Renting an apartment

Amber pays the taxi driver and steps out of the car, taking in the sight of the apartment building. It's a decent-looking place, clean and well-maintained. She takes a deep breath, steeling herself for the meeting with the owner, then approaches the door and rings the buzzer.

After a moment, the intercom crackles to life, and a voice comes through, warm and friendly.

"Hello?"

Amber clears her throat and speaks into the intercom, her voice steady and composed.

"Hello, I'm Amber. I'm here to meet the owner about renting the apartment."

There's a pause on the other end, and then the voice responds, still cheerful and welcoming.

"Ah, yes, of course. Come on up. I'll meet you at the door. Apartment 3B."

Amber nods, then heads inside the building and makes her way to the elevator. Once she reaches the third floor, she heads down the hall to apartment 3B. She takes a deep breath, feeling a flutter of nerves as she waits for the door to open.

After a few moments, the door swings open, revealing a middle-aged woman with a warm smile on her face. She looks Amber up and down, assessing her with a keen eye.

The woman smiles warmly and steps aside, gesturing for Amber to enter.

"Please, come in. I'm Sarah, the owner of this building. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Amber steps into the apartment, looking around with interest. It's a cozy space, furnished with comfortable furniture and decorated with a personal touch. Sarah closes the door behind them and gestures for Amber to take a seat on the couch.

Amber sits down on the couch as Sarah takes a seat across from her. The two women face each other, a friendly but business-like atmosphere pervading the room. Sarah clasps her hands together, looking at Amber with a thoughtful expression.

Sarah studies Amber for a moment, then smiles warmly.

"So, I understand you're interested in renting the apartment? Is that correct?"

Amber nods, meeting Sarah's gaze with a confident expression.

"Yes, that's right. I'm looking for a place to stay and heard about your apartment. It seems nice and well-maintained."

Sarah's smile widens, clearly pleased by Amber's compliment. She leans back in her chair, still assessing Amber.

"Thank you. I do try to keep things clean and tidy around here. So, how long were you thinking of staying? A few months, a year...?"

Amber considers the question for a moment, thinking about her plan and the task at hand. She needs to rent the apartment for at least a few months to have enough time to get close to De-Martin.

"I was hoping to stay for several months, at least."

Sarah nods, noting Amber's response. She seems satisfied with the answer, but Amber can sense that there's something more that the woman wants to ask. Sure enough, she leans forward a bit, her expression turning slightly more serious.

"That's understandable. But before we get into any specifics, I need to ask you a few questions, if that's alright."

Sarah smiles again, clearly relieved that Amber is being cooperative. She settles back in her chair and gets down to business.

"Thank you. First, can you tell me a little bit about yourself? What do you do for a living?"

Amber pauses for a moment, thinking carefully about how to answer this question. She wants to be truthful, but she also doesn't want to reveal too much about her true motives. She decides to keep it as vague as possible.

"I'm in the, uh, service industry. I do some bartending work at various bars around the city."

Sarah nods, accepting the answer as truthful. She seems satisfied with Amber's response, and moves on to the next question.

"I see. And can you tell me how you plan to pay for the apartment? Can you provide proof of income?"

Amber nods, having anticipated this question. She knows that she has a steady income from her bartending work, and she's prepared to provide proof if necessary.

"Yes, I can provide proof of income. I have pay stubs from the bars I work at, if that will suffice."

Sarah nods, appreciating Amber's honesty. She seems more at ease now, reassured by Amber's responses. She thinks for a moment, then moves on to the next question.

"Alright, and are you single, or do you have a partner who will be staying with you?"

Amber hesitates for a moment, unsure how to answer this question. She knows she can't mention her true plan to get close to De-Martin, but she also doesn't want to lie. She decides to keep it somewhat truthful, without giving away too much.

"I'm single. I don't have a partner who will be staying with me."

Sarah takes note of this, nodding silently to show that she understands. She seems satisfied with the answers Amber has given so far, but there's still one more question she needs to ask.

"One last thing... have you ever rented an apartment before?"

Amber nods, relieved that this is a question she can answer truthfully. She doesn't want to raise any more suspicion than necessary.

"Yes, I have. I've rented apartments before, so I understand the landlord-tenant relationship and responsibilities."

Sarah seems pleased with Amber's response, and her demeanor relaxes even further. She smiles warmly at Amber, feeling that all her questions have been answered satisfactorily.

"I see. That's good to know. You seem like a responsible renter, and I'm sure you'll take good care of the apartment."

Amber smiles, feeling that she's won over the landlady. But just when she thinks the interview is over, Sarah speaks up, her tone turning slightly more serious.

"I have just one more question, if you don't mind...?"

Amber nods, wondering what question Sarah could have left to ask. She's ready to answer whatever is thrown at her.

"Of course. What is it?"

Sarah leans forward in her chair, her expression growing serious. It's clear that this last question holds significant weight.

"And, just to be transparent... do you have anything in your past that might... concern me? Any legal issues, arrests, anything like that...?"