Craigslist Roommates Beware

I was sitting in the living room at my apartment on West Pt. Loma Blvd. one afternoon when my roommate came in.

"What's up?" he asked for over my shoulder.  I had some dollars laid out on the coffee table.  

"Just counting today's haul.  Another cruise," I said.  

The total came to $89.   All I did was load luggage into the van, drive down Harbor Drive (one of the most scenic routes in San Diego) to the Cruise Ship Terminal downtown, park & unload the guest's luggage & wish them a great cruise.  I could see why Zack enjoyed cruise days.

"That's killer, man," my roommate said.  I could see hid eyes were wide at the sight of the cash.  I quickly scooped it from the table & secured it into my wallet.  "Now that you're making some extra scratch, you can start kicking it some extra from rent & utilities."

"Ha, yeah right," I said, stood up & walked into the kitchen to fix a sandwich.  

Was this dude joking or what?  I hadn't seen him work more than one odd job doing landscaping in the two years I'd lived there.

"Well, the utilities have gone up in the last couple months & your new income could help out with that," he persisted, stroking that little patch of hair below his lip.  I stopped making my sandwich & turned to him.

"I pay you $600 for rent every month- in cash- like you always ask for & the latest I ever paid was on the second.  So, you're good."

"Yeah, but you pay the utilities," he countered.  "Your rent portion is five hundred, but with utilities it's six."

"What?"  I looked him in the eye & raised my voice.  He may have had twelve years on me but I wasn't gonna let this asshat haggle over money.  "I've been paying the utilities for that last two years?"

"Yeah, your not on the lease so, I can charge whatever I want," he said.  "And, now I need more." 

I thought about this for a few minutes, assembled my sandwich, sat back down & took a few bites.  This space cadet had some nerve.  If he needed the extra money why didn't he set down the bong & go get a fucking job?  He was so used to not working & living off his family that he actually thought I would bail him out?  

"You need more, huh?" I asked.  "Well, so do I.  I can't live here anymore.  I put in my thirty days.  I'm moving out in September."  I picked up my plate tossed it in the sink & ate the rest of my sandwich in my room with the door closed.  I flipped open my laptop & started looking for a new place.