Ailleianne. Tina Marie Maes

the person seem like the best candidate.

      “No, ze does not currently live at this domicile.”

      “Okay. So, um,” London looked down at her list of questions. “Did Ailleianne pay rent on time?”

      “Yes. Ailleianne paid when rent was due, every… month….” The voice paused as if unsure. London vaguely wondered if maybe they had had a different rent schedule. She’d heard some places required rent checks to be paid quarterly. Others were every six months. She didn’t really understand that system.

      As the silence continued, London read her next question. “Okay, what about the property? Was Ailleianne respectful of the property? Was the tenant aware of and follow noise restrictions and that?”

      “Yes,” the voice spoke softly and with almost no inflection. London almost thought to ask if Aillie was on the other end of the line, but the timbre of the voice was different. “Ailleianne was a good neighbor, respectful of both the property and the noise level as well as other restrictions.”

      “Okay, last question. Why did Aillie move out?”

      The voice didn’t answer at first. London couldn’t even hear anyone breathing on the other end. She’d almost thought she’d lost the connection when the person spoke up again. “Aillie moved out in order to explore.”

      “I get the moving away, trying to find your place.” London chuckled, hoping to share a laugh with the other person. As soon as she realized she was the only one who found it charming, she stopped, stumbling to end the call.

      All the other calls to Aillie’s references had been about the same. While the people who answered were just as monotone as Ailleianne had been, they all had glowing praise for zim.

      Each person who’d answered had spoken highly of Ailleianne as if ze had been the most well-mannered and best tenant they could have. London wondered if ze wasn’t just independently wealthy. It would make sense if ze was. Ailleianne was socially awkward but people seemed to love zim. Money would probably smooth a lot of rough edges. London suddenly wished she’s asked for more in rent. It was completely unethical but would really go towards relieving some of her own financial woes so much better.

      She’d also checked zim out on the internet. There were no records on zim.

      With a rapidly approaching number of bills due and no other recourse, London made the call to offer Ailleianne the room for rent. Aillie answered on the first ring, which made London hope her prospective tenant hadn’t been just sitting by the phone this entire time.

      “Ailleianne?” She asked as soon as she heard someone pick up. There was a bit of static and then zis voice came on.

      “Yes?”

      “Well, your references and the background check went well. So, I guess I’d like to offer you the room to rent.”

      “I will be glad for the space to rent. Thank you for offering. What happens next?”

      “Well, you move in at some point. You can move in whenever.” London stopped, chuckling. “Not that I expect you here today. I’m sure it’ll take you some time to get your stuff -- suitcase, clothes, boxes, what-have-you -- together. So, what day do you think you’d be here?”

      “I can be there by tomorrow in the morning?”

      “I work tomorrow at noon. Um, I could be up by eight or nine. I’ve got your key too.”

      Ailleianne agreed. They were about to hang up when London stopped, feeling her face heat up. “Um, sorry. I forgot. I’m going to need the security deposit and first month’s rent before you could move in.” London coughed, suddenly unsure, “I mean, I know this is quick but I need to make sure I have it in my account before you move in. If you want to move in tomorrow, I might need cash. Or we can wait another day, if you want to drop a check off to me?”

      London waited for a response. When nothing happened, she took the phone away from her ear and realized ze’d hung up on her. She wondered what had happened to zim, but figured she’d find out the next morning.

      At exactly 8:00 am the following day, London heard the knock on her door. She looked up from her cup of coffee and stared at the door. Ailleianne was standing there, with a suitcase in one hand.

      London opened the door to Ailleianne, wondering aloud, “Were you living at a hotel or something? I mean, I didn’t think there was one so close to here. Although I guess there are a few on 151 near East Towne.” Ailleianne continued to stare at her. Finally taking the hint, London looked down to see that Ailleianne was holding an envelope out to her. She took it, and upon opening it, realized it contained the sum of the security deposit and rent… for the next sixth months. Crisp twenties and fifties stared up at her.

      “Huh, Aillie, I don’t think I’ve seen so much cash.”

      “You required the rent and security deposit in advance. Is that not the correct way to pay?” Aillie looked at her. London wasn’t sure but she may already be getting used to zis way of expressing confusion, zis head tilting to the side.

      “Don’t you have a checkbook? Because normal people have checkbooks or checking accounts. And you don’t have to pay the full amount upfront.” She stared down at the cash in her hand and then back up to zim, almost wanting to ask where ze’d gotten it. She was beginning to think that the independent-wealthy-idea had increasing merit. Who else had crisp bills just lying around?

      “I have acquired a significant amount of monetary capital from one of the many automatic teller machines of a financial institution. I do not have a checking account.”

      “Has anyone ever told you that you talk weird?”

      “Your sense of grammar or sentence structure is no less bizarre.”

      “Right, but I at least sound like I am from this planet. You, I’m not so sure of.” London looked down at the stack of bills that Ailleianne had given her. She imagined ze must have cleared out zis banking account, or was one of those people who kept their savings underneath their mattress. Or...

      London pulled herself back to the conversation. “You didn’t like, rob a bank or something, right?”

      “Rob a bank?” Ze asked it as if it was the last thing on zis mind.

      “Ah, it was a joke. This is a lot of cash and I don’t want to bankrupt you.”

      “I will never be bankrupt. I would like to stay here for the next six months.”

      London stared for a second, wondering how ze’d earned the money. “Just no illegal stuff, okay,” She said, not caring where the money had come from. She quickly counted out the correct amount from the pile of bills she’s been given. There was an extra hundred dollar bill in the envelope. For a second she wondered how terrible it would be to keep it. But no, her conscience wouldn’t allow it. This person was her tenant. Given that she’d just negated any illegal activity in her house, she probably shouldn’t steal from him. It was illegal and mostly against her morals.

      Her morals were getting looser the less she had in her bank account.

      She gave back the extra hundred, and the amount beyond the first month’s rent and security deposit. Ze seemed reluctant to take it. They finally agreed that Aillie would pre-pay the full six-month rent upfront. London forced zim to still take the extra hundred dollar bill, shoving it into zis hands. An electric shock sparked between them. London wondered where ze’d acquired the static electricity.

      “Right, um.” London said, shaking her hand from the aftereffects of the shock. “I’ll deposit this later today. So, Ailleianne, when do you think you are going to move in?”

      “If you prefer to call me Aillie, I give you permission. I would like to move in to my new room now.”

      Aillie continued to stand on the doorstep. London blinked a couple of times, realized she was in her new tenant’s way and moved away from the doorway. When ze continued to stand