Searching for an apartment was getting ridiculous. I had looked at 4 places this week already, and 12 the week before. I was getting evicted from my current unit in 3 days now and all applications I had made for apartments had all been outbid by others!
I had just parked at this next property, it was in a far from ideal location and there were at least 20 people already parked up on the street ready to go in. The property manager was running late and I could see a crowd waiting by the front door impatiently. The thought of walking through the shabby home with all of those people was making my hands clammy with sweat and my heart beat fast.
"I should wait to go through last," I thought to myself.
When the property realtor finally arrived 10 minutes late in his BMW he looked flustered rushing out of his car. He had dark sunglasses on and wore a formal shirt tucked into tight navy pants. His blond curly hair that gave him a rugged yet professional look with his attire. I waited patiently for people to mill through the home until 20 minutes later there was no one else going in. I walked across the street and quickly whipped through the front bedroom, ensuite and living area, "good enough," I thought. I proceeded into the kitchen where the realtor waited with some pamphlets.
"I thought there was no one else looking, you must be the last person through?" he said looking at me briefly whilst holding his phone.
My throat instantly went dry and my mind raced with planning the right socially acceptable response.
"Yes, I'm the last person here," I croaked out dryly. He nodded and checked his watch, something I've noticed people to do when they want to leave.
"Can I sign the application now please? I can do $250 a week," I said quietly.
"Ah sorry I just had an application approved by the owners for a couple I showed through yesterday for $300 a week," he nonchalantly replied whilst still scrolling busily on his phone.
I felt blood rush to my face and instantly felt warm. Why would he even bother to open it today if he had already shown the unit yesterday! I tensed my hands into fists and stared at his stupid looking face, handsome men always were terrible people, I hated his angular jaw and pristine skin. I pushed my raw reaction down and tried to remember the advice I had read online to try and be friendly with realtors as they can have properties not yet listed.
"Do you have anything else that is opening up I could apply for?" I asked determinedly staring at him.
The realtor paused and looked up from his phone, talking the time to look at me properly for the first time. Again, I felt my face grow warmer. I never was the type of person who could socialise well with people, maybe my tone had been abrupt? All he would see when looking at me would be my awkward tall gaunty body. I had always towered over other women, being 5'10", and now due to this darn stress over being evicted I had lost over 15kg in the last month from my stomach refusing to let me feel hungry. I pulled at the long sleeve of my black My Chemical Romance band t-shirt and felt out of place wearing my black skinny jeans, doc martens boots, and shoulder bag across my body with my favourite anime show featured on the cover.
He finished staring up and down at me and replied, "Nothing in the near future no... It's quite competitive at the moment, Have you been looking long?"
"A month... I'd take anything, it doesn't have to be nice, really," I said. He smiled revealing a set of perfectly straight white teeth, the completeness of his features took me aback for a second and I felt myself take a breathe in. I just noticed that he seemed to be quite tall as well, around 6'2".
