The day was a whirlwind of going-outness, as they picked up needed things for the house so they could at least stay safely, comfortably, for a few days. At least before appliances, furniture, and other things arrived.
Rachyl arranged for delivery of a fridge full of food as well as ordered phone and cable service. Mr. Tomlin had left a folder full of services, stores, take out menus... And she couldn't help but giggle at the advertisement for the cable service. "NightCast Cable, a division of Comcast."
While they arranged delivery of the mattress, she commented, "You know I haven't slept on a mattress on the floor before." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Well the good part is, at least I won't need a step stool to get into bed, and I could just step up a little."
On the subject of stoves, "Gas is best," Rachyl agreed, "but it needs to be the kind with the sealed top. Because holes are bad for messes. Speaking of messes... are we going to be cleaning ourselves or hiring a maid service?"
Moving on
Meegan sat on the bed folding clothes and putting them in neat piles while Rachyl put the piles into one of many suitcases littering the floor. Meegan had purchased a lot of clothes while they had stayed at the Piazza and they's had to run to the mall and grab a few more cases. Meegan figured they could just give them to the Salvation Army or something, as they hadn't bought expensive ones.
They had spent the morning shopping for bedroom furniture and had finally decided on a bedroom suite that they both liked. It consisted of a king-size four poster of solid cherry wood. With two matching dressers and two matching lingerie chests. They'd purchased a vanity and stool that was of the same wood as the suite didn't come with one, but it still went well with the set. They's agreed on a pair of light gray plush arm chairs that could easily fit both of them in one. They chose a matress set and set it up to be delivered that afternoon. They'd stopped by the Container Store and purchased a couple of those hanging rods, that stood on their own to use as temporary hanging space until the closet was finished.
They had a meeting scheduled with a decorator, the same woman that had done Gothic-ah, and a few of her employees' homes, and was great with lines and color. They had a little over an hour before they needed to leave and Meegan was determined to get their packing done, before hand. She wanted to get it done, go down and check out and have the luggage delivered to their new house.
When they were done with the designer, they would go pick up some sheets, and a washer and dryer. It was going to be right out of the package sheets for the night, but they could wash them the next day after the appliances arrived. They'd probably pick out kitchen appliances while they were there. Meegan had an idea in mind for those and it wouldn't take long.
"Is a gas stove ok with you?" Meegan preferred cooking on a gas range and the stove area was equipped for both gas and electric, they would just have to agree on one or the other. They'd already agreed, well Meegan had told Rachyl what she wanted and Rachyl had said that it was fine, on stainless steel appliances.
Rachyl
18 years ago
Meegan
18 years ago
Meegan just kind of stared at Rachyl. She had had maid service her entire life, and just because she was living with someone didn't mean that was going to stop. However she said, "I'd prefer a maid service. That is just too much house for us."
She folded several more things her mind going over the lists they had created so far.
"Do you have the list?" Rachyl nodded. "Add a dog house to it, so Dill can have a nice place to rest when he's outside."
When they had gotten back to the hotel and started pulling things out of the closets, Dill had hopped up on the bed, put his head on his paws and watched them with a look of, 'Again?' on his cute little face. She patted him again, and went back to folding.
With about five minutes to spare they zipped up the last case and took a quick tour of the suite to make sure nothing was missed. She and Rachyl, grabbed their purses, and headed down stairs. Arrangements were quickly made for their luggage and the Porche was brought around for them. They piled in, Dill in the back with his nosed pressed against the back windshield, and made the trip to the house where the designer should be waiting for them.
She folded several more things her mind going over the lists they had created so far.
"Do you have the list?" Rachyl nodded. "Add a dog house to it, so Dill can have a nice place to rest when he's outside."
When they had gotten back to the hotel and started pulling things out of the closets, Dill had hopped up on the bed, put his head on his paws and watched them with a look of, 'Again?' on his cute little face. She patted him again, and went back to folding.
With about five minutes to spare they zipped up the last case and took a quick tour of the suite to make sure nothing was missed. She and Rachyl, grabbed their purses, and headed down stairs. Arrangements were quickly made for their luggage and the Porche was brought around for them. They piled in, Dill in the back with his nosed pressed against the back windshield, and made the trip to the house where the designer should be waiting for them.
Rachyl
18 years ago
"I find cleaning to be occasionally therapeutic, though. Mom and I never had the money for a maid, or rather never saw the need for it. I can do just about everything, cleaning-wise, though I really do hate dusting. We should come up with a pact, a moratorium against dust!" Rachyl giggled as she continued, "On the list we probably should put a dog door - you know, so Dill can get in and out when he wants. We could give him a bedroom but he'll probably end up sleeping in our room unless we hang out the hat."
At Meegan's inquisitive look, she said, "Tell me you've never seen Meet the Fockers?"
She rambled on, though, not really waiting for an answer. "You know we really should send Reagan a thank-you-letter, too, for all the Piazza did for us, Sure we tipped him well, but still, he did go out of his way to make us feel welcome. Almost makes you wonder if the hotel is bugged or something. But that's just a streak of paranoia speaking through movie memories about Sliver and For Love of Money. But in any case, we'll probably end up with half a dozen lists between the two of us with stuff that needs to be done, and you know we're both going to enjoy every single moment of it."
Rachyl reached across the center console of the Porsche and gave Meegan's close thigh a squeeze, then grinned evilly. "How does chinese takeout sound for dinner?"
At Meegan's inquisitive look, she said, "Tell me you've never seen Meet the Fockers?"
She rambled on, though, not really waiting for an answer. "You know we really should send Reagan a thank-you-letter, too, for all the Piazza did for us, Sure we tipped him well, but still, he did go out of his way to make us feel welcome. Almost makes you wonder if the hotel is bugged or something. But that's just a streak of paranoia speaking through movie memories about Sliver and For Love of Money. But in any case, we'll probably end up with half a dozen lists between the two of us with stuff that needs to be done, and you know we're both going to enjoy every single moment of it."
Rachyl reached across the center console of the Porsche and gave Meegan's close thigh a squeeze, then grinned evilly. "How does chinese takeout sound for dinner?"
Meegan
18 years ago
Meegan listened to Rachyl ramble as she wove through the streets of Nachton. The thank you note thing was a good idea, but Meegan would attach something edible to it as well, actually it would probably be drinkable, she'd have to find out.
Rachyl asked about Chinese and Meegan wrinkled her nose. "Sounds like a bad night in the new house. I'd rather get something to go from a nice place or just go out."
She pulled into the drive and parked behind the flashy red Miata already there. They both got out and Meegan very nearly got back in. Deirdre had gotten more bold over the years. When she'd been hired for Gothic-ah, her hair was a long, straight brunette,and she wore a conservative suit. The woman before her was covered from head to toe in a creamy pearl color. What had to be thirty different necklaces hung from her neck and her shoes were taller that Meegan's and that was saying something.
Her lovely locks had been mangled with permanent wave, then put up in a style that Meegan could not begin to make sense of. Oh, well, so she was eccentric, she as good at what she did and Ginnie had had personal experience with her already. Meegan set a smile on her face as the woman came at her, arms out stretched.
"Meegan!"
"Deirdre!"
They kissed at each other's cheeks, though it was the air that received the warmth and lipstick and not their cheeks. they pulled back and introductions were made.
"This is an amazing house, Meegan! I'm so happy you called me."
"Thank you. Let's get in out of this cold."
Meegan let them all in and they stood in the foyer while Deirdre gushed. The woman finally settled down and putting her brief case on the stairs pulled out a digital camera and a note pad.
"Let me walk around and get pictures, then we can either do the planning here or head to my office. I figured we could do the first floor and then go up. We'll leave the basement for last, as it is the least seen. Now How I usually work is in three sessions per floor. This first one will be pictures and brainstorming. Then I'll take all of this and draw up some designs.
Then we will have a meeting and then you can approve or reject the designs as you see fit."The brunette began to take pictures as she spoke. She took several angles of the foyer and moved into the sitting room with a soft wow. Meegan and Rachyl followed.
"Then if I need to redesign I will and we'll have another meeting. That's still session two. After all the designs are to your liking, we will move onto session three which is shopping. I'll take you out to the stores I'm sure will have the pieces we want. Some of them will need to be ordered on line, but for the most part you will get to put your hands on everything before it is purchased.
After that, my team will come in and build the rooms according to my designs. Then we start the process over with the next floor. Any questions?"
Meegan shook her head and nearly jumped out of her skin as the heat suddenly came on. The electric must have just been switched on. She chuckled.
"Well the heater works. I think we should probably go down and make sure no cobwebs or anything catch fire."
Rachyl asked about Chinese and Meegan wrinkled her nose. "Sounds like a bad night in the new house. I'd rather get something to go from a nice place or just go out."
She pulled into the drive and parked behind the flashy red Miata already there. They both got out and Meegan very nearly got back in. Deirdre had gotten more bold over the years. When she'd been hired for Gothic-ah, her hair was a long, straight brunette,and she wore a conservative suit. The woman before her was covered from head to toe in a creamy pearl color. What had to be thirty different necklaces hung from her neck and her shoes were taller that Meegan's and that was saying something.
Her lovely locks had been mangled with permanent wave, then put up in a style that Meegan could not begin to make sense of. Oh, well, so she was eccentric, she as good at what she did and Ginnie had had personal experience with her already. Meegan set a smile on her face as the woman came at her, arms out stretched.
"Meegan!"
"Deirdre!"
They kissed at each other's cheeks, though it was the air that received the warmth and lipstick and not their cheeks. they pulled back and introductions were made.
"This is an amazing house, Meegan! I'm so happy you called me."
"Thank you. Let's get in out of this cold."
Meegan let them all in and they stood in the foyer while Deirdre gushed. The woman finally settled down and putting her brief case on the stairs pulled out a digital camera and a note pad.
"Let me walk around and get pictures, then we can either do the planning here or head to my office. I figured we could do the first floor and then go up. We'll leave the basement for last, as it is the least seen. Now How I usually work is in three sessions per floor. This first one will be pictures and brainstorming. Then I'll take all of this and draw up some designs.
Then we will have a meeting and then you can approve or reject the designs as you see fit."The brunette began to take pictures as she spoke. She took several angles of the foyer and moved into the sitting room with a soft wow. Meegan and Rachyl followed.
"Then if I need to redesign I will and we'll have another meeting. That's still session two. After all the designs are to your liking, we will move onto session three which is shopping. I'll take you out to the stores I'm sure will have the pieces we want. Some of them will need to be ordered on line, but for the most part you will get to put your hands on everything before it is purchased.
After that, my team will come in and build the rooms according to my designs. Then we start the process over with the next floor. Any questions?"
Meegan shook her head and nearly jumped out of her skin as the heat suddenly came on. The electric must have just been switched on. She chuckled.
"Well the heater works. I think we should probably go down and make sure no cobwebs or anything catch fire."
Rachyl
18 years ago
Rachyl shook her head. "Don't need to. I did it yesterday when we were here. I knew we would be saying yes." Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Meegan, then she focused and looked around.
"I want to look at a few of the rooms though, maybe we'll get an idea that'll strike us so we can hash out things. So while you take your pictures, Deirdre, we could do that?"
At the woman's nod, then incessant click-flashing, Rachyl wandered off, Meegan in tow. Rachyl voiced her concerns as they moved. "She's quite eccentric, isn't she? I don't think any of the decorators I've ever met have been quite... as unique as she. Well maybe that woman from that movie, Brewster's Millions, but she was closet-eccentric."
Giggling, Rachyl stepped from the formal living room into the dining room. She stopped suddenly, eyeing the far wall, then stepped back into the living room, staring at the corner. Meegan stared at her. "What? I didn't notice this yesterday... the living room is longer than the dining room."
She indicated to Meegan, who agreed. "I wonder if ... no there's not a door outside. Why would there be outside-accessible storage? This is a house, not a condo..." Rachyl walked to the far end of the dining room. The wall was festooned with a floor-to-ceiling china rack. Fashioned of the same dark wood that pervaded the rest of the house, she looked into the glass-covered doors, peering. Something caught her eye; she opened the door, reached in, and pulled on the handle she'd spied. It twisted, and a latching sound was heard. The rack swung open, revealing another room.
"Well this is interesting. This must have been some kind of "bad boy" closet or maybe a servant's bedroom?" She shrugged as she let Meegan peek her head inside. It was rather sparse, for a bedroom. A tiny light hung from one wall, and the one window looked out over the back yard. "If we didn't use it as a bedroom we could use it as a pool room, for getting changed and the like. Unless we went down into the basement, which actually makes more sense?"
Rachyl was just talking out loud. She figured it was better to have ideas voiced than to hide them and bark and complain about them later.
"I want to look at a few of the rooms though, maybe we'll get an idea that'll strike us so we can hash out things. So while you take your pictures, Deirdre, we could do that?"
At the woman's nod, then incessant click-flashing, Rachyl wandered off, Meegan in tow. Rachyl voiced her concerns as they moved. "She's quite eccentric, isn't she? I don't think any of the decorators I've ever met have been quite... as unique as she. Well maybe that woman from that movie, Brewster's Millions, but she was closet-eccentric."
Giggling, Rachyl stepped from the formal living room into the dining room. She stopped suddenly, eyeing the far wall, then stepped back into the living room, staring at the corner. Meegan stared at her. "What? I didn't notice this yesterday... the living room is longer than the dining room."
She indicated to Meegan, who agreed. "I wonder if ... no there's not a door outside. Why would there be outside-accessible storage? This is a house, not a condo..." Rachyl walked to the far end of the dining room. The wall was festooned with a floor-to-ceiling china rack. Fashioned of the same dark wood that pervaded the rest of the house, she looked into the glass-covered doors, peering. Something caught her eye; she opened the door, reached in, and pulled on the handle she'd spied. It twisted, and a latching sound was heard. The rack swung open, revealing another room.
"Well this is interesting. This must have been some kind of "bad boy" closet or maybe a servant's bedroom?" She shrugged as she let Meegan peek her head inside. It was rather sparse, for a bedroom. A tiny light hung from one wall, and the one window looked out over the back yard. "If we didn't use it as a bedroom we could use it as a pool room, for getting changed and the like. Unless we went down into the basement, which actually makes more sense?"
Rachyl was just talking out loud. She figured it was better to have ideas voiced than to hide them and bark and complain about them later.
Meegan
18 years ago
Meegan stepped into the room. She'd never ask any one to live in here. She had figured the garage apartment counted as the fifth bedroom, but obviously it was this little space. Well they could turn it into a storage room or...
"What pool?"
Rachyl turned and looked at her with those, please, I really want this eyes and Meegan had to look away. She went and ran her hand over the window sill.
"Rachyl, love, I know it's a fantasy of yours to make love to me next to clear blue sparkling water, but we'd be giving, at least, seven houses free pay-per-view, and besides, it would take up a good chunk of the yard, and you love the yard"
Meegan met Rachyl's eyes, which were full of laughter and smiled at her.
"So no pool?"
Meegan shook her head."No pool. We could make this storage or hell we could put in the S&M room we'd talked about."
"What pool?"
Rachyl turned and looked at her with those, please, I really want this eyes and Meegan had to look away. She went and ran her hand over the window sill.
"Rachyl, love, I know it's a fantasy of yours to make love to me next to clear blue sparkling water, but we'd be giving, at least, seven houses free pay-per-view, and besides, it would take up a good chunk of the yard, and you love the yard"
Meegan met Rachyl's eyes, which were full of laughter and smiled at her.
"So no pool?"
Meegan shook her head."No pool. We could make this storage or hell we could put in the S&M room we'd talked about."
Rachyl
18 years ago
Rachyl let the pent up laughter bubble out. Wrapping her arms around Meegan's neck, she laughed til she giggled, and pressed a soft kiss to the taller woman's lips. "I'll see if I can't find Mr. Walsh's phone number. And wouldn't it be ironic if we ended up with a maid named Rosalita?"
Unsnapping a tape measure from the belt loop of her blue jeans, Rachyl handed one end to Meegan and they measured off the room. It was barely big enough to fit a twin bed and a small desk. "We could put a floor freezer in here or use it as a catch-all storage room til we finish-finish the finished basement. Well it's not so important, since not many people would recognize the dining room has one less window than the back of the house. Let's go see how Deirdre's faring."
They returned, arm-in-arm, to the foyer, where they saw flashes from overhead. Deirdre was taking pictures of angles all along the banister and wrap-around hallway. "You know what surprises me, Meegan? The foyer, for as tall as it is, doesn't have a chandelier. Nor does the dining room."
Unsnapping a tape measure from the belt loop of her blue jeans, Rachyl handed one end to Meegan and they measured off the room. It was barely big enough to fit a twin bed and a small desk. "We could put a floor freezer in here or use it as a catch-all storage room til we finish-finish the finished basement. Well it's not so important, since not many people would recognize the dining room has one less window than the back of the house. Let's go see how Deirdre's faring."
They returned, arm-in-arm, to the foyer, where they saw flashes from overhead. Deirdre was taking pictures of angles all along the banister and wrap-around hallway. "You know what surprises me, Meegan? The foyer, for as tall as it is, doesn't have a chandelier. Nor does the dining room."
Meegan
18 years ago
"No, but it has fixtures for it. See?" She pointed up to the ceiling to a gold circle in the very center of it.
"My guess is that it was a very expensive piece up there and was sold off with the rest of the houses contents or put into one of the children's homes. Same thing with the dining room. When this house was built people bought stuff like tiffany chandeliers and some poor servant had to climb a ladder and shine it once a month."
Deirdre came down the stairs gave them a smile and headed into the large open space on the right hand side of the foyer. Meegan took a seat on the third step, she didn't have any desire to follow the woman around while she took pictures.
"That kitchen is amazing as it is, Meegan. Are you going to want to re-do it?"
Meegan thought about that for a moment.
"Um, we'll go take a look and let you know."
She and Rachyl walked down the hall into the kitchen and Meegan took the time to stare at the place as a whole and in individual parts. It was done in warm sand tones, ranging from a muted red-brown to pale beach sand. The tile was the deepest tone and the gray marble counter tops just set it all off. No Meegan liked it just the way it was, they could pick out a table and appliances on their own for this room. She said as much to Rachyl, who quickly agreed.
They told the decorator this and she agreed with them, saying it was exactly what she would have done with the room. Meegan and Rachyl plopped themselves on the stairs, to wait for her to finish the pictures of the last three rooms. Ten minutes later she returned to them, she tucked the camera away and asked if they wanted to plan here or her office. They said here at the same time, causing a small fit of giggles.
Meegan took out her cell phone and called information for the number of the coffee shop they passed at the end of the street. She convinced them to deliver a large to go container of vanilla cinanmmon coffee and a smaller one of hot chocolate, complete with cups, stirrers, creamer, and splenda. With her credit card number given along with 15 % gratuity added, hot drinks were on their way.
They started in the sitting room and Meegan and Rachyl gave their opinions for the room, colors, fabrics, furniture. They spent the next two hours, interrupted by the coffee, which was exchanged for a cash tip, and the delivery of the mattresses and their luggage. The girls had finally decided on turning the down stairs office area into a sort of library/public work space. That way if they needed to bring work people home with them, there would be a place to work that kept them from having to drag everyone up to the attic space.
They waved Deirdre good-bye from the front porch, before locking up and heading back into town. They still had tons of stuff to purchase. Their first stop would be Sears for a washer and dryer, and then they would go from there.
"My guess is that it was a very expensive piece up there and was sold off with the rest of the houses contents or put into one of the children's homes. Same thing with the dining room. When this house was built people bought stuff like tiffany chandeliers and some poor servant had to climb a ladder and shine it once a month."
Deirdre came down the stairs gave them a smile and headed into the large open space on the right hand side of the foyer. Meegan took a seat on the third step, she didn't have any desire to follow the woman around while she took pictures.
"That kitchen is amazing as it is, Meegan. Are you going to want to re-do it?"
Meegan thought about that for a moment.
"Um, we'll go take a look and let you know."
She and Rachyl walked down the hall into the kitchen and Meegan took the time to stare at the place as a whole and in individual parts. It was done in warm sand tones, ranging from a muted red-brown to pale beach sand. The tile was the deepest tone and the gray marble counter tops just set it all off. No Meegan liked it just the way it was, they could pick out a table and appliances on their own for this room. She said as much to Rachyl, who quickly agreed.
They told the decorator this and she agreed with them, saying it was exactly what she would have done with the room. Meegan and Rachyl plopped themselves on the stairs, to wait for her to finish the pictures of the last three rooms. Ten minutes later she returned to them, she tucked the camera away and asked if they wanted to plan here or her office. They said here at the same time, causing a small fit of giggles.
Meegan took out her cell phone and called information for the number of the coffee shop they passed at the end of the street. She convinced them to deliver a large to go container of vanilla cinanmmon coffee and a smaller one of hot chocolate, complete with cups, stirrers, creamer, and splenda. With her credit card number given along with 15 % gratuity added, hot drinks were on their way.
They started in the sitting room and Meegan and Rachyl gave their opinions for the room, colors, fabrics, furniture. They spent the next two hours, interrupted by the coffee, which was exchanged for a cash tip, and the delivery of the mattresses and their luggage. The girls had finally decided on turning the down stairs office area into a sort of library/public work space. That way if they needed to bring work people home with them, there would be a place to work that kept them from having to drag everyone up to the attic space.
They waved Deirdre good-bye from the front porch, before locking up and heading back into town. They still had tons of stuff to purchase. Their first stop would be Sears for a washer and dryer, and then they would go from there.