7

I'm happy to be leaving this weekend, I still find it hard not to dwell on the events when I find myself alone. My employees were happy to have their afternoon, especially once the orders for the week were sent to our customers. My suitcase is already ready when Theo and Lola arrive. We exchange small talk and then we leave my apartment. On the landing, we come across Madame Lepic, my neighbor. She must have developed some kind of intuition that prompts her to spell at the least intrusive moment. She looks at the only man present and says to us:

- Good evening. I see you're taking little Alison for the weekend. It will do you good, darling, she adds, turning to me. As for you, young man, I helped you find your sister, so I hope you will treat my neighbor as well as possible. Otherwise beware! she threatens Theo.

She hands him a garbage bag and asks him innocently:

"Could you take it down to the room for me, please?" I hurt my arm this morning. That would be so nice of you, she coaxes him.

Lola, his sister, stops laughing and Theo, a gentleman, reluctantly accepts the bag handed to him. I wish a good evening to my neighbor and start the movement to prevent it from becoming more embedded in our conversation. Arriving on the ground floor, I indicate the location of the local-trash so that he can quickly get rid of Madame Lepic's rubbish.

Lola opens the trunk of his car while waiting for her brother. I have a shock seeing the sedan. I have never been attracted by beautiful cars but I find this one magnificent. I hardly dare to sit on the leather seats. I fasten my belt and I put my hands on my knees while sitting straight as an i to touch as little surface as possible for fear of damaging the coating. I look at the luxury that emanates from the cabin. I always suspected that Théo's business was working very well, much better than mine. The comfort and technology that surrounds me in this car alone tells me that I have been way off the mark.

As a child, I quickly understood that my parents never had the same way of life as Lola's. Once we went shopping with my friend's mom to bake a birthday cake for Lola's dad, I was shocked to see her mom choosing the ingredients without looking at the price. Even if my parents never refused me anything, I was not difficult, at the end of the month, I saw them studying labels and I took this habit in spite of myself.

Lola had many scruples about getting into the car. She sat up and kicked off her heels before stretching out next to me in the back. Théo came in and took off his jacket before undoing the first two buttons of his white shirt. My pulse quickened as he ran his hand through his hair. The less polished he is the more I like him.

Lola looks at me before saying:

- You know Lili, you can sit comfortably. The car is not going to eat you.

I blush and my gaze meets Theo's for a moment in the rearview mirror.

— I've never been in such a luxurious car. I'm afraid of damaging it.

- Relax ! Lola scratched the front passenger seat with one of her rings the first time she got in, Theo reassures me.

I smile weakly and he fires up the engine. He comes out of my street and we pass my cousin's bar. I see Steve placing the dinner menu and wave to him. He does not react immediately but a few seconds later, I receive a text in which he asks me if I was really in a sedan a few moments ago. After confirming to him, he sends me a GIF to tell me that I am lucky. He then invites me to grab the driver even though Lucas disagrees. I tell him he's stupid and wish him a good evening.

Along the way, Lola tells me anecdotes about the various cocktails she accompanied her brother to. I relax little by little thanks to her. From time to time, Theo corrects what she says and her sister rolls her eyes. Night falls quickly and my friend's babbling ends up putting me to sleep, a miracle in this difficult time.

I wake up when I feel the car slowing down. I open my eyes and see Haussmann buildings through the window. I look at the facade with enthusiasm. It reminds me of the school trip in my last year of elementary school. We had visited the Louvre and other monuments. I remember that I really liked these tall buildings, especially the balconies. I wanted a balcony, something impossible in a single-storey house and this obsession has passed with age.

Theo stops in a small adjacent street and tells me that we are going to get off. I then see the presence of a guard to whom our driver gives the keys to his sedan. Lola tells me to follow her and I follow suit. The hall is beautiful, it looks like a movie. I can't believe my friends have an apartment like this. I'm ashamed thinking of the garbage room in my building where my neighbor sent Theo. I follow my two friends up the stairs and we go up to the third floor. Arrived on the landing, I ask them:

- By the way, what will happen to our suitcases?

"The concierge will bring them up for us." Come in, we'll order food for tonight, my friend replies.

I follow them and also fall in love with their apartment. It is like the sedan and the entrance hall. I feel borrowed again in all this luxury. I realize little by little that my forty thousand euros less represent only a drop of water for my friends. I feel like an imposter and taking advantage of them. I understand better the hurtful remarks of Theo's partner. I'm already anxious for the next evening, I'm going to be the ugly duckling. I'm going to screw up and I'm going to put them to shame. I am sure of it.

I hear Theo order Italian and Lola invites me to come and sit in the living room. I sit on the sofa opposite the chair where she is sitting. Through the large windows, I see the illuminated street, I am a little reassured by discovering that the panorama is simple. I don't feel comfortable in the middle of the moldings and certain works of art. Lola realizes that my eyes roam the whole apartment.

- Does it intrigue you? she asks me.

"Well," I mumbled. It's... it's too luxurious. I wonder what I'm doing here and I don't even know where we are! I revealed to him the bottom of my thought.

She looks around the room as if seeing it differently for the first time in years.

— In the sixteenth arrondissement. It was our grandparents' apartment. We came to live here after the accident. When they went south to enjoy the sun, they left it to us as their only heirs. My father was an only child, she explains to me. With their agreement, we sold several of their furniture and redecorated everything. There's a desk in the room where you're going to sleep, it'll give you an idea of ​​what furniture there was before.

Theo joins us and offers us a drink. I refuse the wine and I accept a fruit juice. He then comes and sits next to me.

"What were you talking about?" he asks us.

— I was explaining to Lili that our grandparents lived here. She finds the apartment too luxurious, she adds.

“The decorator did a good job,” he said nonchalantly. It's not bad with you too, even if I didn't see much, I felt comfortable.

I blushed at the compliment. Lola chooses to change the subject and I thank her internally.

"What's become of your parents?" It always freaks me out to see another family in your old house.

— My father changed companies and my mother found a job closer to hers. Since I no longer lived with them, they sold the house and bought a small apartment about ten kilometers from their respective jobs. It allowed them to put money aside in case of a problem or for retirement if all goes well. I try to go see them once a month otherwise I have my mother on the phone every week. She says hello and remembers you very well, Lola.

- I had to come to your house. I felt like I was free. When you invited me to sleep, she made us a TV tray in the evening. When I eat chips, I always think of your mother. When we came to live here, my grandmother didn't want us to eat what she considered to be junk food. Finally, she will never dare to say this word. In my college full of Marie Prout-Prout, I only made two friends and we went to fast food in secret. Tomorrow I will introduce you to Ludivine, her husband works in a bank and she is a restorer of paintings. I would also like you to meet Sonia but she lives in the United States, she works in research. Tomorrow, if ever you can count on Ludi to defend you if you're surrounded by sharks.

Theo sighs.

"Don't talk nonsense!" Lili is going to cause a stir, I'd be surprised if men came to bother her.

"I should have said moray eel." Honestly, if you bring another woman on your arm besides me, it's going to get people talking. All of Hélène's clique will pick lice at her, especially since she's had her sights set on you for a long time. They consider that the company's move to Lorraine was a mistake. They will try to get you. I'll let you get rid of them. I can't wait for the face that Jules will make in front of their attacks.

His brother rolls his eyes. Someone rings right after the order has arrived. I help Lola set the table while Theo pays the delivery man and lets the concierge through with our suitcases. The rest of the evening passes without talking about what awaits us and I end up relaxing.