Paris and us

Chapter 23

Ça va bien aller.

The door was open behind me, footsteps approached and I could smell coffee.

"Delphine, time to get out of the bedroom. It is a beautiful day," Aurélien handed me the coffee and planted a kiss on my head.

Good, at least my dream came true. Someone served me coffee in bed.

"We could walk towards the Tour Eiffel or Jardin des Tuileries today. What do you think?" Aurélien asked with an enthusiastic tone.

We were confined in our home, but we were allowed to walk outside for an hour daily, within one kilometre radius of our house. Be sure to bring your permission slip with you. We had to go out alone too.

"My dad talked to Édouard Philippe, they had confidence that it would be over in a month, we would all go back to the normal life again." (No, we would not.)

I gave him back the coffee cup and walked to the bathroom. I shut the door. I wanted to scream.

"Today for lunch we have the choice of escalope de veau or chicken curry, which one do you prefer? Delphine, talk to me, please?" he asked me outside the bathroom door.

"Whatever, I don't care. They are both good," I shouted back before I turned on the shower head to wash away my tears.

When could we get out of this? I was a pessimist, I didn't see the end of the tunnel. I didn't see how could the virus magically disappear when summer began. (And I was right.)

I was lucky to be alive, and I was even luckier to live this spacious apartment. I could not imagine being confined in my 300 square feet studio. I would probably fly back to Montreal to be with my dad, if I did not live with Aurélien.

We had to continue a routine to keep our sanity.

"Did you find some toilet paper? We just have 6 rolls left. I don't think it can last for 10 days." I said when I walked into the living room. I could have asked him for a Cartier watch or a Bulgari diamond ring, but never in my life I would imagine myself asking my billionaire boyfriend for some toilet paper rolls. But 2020 was a weird year, desperate time needed desperate measures. The supermarket shelves were empty. We had a lockdown and a curfew.

"We were at war, with Covid-19", said the Président de la République

Aurélien unloaded the washing machine and put the clothes in the dryer. The cleaning staffs were not allowed to come, we had to do the housework ourselves. I suspected this was the first time he touched the washer and the dryer. I suppressed my urge to run there and press the button for him, when I saw he chose the wrong cycle option. Well, the dryer must be too complicated for the brain of the Polytechnicien.

"Aurélien, have you ever done the laundry yourself? I meant, before Covid?"

There was life before Covid, and after Covid, although we didn't know how much longer we had to wait to be over, that was, if we survived the pandemic at all.

"I did the laundry sometimes, I don't have 10 servants in this apartment waiting on me. I will ask my dad about the toilet papers later, they might have some more at home," he said. Yes, the son had to ask his billionaire dad for some toilet paper, instead of some shares of his companies. That must be the first in history.

"Ask him to buy a toilet paper factory and send us some rolls by DHL, whatever. What's the use of having fancy handbags or jewelry, honestly? I can't use them to wipe my ass."

"They are making hand sanitizers and medical masks in our factories now, toilets paper is not our priority for the moment."

"Well, it is my priority. Or soon we will have to use our hands, just like in the Middle Age."

The chicken curry suddenly didn't look very appetizing.

He rolled his eyes and sighed, "Come to have lunch. If we really run out, we can move to a hotel. They will have lots of toilet paper, since the tourists are all gone and their rooms are empty." (And no, he didn't cook the food, his mom send him some cooked meals, I cooked most of the time.)

We were now live like a normal ordinary couple, fighting over who forgot the toilet paper and who cooked the meals. Thank god someone invented a dish washer, which saved many relationships and marriages. I highly recommended buying one.

"Delphine, I have to tell you some news," he suddenly looked serious.

"How many deaths today again?"

"No, not about the Covid. It is about my job. We are in the process of buying a new fashion house, I wanted to tell you before you read in the news. I will be the new CEO, and we have to move to New York City."

"What the fuck, Aurélien?"

"Come with me this time, will you? It will be a new adventure for us. And you can visit your Dad in Montreal as often as you can. You can bitch about the NYC bagels are not as good as the Montreal ones."

What was 'normal' anyway?

If our relationship survived 2020, he must be The One for me.

And we will live happily ever after.

(Wait until you have a baby, you will see.)