6

When I told Lucas about the deal I made with Theo, my cousin ordered me to come to dinner on Thursday night, one of the two nights when they close their bar. Steve is there to welcome me when I arrive while Lucas prepares the meal. He gives me a kiss and says with amusement:

- You have a knack for turning my man into a ball of nerves. Usually he wants to gut your ex but this week, I had to stop him from going to your friend's business so he wouldn't hold his brother to account.

I hand my things to Steve and answer him:

"I don't see where the harm is. Thanks to Théo, I have a reprieve in my finances and I have the possibility of making contacts. Even if the skills in my box are in the area, I'm not going to spit on them.

- Tell that to your cousin, he does not see the situation at all the same way. He thinks that you are too naive and that Theo must have dishonest intentions towards you.

I blush imagining the famous intentions that Lucas lends to Lola's brother. Steve notices and winks at me.

- He is not bad ? he asks me with interest.

My rashes are more pronounced and I smile a little stupidly, ashamed to admit that Theo pleases me more than I would like.

- I have my answer, he said, a teasing smile on his lips. Don't worry, I won't say anything to the grumpy guy who lives here.

I'm relieved that Steve takes it more happily than Lucas and is on my side. I slept so badly this week that I'm glad to have someone to buffer my cousin's temper.

I leave in the living room, the time that Steve comes back and says hello in passing to Lucas. I love the one-bedroom apartment they bought with their bar and the way they renovated it. Their living room has a very modern style and the natural materials of which the furniture is made bring warmth to the whole. I watch Lucas stir his risotto with concentration. When he cooks, he often forgets what's around him. Steve came to sit next to me on the sofa and handed me the bowl with the aperitif cookies. I peck at it while he serves me the mocktail that I love but refuses to give me the recipe for.

After chatting about what happened at the bar this week, Lucas joins us with his risotto in a verrine, bruschetta with parma ham and some mozzarella and tomato cannelloni. I bless the ERASMUS trip to Italy that Lucas took in his second year of college for all the recipes he learned there. Every bite is a pleasure, I tell him like every time he prepares an Italian menu:

- You should do it once a week in your bar. I'm sure it would work out great! I know you're going to tell me that you've chosen to make only a single evening menu, but as an Italian caterer, you'd be successful!

Lucas shakes his head to tell me he doesn't agree and as usual, I chuckle. I continue :

- If I ever get married one day, you will make the meal.

- For the moment Allie, I'm quiet, he answers. Finish eating, I'll cook you on the guy you told me about before dessert. You'll only get tiramisu if you convince me! he threatens me.

- Spoiler ! I groaned again.

I finish eating while Steve tells us about his adventure with one of the delivery men and the error in their order. They ask what they are going to do with the eight extra cases of rum they received instead of the vodka one. I advise them to organize an evening on the theme of the West Indies, with the mojito and the planter in the spotlight, they should sell the surplus more quickly. They seem to be excited about my idea and I suggest that they communicate about it to bring more people to them. Steve offers to pay me to compensate me, I refuse, just asking them to continue to offer me the meal in the evening until my situation is rectified.

Lucas barely lets me finish my bruschetta before cooking myself.

“Tell me everything you know about the guy who wants you to parade on his arm this weekend,” he asks me.

For once, Lucas is quite diplomatic even if he will tell me the bottom of his thought later.

— His name is Théo Séguin, he's Lola's big brother. I think he's thirty-two, well not far off, he must be five years older than Lola and I'm the same age as her. They lost their parents in a car accident fifteen years ago and he runs a business that sells medical and paramedical equipment. He's got a partner who Lola says is a total asshole who didn't impress me on Monday.

"You don't know that?" Lucas frowned.

“I already know more about him than most of my clients. If you want, we go to Google and search what we can find on him. Besides, he's done research on me so I'd be surprised if he finds fault with you if you do the same, I replied.

My cousin pouted, not convinced by my words, but he got up and took their tablet and typed Theo's name into the search engine. I show him a picture that represents him and Steve emits a small whistle. Lucas glares at him, his man retorts:

- What ? I have the right to appreciate handsome guys, especially since this one is straight. If you were a follower of sex plans I would tell you to go for Allie.

Her man growls to show his disagreement.

- Do not put this kind of ideas in his head!

"It's okay Lucas. I'm old enough to make my own choices. I don't need your consent! I defended myself.

- The last guy you dated, you stole the money from your business and the one before was seeing several women at the same time so let me question your judgment, he retorts.

For once, I'm blowing your nose and I prefer not to say anything. Steve asks me gently:

- We still have not asked you but how do you feel after the betrayal of the last? We talked a lot about your financial situation but not about your feelings, especially since you thought you were in love with him.

A tear involuntarily rolls down my cheek. Lucas wraps his arm around my shoulders and hugs me. I answer in a shaky voice.

- Frankly, I do not know and I do not want to spend time thinking about him. I feel betrayed, dirty but I don't know what I feel for him except anger.

"And if he comes back with a heart in his mouth?" Lucas asks me.

"I'm gutting him and selling his organs on the black market," I said, trying to be humorous.

Steve smiled and told me with a wink:

“You know where our knives are, if ever.

The atmosphere relaxes a little and Steve launches a new search for Théo on Facebook. We look at the photos he took apart from Lola and her grandparents, his profile is very professional. Lucas tries again on a search engine by adding the name of the company to Theo's name and we come across a blog where he is one of the ten beautiful single kids bosses of a successful start-up. The other nine are not bad but I think Theo has a little something extra.

Bored by the results found, Lucas collapses on the sofa and says to me:

- Make it clear to him that you are not his bitch! You're here as a friend and he's your client.

I look up at the ceiling.

"You are too late. His partner insinuated that I was an escort and Theo brushed him off.

“One point for him,” Steve scoffs.

“Okay, I'll stop bothering you, but if he hurts you, I'll tie his balls in knots. Think about telling him and try to get him to come to the mojito and planter party. That way, we can judge him discreetly.

"Do you ever give up?" I ask, teasing my cousin.

“Only when you find a good guy who will worship you like you deserve. Come on, let's talk about another time. Choose the game we're playing tonight! he said to change the subject.

I choose a game where you have to mime words, movies or famous people. Lucas sucks at this game and with Steve we laugh more watching him act than finding the answers.