013 House Hunting (2)

The first apartment they arrived at was an utter disaster. Anna had led Eden up a nearly broken flight of wooden stairs and stained floors.

She pushed open the door and twirled around, showing a studio not even as big as Eden's bed room. The room stunk of smoke as if someone left a car running inside the apartment. Eden coughed where she stood unwilling to enter inside.

"Next one please,"

Anna groaned in annoyance.

"You haven't even seen the room,"

"Anna, I saw the whole room just standing here. Next one please," Eden said with a firm tone. She didn't know where she got her audacity from but she liked the way it made Anna stand up straight and nod.

"How much was this place even?"

"600 KRV a month,"

"I gave you my price specifications, why would you take me to a place below it? The room is obviously in need of repair, you almost had an aneurysm coming up these terrible stairs," Eden said fixing Anna with a pointed look.

Anna rolled her eyes, not bothering to hide her disrespect.

"Fine let's see the next one,"

The two women stepped out of the building and found Ben fending off some hooligans trying to steal his tires.

Eden gave Anna look of incredulity and disbelief.

"If anything happens to him or the car I'm sending you the damn bill!" Eden said rushing at one of the hooligans with a move she had learned from one of her bullies. Eden Stiffened her shoulders, knocking the man back so hard he hit the floor.

"Back off!" Eden yelled.

The group of men scurried off, looking back only to curse at the three of them.

Ben picked his uniform cap off the floor with a huff.

"I must say Miss Eden I do hope you're not thinking of renting this place, it would be no good for a lady of high standards as yourself!" Ben said indignantly. He turned to the Realtor who pretended to be looking at the sky.

"And you Ma'am surely one of your profession would know better than to deliver such a place to your client,"

"It was a mistake, let's go to the next property I'm sure it would be more to your taste," The woman said politely.

Eden had a feeling the next apartment she looked out would not in-fact be to her taste.

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"Anna, why are we in a chicken coop?" Eden asked in annoyance. The Realtor stood checking her nail polish and flicking gunk out from underneath her nails.

"Well, I assumed you would want easy access to certain kinds of amenities,"

"This is a chicken coop there are no amenities in this building!" Eden said jumping at the sight of an aggressive chicken flapping its wings angrily at her.

"Fine, fine, let's go to the next one,"

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The next building was decent on the outside, once they were inside it was another matter entirely. Open electrical lines lay on the floor a sure danger for anyone who couldn't mind their step.

"Now if you would just follow me, I can show you the gorgeous one bedroom on the third floor," Anna said. Eden stopped her.

"Before we go up is this even up to 1000 KRV a month?" Eden asked with a pointed expression. She had a feeling this woman just thought she was stupid and gate keeping her from property because of how she looked.

Anna said nothing.

"Anna, I know you're not going to admit your prejudices so let us just return to Green Acres and sort ourselves out from there," Eden said shooting the Realtor a withering look.

"Of course," Anna said strolling out of the lobby and back towards the car.

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The drive back to the realty office was as quiet as a funeral. Anna and Eden refused to look at each other, facing the outside windows as the car rolled through the streets.

The two of them stepped out of the car and headed toward the office when Eden noticed a particular brand of car. It was pink with a blooming rose as the decal on the side. Eden knew of only one person in Meadowlark who had such a signature car.

"Rose?" Eden said to herself. What was her Godmother doing here, Rose already had a house or...seven.

Was she buying another one?

From outside Eden could already hear the voice of the woman who was always on her side other than Gertrude.

Eden hurried inside with Anna in tow.

As Eden walked Anna thought heinous things about her.

The Realtor had a smirk on her lips as she followed. How could someone like her expect houses of the highest caliber, so what if she did have the money for such? Having clientele such as her would lower the value of the property once the other tenants saw she was living among them.

Not like Rose Piper her star client.

"Rose!" Eden called.

"Oh Eden my baby!" the older woman said approaching Eden to pull her into a big hug. "I didn't expect to see you out and about you know.

Anna frowned, then gulped, she watched Eden embrace the woman with open arms. Rose didn't fight her off or push her away. It was then that the Realtor started to panic, did she really just fumble a potential client?

Someone with the same money and connections as Rose? But that couldn't be? Eden didn't scream wealth, sure she had the car but that could have just been a rental to make her trashy self seem wealthier than she really was.

Anna was sweating now, she had messed up big time.

She watched the women speak to each other, hearing from Eden's lips how she had taken her to a chicken coop, which was funny when she thought Eden was broke but now it could cost her, her entire career.

Rose turned to Anna with a glare.

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"Eden, what are you doing here?" Rose asked the young girl before her. Eden seemed exhausted and on the verge of crying but she was doing a good job holding it together.

"I was house hunting but that Realtor has something against me, she keeps taking me to trash places below my budget and I'm seriously about to go back there and ask for another one," Eden said. "She took me to a chicken coop for God's sake,"

"She took my Goddaughter to a chicken coop?!"

Eden could see it, Rose was pissed now.