Page 13 (1/2)

“Hello, Mindy, dear,” Enid said

“Hello,” Mindy said coldly “So you do have the keys”

“Didn’t Roberto tell you?” Enid asked innocently “I picked them up yesterday afternoon”

Philip glanced at Mindy but didn’t acknowledge her He knew vaguely who Mindy was, knew vaguely that her husband was some kind of writer, but as he didn’t know them, he never said hello And so, as sos, Mindy and James had decided that Philip Oakland, as successful, was also sreet the him their sworn enemy

“You’re Philip Oakland,” Mindy said, wanting to put herself in his face but not wanting to sink to his level of disregard

“Yes,” Philip said

“I’m Mindy Gooch You knoho I am, Philip I live here With my husband, James Gooch For God’s sake, the two of you have the same publisher Redmon Richardly?”

“Ah, yes,” Philip said “I didn’t know that”

“You do now,” Mindy said “So the next time we see you, perhaps you’ll say hello”

“Don’t I say hello?” Philip said

“No, you don’t,” Mindy said

“The bones of this apart to defuse a spat betarring residents With an apartment like this, there would undoubtedly be many skirmishes ahead

The group trooped up the stairs, eventually reaching the top floor, which contained the ballrooh; at one end was an enormous marble fireplace Mindy’s heart beat faster She’d always drea in an apartment like this, with a rooree views of all of Manhattan The light was astounding Every New Yorker wanted light, and few had it If she lived here, in this apartment, instead of in the half-basement warren of rooms her family now occupied, maybe for once in her life, she could be happy

“I was thinking,” Enid said, “we ht want to split up the apartment Sell off each floor”

Yes, Mindy thought And maybe she and James could buy the top floor “We’d need to have a special quorum of the board,” she said