10

- So Allie, tell us how was your weekend? Steve asks me.

'Ask him if it was nice to be around bourgeois people.

I roll my eyes at my cousin's remark. Lucas still hasn't digested that I accepted Theo's proposal. I come to eat with them before the opening of the bar in the kitchen, almost like every evening since the discovery of my ex's betrayal.

- You are bad language, they were very considerate with me this weekend. I invited them to the Mojito party so you can meet them and chat with them.

- Allie, I do not think I have time to argue with them, I'll spend my time doing the service. I have nothing against your friend Lola, Lucas tells me, but I don't like his brother's request. Already he comes to your house uninvited, even if it's to pick up his sister. She is an adult, she could have come home whenever she wanted. I don't want you to be blinded by an artificial world. You are one of my favorite people on this planet, I refuse to let you get hurt again. I'll stop bothering you today with that but I'll come back to the charge. Now tell Steve the rest or I'll have a scene at home.

I get up to hug my cousin, touched by his support. I didn't have the chance to have a brother but I have a cousin who plays this role very well. As I pull away from Lucas, Steve grabs my arm and pulls me against him. I return to my place, a little moved, and I begin to tell them.

- It was a weekend a little out of time. I was reassured to find my office on Monday, everything was back to normal. I always knew Lola's parents were well off financially but I thought it was because her parents were engineers. In fact, his father's entire family is rich and probably richer than I would dare to think. The same for Théo, I knew that his company was doing well and that it was a kind of start-up in the medical field, now I say that my work has to be up to par for his company, otherwise it will be difficult in finances.

- Stop devaluing yourself, Steve scolds me. You are doing a very good job. I worked a few years in Paris before meeting Lucas, I was a broker and I worked with com and advertising companies, you have nothing to envy them. With your creativity, you would be canvassed by top researchers every month. I even think that you could land a little bigger contracts if you were looking to develop your business more. You restrict yourself.

- Right now, I have more money to do communication or advertising, I reminded him.

- I'm not talking about your situation today but I've been telling Lucas for years. We call it the impostor syndrome, you have to become aware but above all trust in your abilities. Think about that. Now tell us, I'm curious, he said, winking at me.

I note in a corner of my head to see the definition of the famous syndrome of which he speaks to me before resuming my story.

“I'll start with Friday evening. They picked me up at the apartment. They passed my neighbor on the landing. She had come to poke around as usual, they didn't smell the trap and Theo had to go and put his trash can in the room. When I got out, I hallucinated when I saw the car. Steve, you saw it, you tell him what model it is and what brand, I don't know anything about it. I can only say that it is worth at least as much as a dozen cars like we have in the family.

"At the price of the Argus?" asks me, teasingly, my cousin.

- New! If you take ten cars from Uncle Gerard at the Argus you barely have enough to pay for a small new car, his is a real dump, there's not even a seat belt in the back. The interior was beautiful, at first I was even afraid of scratching something it was so shiny. After we chat in the car during the trip, Lola would tell stories about the parties she had attended. After you know me, if I don't drive I fall asleep in the car. So we arrived at their apartment in the sixteenth arrondissement.

"In the sixteenth?" Steve exclaims. We refuse nothing. How is their apartment?

- Theoretically it is that of their grandparents and they recovered when they went to the South. I had the impression of being in a palace, the decoration is top notch, there is nothing out of place. Basically, it's beautiful. I haven't slept so well in years and I went into Théo's room without doing it on purpose...

- Not on purpose ! You don't care about our pear, Steve mocks.

“They don't live in a studio. There were lots of doors, I hadn't paid attention the day before on the way and I was looking for the kitchen. I got the wrong door, I quickly realized my mistake and I was curious, I looked inside while remaining on the landing. I couldn't see a lot because Theo came from his bathroom shortly after. He was already dressed, I added, seeing Steve's interested expression. He then led me into the kitchen to have my breakfast and then Lola came back.

"He wasn't too familiar with you?" Lucas asks me.

“Gentleman, as always. I never felt uncomfortable in his presence. I finish otherwise the customers will arrive and the bar will still be closed.

- Go ahead. Steve can't wait to find out what happens next, my cousin tells me, glaring at his man who is obviously dying to know more.

- All afternoon, I felt like a Barbie doll. They did my hair, made up, they made me try on lots of dresses and even then I managed to avoid the most low-cut one that Lola offered me. It looked like I was going to climb the stairs in Cannes and moreover when we were going to leave Lola comes back with a jewel from her mother and wants me to put it on. I couldn't refuse so I ended up with a diamond around my neck. I feel like I'm walking around with a month's salary for my two employees, contributions included. The only jewel that costs the most in my house is my watch and it must be worth a few hundred euros. Fortunately there were only a few steps between the mansion of their grandparents' friends and the car, otherwise I would have been afraid that it would be ripped directly from my neck.

- To believe you, it was torture, laughs Lucas.

His man nudges him in the side to shut him up.

- How was the evening? Steve asks me.

I shrug my shoulders.

— The setting was even more beautiful than the apartment where I slept. The hosts seemed kind to me, as did Ludivine, one of Lola's best friends. I met a plague, according to Lola, and she tried to intimidate me because she thought I was in a relationship with Théo. Lola sent him off, I didn't even have to say anything, she was already across the room. Théo introduced me to a few people, stating that my company helps his to set up in the region. There's one that Lola doesn't like, but he seems quite charming to me.

'Listen Lola, she sounds like good advice,' mutters Lucas, digging into the bowl of peanuts.

A beep sounds. My cousin looks in the direction of the oven and stands up.

- Steve tell me more, I have to save the lasagna for the first service and I bake the following, he said before leaving.

"Did you do anything afterwards?" Steve asks me.

“We went to a nightclub.

- In a club ? You went to a nightclub when you refuse when you are offered it. Next time, I'm not asking your opinion, we'll pick you up and you'll come with us.

- I felt so indebted so I did not dare say that I was completely on my knees and wanted to sleep. Lola gave me another dress, I gave her back her mother's necklace. I was relieved to no longer have a fortune around my neck. We went to the club of a friend of Theo and his partner. Luckily Théo ended up seeing that I wanted to fall asleep and he took me home.

- I felt so indebted so I did not dare say that I was completely on my knees and wanted to sleep. Lola gave me another dress, I gave her back her mother's necklace. I was relieved to no longer have a fortune around my neck. We went to the club of a friend of Theo and his partner. Luckily Théo ended up seeing that I wanted to fall asleep and he took me home.

"Are you sure there aren't any sparks between you and your friend's brother?" asks me skeptically Steve.

“It's nothing compared to Lola and Jules. It's Chernobyl, it's so intense between them and they do everything to piss each other off as much as possible.

- Watch your words, teases my cousin who comes back with our plates. Two-salmon lasagna, just the way you like it. Eat while it's hot.

He removes the tea towel that allowed him to hold the three plates without getting burned and the conversation turns to Thursday's Mojito evening. I describe to them the poster I finished making this morning before going to get my phone and show them.