Heaven, Hell, and Earth

Chapter 37

When Charlie arrived at the diner, poor Niffty was in a panic. The attack with the demon gecko had caused only minimal damage to her Bed and Breakfast but it was costing her a fortune to have everything rebuilt. If profits didn't pick up soon then she wouldn't be able to afford to keep the place and that would mean selling it to Wally Wackford.

"I can't bear to leave my grandmother's prized work in the hands of that weasel!" She told Charlie. "He'll just turn it into a casino or a strip club or any form of get rich-quick establishment that goes against everything my grandmother believed."

"Don't worry Niffty, you'll figure something out." Charlie told her. "You're not the first owner of a business to have problems like these."

"But that doesn't mean I'll find a solution like some who do. I know I need to do something to bring in more customers, unfortunately I have no idea what."

"Well think about your grandmother, what would she have done?"

"Well she would have held a Sunday Brunch or a bridge game or a bachelor auction. But that was the fifties and the sixties. Not every young person in this decade has old-fashioned tasres like I do. They'll never go for any of that. Well they might go for the bachelor auction." Niffty drooled a little at the idea.

"What about a party? After the place is rebuilt, you throw a party to celebrate the re-opening."

"But Charlie you know I'm not of those big party gals. With all the drinking and the music like hip-hop and rap. It's just not me, or this place."

"Then make it a party that suits you and the Bed and Breakfast. You say that you have old-fashioned tastes, so make it an old-fashioned party."

"What do you mean?"

"Make the theme different decades from the past. We can have the guests dress in clothing from the twenties all the way into the nineties, you can play music from each decade, maybe even allow guests to get up on a stage and perform their favorite acts from their favorite time period. As for the catering you can serve all the food from the diner. Everyone loves your cooking, it'll promote great business."

"That's a wonderful idea!" Niffty said getting excited. "I've have been praying for an excuse to wear one of my grandmother's old poodle skirts and to fix my hair into a bouffant. Or better yet, I could give myself the Elizabeth Taylor look. How I loved her movies. My grandmother and I would watch them late at night, when I didn't have to go to school the next day."

"Whatever look you choose." Charlie said. "I'm sure it'll look fantastic on you."

"My goodness! There's so much I have to do! Prepare the fliers, set up a menu for catering, call a contractor and talk about editions I could have made, and of course there's your look."

"I think I'll just wear my uniform."

"You wear that everyday. A party is where you're supposed to wear something different. Something you wouldn't normally wear on a regular day. Ooo...I've got it. What if I gave you look like Mary Pickford?"

"Who's she?"

"She was an actress from the 1920's, starred in silent movies. Oh she was gorgeous. A soft, subtle, sweet, ingenue with long beautiful hair and such, big, pretty, expressive eyes. Reminds me so much of you."

"But I'm not an actress."

"But you do have long beautiful hair and big, pretty, expressive eyes. I think you could pull off her look perfectly."

"I guess I could give it a try. It does sound fun."

"Perfect, oh and why don't you invite your friends to the party?"