15

15

- You sacrifice your friends for a girl?

- Yeah.

- You just have to come with her, he suggested.

I looked at him laughing.

- No way.

- Why ? he insisted.

- Because I've only been with her for a week and that would be the best way to scare her away. What I don't want, I mumbled.

I looked away and picked up another bag. Thibault remained motionless and I knew he was watching my every move.

- Flo! Look at me now! he ordered me.

- What ? I said, dropping the bag of cement I was carrying. I remind you that we are supposed to work.

- Don't tell me that...

And shit… He understood. I definitely don't know how to hide my feelings. Or else he just knew me too well.

- Shut up and work.

- You love it ?

I did not answer and continued to work. He took me by the shoulders and looked at me very seriously.

- Where is my best friend and what have you done with him?

- Shut up, I told you.

- Then I'm right! he exclaimed, bursting out laughing.

He was seriously starting to piss me off. What does it matter to her what I feel or don't feel for her? I should never have told him about her.

- I'm happy for you, man. For real. But I have to tell you, it's going to be weird to see my best friend serious, and with a girl on top of that! What did she do to you? he said, laughing.

This is the question that I ask myself too, to which I have not yet found an answer.

- Nothing.

- You don't want to talk about it?

- Nice deduction, man. That's what you think about from time to time! I pointed out ironically.

- Oh, I'm good !

It's good, he's finally going to let go of me.

- But she still looks really shy, doesn't she?

Missed…

- Yes she is. I also had a lot of trouble getting her to want to go out with me. So if you and the guys could avoid scaring her off that would be great.

- You know I'm nice. And then the little that I have seen and heard from her, I like her. It's the guys you should be worried about. And for your exes. Especially your exes. Your many, many exes. Who are all…

- Its good ! I cut him off brutally. I understood. And I already told him.

I passed him another bag of cement which he piled on top of the others in the truck.

- Say what? That you were a big asshole with girls?

- Yeah. After your visit to my house on Sunday.

- Oh yes it's true. Sorry, maybe I made a mistake...

- Anyway, I was going to tell him one day or another. Alright, now we've had enough talk. Work.

- That's what we're doing. Do you take yourself for the boss?

- Absolutely.

We finished loading the truck and I got on the passenger side. He drove to the warehouse where we started unloading everything.

- One last question, he said, standing in front of the rear doors of the truck.

I knew this question was going to be about Jess and obviously he wasn't going to leave me alone. I looked at him waiting for him to put it down and his smile widened.

- Did you sleep with her?

- Get out of here, we have to be done in an hour.

- Your jaded air confirms to me that you didn't do anything with her despite the fact that she slept at your house. Not true ?

He was a real kid and he wasn't going to let go. He continued :

- You've been hanging on to this girl for three weeks and you still haven't done anything, so I want to know everything.

He was worse than a girl!

- No I haven't slept with her and I won't for a while I think. She told me, she doesn't want anything more. And before you ask me—because I know you will—I plan to stick with her if I have to wait. Is my answer satisfactory enough for you?

- More than satisfactory. If I expected that… he mumbled as he opened the doors. I really need to have a talk with her.

- Nope ! In any case, not on this subject, I dissuaded him.

He laughed and we continued to work until seven o'clock, then I went home. No sooner had I opened the door than I was already smiling. She was sitting on the couch doing her homework, no doubt.

I had brought her my keys at noon, so she could come home, since she finished school at five-thirty. She said she didn't mind waiting for me but I didn't want her to be out for two hours alone. I only lived about ten minutes from her high school, so it didn't bother her too much.

She wore black jeans and a T-shirt of the same color with the symbol of the Scorpion music group drawn in red. She told me it was her favorite band so I listened to some of their music and it wasn't bad at all. Even if it wasn't really my style of music, I could easily get used to it. On the one hand, if I go out with Jess, I'm not going to have a choice; the music was resounding in the room at this moment. She had her hair up in a bun and was wearing her glasses. She has to tie up her hair only when she works because her hair always hangs loose. But I like it a lot. It fits her well.

- You're still working on my word! I tell him, laughing.

- Well obliged, she replied, putting down her pen.

After putting my stuff down, I sat down next to her and gave her a quick kiss.

- Should we order a pizza? I don't want to make dinner.

- Yes, you do.

- Call and get whatever you want. I'll have a four-cheese, please. Meanwhile, I'm off to the shower.

I gave him my usual smile and handed him my mobile.

- What time?

- As soon as possible. I'm starving!

- She mumbled before I closed the bathroom door.

A few minutes later I was still in the shower and heard a knock on the door.

- Flo?

I turned off the water as I couldn't hear anything.

- Yeah?

- You have two missed calls from Thibault and a message," she informed me.

I think any other girl would have answered the calls and read the message first, but obviously not Jess.

- Whose message?

- Do you want me to look?

No no, guess it will...

- Yeah, I laughed.

I got out of the shower and started to wipe myself off. If I open the door now, I think she's going to go into cardiac arrest.

- It's Thibault.

- What did he say ?

I feared the worst.

- 'I'm with the guys and I told them you couldn't come to the party so they decided to bring the party to you, man. Lucky you! Finally, just a small piece of the evening, I reassure you. In short. You won't say that I didn't warn you! '

- Damn they're never going to let me go! I exclaimed as I opened the door.

Jess looked up and jumped, as I had expected. I was still soaked and just wrapped a towel around my waist. I took the cell phone from her to call Thibault and she went back to the sofa without looking at me. I laughed softly and called my friend.

- Thibault, tell them anything but don't make them come, please.

- I've tried everything. And suddenly, they are convinced that you are hiding something from them. And that I cover you.

- Fuck it, I mumbled.

Me who wanted to spend my evening with Jess, it was missed.

- With who are you ?

- Pat, Mylene and JB.