“Ihaveanotheridea”saidMegginn.“AllthebeautiesintheKingdomofDreamswillbegraduallyreloghere.Somaiful,youngwomeningandgoingfromthehousewillbesuretoarousecuriosityandgiverisetospecutionsandgossip.Iwasthinking,whydon’twecallitabhouseforwomen?Asacover,utadsintheneersandpayarealestatemapanytotakecareoftheleasingorrenting.Wehavethemtellpeoplewhocalltoinquirethatallroomshavebeentaken.Meanwhile,lyforabusinessliseandpaytaxesonit.Thisway,everythingislegandwon’tarousesuspi.Whatdoyouthink?”
“Good.Good.Veryappropriate.”saidDimitrinoddihenasked,“Areyoutwogoinghomeorstayinghere?
“It’sratherte”repliedMegginn“andwe’redressedlikethis.Ithinkwewilljustsqueezetogetherhereforthenight.”
“Good!Good!”criedtheotherbeauties,whohadogetherwiththemretlyandwerelookingforwardtochattingthenightaway.
“Ihadbetterleave”saidLaverandinguptogo.“MarkisathomealowasDecemberaherhadturnedcold.Allthesheltersforthehomelesswereopen.
“Idon’tthinkIfeellikewalkingbaetonighteither”saidDimitri,“soIwillstayhereforthenightaswell.”Hepulledhisloungechairintotheworkshop.ThehoughtofsomethingandsaidtoYoko,“PleasecallRichardahemnottowaitformeanymore.Iwon’tbegoingbacktotheapartmenttonight.Askthemtoehereatthreeo’cloorrowaalk.”
Earlythemsoohebakeryopenedforbusiness,aslender,refined-lookingmiddle-agedmanwalkedin.hehadshoulderlengthblondhairandadiamondear-ringonhisleftear.Hislongeyebrowshadbeenpluckedandlinedandtherewasatouchoflipstihismouth.Hewasdressedcasuallybutexpensively,exudinganartisticbutfemininecharwasIkeSmith.Marytookhimovertothethree-storeybuildidoorandshowedhimaround.Thenshesaidtohim,“ThebakeryjustopenedsoIhavealottodoandotkeepyoupany.Feelfreetolookaround.”Ikenoddedpolitelyaherleave.Heputhisptopoableandtookouthisnotebook.Walkingslowlyfromroomtoroom,hecarefullyexaminedeaeseekingoutitspotential.Hemeticulouslymeasuredthelength,width,heightoftheroomanddownonhisnotebooktogetherwithhisthoughtsandideasofwhatcouldbedooimproveit.Hehadsuggestedtotheowhatremodelingsuoldbuildingfromtoptobottomwasnotcostexpedient,butsheinsistedonhavingherwayandtoldhimexpensewasnotanissue.Soherehewastogivenewlifetoanoldandrundown80yearoldbuilding.Hekhebuildingwastobeusedbyyoungwomen,sohedecidedthatthetextureandcolorofthematerialschosenshouldbesoothing,delicateanddainty.Hehadtransferredhismusicalgeniustotheworldofinteriordecoratinganddesignandhisideaswereinandinnovative.HewasaseffitasSamanthahadsaid.Innotime,hewasathisptopmakingroughgraphiddiagramsofhisideasforremodelingtheoldhouse.Theypedupalistofmaterialshewouldheirunitprice,amountneededandfinallythetotalcostformaterials.Afterthatwasaimateofhoursofworkmanshiprequiredandhisfeefordesigningandoverseeingthewholeproject.Heimmediatelye-maileditfromhisputertoMegginnandSamanthaatWorldBank,whowereverysatisfiedwithhisdesign.TheycalledDimitriaboutit.Onhispart,DimitritrustedhetasteandjudgmentofthesetwoextremelytalentedmembersofhisKingdomandwasveryproudofthem.Hegavethemthegreenlighttogoaheadatfullspeed.
Around1p.m.,twotrucksstoppedatthebackdoorofthebakery.Workmenunloadedandstackedthesematerialsforremodelingtheoldhouseinthebackyardsofthetwobuildings.Theyproceededtoripouttheexistinginterior,includingcurtains,carpets,partitionsandevenceilings.Theycutuptherge,cumbersomepartsandloadedeverythingontothetwoemptytruckstohaulthemawaytothedumpsite.Brandnewdesign,braylinganddecorationweresuretnewlifetotheoldbuildingandgiveitaface-liftthatwouldamazeandastonishallbeholders.Sevetopnotchartisanswerehardatwork.Someweretakingmeasurementsofeverythingfromcurtains,walls,ceiling,windowsandfloors.Electriswereexaminingtheaelectricalwireswhichhadbeeninusefordecadesandwouldoberepced.Plumbersbroughtinshiningcrystalbathfixtures,eboratelycarvedached.Thedesignerwaomaketheapartmentintoaworldofcrystal,sothebathtubs,basinsahetoiletsweremadeofthatmaterial.
Atthreeo’clocksharpwhenworkatthebakerywasjustwindingdown,Mr.Kaffee,Big-O,RichardandJamazarrived.TheolddwarfMickyofcoursealsotaggedalongashewouldneverwillinglymissainggathering.Dimitriledeveryoheyarddoorandtoldthemofhispn.Mr.KaffeebroughtoverachairforDimitriandthenheandBigOstoodbehindthechair.Theolddwarffoundalowstoolsomewhere,putitrightoDimitri’schairandsatdowohim.Dimitribentdowntothedwarfandasked,
“Yousaidwehaveknowneachotherfes.youtellmeyourname?”
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