It was a rainy day in Las Vegas that Thursday afternoon. Gunnar Newton was reading the newspaper that afternoon during his lunch break. He was reading the weather for that week. He was getting an idea but not for business though. He was eating lunch he had bought from his apartment. He was eating lunch with a few of the other employees. They were busy in their own conversations so they were ignoring him which he didn't seem to care. Gunnar heard his cell phone ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Gunnar."

He had been dating her for a while lately.

"Hi, Carla."

He knew he and Carla Sanchez were in different colors and he didn't seem to care about their looks. He knew she was beautiful for a black woman.

"Gunnar I think I'll have to cancel out this week's date. Marlene wants to go on vacation. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure. I have something else to do. Where are you and your older cousin going?"

"I'm not sure. I think she and Stan want to catch up. I think we might go to the race."

"Well have fun. Who is Stan again?"

"Stan Potsie is Marlene's younger brother. They used to race together but now is he solo."

"I see. I don't think I've heard of him. I'm not really into NASCAR."

"I know you're not, sweetheart."

"Where is the race this weekend?"

"Miami."

"Well, I hope you and Marlene have fun out there."

"I'm sure we will."

"What do you have planned?"

"I am going to look for a roommate."

"Good luck."

"Thanks. I'm sure I'll need it."

"My lunch break is over so I've got to get back to work. Chat later Carla," Gunnar said and the two of them hung up the phone.

Gunnar put the cell phone back in his pocket and walked back to his office. He knew there was a staff meeting at two – thirty that afternoon. He walked into his office and went to the intercom.

"Employees staff meeting at two – thirty this afternoon," Gunnar said in the PA system.

"Thank you."

Gunnar went to work on the computer for an hour or so and then went to the conference room for the meeting.

When the meeting was over Gunnar finished the rest of the workday at five o'clock that evening. Gunnar thought he'd put an ad in the paper at lunchtime that day and ask for a roommate for his apartment and see if anybody was interested in sharing his apartment with him. He remembered on the phone conversation with Carla yesterday she told him she was leaving with Marlene this week for the car race Marlene's younger brother Stan Potsie was racing in. He could guess the two cousins were flying instead of taking Marlene's motorcycle.

He had heard Marlene was called a hoodlum back in the old days when she and Steve Griswold were in high school in Boston because the classmates had thought of her as a hood when she had the motorcycle around with her. He knew he hadn't known Marlene very well because he hadn't hung around her very often but had met her a few times when he would pick up Carla on their dates.

It was finally lunchtime. Gunnar drove to the newspaper in town so he could drop off his ad for a roommate. After dropping the ad off at the newspaper he parked the car in the parking lot at Wal – Mart and went back to his office and ate lunch. The rest of the week flew by quickly. It was finally the weekend and Gunnar was finally getting calls for a new roommate. He had Jay McCarey to keep him company during the whole roommate business.

"Why do you want a roommate, Gunnar?"

"I don't know. I've been living alone since my ex – wife Dawn and I divorced after thirteen years of marriage," Gunnar said.

"I didn't know you had a wife."

"I said it, didn't I? We divorced because the marriage didn't work very well. I'm happy I met Carla," Gunnar said with a happy smile on his face.

"I bet you are."

The phone rang again. Gunnar answered it again. He listened to the caller's voice. He could tell it was a female. He was looking for a male roommate not a female.

"I'm sorry ma'am, I'm looking for a male roommate not a female. I can't take you," Jay heard Gunnar tell the woman on the other end of the line.

That's when the woman apologized and the two of them hung up the telephone.

"Gunnar, I think I know somebody who might be interested in rooming with you."

"Who? I don't think these phone calls are interested in rooming with me except for that woman who just called," Gunnar said.

"How about Steve Griswold? I think he might be ready for a new apartment any day now."

"We could try asking him."

"You and Steve don't know each other very well yet but I'm sure you two could room together just fine."

"Why not? He's a busy man."

"So are you along with your performances on the weekends."

"True."

That's when Gunnar called the newspaper and told them to cancel his ad he put in a few days ago.

"I think we'll see Steve at lunch today," Jay said, "and we'll ask him then."

"We? Who's we? This is my problem not yours Jay."

"You're right. Sorry Gunnar," Jay said.

Lunchtime arrived and Jay and Gunnar drove in Gunnar's car together. Gunnar parked in the parking lot and the two men walked into the salad bar. That's when Jay saw his younger sister Karen McCarey – Malph sitting at their favorite booth.

"Hi Sis," Jay said as he and Gunnar took their usual seats.

"Hi Jay," Karen said after the two of them hugged.

"Is Steve coming today?"

"I think he should be here in a few minutes," Karen said.

"Great. Gunnar's looking for a roommate."

"You are, Gunnar? Why not Carla? I'm sure you'd make great roommates," Karen said.

"I need a male roommate Karen. I don't take women."

"Sorry. I didn't know."

"Now you do Sis," Jay said.

"Yup."

Steve Griswold the state's best cameraman walked in then.

"Hi everybody. What's up?" Steve asked taking his winter coat off and sitting next to Jay.

"Not much. Gunnar's looking for a roommate."

"Really? Have you found anybody yet?" Steve asked.

"No. I canceled the ad I put in the paper a few years ago. This morning a woman called and was interested and I turned her down because I'm looking for a male roommate not a woman," Gunnar said.

"Ask him," Jay mouthed.

"What did you say Jay?" Karen asked.

"Nothing."

"It didn't look like nothing to me."

Gunnar figured out what Jay had told him.

"I will," Gunnar mouthed back.

Karen was clueless to what the two of them were talking about and couldn't figure it out.

"Steve, I've got something to ask you," Gunnar said.

"Sure. What's that?" Steve asked.

"How would you like to be my new roommate?"

"Let me think about it while we're eating."

"Okay. Take your time."

"Are you crazy, Gunnar? Steve Griswold for your new roommate?" Karen McCarey – Malph asked.

"Yes, Karen, Steve. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No I don't," Karen replied back.

Steve knew he was ready to get a new apartment anytime now.

While waiting for their meals to arrive he said, "Gunnar, you have your answer now. I will be your new roommate. When would you like me to move in?"

Gunnar said, "Whenever you move out of your other apartment. That would be great."

"What's the rent on the apartment? I need to know."

"I'll give you the detail on that one once you first move in."

"I like that idea Gunnar. I can wait to find out the rent money once I move in."

"I guess I'll move in a week or so. How's that?"

"Great. I'll see you then," Gunnar said.

"Great. It's settled," Steve said.

Both Gunnar and Steve couldn't believe how fast the week had passed and Steve had finally moved in.

"Welcome to the apartment Steve Griswold," Gunnar said.

"Thank you Gunnar," Steve said.