The Potential Sale (a short, short story)

Darn, I broke a nail, Pam the realtor said to the empty house. She carefully moved the tray of baked chocolate chip cookies from the oven to the kitchen table.

She checked her watch. I will have to fix my nail later she realized. The potential home buyers would be there in 10 minutes. Pam would make one more round to every room in the house to set the perfect mood.

The kitchen – check. Who could resist the warm, sweet and melt-in-your-mouth chocolate treats? The room smelled wonderful – the air filled with cookies and the cinnamon-vanilla candle burned an hour ago, now perched on the windowsill over the leaky sink.

The front door entryway – check. The mixed pine and cedar tree branches lying beneath the coat rack will have her guests asking which lovely wood scent they were smelling as they enter. The strength and comfort of your new home – that’s what you’re smelling, Pam would tell them instead. She prayed they would not notice the unlevel shift in foundation.

Living room – check. A bowl of lemons and oranges on the coffee table brightens the dark room and awakens the senses. Pam expects the citrus fragrance will make her buyers cheerful and overlook the room’s out-of-date wallpaper and no fireplace.

Bathroom – check. The floral-lined trash can next to the toilet will hopefully deter them from discerning the flusher is loose. Sprinkled peppermint potpourri on the counter may hide the mold in the cabinets below.

Master bedroom – check. Lavender under the pillows will give off that calm, peaceful ambience. This is where you will sleep, Pam will say. The freesia flowers draped near the dresser mirror will prove the couple will wake feeling fresh. Please avert your eyes to the carpet stains and uneven curtain rods, Pam thought.

Guest room – check. With a beach-themed room, Pam sprinkled sea salt into a candy dish filled with salted caramels. Behind the paintings of a tropical island and dolphins, she dabbed coconut oil and one spritz of sunscreen. Your guests will enjoy their vacation here year-round, Pam would say directing their eyes away from the popcorn ceiling falling down.

Office – check. Just a touch of jasmine room spray offers a rich but delicate balance. Your creative workspace awaits you, Pam would mention. Whether it’s creative writing or paying bills, this is your cozy space. She willed her guests not to move the desk and reveal the hole in the wall.

Closets – check. Seasonal switch. Since autumn has arrived, Pam added pumpkin sachets when she tossed out summer’s chamomile sachets an hour ago. She thought pumpkin spice would be inviting, not discouraging like the small closet space with broken garment racks.

Hallway – check. Pam hoped her mom’s oil blend of rosemary, sage and sandalwood would overshadow the cat pee remnants that inhibited the area. She will walk fast and not linger with her buyers.

All done, Pam crossed her arms against her chest. As good as I can make it, she thought.

The knock at the front door was firm. The couple looked agitated as Pam greeted them.

The husband hates lemons and oranges. The wife sneezed in the hallway, allergic to cats and herbs. This floral fragrance is giving my wife a headache, the husband later said in the bathroom. We can’t have cookies on the Keto diet, the couple remarked, glaring at the tray of sweets in the kitchen.

Thank you for coming by, Pam said 13 minutes later. Take some time to think it over and call me, she said before their car drove away.

No sale today, Pam sighed. No use letting these cookies go to waste either, she thought. She lifted the tray to smell the baker’s dozen. A delicious failure, that’s what this is.

Pam placed a third cookie in her mouth and chewed the chocolate morsel. She reminded herself that today’s loss could lead to tomorrow’s perfect match. Pam dug inside her purse for her fingernail file to fix her chipped nail and fractured ego.

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This is a very short fictional piece I wrote following a writer’s prompt on smells for a publication. It was rejected / not chosen among the winning, published pieces. I don’t think it’s my very best work and I can understand why it was not selected after I read the other works. Still, I liked it. I liked it enough to share it here and show the different styles of writing I like to do.