There were no mouldings in any of the ceilings, and walls stopped neatly at the edges of ceilings with such precision that skirtings and cornices that would have been needed to hide imperfections there, were not needed.

This is it.  This will be our home.

Bette turned to Tina to speak, but Tina already knew, looking at Bette as they walked around, and seeing for herself also, the potential in the structure.  Bette wanted this.  She did, too, but she hoped it wouldn’t cost a fortune, though, given the location.

T…

Yeah, I know.

Do you…

Yes, yes. I do.

Sarah was looking at them, shaking her head.  But she was smiling.

“Sarah, really this is the best one you’ve shown us since we started looking.  And I looked at a lot.  A lot of places more than a year ago, remember?,” Bette observed, as she continued to walk around.

“We-e-e-e-ll,” Sarah drew the word out, “This place is gonna need work.  I will bargain the price down as low as possible because of that, I guarantee you.”

“Um, and Sarah?”

“Yeah?,” she eyed Bette suspiciously.

“Can you please find out who owns the two other floors?”

“Why?,” Sarah asked, even more suspicious now.

“Well… I’d like to rehabilitate the exterior, and change the door to the building.  I want that door to be consistent with the door to this duplex.  It is absolutely a winning feature of the place, and is based on the most classic of door furniture in modern architecture.  Given its quality, I’d say it’s probably an original example of that iconic design, I could check but I’m guessing I’m right about that.  All the other doors in this place are the same, by the way…”

As Bette continued to rhapsodize about the doors, and Tina listened attentively, absent-mindedly stroking the brunette’s arm from time to time, Sarah began to mentally plan a negotiating strategy.  She also calculated the number of months remaining in order for construction that would have to be needed, before winter set in.  She was keen to negotiate terms with the agent, and reach a deal as soon as possible, to allow for that work to start.

Sarah cut in, “Bette, Bette. Ok, I’ll check about that, but may I ask you a huge favor?  And really it’s a favor to yourself as well.”