Page 3 of Walk the Line

“Five…” she begins, and I turn around in all my confusion to see if I missed someone behind me.

“Wh—“

“Four…”

I haven’t missed anyone. All the people in this house are in the kitchen so why is she counting down?

“Why are you counting down?”

“Three…”

With one hand etched firmly against her waist, the other clings onto the stick, a stern look on her face as her eyes pierce into mine.

“What are you doing right now?”

“Two…”

I’m not scared of anyone. But this viewing has already annoyed me more than it should have, and now I have a pair of dark eyes studying the fuck out of me, so I don’t even know what to anticipate.

“Stop counting,” I say loud enough for my voice to finally get through to her.

There’s a pause for a moment, before she says, “You have one second before I drag you out.”

I almost let out a laugh. “Drag me out of where? Am I doing something wrong by being here right now?”

Her expression changes to one that would only be fitting in this moment if I’d suddenly grown two heads in two minutes. “You’re a stranger standing in my house,” she says slowly and plainly. “I think it’s pretty obvious what you’re doing that’s wrong seeing as I just told you. Like, are you serious?”

I could just end this now by correcting her, but there’s suddenly a battery in me, so I say, “You just moved into this place today. It’s a new place. Anyone you see here would be a stranger, so I think it’s pretty obvious what you’re doing wrong seeing as I just told you. Like, are you serious?”

“Don’t mock me.”

“Can I get back to my viewing now? And can you put that stick down?

“You need to get the — Wait. What?” She pauses for a moment and boredom passes through me as I watch her finally reach a journey of realisation. “Oh, shit wait, it’s Tuesday still. What’s the time?” She looks at me expectantly like I’m actually going to tell her.

“I don’t know.”

“You literally have a phone in your hand.”

“There’s also a clock right behind you.”

With her face turned towards the clock, she says, “It’s just gone three.” The sigh she releases next is followed by, “That must mean you’re the viewed that was booked in for today.” Her eyes meet the ground as she gently places the stick down to lay on it.

“Wow, what gave it away?” I say dryly.

“Well, I lost track of time after my nap, so…”

I know life can feel disorienting after a nap. I’ve been there before myself.

But that’s something she can take up with someone who has the patience for it.

Right now, I don’t know a thing about patience. I just want more than anything to be done with this whole thing so I can get far far away from here. Then I can find somewhere where shade exists and stick a bag of frozen peas over my face or anything that will save me from this nightmare weather.

“Where’s the estate agent?” she asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Outside.”

To my surprise, she walks to the door and from the kitchen I have the perfect view of her opening it, exchanging a few words with Greg, and then closing the door back again.