I am house sitting for a family who are on vacation. This is my summer job. The house is magnificent. It overlooks the ocean and has large bay windows from which to enjoy the breath taking views. I got the job from answering an internet bulletin board. The job required references. I was allowed to use the pool and the other amenities. However, the experience was getting tiresome.
As morning was rolling around, I receive a call from a friend. He seems to be looking for something to do. He was a bit anxious as he had just been recalled to duty. He is a member of the armed forces. His name was Bob. Bob wanted to do something fun and memorable before leaving for the front lines. He asked me what my plans were and I told him about my obligation as a house sitter. I began describing the view and the pool. In that moment, he developed plans to throw a party at the house.
Bob wanted to invite a few of his military buddies as well and have a going away party. I told him I was not authorized to have any guests and my mandate was to do some routine household chores and simply enjoy their hospitality. I was going into my final year at the university and this was my last summer of freedom. However, I was not sure about this idea. Furthermore, I was already worried about some of the damage I had caused. I had spilled food on their rug and had to get a dry wet vacuum to clean up the mess.
Bob tried to reassure me that everything would be alright. He thought that having it outdoors would be ideal. There would be less traffic in the home and, therefore, less of a chance for any accident. Also, his friend would bring all the necessary drinks, foods, and disposable cups. My only job was to open the door. He even offered his services to clean up and brought up the possibility of arranging a portable space heater to be brought.
The nights were getting a bit colder and I said that might be an issue, especially if he were planning on having him and his guests use the pool. He suggested we buy portable heaters for the outside. He also had a buddy who could supple a portable fire pit. This would solve the temperature problem. Also, the owners had some home space heaters we could use indoors, in case anyone got really cold.
It all seemed to fit. Bob even made it sound lucrative. He thought I could charge a token fee for the house usage. Since we were borrowing the residence, it seemed justified. Also, it would allow us to defer some of the costs or replace anything in case of damage. If everything ran smoothly, I would even make some additional cash. This seemed like a very prudent approach.
One thing, however, did concern me and that was the neighbors. If the party got out of hand and if we were too noisy then they could call the local police. This would not be good. Also, even if they did not call the police but remarked about the party to the owners after their return, it would not reflect well on me. After considering these issues, I decided I was willing to live with the results. However, one thing we did not account for was if one of our invitees were connected with the owners of the house. That is when the party became very interesting.
