THE BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS

TWENTY-FIVE (RUBY POV)

Picture by Georgy Kurasov. 

"Are you hungry?" Iselen asks putting the bag with sandwiches that we've just bought on the narrow marble kitchen island and I shake my head while dragging our suitcases through the corridor, tripping over the carpet. We traveled first class from Paris to New York while the girls flew back to Los Angeles in a different plane, food was delicious and the flight attendants were very kind and gave us lot of snacks. Actually, I don't think I can eat a bite because curiosity is killing me. My Dom sold her apartment in this city before she moved to California but Bluma kept hers and gave Iselen a set of keys long time ago so, here we are.

"Can I take a look around?" I ask shyly and Madame nods, smiling. She looks better after sleeping for a few hours, even if it was on a seat turned into a narrow bed, and it's obvious that I made the right decision when I told her to go alone to the cemetery to say goodbye to Bluma; I don't know what happened there but she looked calm when she got back to the pub and joined the party, drinking and talking to other guests. Overall, our mental condition has improved a lot after the funeral service, it feels like we've closed a chapter and, even if we're still sad and miss our friend terribly, life goes on and we must deal with the mundane problems with determination.

"You'll love it, Bluma's apartment in Manhattan is... well, it's like her."

"I understand," I answer pointing at the colorful painting of a naked Lady Godiva that's hanging on a wall, she signed at the lower left and I can't help smiling. "I didn't know she went through a... Cubist period."

"Yes, that's very... geometrical," Iselen answers smiling too before walking in the living room. "I've always loved these dark grey velvet couches and the study with the black shelves and the crystal desk, they make a wonderful contrast with her flashy paintings on the walls. Everything is sophisticated and elegant but not over the top... There's another gorgeous blue velvet couch in the TV room, soft and comfortable to lie on it. Bluma was not only interested in shape and color but different textures too, everything that invited you to relax in a fancy atmosphere and was..."

"Sensual and voluptuous?" I ask staring mesmerized at another dark purple velvet couch that matches the painting of a beautiful naked woman holding a purple butterfly in her hand that's hanging on a wall.

"Yes, you're right... This is the walk-in-closet. She had as many designer garments here as she had in LA..." Madame opens one door and shakes her head, dismayed. "Only the best stuff for Miss Ahren. I'm pretty sure she would've loved to see you wearing that Yves St. Laurent tuxedo to attend a premiere."

"I'd be honored to wear it," I answer swallowing hard to try to get rid of the lump in my throat. I don't want to cry again but it's difficult because I can smell Bluma's perfume on her clothes and I miss her so much right now that it hurts physically. The massive bed has a black leather headboard and lot of fluffy white pillows, it looks soft and comfy, innocent... if the walls of this apartment could talk, they'd tell us thousands of sensual stories, I'm sure. "I bet there're sexual toys hidden in every drawer."

"I don't know," Iselen laughs amused but nodding. "Let's see what we have here..." she whispers opening a random drawer and taking an object, I can't help feeling disappointed when realize it's just a book and not a flashy pink vibrator as I was expecting. "The lesbian Kama Sutra... not half bad."

We both burst into laughing, rolling our eyes at the same time, while going back to the living room, stopping in front of the paintings, reading the titles of some books and watching the framed pictures. This is a gorgeous apartment, I can even see the Chrysler building from the window, fancy and decorated with style but a convenient place to live too, not a stage for parties, it's actually full of souvenirs of her extraordinary life. I can't help opening my mouth wide in shock when I see a picture of Bluma, wearing an 80s dress with big shoulder pads, shaking hands with the Queen of England in an art gallery or something like that.