The Name Game

The girls are sitting at a table in the lounge of the Hotel Mardigras, in Paris, France, sipping a dry Martini with just the slightest twist of lemon and wiling away the afternoon, anticipating the evening’s entertainment, when they invented their new names.
“Elena ... yes, that’s it. Elena, that’s gonna be my new name this year.” Ellie called out with a broad smile on her face, “Just for the holiday, of course,” she reassured as Rosie looked at her in amazement, watching her aunt powder her nose liberally as she announced her new title with exuberance.
“What on earth are you gabbling on about, Ellie? Why do you want to change your name? Isn’t Ellie good enough for you? You’ve had it for quite some time you know . .” Rosie flicks the air with her hand to disperse the cloud of face powder as she speaks but Ellie ignores her and squints happily into her mirror, pulling her face from side to side in an effort to find her best profile.
“Not so long, dearie,” she complained, “I’ll be ... well, nearly thirty-six ... next year,” she sighed and raised her eyebrows to the ceiling as she crossed her elegant fingers behind her back ... “and besides, Elena is very romantic, don’t you think. I mean, Ellie ... well, who ever heard of a heroine with a name like that. Ellie indeed, poooh! Tish poooh! “She added. “Elena’s got class,”