The next day when Khan stepped out of his apartment and saw John going by, he braced himself for a confrontation.  Khan had put a notice of eviction on John’s door the day before.  Going through Mr. Griggs records had revealed that John was already behind on the rent.  Yet John just kept going on his way, seemingly unbothered.  There were several possibilities, one was that John had put together the rent and would be paying him shortly.  As much as Khan wanted John gone he would stop the eviction process if he got the money.  This seemed like wishful thinking though.  The next possibility was that John already had found a new place to live and would be on his way soon.  This was more plausible.  Yet the third possibility seemed most likely: John wasn’t taking the eviction notice seriously, and wouldn’t take it seriously until Khan got an officer from the Sheriff's department to forcefully remove John from the building.  Even though Khan disliked John, the thought of doing this brought him no joy.  It seemed like a poor sign that Khan was facing throwing someone, however deserving, out on the street so early into his career as a landlord.

Khan would cross that bridge when he came to it.  For now Khan went and knocked on the door to 102.  Mila answered.  “Khan.” She answered the door with a smile.

“Mila, I’ve got a plan for how you’re going to earn your rent.” Khan announced as he entered the apartment.  “I’m going to need you to be completely on board though for this to work.”

“I think I am knowing what you’re going to tell.” Mila responded.

“You do?” Khan’s plan was a crapshoot, so if Mila also had a plan in her mind, he wanted to hear it.  Mila just nodded in response.  There was a pregnant pause before Khan followed up “What did you think?”

“That you will… charging men for looking through secret window.”

Khan died.  Well, ok, that was an overstatement for effect.  Khan didn’t actually die, but he felt like dying.  Khan opened his mouth to object to this, but he could only get a dry cough out.  He gagged on his own words.

“Khan?” Mila asked, her face filled with concern.  Khan tried to gesture that he was OK and that his plan was nothing like that at the same time, resulting in no clear message being expressed.  Mila went and got him a glass of water.

Khan sat down on the couch and drank the water.  Mila rubbed his back.  This is becoming a habit.  Khan thought of the soothing action, not minding if it did so.  He took a deep breath and when he was sure of himself, spoke clearly and calmly.  “No Mila.  That is not the plan.  I wouldn’t do that to you.”

 “Oh good.”  Mila gave a sigh of relief  “Last night this idea comes to me.  I can’t get it out of my head.  You say it is the only way.  The men line up to seeing me.  They take the pictures.  One becomes obsessed and is stalking me…”

Khan held up his hand.  “No, just no.  Put those thoughts out of your head.  I’d rather lose the building than put you in that position.”

Mila hugged him.  Khan’s confidence grew a bit, his plan was probably going to sound great compared to the one she had thought up.  “I’m sorry Khan, it sound so stupid.”

Khan gave a little chuckle.  “It’s not stupid, I mean, it would probably work.”  They came apart and Mila looked at him with a raised eyebrow.  “If I was a scumbag.” Khan clarified.  Then a thought occurred to him.  “Wait, did you think I was a scumbag?”

“Not you.” Mila responded, before adding “All men.  I think all men is scumbag by default.”

Khan took this in.  His recent interactions with his fellow man certainly didn’t provide evidence to the contrary “So… then I showed myself to not be the default?”

“Maybe.”  Mila responded with a coy smile.  “What is your plan then?”

“Ah, yes.”  Khan had almost forgotten why he came here.  “What I want you to do is get people excited about The Rosario, by telling the world how it is haunted.”

Confusion passed over Mila’s face “But it was Mr. Griggs, not the ghost, to watching me.”

Khan waved this away.  “Let's skip that part.  There could still be a ghost, we don’t know.” Also skipping the part where Khan didn’t believe in ghosts.  “Just make some videos about your experiences here.”

“I don’t to know.” Doubt filled Mila’s face.  “Maybe you should making the videos Khan.”

“No, no, no.” Khan objected.  “If I do it, then it’ll come across as a cynical attempt by a landlord to promote his building.” Because that’s exactly what it was.  “You had the experience Mila, it needs to be you.  Plus you’re, you know, easy on the eyes.”

“Easy on eye?” 

“Nevermind that.  Will you do it?”

“It feel like lying.” Mila meekly replied.

Khan gritted his teeth.  “You were going to go along with the scumbag peepshow idea but not this?”

Annoyance flashed across Mila’s face.  Khan realized he might have made a mistake by saying that.  “Please to leave.”  Mila said, but her tone didn’t say please.

“OK, sorry.”  Khan walked out her door.  “Just think about it.”  Mila closed the door without responding.  Khan was left standing in the hall, haunted only by regret at his choice of words.