Alice (who had already completed her daily performance requirement, in part because--unlike Kelly--she wasn't being distracted by a love interest) was cleaning up,
and Regina was eating breakfast.
"OMG!" Lou shrieked, staring at her computer.
"What's wrong, Lou?" Regina asked, rushing over. "Is our weekly tax bill more than you were expecting?"
"No, it's not that," Lou replied. "In fact, it's only $6,223--LESS than I was expecting. But we all have to move out of the Utopia House--TODAY!" she said, incredulous.
"Why the heck do we have to move out TODAY???" asked Peter.
"I just got an email that the owner of the Utopia House has actually SOLD this place!" Lou said, amazed.
Bill was also incredulous. "You mean he managed to sell this place, with fixtures and appliances that break every freakin' day???" (He had just noticed that the stereo near him had broken yet AGAIN.)
"Yes!" Lou shrieked again. "I can't BELIEVE this! I'm supposed to go to work IN ONE MINUTE!" she wailed. "I'm going to have to be a no-show today in order to deal with this!! AND THAT MEANS I'M NOT GOING TO GET PROMOTED AGAIN!!! Or maybe EVER!!!!!"
"Lou, Lou, please calm down!" Regina begged. "Look, Bill and I can manage this--we can spend all day moving everyone. You guys already have a place"--she indicated Peter--
"and Derek and Kelly are set, and Bill and I can take in Alice. We can also take in Dude--wherever Dude is. Where IS Dude, anyway?" she asked Peter.
"There was a pre-tour rehearsal last night," Peter answered, "so he's either with Zoe Patel, or maybe he crashed with one of the guys in the band."
"But," Peter added, "I SERIOUSLY doubt that Kelly is going to move in with Derek before they're married."
"Okay," Regina recalculated, "so Alice and Kelly can share one of our 2 spare rooms, and Dude can have the other one. Hey, the more the merrier!" Regina declared. "GO TO WORK, LOU!!!"
Lou left for her job, though she was clearly still very troubled.
Peter and Lou had $20,000 each, plus another $20,176 each as their share of the Utopia House funds, for a total of $80,352, and Peter spent every penny.
"I think Lou's really going to like working in this room," Regina opined, sitting at the new desk and new computer in the room where Peter had also set up his easel.
"I sure hope so," Peter remarked. He was already busy making more paintings. "Because Lou's mood HAS to be good. If it's not, then I'm going to end up making 'Angry' painting after 'Depressed' painting after 'Stressed' painting."
"Okay," said Bill, "I installed in a light in your bathroom,
"and also two in the kitchen."
"And," Bill continued, "Dude and I set up the dining stuff and the bookshelf."
"And," Kelly said, "Regina and I set up Lou's bedroom."
"But, where are YOU supposed to sleep?" Regina asked.
"The living room sofa is just fine for me," Peter answered.
"Now, if you'll all excuse me, I have to get back to painting," Peter apologized. "I have to make enough money to put on a second story here before Lou loses patience and kills me."
_______________
NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR:
Thanks to Judie from All About Style for Lou's outfit:
cardigan
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skirt
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