Alpha of Dahael

Chapter 3 - House Viewing

Within minutes of sending the message, a woman popped her head out of the door and waved. She descended the porch with a bright smile, her strawberry blonde hair catching the sunlight. Her green eyes sparkled with excitement as she walked up to the vehicle. If anything, she looked like she could've been in a magazine. Her freckles graced her face with just a touch of sparkle. Her entire presence screamed a limited edition figurine placed on a shelf to be admired and not touched.

Anyone would be intimidated to approach her in normal circumstances. Sayde couldn’t help but admire the confidence in Trish’s walk and her warm presence. It was a stark contrast to the guarded, transactional interactions she was used to in the city. For the first time in a long while, she felt a flicker of hope—maybe this place could be different.

"Hello good afternoon," she greeted with bubbly excitement. Sayde smiled and got out to greet her as she held out her hand. Sayde took hold of it and shook it, "Sayde was it?" The young woman asked, holding eye contact with a beautiful smile.

"Yes, I am."

"Hi Sayde, my name's Abitrisha, but my friends call me Trish or Trisha. You can call me that too since I feel like we're going to become good friends," she giggled to herself as she led the way to the entrance of the house. "Welcome," she said with the biggest smile on her face opening her arms to showcase the entrance of the living room. Sayde chuckled to herself and proceeded to follow her inside the house.

They took an hour touring the house and to Sayde it was the most perfect place she had ever seen, from the open space at the back where you could hold a small intimate party if need be to the cosy study and even cosier bedrooms. She had already started imagining the fairy lights in the backyard and the LED mood lights in her bedroom.

Trish let out a small laugh, "Like it that much huh, if your eyes twinkle any brighter they might as well be stars at this point."

Sayde looked back at her almost in a daze as she took in her surroundings, "I love it!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"I'm sure you do," her freckled cheeks filled with a smile. "I thank you for your time and patience, based on the information you've given me I will contact the home representative and provide them with an offer and get back to you as soon as possible."

"Thank you so much, the sooner the better in my opinion," she offered a small smile to Trish.

"Do you have anywhere to stay tonight, I know a place if you don't," Trish said, her words tumbling out in a rush. "I can even get you one night free as well." Trish looked at Sayde with an awkward hopeful smile, "Think of it as my welcome to Daysville gift?"

For a moment, Sayde thought she saw a flicker of something in her eyes—something ancient and knowing. It was gone before she could be sure. Sayde looked at the time she realised she hadn't even thought about that and was gonna opt to sleep in her car if push came to shove. She looked at Trish's pleading face and smiled warmly, "Sure why not."

"My husband’s always telling me I’m too generous," she continued, oblivious to Sayde’s previous discomfort. "But I can’t help it. I just love making people feel at home. Plus, it’s not like I’ve got much else to do when he’s off driving his truck for days at a time. Oh, and you’ll love the inn the couple there are super loving and welcoming!

Trish broke into a huge grin and thanked her profusely for working with her. "I have one more meeting to attend and then I'll bring you straight to it as soon as I get off, there's a cafe down the road I can meet you there when I'm done just tell them Trish sent you."

Everything about this screamed scam in some part of her brain, but Trish’s childlike enthusiasm was hard to resist. Sayde had learned to be wary of people who seemed too good to be true, but something about Trish felt genuine. Still, she reminded herself to be cautious—trust was earned, not given. For now, she’d go along with it, but she’d keep her guard up.

She waited for Trish to give her the name of the Cafe and GPS location before bidding her farewell and heading in that direction. It was about 30 minutes away but the quaint little town captured her attention.

The café was warm and inviting, the air filled with the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods. Soft chatter and the clinking of cups created a soothing background hum, and the golden light from the windows bathed the room in a cozy glow. She could see herself living there and maybe making a few friends along the way. As she entered the cafe she received a warm welcome as they sat her down next to the window seat and offered her a welcome beverage of her choice.

She opted for some coffee and chose a ham and cheese-filled croissant and a cream cheese bagel for her dinner, as she checked her phone and pulled out her laptop to check her emails and simple things. Time passed, and she looked up at the commotion happening up front, it was Trish entering the building. She watched as everyone greeted her. Trish entered the café like a mini-celebrity, greeted with hugs and laughter from the staff and patrons. 'Hey, love! How’s the new grandbaby?' she called out, her voice carrying across the room. It was clear she wasn’t just a real estate agent—she was part of the community.

"Did I keep you waiting long?" Trish asked, now in a cute dress and flats. "I had to shower and change—I’ve got plans after this." She looked apologetic as she sat down, "Don't worry about paying for your meal, I'll cover it."

Sayde raised her hand to stop her, "That's fine I already paid for it." Trish looked mortified and said, "Well let me treat you to lunch tomorrow, it's not okay for me to keep you waiting so long."

"It's not an issue, I didn't even notice really," Sayde said dismissively. She closed her laptop and packed it in her bag. "So where are we off to now Miss Trisha," she got up and swung her bag onto her back, looking very much like a hitchhiker.

Trish got up too with determination written on her face, "Promise me you'll let me take you out some time to make up for this please."

"Trisha, calm down you're gonna scare the poor girl away if you keep pushing like that," an older lady looked at Sayde and smiled apologetically. "She doesn't mean any harm by it, this is how she always is."

Trish bowed her head looking very much like a scolded child as she apologised for her behaviour and quickly led the way out of the building. "So you can just follow my car and I'll guide you to the building okay? It's like a homestead but it's a bed and breakfast."

"Lead the way miss ma'am, I'm tired as hell right now," Sayde said, rolling her shoulders and doing a small stretch. "After you," she said dismissing Trish as she walked towards a car before smiling at Sayde and waving.

Sayde hopped in her jeep and the two of them were on their way to Daysville Inn. The Inn was indeed very homey and after some introductions and short conversations, Trish bid her good night and she was ushered to her bedroom for the next 3 nights. She thanked the lovely lady for her hospitality and quickly set down her bag on the chair next to the bed.

She needed a nice warm shower, and a good night's rest after the day she had. The warm water cascaded over her, washing away the grime and tension of the day, and for a moment, everything felt right. She lingered under the spray, letting the heat seep into her bones, and for a moment, everything felt right. She wanted to get a full night's rest. Tomorrow she could laze around all she wanted, but right now she needed sleep. She slipped into bed, the soft sheets enveloped her like a cocoon. Her eyes drifted shut, but just as sleep claimed her, an eerie sound in the distance. She shook it off, chalking it up to the wind or maybe a chair scraping downstairs. But hadn’t she heard a sound like this before? The memory tugged at the edges of her mind, just out of reach.