Chapter 72 – Meeting the Neighbors
Dante then entered the building. The lobby was quiet and dimly lit, with that faint smell of old carpet and cleaning products that seemed to linger in every apartment complex. He approached the elevator and saw that it was destroyed — the doors were dented, the panel cracked, and a handwritten "Out of Order" sign hung crookedly from the call button. At that moment Dante thought: Yeah, Leonard and his friends really destroyed the elevator. If I order it fixed, will Sheldon go crazy because his routine changed?
Dante then heard a voice behind him: "The elevator is broken."
He looked back and saw Penny standing there, holding a bag of groceries and looking a little tired after her day.
Dante smiled and said: "Ah, yes. I noticed that. It's because I'm the new owner of the building and I'm thinking about when to fix the elevator."
Penny said surprised: "Wait. The building was sold? So that means I'll have to look for another place to live?"
Dante, seeing the worry flash across her face, smiled reassuringly and said: "No need to worry. I'm not going to demolish the building or anything like that. So everything will stay the same."
Penny sighed in relief, her shoulders visibly relaxing as the tension left her posture. "Sorry for the reaction, but it took me a long time to find a nice apartment. I didn't want to have to start looking for another one so soon."
Dante said: "You can relax. As long as it depends on me, you won't have to look for an apartment anytime soon."
Penny, hearing that, smiled, the relief clear in her eyes. She then asked: "So what was the reason you're here, besides staring at broken elevators?"
Dante said: "My girlfriends plan to live here because this location is close to their college. So, besides being a good investment, I ended up buying it because it's easier for them to live close to the college."
Penny said in shock: "Wait, are you telling me you bought an apartment so your girlfriend could live close to her college?"
Dante said: "Yes. I just thought it would be easier. And since it's a building that's a good investment, I didn't see any reason not to do it."
Dante then noticed Penny's face looking strange, a mix of surprise and something almost like envy flickering across her expression. He asked: "What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"
Penny said: "No, I'm fine. It's just that I realized how unfair life is."
At that moment they heard some voices coming from the door.
Penny then looked and saw Leonard and Sheldon walking in, carrying takeout bags and arguing lightly about something.
Penny smiled and said: "Hi, guys. What's up?"
Leonard said: "It's nothing. I was just going to ask if you'd like to have dinner with us tonight. We bought Chinese food."
Penny, hearing that, smiled and said: "I'd love to."
She then remembered and said: "Yes, this is ."
Dante, seeing her embarrassment, smiled warmly and said: "That's right. I didn't introduce myself to you. Pleasure to meet you all. My name is Dante."
Penny said: "Yes, pleasure to meet you too. My name is Penny. And the names of those two over there: the shorter one is Leonard and the taller one is Sheldon."
Dante extended his hand to Leonard and said: "Pleasure to meet you guys too."
Leonard also shook Dante's hand.
Sheldon said: "Now that all of you have finished these social rituals, we should leave. Leonard, it's almost time for my shower."
Dante, seeing this, thought: There's no denying it. This Sheldon is truly very annoying, but entertaining all the same.
Penny said: "Ah yes, Leonard. I forgot to mention. Dante is the new owner of the building. He's still planning to fix the elevator. Isn't that great? We won't have to climb so many flights of stairs anymore."
Sheldon, hearing that, said: "That's great. You're the owner? Then I have several things to say to improve the building's security against thieves and to improve the rules against disturbances."
Leonard, seeing this, sighed tiredly and thought: Sheldon, don't make us hated by the new owner so quickly.
Dante said: "You know, you can tell me all that later. I have to check the vacant apartments upstairs and see which one is ideal to live in. After all, my girlfriends are buying furniture for the apartment they're going to live in. So we can talk about all that later, okay?"
Sheldon said: "Understandable. But I have to correct you: the correct word is 'my girlfriend' and not 'my girlfriends' in the plural. You're wrong."
Dante said smiling: "No, it's correct. They are my girlfriends. I have two girlfriends and not one. So the way I said it is right."
Sheldon said: "Oh, I understand. Then it was my mistake."
At that moment Penny and Leonard shouted in surprise at the same time: "Wait, you have two girlfriends?"
Dante said: "Yes. I have two girlfriends who are going to live here."
Penny said: "Wait, how is that possible?"
Leonard, looking at Dante with envy, thought: I can't even ask Penny out and he has two girlfriends.
Leonard looked at him: tanned with blue hair, golden eyes, blue tribal tattoo, muscular and tall. He looked like he stepped out of a superhero comic. How can someone have that appearance?
Dante said: "So, everyone, it was nice meeting you, but I have to go check the apartment for when the move arrives. I can point out which apartment they should put the things in. See you later."
He then ran toward the stairs.
Penny, seeing this, said: "Was it just me or did you guys also think that handsome guy stepped out of an action movie? It's impossible for someone to be that good-looking."
Leonard, seeing this, became jealous and said: "But Penny, he has two girlfriends. He… he must be a scumbag."
Sheldon said: "No, considering the circumstances where he came to live with both of them and they know each other, the probability of him being a scumbag is quite low."
Leonard said angrily: "Thanks for your explanation, Sheldon."
Sheldon, seeing this, smiled and said: "You're welcome."
Penny looked at them and smiled.
Dante, who had finally reached the apartment door, saw that it was the apartment located above Sheldon and Leonard's apartment.
Dante said: "Wait, isn't this the apartment where that blonde bitch who fights with Penny comes to live? Who would have thought it would be empty now. I think this is one of the small butterfly effects caused by the fusion of so many worlds."
Dante then entered the apartment. He checked everything.
Dante said: "Right. This one will be it."
At that moment his cell phone rang. Dante answered and heard Jasmine's voice: "Dante, we already bought everything we need on your side. Is everything ready there?"
Dante said: "Yes. I'm already inside the apartment and everything is set for you to bring the things. Just hire some people to do the move because the building's elevator is broken and we have to go up the stairs."
Jasmine said: "Understood. Then I'll hire them. It shouldn't take long and we're already on our way. So see you soon, dear."
Dante said: "Yes, see you soon, dear."
He then hung up the phone.
He then looked at the ceiling of the apartment and said: "Now all that's left is to wait