Leblouche's diary

20. The birthday buffet

To understand this chapter, it is recommended to read chapters 18 and 19.

Tomorrow, to celebrate 25 years of the company "Ectogen", we organized a small party. Each office or department was going to make its own buffet, just to avoid some kind of disorder (management's words, not mine).

Another special aspect of this party is that everyone was going to bring something, like appetizers, cakes, drinks, etc. Currently, on my way back from work, I am taking the opportunity to buy some ingredients for tomorrow, wanting to prepare Corsican aperitifs.

Somewhere in the Parisian streets...

"I hope there aren't too many people at Carrefour, I just want to grab the ingredients for my aperitifs and drinks, then I'll go back..." I thought, tired, while riding my scooter.

After parking my scooter, I head to the supermarket to start my shopping. As I feared, there were people...

"Tomato coulis, sandwich bread, olive oil and chickpeas. Luckily that's all I need," I listed my list, reassuring myself that I wouldn't spend much time here.

I grabbed the items on my list quickly, as the supermarket had announced that it would close in an hour. After paying for my items, I headed to the parking lot to start my scooter and head home when suddenly I heard a familiar voice.

"TAXI! TAXI!... Dammit, when we don't need you, you look for us. But when we call you, you turn a deaf ear..." the familiar voice rasped.

I turned around and realized it was Mariam, who seemed to be having difficulty calling a taxi.

"Poor thing, that's why I prefer to use private transportation rather than public transportation," I commented.

Not wanting to leave her to fend for herself, I decided to help her, especially as night began to fall.

"Hi Mariam, need help?" I asked, approaching her on a scooter.

"Thierry?! What a coincidence, I didn't know you were around!" Mariam wondered.

"I had just finished my shopping. Parisian taxis are a bit finicky, aren't they?" I said.

"Yes, it's true..." she confirmed.

"If you want, I can drop you off at your place, it's getting dark," I offered.

"Oh no, you can go home. I'll manage," she protested.

"Don't worry, it doesn't bother me. I'm not going to leave you here all night, I'd feel guilty," I insisted.

"But I probably live far from you, it will take a long time for you to get back," she hesitated.

"Don't worry, I might be able to find some shortcuts. Come on, get in! I insist," I guaranteed.

Not wanting to be repeated, and surprised by my generosity, she finally accepted my help.

"Do you have a second helmet?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes, when I bought my scooter, I took two helmets, because I knew that one day I would have a passenger," I explained as she put the helmet on.

After she was settled, I started the engine and we left the supermarket. Along the way, Mariam guided me by advising me of some shortcuts.

When we stopped at a red light, I took the opportunity to chat with her about tomorrow's buffet.

"Tell me Mariam, what are you going to bring to the buffet tomorrow?" I asked, curious.

"I'm planning to bring cupcakes, briouates, a traditional salad and tea. I know it's a lot, but tomorrow is a special day," she explained.