Sarah entered the house feeling nervous. The man who helped her this morning was standing in front of her, showing around the house.
She felt nervous as she followed Noah through the house. "What do you think, Ms. Sarah?" he asked, interrupting her thoughts.
"Ah! I think this house is totally great but are you sure about the rent?" Sarah couldn't believe it. The house was spacious and well-maintained, and the rent was unbelievably cheap. She wondered if there was something about this house.
Noah seemed to read her mind. "Don't worry, Ms. Sarah. I just want to rent it out quickly, that's all. It's been vacant for a while, and I need to cover some expenses."
Sarah nodded slowly, still unsure. "Can I think about it for a day or two?"
"Sure, take your time. But there are a few other interested parties, so don't wait too long," Noah advised with a smile.
As they entered the master bedroom, Sarah felt uneasy about leaving it closed.
Noah let it remain open, held ajar by a magnet stopper. Suddenly, the door closed on its own, as if the stopper was malfunctioning.
Sarah's nerves heightened as the door suddenly closed. "Is everything okay?" she asked, turning back to Noah.
"Yeah, it's just the magnet stopper. It's been acting up lately, but I'll get it fixed before you move in," Noah explained.
He walked towards the door and joked, "This door is not cooperating, I am afraid if it closes once again, I might…rawr…" He gestured to the cute lion thingy at Sarah and rushed to open the door. "I'm just joking." He smiled and came back to the place where they stood earlier.
Sarah didn't appreciate the joke and frowned at him, feeling uncomfortable. Her heart beat rapidly.
"Will you be staying here with your boyfriend?" Noah asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"No, with my friend," Sarah replied, lying as she was feeling uneasy about the conversation.
"Oh, just a friend? No boyfriend?" Noah continued, unaware of her discomfort.
She stayed quiet, refusing to answer.
Feeling uneasy about the situation, Sarah decided to wrap up the tour quickly. "Thank you for showing me around, Mr. Noah. I'll let you know my decision soon," she said, eager to leave.
"Of course, take your time," Noah replied with a smile, seemingly oblivious to Sarah's discomfort.
As Sarah stepped out of the house, she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. She wondered if there was something more to Noah's friendly demeanour and the cheap rent.
"Hello Mr. Noah!" A woman passed by Sarah and greeted Noah. "I am Mia, the one who called you earlier to have a look at the house you advertised."
Sarah could hear everything and had a second thought. The house, the location, everything was perfect but only one thing, the owner, he gave her a red flag vibe. Who would flirt with a stranger like that? And she didn't like it.
Walking straight to the elevator, Sarah didn't push the button. She stood there, lost in thought as she weighed the pros and cons of renting the house.
Sarah thought about it for a while and decided that the house was too good of a deal to pass up. Despite her unease about Noah's behaviour, she couldn't ignore the spacious and well-maintained house, the great location, and the unbeatable rent. She knew that there were a few other interested parties, and she didn't want to miss out on the opportunity. With a deep breath, she made up her mind and decided to rent the house. She turned back and knocked on the door.
"I'm going to do it," she thought to herself. "I'm going to take the leap."
She turned back and knocked on the door.
"Yes, Ms. Sarah. Did you leave anything behind?" Noah appeared behind the door.
"No," Sarah said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's just that, um, I was thinking about it and I've decided that I want to rent the house." She fidgeted with the pen in her hand, avoiding eye contact with Noah.
Noah smiled kindly at her. "That's great news! Let me get the paperwork ready for you."
As Sarah began filling out the rental form, she heard a knock at the door. Noah excused himself to answer it, and Sarah heard a woman's voice.
Noah opened the door and his expression changed immediately. "What brings you here?" he asked in a stern tone.
"I just got back in town and heard you were back too," the woman, Lauren, replied with a flirtatious smile. "Can we talk inside?" She attempted to push her way past Noah, but he stood firm.
"No," Noah replied, blocking her path.
Lauren looked over Noah's shoulder and saw Sarah sitting on the sofa. Sarah tried to shrink into herself, feeling self-conscious under Lauren's gaze.
"Who's that?" Lauren asked, her tone turning accusatory.
"None of your business," Noah said curtly, his gaze still fixed on Lauren. "You need to leave, now."
Lauren's eyes flicked back to Sarah, and she narrowed them in suspicion. "Is she the reason you're ignoring my calls?" she demanded, taking a step closer to Noah.
Noah scoffed. He leaned closer and said, "I might need to make you recall that you are the one who cheated on me." He whispered.
Lauren's face fell, and she took a step back, her eyes downcast. "I know, Noah. I made a mistake. I regret it every day," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Noah's expression remained cold as he glared at Lauren. "It's a surprise that you even know the word regret," he smirked, "I thought we were clear that it's over between us. I have nothing left to say to you. Leave now," he said, closing the door with a firm and unwavering voice.
"Wait, wait, wait..." Lauren tried to hold the door open.
Noah narrowed his eyes on her. "I said, leave," he repeated firmly, his hand still on the door.
Lauren hesitated for a moment before relenting and stepping back. "Fine," she said bitterly. "But just know that I'm not giving up on us, Noah." With that, she turned to Sarah and added, "And you too!"
Sarah was taken aback, looking at the woman standing at the door.
"Don't think you've won," Lauren spat before storming off, leaving Sarah feeling startled and dumbfounded.
'What competition did I enter and win?' she wondered.