Yore complicity

-I will never understand how you two are always shopping together. Or should I say, I don't understand how the gentleman has the patience to meekly follow the lady on her endless shopping spree.

The saleswoman of the ready-to-wear store looked at Tiana and Ruddy in turn, a benevolent smile on her face.

They had been regulars in this store for many years already. Tiana liked the conviviality of the place as well as the quality of the products and their affordable prices; without forgetting the warm welcome that the saleswomen who succeeded one another over the years always gave them.

At the remark of the kind lady, a rather recurrent remark by the way, Tiana and Ruddy looked at each other, winking at each other, without adding anything.

-Thank you for stopping by and have a nice day.

After thanking the lady warmly, they hurried to their next destination, a basketball court. Just like every Wednesday afternoon.

-It's your turn, Ruddy. I'm going to go sit quietly in the shade of the blaze to better admire your five-point shots.

He laughed heartily, without picking up on the last part of the sentence. He knew very well that she knew perfectly all the rules of the game of this sport which he particularly liked, by dint of watching him play. He knew that she knew perfectly well the non-existence of a five-point shot, but that she was only saying that in jest. But, the first time she had said that, he had almost choked with indignation.

-You may be in the shade, my sweet, but you'll still be dazzled. Dazzled by my presence.

She raised the eyes to the sky, not without smiling.

-Modesty will choke you one day, Ruddy dear.

-Sarcasm will choke you one day, my sweet Tiana.

At the same time as this sentence was pronounced, he made a magnificent triple jump and scored his first basket of the day. True to herself, Tiana applauded wildly, malice shining in her hazel eyes.

-Bravo my dear, what an extraordinary exploit!

In response, he threw the ball to her; she narrowly avoided it with a quick movement despite her age and, recovering the ball, she threw it with all her strength at her man. Not expecting such a counter-attack, he did not have time to dodge and took it in full in the family jewels.

Tiana felt as if she was watching the scene in slow motion: the ball colliding with Ruddy, Ruddy falling to his knees.

Leaving the place where she was standing, she ran to help her man up, he was bent in half from the pain of the impact.

-I am sincerely sorry my dear, I aim badly, as usual.

Against all odds, he laughed briefly, shaking his head slightly from right to left.

-Some things don't change, despite the inevitable flow of liquid contained in the clepsydra. Old habits die hard.

She smiles tenderly.

-I can feel it coming. You, you have a little anecdote to remember. Am I right?

-I can't hide anything from you my sweet, you read me like an open book.

-Just a stroke of luck, my dear. I do read you like an open book, but the problem is that you are a book on quantum mechanics, so I don't understand anything.

He burst out laughing, followed immediately by a grimace of pain.

-Come on, stop talking nonsense my sweet and help me to get to a bench.

Once more or less comfortably installed on a bench and quenched by a long mouthful of frozen water, he felt better, the pain at the level of the crotch gradually decreasing.

-Once again I apologize my dear. But it is you who started.

-I confess, I have only what I deserve.

She rolled her eyes.

-Don't exaggerate either, I didn't say that. Are you feeling better?

-Never better. You know...it reminds me of something.

She smiled.

-Here we go again!

He pretended he hadn't heard anything and continued:

-Do you remember that day? The day I gave you your first basketball lesson.

-First and last, by the way.

-Yes, it was. It ended in a similar way to what just happened. Your ball hitting my balls.

She couldn't help but burst out laughing.

-Nice play on words.

-A nice play on words for a beautiful young lady.

He received a light punch on the shoulder.

-Ouch! Is that you want my skin today!?

She kissed his cheek.

-Come on, stop being offended and continue your anecdote.

-You think you can soften me with a kiss on the cheek?

She gave him a look full of mischief.

-We are still in a public place. But I promise, you won't be disappointed with the wait .

He surreptitiously brought his face closer to hers, before whispering in her ear:

-I am already shivering with impatience.

It obtained the expected result. She became flushed. She had such an expressive face.

-You had asked me a question, right?

-Change of subject all in subtlety and smoothness.

She raised her eyes to the sky and smiled.

-I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Indeed, I remember perfectly that day. The day you offered to teach me how to play basketball and explain the basic rules. I was extremely excited, and at the same time, I was very afraid. Afraid of failing. Afraid of disappointing you. You were so excited, there was this sublime glint of hope in your eyes. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do it. But I was determined to give it my all to succeed. At the origin of this initiative was our desire to find common passions. Because , even though we got along great and understood each other like no one else, our hobbies were slightly different. We didn't have quite the same interests, except maybe game shows and cooking. We had to find common ground. We had become so fused, inseparable best friends. We wanted to share all our free time together. And, finding activities that both of us could enjoy was a real headache. After long and fruitless debates and practical trials of various activities, we finally decided on a solution that didn't even occur to us at first, but which was the most obvious solution: instead of finding new activities to enjoy, simply make the other one like our favorite pastimes and vice versa. After my vain attempt to make you love shopping and window shopping, it was your turn to try to make me love your favorite sport, basketball.

-A vain attempt for me too. No offense my sweet, but you free simply incompétent.You were really out of your element.

- Do you know that not all truth is good to tell?

-Between us my sweet, it is the policy of transparency.

-The policy that, after many years of struggle, has finally allowed us to find our balance.

He tenderly caressed her cheek, a veil of sadness passing briefly in his eyes, his thoughts turned to a rather painful past. Guessing the course of thoughts of his man, obviously not very cheerful, she decided to lighten the atmosphere that had become heavier.

-You know, it's not so bad to stay on the bench without playing.

He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

-It gives me the opportunity to watch you play, and to see how much skill and talent you have.

Moved in spite of himself, he took her in his arms.

-You may not be good at dribbling, but you are undoubtedly an expert in the art of cheering up.

Her laughter was so infectious that Ruddy's gloomy expression evaporated instantly.

-This abject failure in my first attempt reinforced my belief that this sport was not for me. It wasn't me that didn't like the sport, but the sport that didn't like me. That day, we finally decided that you would obediently accompany me when I went shopping, and I would act as a pom-pom girl when you played. In short, some days we would practice my passions, and others we would indulge yours. However, this frequent closeness, this incredible complicity between us, made me feel more acutely a growing feeling, a feeling still indefinable, but a feeling very present.