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.

I get a call from a friend and he appears to be in a similar predicament. He is in the army and has been called to duty. However, he does not have to report for week. He says he wants to do something fun and asked what I was doing. I innocently replied that I was house sitting a beautiful home. He suddenly had an idea. His name was Bob.

Bob was going to invite some of his military friends, as well. As I tried to convey my apprehension, given that I had no authority whatsoever to approve such an event, he replied that we would have it outdoors and that no damage would occur to the home. I was entering my senior year at the university. As such, it was also my last summer of being a kid. I did not plan on house sitting ever again. However, I was a bit weary. Also, I had caused some damage already by spilling food on the rug. I was able to clean it up with a dry wet vacuum, but there remained a very slight trace of the accident.

Bob reassured me that everything would be okay. His idea was to have the party outdoors in the back yard. This would avoid any damage to the interior of the home. He said his buddies would bring all disposable items for the party. All I had to do was open the house to his guests. He said he would even help cleanup and thought about bringing a portable space heater. The party was set for the weekend.

As the nights were getting a bit cooler, Bob had already addressed the temperature concerns. Using the pool in the cold would be inadvisable. He thought we could resolve the issue with exterior heaters. His friend also had access to a portable fire pit which we could use. This was a good idea. This way most guests would not have to venture inside to stay warm. If they came inside, there were home space heaters to generate warmth.

Everything appeared to be falling into place. To further entice my agreement, Bob thought about charging a nominal fee to all guests for the use of the house. Given that we were going to be borrowing the premises for our purposes, it all seemed reasonable. This also provided us with a cushion in case there was damage or something needed replacement. Obviously, if everything went well, then I would be in a position to make some extra money. It was the prudent approach.

There was one issue which did bother me and that was the neighbors. What if we were too loud and they filed a complaint to the police. Also, what if the neighbors noticed the party and then told the owner’s upon their return. I guess I was willing to live with that, since I did not plan on being a house sitter after this year anyway. However, one thing I did not consider was if one of the guests was a friend of the owners. This is where things got interesting.