Book2:KigdomIteDreams (第192/246页)

omen?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,cumbersomepartsandloade