Another advantage of being at the grocery store was the family restroom.Over the past couple of days, I’d learned how to clean up quickly with wet wipes, and I’d even managed to wash my hair in the sink, but I’d still have sold my soul for a real shower.Funny how you missed the little things, wasn’t it?Never again would I take having an actual bathroom for granted.Fluffy towels.A blow-dryer.My thick red hair took hours to dry naturally, which was no joke in this weather.I’d googled plenty about living in cars, and most of the folks who managed it successfully paid to join a local gym and shower there, but I was determined to avoid this becoming a permanent thing.And not one of the “I’ve lived in my SUV for three years and you can too” folks was sharing the vehicle with an oversized furball.Shiro’s hair got everywhere.In every crack, in every crevice.
I scrolled through the job ads on Craigslist, and there were plenty of folks willing to pay cash for servers, hosts, prep cooks, and dishwashers.It quickly became apparent that finding work wouldn’t be my most troubling issue.When I flipped over to the housing section, almost every place I could afford stated “No pets.”A house with a yard was out of my price range, and the cash I’d hidden under the floor mats was dwindling fast because I had to buy precooked, prepackaged food.
Finally!A female-only house-share that accepted dogs, and according to the map app, it was only five miles from here.I’d make it there on a pint of coolant.My fingers dialled so fast that I sprained a muscle.
“Hi, I’m calling about the room on Craigslist.”
“Oh, sure.”That was a nasty cough she had.Sounded as if she were hacking up a lung.“Hundred bucks a week.Includes utilities, but no lights or TV after eight p.m.We’re tryna keep the costs down.”
“Uh, okay.”
“And no guests.”
“I’m new to the area, so I don’t have anyone to invite over, but I do have a dog.The ad said dogs are okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, but if you’re bringing a mutt, you gotta do extra chores.The vacuuming, washing the floors…” More coughing.“The dusting, cleaning the bathroom, scrubbing the stove, the oven… Wait, the oven broke.The windows need a wash too, but don’t worry, it’s a first-floor apartment.”
“So I have to doallthe chores?They’re not shared?”
“You do if you want to bring a pet.They make a heck of a lot of mess, trust me.”
“My dog doesn’t use the stove.”
“You want the room or don’t ya?What kinda dog is it?”
“I’m not totally sure.Maybe a German shepherd crossed with a mastiff?”
“A German shepherd?Those are huge, right?I was thinking more of a chihuahua.Or one of those little things with the curly hair.”
“A miniature poodle?”
“Yeah, that’s it.A poodle.A German shepherd’s way too big.”
“Well, that’s what I have.”
“No, it won’t work.You’ll have to get something smaller.”
“A dog isn’t a purse.It’s a living, breathing creature with its own personality.You can’t just swap it out for a different size because that’s more convenient.”
“I don’t much care for your attitude, missy.”
“And I don’t much care for yours.”
She hung up before I did, and I sucked in a breath.Wow.That had been a lucky escape.After years spent tiptoeing around my own home, the last thing I wanted was another awkward living situation.
“We might be staying in the car forever, boy.”
Shiro gave my ear a delicate lick.From the first day he’d found me crying, he’d always tried to comfort me.Swap him for a poodle?Was that woman crazy?
I moved to the next property on the list, one that didn’t say that pets were allowed, but also didn’t say that they weren’t.Maybe I’d get lucky?Female wanted for apartment-share in Manassas, no bills, modern kitchen, off-street parking, use of all facilities.A hundred bucks a week.
“Hi, I’m calling about the ad posted on Craigslist.”
“Cool.”Hmm.It was either a guy or a woman with a really deep voice.“Tell me more about yourself.”
“Uh… So, I just arrived in Virginia, and I’m looking for a place to live.Your ad didn’t say, but do you allow dogs?”
“Are you single?”
