Fragment #12 - Promising

Time to lift the phone. It definitely took too much time. I hope they haven’t found someplace else to go. I quickly dial the number written on the post-it. Three ringings later, someone pick up the line.
“Allo?”
“Erm… Is this Alex speaking?”
I can feel a slight hesitation in his voice as he seems to be gathering my words and put them back in the right place and order. I go on.
“It’s me Ethan. You visited the flat I intend to share last Saturday.”
That one sentence seems to ring a bell, and I can almost hear his brain switching the conversation mode between French and English.
“I’m sorry I haven’t called you back before, but I have been out of town for a good part of the week, and I had a rough time picking out between the candidates.”
Yeah, like it was difficult to chose between two people…
“Well, Alex, good news is you’re the winner. Just tell me when you plan to move in so we can settle an appointment.”
Just by the time it takes him to answer, I can feel something is wrong. He sounds both embarrassed and disappointed.
“In fact… (A typical French inaccuracy I pointed out), I can’t rent your apartment. I was about to call you yesterday, but I forgot. The place is great, but I just can’t. My mom and I agreed on a good compromise.”
Damn! So I WAS right about the abusive mother indeed!
“Okay, never mind. I wish you well. My best regards to your mother.”
I hang up the phone before he has the time to add anything. Great, now that I finally chose someone, he refuses! Which leaves me with a single remaining choice. And Melaine made herself quite clear about how she considered the perspective of me putting up a blonde girl. Of course if she knew that the nerd said no, she would understand. Nobody else answered the advertisement. I get hold of my phone once more, and hunt for her number in the papers laying above my desk. I hold my breath as I count the ringings. Please answer, you’re my last one. The answering machine… Calm down, call once again. A loud click, I breathe out.
“Catherine?”
Judging by her reaction, I am not even sure she understood it was her name.
“Hi, Ethan speaking. I am sorry I couldn’t call you back sooner. You visited my flat next week, do you remember?”
It took her a while to figure it out.
“Heu, yes… yes! I remember.”
“So, you’re the one who won the prize here. You don’t plan on cancelling now, do you?”
“What? Can you repeat please? I didn’t understand very very well, you speak a little too quick.”
“Erm. Yes, my bad. I forgot. I chose you for the apartment. Would you give me a day for your installation?”
“A day? Heu… Why not Tuesday? It will be great for me. I don’t must go to the fac.”
Jeez, what an accent. I try my best not to correct her every mistake.
“Tuesday, you mean Mardi right?”
“Oh no no no, Jeudi.”
“Ok, see you on Thursday then”.
Promising…