The Interview

Chapter Twenty-Five

The first apartment Fiyero managed to track down was located just two blocks away from Glinda's office, and so they agreed to meet there after work on Tuesday. Glinda was very much looking forward to getting her friend out of his rat hole and settled into a more liveable dwelling. Finally, a place she wouldn't dread visiting. Looking out of the window as she packed her bag, she only wished it hadn't started raining for the first time in several weeks.

Dayae, as it turned out, was better prepared. Making sure to check the forecast every morning, she'd had the foresight to take the car to work that day. Yolona, on the other hand, was the kind one, offering Glinda the umbrella they kept in the boot of their vehicle—although not without teasing her at least a little about her situation, suggesting she call her special green friend to give her a lift home instead.

Quietly grumbling about the weather's dreadful timing along the way, Glinda made it to the address Fiyero had given her. The building looked exactly as in the picture on the website, and the front doors were kept wide open, sheltered from the elements by a glass canopy. At least she wouldn't have to wait in the rain.

The lobby on the ground floor was manned by a concierge in blue uniform. He seemed rather busy, in turns clicking and typing on a computer, and writing something down in a thick book. Glinda wouldn't have bothered him on her own accord, but the moment he noticed her, the stocky, old man hurried towards the blonde, proceeding to politely enquire about her name and the purpose of her visit. Once he was satisfied that everything checked out, he smiled and suggested she have a seat in the waiting area.

While Glinda made herself at home, grabbing one of the magazines on the coffee table to bridge the time, the concierge waddled back at his reception. Glinda overheard him talking to someone on the phone, but paid the conversation little heed. Mere seconds later, however, a bespectacled woman with a naturally grey pixie cut came flying out of the elevator. Like a hawk, she darted towards her quarry.

"Glorie Frupp, Special Emerald Estate Agents," she introduced herself in a brisk, no-nonsense fashion. "You are here for the two-bedroom vacancy?"

Taken slightly off-guard, Glinda was slow to rise to her feet and shake the hand on offer.

"Yes. That's right, but I'm still waiting for Fiyero. He's the one who contacted you."

The woman cast a quick glance at her clipboard, then nodded curtly.

"Yes. It appears so. Well, apartments like this go like hot cakes these days. May I suggest we go upstairs to have a first look before someone else attempts to cut in?

"Trokks," she said, addressing the concierge in an excessively severe tone of voice, "send the young man upstairs when he arrives. Tell everyone else to wait until we finish our viewing."

Leaving no room for argument, the real estate agent led the way to the third floor.

"The apartment is approximately sixty-five square metres, not including the balcony," the woman explained as she unlocked the door with her enormous wad of keys. "It features two bedrooms, of which one is the master bedroom with ensuite; an additional bathroom, a media-entertainment room, and the state-of-the-art kitchen can be found to the left of the corridor. The view never is much to speak of in this part of town, but that is reflected in the price, as you will find."

Following her from room to room, Glinda diligently took notes, but after having already seen most of the apartment, she interrupted the agent's seemingly never-ending torrent of words.

"This is all very good, but perhaps we should really wait for Fiyero to join us. Unless you want to explain everything twice?"

The older woman pushed her glasses up her nose, then produced a condescending smile.