July 29, 2020

Wednesday, 8:25 am

Ahh. I missed this place. The city of love. Man, even after eight years, almost everything is exactly as I remember it. There are a few boutiques I didn’t recognize, but all in all, it feels good to be back at my second ‘hometown’. I’m guessing that you might be curious as to where I’m staying, huh? Not to worry, I’ll tell you right now.

       D’you remember Madame Toussaint? The sweet, old landlady who rented me a room in her boarding house? Well, I’m her next-door neighbor! Apparently, my new boss owns two townhouses that’s next to her building on Avenue de Suffren. I didn’t expect to be living in that same area from all those years ago. I’m just lucky, eh? 

       I’m going to get dinner with the sweet lady later, around 12… Or was it 12:30? I forgot. Eh, she’ll probably come barreling to my door to fetch me if I’m late, haha. Maybe. 

       Oh, right! The new boss texted me this morning that I can start working next Friday, so that gives me ample time to explore and reminisce, I guess. I also have weekly scheduled video conferences with Dr. Meyers in lieu of my monthly appointments with a colleague of his, here in Paris. So… we’ll see how that all goes down. Man, I just arrived and I have so much to do, already!

       In addition to all that, well, you know. My whole quest is to find Alex before my nine months are up. Hopefully, I’ll get some clues as to where he’s at before I need to start work. But damn... I haven't the slightest idea if I’m doing the right thing by looking for him. What if this is all a mistake? What if what I’m doing is pointless? Ugh, my insecurities are showing up again, isn't it? Why is it so hard to stay positive? Anyways, let's change the subject before I start crying again…

       Um… I’m having a light breakfast at Café de Flore at the moment. Yeah, fancy, I know. Thankfully, I don’t need to pay over 15 € since I have a friend who’s the executive chef here. Haha, I didn’t think having connections was this great. Okay, I sort of knew, but still! I’m happy and grateful that she’s offered a free meal since I'm practically penniless at the moment. 

       I still haven’t been able to open up a bank account here since I need proof of work; basically, I need a pay stub. But since I haven't started working or even received a paycheck… I gotta use cash— sparingly, of course! As much as I love Paris, it's not a great idea to be using a ton of cash in a bustling city like this one, where pickpockets are always on the lookout for tourists. And, me being Korean-American, I already don’t look like a Parisian despite living here for eight years… ha. I'm gonna need to get new clothes to blend in with the crowds... such a drag.

       I don’t know if you still remember her, but Olive (she’s the friend I was talking about), has been the one of my few friends from culinary school who stayed behind in France while the rest of us went off elsewhere. I’m hoping she knows something about Alex’s whereabouts… She's the only friend from school that I 100% trust. Yeah, it's pretty sad, but that's the reality.

       No one, but Olive, knows that Alex and I had a thing back then and I intend to keep it that way. I don't want any of those asshats to find out about my past fling with my mentor and friend... The culinary world is small, and if such rumors pick up that I kicked Alex to the curb, I'll never be able to salvage my reputation (and Alex's) again. Uch, it’s giving me a headache just thinking about it.

       Anyways, gotta go; Olive’s on her way over now. Hopefully she'll give me some clues so I can begin my search! I’ll keep you updated after I talk to her. Later.

**NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**