#52: The New Neighborhood, Part 4

Sunday at noon, Derek--with Bill's encouragement--went to speak to Lou (who managed the Utopia House's money).

"Lou, I need to move out of here and into the new house."

"We ALL need to move out of here," Lou grumbled.

Derek continued.  "Kelly and I will be getting married some day this coming week, and I need to get the new house ready for the wedding."

"And?" Lou asked.  "I assume you're asking for your share of the household funds."

"Yes," Derek said.

The household funds were at that point $131,829.  Minus the $7,000 that Lou--based on historical experience--wanted to reserve for the bills that would come due the following day, that left $124,829, or $15,604 per Utopian.

Lou gave Derek his share.
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In his new neighborhood, Derek immediately started collecting to raise money,

then went fishing at the spot next to Bill and Regina's new house.

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"So, Derek moved out already?" asked Alice, who had just gotten up.  Kelly was working on her daily 4-meal performance requirement, and still had to reach the next level in Mixology before she could be promoted again.

"Yes," answered Kelly.  "We decided it would be the best thing.  Because we're going to get married any day now, and it's bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding."

"Hey, dude," Peter approached Bill, "you still got the key to that Glass Box house?"  (Bill, Derek, and Dude had gotten the keys to all the unsold houses in Derek's new neighborhood from the town realty office the other day.)  "I want to take Lou over to see it."

"Top left drawer of the dresser," Bill answered, "it's one of the two keys there.  But I don't know which one; the other's for the 2-bedroom that's to the south of the Glass Box.  So take them both."

 "Come on, Lou," Peter prodded her.  "Take a break, and let's go see that house the guys told me about."

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The two stood in front of the modern house that was next to Bill and Regina's, and across the street from Derek and Kelly's.

"No," Lou announced flatly.  "Just NO."

"Oh, come on, Lou," Peter pleaded.  "Let's at least go inside."

They walked into the huge main room.  "I could NEVER live in a place like this," Lou moaned.  "Concrete floors?  Steel doors?  And it all just seems so cold and sterile.  And besides it's only a 1-bedroom."

  
"I'd be happy to give you the bedroom, and sleep on a sofa out here.  Look at the light, Lou," Peter said, indicating the floor-to-ceiling windows that faced the canal.

"Please consider how great this would be for my painting," he reasoned.

Lou was already becoming upset.

"I understand if YOU want to live here, Peter," she said.  "And you certainly make enough money that you can undoubtedly afford it by yourself."  She walked away.

"But I don't WANT to live by myself!" Peter protested.  "As I've said before--I'm not one of those tortured, solitary artists.  I like being around other people."

"And you just MIGHT be my muse," he added.  "And I don't want to give that up."
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Since Peter had the other key, anyway, he and Lou went to look at the more traditional house that was south of the Glass Box.

"Okay, this is not that inspiring, but at least it's a 2-bedroom," Peter said.

They went inside.

Lou checked out the room that could be her bedroom.

She came back out to talk to Peter.

"Sold," she announced.