell yourself it'll probably come to nothing. Just another dead end. You've had enough of those this week that one more won't make a difference.
The address leads you to a building that's nicer than you expected. Clean entrance, good neighborhood, the kind of place where the rent should be more than twice what the listing said. You check the number again. You're in the right place.
You ring the bell and wait, telling yourself this is probably a mistake. The door opens before you finish the thought.