Page 8 of A Roommate for Ronny

I wrote out one more note before I left, with my phone number and a request he call me if he had any questions or needed anything at all.

Then it was off to the airport, still torn but starting to get excited. Sky Harbor Airport was busy with long lines at security and a monsoon brewing that was delaying flights. Delaying them long enough that when I got to LAX, I had to go straight to the studio with no time to stop at my hotel and freshen up. Not ideal, but I’d already been offered the part, so what were they going to do? Object to the odor of airplane air clinging to my shirt?

Unlikely.

And the car that picked me up was courtesy of the production company. So, I didn’t have to rent a car or navigate the Los Angeles traffic. The driver informed me that he’d be at my service while I was in town, and I began to get the smallest taste of what it meant to be in a big production.

At the studio, we drove right through the gate and up to the building where I would be measured and fitted for costumes, have makeup tried out on me, and whatever they needed to do quickly before I was flown out to where filming had already begun. It was very exciting.

And tiring. I’d arrived late in the afternoon and apparently they were sparing no expense to get things going, so it was well into the night before I arrived at my hotel.

I had another long day scheduled with a call at six in the morning, so I fell into bed after barely taking time to appreciate the gorgeous suite I’d been assigned. Would that be how it was for all the filming? Fancy surroundings with little time to enjoy them?

Somehow I didn’t mind at all.

But before I closed my eyes to sleep, I brought up the pictures of Bosco on my phone. I hoped he was doing okay. Of course, he was or Karma would have called. I’d have to find a way to sneak him into the premiere.

Chapter Six

Brach

“Are you sure you feel comfortable doing this? I don’t mind you staying here. We can always put a bed in the guest room.” Jones was sweeter than sweet. He wasn’t offering to be nice. He meant it.

It amused me that it was still called the guest room considering it was filled with books, books, and more books. If anything, it was a library. It had been his wife’s favorite room, and it meant more to me than I could express, that he offered me her space.

Jones giving me an option that allowed me to not feel pressured to accept the job was so on brand for him. But the truth was, after meeting Karma that day, I already felt good about it. I was realistic and knew that I had a tendency to overlook red flags. My past showed me that time and again.

This time, I sat down and tried to think of any flags that might not be the perfect shade of green. It wasn’t a red flag recruiting someone to work for you while out and about. That happened a lot.

I looked up the club and Karma specifically online. There was not a single bad word about her on the entire internet. If anything, it was like she was a goddess who no one should ever even look sideways at. The club had a few people saying they didn’t like how far away it was from where they lived, but other than that, it too was all positive.

The pay was pretty average for the position. And as far as a place to stay in exchange for pet sitting, that checked, too. It was far cheaper to have someone live in your spare room than it was to hire someone, according to all the pet-sitting posts I’d could find.

Overall, the entire situation sounded pretty legit. And then, when I went to meet with Karma that first time, I felt like it was where I needed to be.

The job itself, I could handle, no problem. It also had opportunities to learn some new skills, which I appreciated. So even if the cat-sitting part wasn’t for me, the job would’ve been. I also didn’t feel like I had to take the pet sitting. It wasn’t all or nothing.

If I’d gone to meet the fur baby and felt uncomfortable with either something in the room or the cat himself, I’d have turned down the pet sitter and just taken the job. Karma made it clear that was an option. Although as she said it, it sounded like she didn’t think that would be the case.

I didn’t mind staying at Jones’. It was like living at home, only better because, unlike my parents, he didn’t suck. Having a place to stay was a priority, but not to the extent that I’d knowingly made bad choices.

“You ready to meet your charge?” Karma asked.

I’d just filled out my HR paperwork. The job was sealed whether or not I took on the what she referred to as a side hustle.

“Absolutely.”

It wasn’t until she wove through the maze that was Animals that I realized how big it was. Deceptively large, given the front part of the club. It was along the side of a cliff, and I knew going in that it embraced its inner Tardis, but I hadn’t realized to what extent until I was navigating the space.

We passed an indoor swimming pool that looked more like you were going outside than an inner room. If she had told me it was a portal across the country, I might’ve believed her for a minute. It was that good.

Farther and farther in, we went past apartment after apartment, laundry rooms, a game room, and I didn’t even know what. It was immense. You name it, they had it. And then finally, Karma stopped.

“This is you. Now remember, Bosco is the real boss here, not you, not me, and certainly not Ronny.”

“What do you mean?” Karma spoke in riddles a lot in the short time I’d known her.

“Do you not understand how cats work? They are the boss. Sometimes they let us pretend we are.”