“You know that reminds me; as my personal art consultant would you be amicable to traveling with me? We’d have use of a private jet of course.”

“Absolutely Peggy. I’ve traveled the world over with my mother. I’ve made several trips both accompanied and unaccompanied for various clients in search of rare pieces. Traveling with you or on your behalf will not pose a problem. My suitcase is always packed and my passport is up to date.

“Excellent Darling. Well the first order of business is to have a look around your wonderful gallery.” Bette and Peggy found themselves sharing a lot of things about their personal lives and talking freely as if they’d known each other for years. They spent the next couple of hours touring the gallery and talking about the artists and the pieces that Peggy already collected and those she had yet to acquire. By the time they finished up it was early evening.

“Do you have plans for dinner this evening Bette?”

“Nothing special. I was just planning to eat at the Planet. It’s a quaint little café not far from here. Would you like to join me? They are puppy friendly provided we eat out on the patio and the food is very good by most standards. I think you’ll enjoy the eclectic ambiance. ”

“It sounds enchanting but actually I was going to suggest that you join me at my hotel. I want to show you the art pieces that I purchased this week. We could have dinner at the hotel restaurant. They have an exquisite menu.”

“You have valuable art stored in a hotel room?”

“I know it’s a bit eccentric but when I purchase new art I like to take it with me and live it with it for a few days. Don’t worry, the penthouse floor is perfectly secure and has an armed guard making the rounds frequently. I stay at this hotel every time I’m in Los Angeles. They take the best care of me and my things. They won’t let anyone up to see me unless they know the password. I find it rather amusing when I hear the stories of people trying to guess the password to get past the security. The word isn’t easy to guess and we change it every few hours. So will you join me?”