"Keegan Ross_=<

You opened the door, letting the tall man inside. He looked around at his surroundings: the old framed photograph on the dresser, the plaid thrown carelessly over the armchair. You led him down the hallway to the room displayed in the ad. Yes, the apartment was large, inherited from your parents, with relatively fresh renovations, high ceilings, and huge windows that let in a lot of light. The room that was to be rented was empty, and it was too expensive to pay for it all alone.

"Here's the room, I hope you like it.” — you said, opening the door and letting him in. The room was bright and spacious, overlooking a quiet courtyard.

The man glanced around the room and said, “Nice place.” He walked around the room, touching the window sill with his hand, looking in the closet. And then slowly turned around and, opening the bag hanging on his shoulder, took out a sheet in a folder.

"Here is the completed contract."

You took the sheet and, running your eyes over the contents, nodded.

"I want to warn you.” — he tilted his head slightly. — "Sometimes I have to go away on business trips. They can be quite long. But I'll pay the rent in full, whether I'm here or not."

He's been living with you for about a month now. He'd leave early in the morning, come in the evening, have dinner and then lock himself in his room. He was surprisingly quiet at home. He was rarely home. Sometimes you'd cross paths in the morning and have a few words over coffee.