Natasha opens the door to her studio. It's Roderick, Molly, Megan and Anna. Her face brightens. "Roderick! Hi! What a nice surprise! Come in everybody!" Natasha hugs Roderick and Molly warmly, then shakes hands with Megan and Anna.
Roderick hasn't seen Natasha since she took time off from Beauneville Latin to have Felix and Fanny. Before she got pregnant, Natasha was a little zaftig, in a pleasing sort of way, but then she gained a lot of weight when she had the babies. Now, the extra weight is gone, and -- wow! She still has long jet black hair down to her buttocks, which are currently hidden because she's wearing pants, but would still be hidden if she were pantless thanks to that long hair.
The studio, which used to be a carriage house, is expensively furnished. Natasha invites everyone to sit down on two couches that face one another across a coffee table; Roderick occupies the center of one, with Molly and Megan on either side, while Natasha and Anna sit on the other couch.
"How are Felix and Fanny?", asks Molly.
"They're upstairs with Mrs. Pampers. Mom and Dad said it would help my career if I don't have to take care of babies all of the time. They also let me live here and I get an allowance and a car and driver. And Dad's paying to send me to Old Ivy. They're letting me matriculate late; I start next week."
"That's great news," says Roderick, and he means it. Natasha can be a little clingy sometimes and Lord knows he has no shortage of female attention, but there's always room for more on the Good Ship Roderick. Also, one look at Natasha is enough for him to know that he wouldn't at all mind hanging out like they used to do, as long as Megan doesn't get mad and shoot someone.
"How is Henry?" asks Molly.
Natasha screws up her face like people do when they reach into the refrigerator and emerge with something rotten. "Feh!" she says. "He's history." The Witherspoon family, it seems, persuaded Henry to turn his back on the Kulturpunks and go to school for tax accounting. "Tax accounting! Can you imagine throwing over me and the movement for that?" Natasha spits out the words "tax accounting" as if it were that rotten thing from the refrigerator.
Molly tries to empathize. "I guess he figured he needed to get a job and make money to support a family."
Roderick, too, wants to help. "After all, Ben Franklin said that nothing is certain in life except death and taxes."
These helpful comments are lost on Natasha. "So now I'm a struggling artist and single mom with two babies," she blubbers.
Roderick smiles. "Two babies and a nurse."
Natasha nods. "Yes, I'm fortunate to have a nurse."
"And a studio where you can live and work," adds Molly.
"Yes, that too."
"And a car and driver."
"Yes, a nurse, a studio and a car and driver."
"And an allowance."
"Yes, my parents are very generous."
"And a Dad who is rich enough to pay to get you into Old Ivy."
"Yes, that too."
From upstairs, there is the faint sound of a child crying. Natasha rolls her eyes and shouts "Pampers! Do something about that racket!"
Mrs. Pampers responds from upstairs. "Yes, Miss Natasha." The crying stops.
Natasha shakes her head in frustration. "Jeezus! What I have to put up with!"
Megan is curious. "Are you planning to bring the babies to Old Ivy?"
Natasha looks at Megan as if she's crazy. "God, no, that's what Pampers is for. I have to be free for my art. Speaking of which, I want you to see my latest." She stands and beckons the group to follow her to the far side of the studio, where a large painting stands covered with a cloth.
With a sweeping gesture, Natasha unveils the work. It is a very large and very detailed image of Molly, nude, reclining on a bed; the point of view is from her feet.
"Hmmm," says Roderick. "I see that you've abandoned the Pre-Raphaelites in favor of the Dusseldorf School."
Natasha seems thrilled that someone understands her work. "Yes, the Pre-Raphaelites are so un-Kulturpunk."
"I don't remember posing for this recently," says Molly.
Natasha smiles. "Pictures from the last session!"
Molly seems slightly disturbed. "I don't remember doing that." The that she refers to a certain way a girl might entertain herself when she has some privacy.
"Artistic license!" laughs Natasha in a manner that suggests she does that rather frequently.
Anna speaks soothingly to Molly. "It's a lovely painting."
Megan, who also does that whenever she can, suddenly understands the appeal of the visual arts.
In the evening, Megan, Roderick, Molly and Anna drive back to Old Ivy. Megan drives and Anna sits in the front passenger seat; Roderick and Molly sit in the back. While driving, Megan grills Anna; she wants to know if the girls at Ecole Vevey do that and other things. The conversation is a little disappointing to Megan, because even if things happen behind closed doors at Ecole Vevey, Anna isn't spilling the beans.
Molly's left hand touches the back seat. Roderick gently touches her hand with his and says "I've never seen you do that."
Molly just smiles.
