Miss Nivley Hockerbock let out a squeal of delight as soon as she saw the furnishings of her new best friend Miss Yolanda Peppernick. The squeals didn't stop so much as change pitch, volume, tone, and orientation. Like a school girl on an international vacation Nivley made incoherent noises; nonetheless, if the attitude of the squeals didn't convey her meaning the look of rapturous delight upon Nivley's face did. Miss Yolanda Peppernick's home was proudly furnished with the most lavish decorations; medieval tapestries hung about the walls while burnished mahogany and brass tables and chests peppered the room. Miss Yolanda Peppernick was a sybarite of the highest degree, singularly devoted to her comfort and pleasure. Miss Yolanda Peppernick was a spoiled snob with few who dared to darken her door, and fewer still who were allowed to enter.

"May I help you miss?" intoned Yolanda.

Nivley just blinked and worked her mouth wordlessly.

Yolanda let a smirk play upon her face. It wasn't often she whould toy with such an impressionable person. Anticipating the fun she could have at Nivley's expense she ingratiatingly stated, "You poor dear, you must be thirsty on such a hot day. Please, come inside and have a glass of lemonade."

Nivley blinked and bobbled her head like an enthusiastic child who was just offered a lollipop as big as her head. With her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open she followed Yolanda through her house and into the kitchen where two frosted glasses of sweetened lemonade were produced. Nivley took a deep draught, sputtered, and slammed her hand to her forehead.

"Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!" gasped Nivley.

Yolanda chuckled, "You must have drank it too fast. It is ice cold lemonade you know, I keep it in special refrigerator set to just above freezing. I like my lemonade cold and refreshing." Yolanda daintily took a sip.

"It's good," gasped Nivley. "Really good. I like it nice and cold. I like the headaches I get. Feels kind of tingly, you know?" Nivley looked up at Yolanda with bright, cheerful eyes. "Can I have another glass?"

For a second all Yolanda could do was blink at the strange girl sitting next to her. "Of course."

"Why thank-you ever so kindly. I didn't expect meeting strangers would be so rewarding on my first try!"

Yolanda raised an eyebrow at Nivley as she set another glass of lemonade on the counter. "Meeting strangers?"

Nivley gasped once more as she drained the glass in one gulp. "Yes. Meeting strangers. This elderly gentleman suggested I should get out more, mingle with different crowds, and meet new people. Had I known these new people would invite me into their home and give me my favorite drink I would have been doing it long ago."

"I see. So you knocked on my door because-" began Yolanda.

"Because yours was the first house I noticed on my walk home." interrupted Nively. She stuck out her hand, "I'm Nivley, Nively Hockerbock."

"I'm Miss Yolanda Peppernick. Charmed."

"Know what? You're my new best friend. Want to know why?"

Yolanda simply nodded and took a sip from her glass to hide her growing expression of distaste.

"You're my new best friend because you have the same taste that I do! I just love what you have done with your place. As soon as I saw your house I said to myself, 'Now here's a woman who knows a thing or two about pleasure and luxury,' and I was right! I was so lucky to find you.

"You see, I have this little problem. I'm coming into this huge estate, with servants, a large income, and a palatial mansion, and began to worry that I wouldn't know what to do with it. But now my best friend can help and guide me and show me how she did it!"

Yolanda was stunned. She finally found someone who had the resources to further her solitary pursuit of her own pleasure. For maybe the first time in her life Yolanda was glad to have met a strange woman.