When Jo and Matthew finished their dinner, they moved to the living room. Jo was in awe with the simplicity, elegance and comfort of that room.
"What would you like to listen to?" Matthew asked as he entered with a pitcher of water and two glasses.
"Let me think…"
For Jo, the reunion with her friends was a trip to the past. She thought about the time they had spent together, studying for their exams. Each of them were learning completely different subjects, and they couldn't help each other. It was their way of spending time together while doing their schoolwork.
She also thought about their trips and the places they would visit together. She remembered how they would take Matthew's parents' car in turns to watch the sunrise in the Alps. They would have to take turns using the car so they would arrive in time.
"A penny for your thoughts?"
"I'm remembering our crazy weekend trips, watching the sunrise in the mountains and the sunset by the sea. Those were the fun times…" She explained with melancholy.
"Mostly carefree!"
"Do you remember what music we listened to while driving at night?"
"How could I forget? Haha…" Matthew couldn't help but laugh as he recalled the tricks the passenger would play on the driver, it would keep the driver awake. "Mainly that the person driving didn't really know what to expect from one moment to the next moment."
"Even heavy metal couldn't help our friend stay awake over the three hours. We even wore earplugs."
"To be honest, I preferred to drive myself, then let him do it. I didn't trust him." Matthew explained. "He never followed the navigation system. After driving for two hours, we got lost and in the next few hours, we used to have a tough time getting back to the original travel route."
"If you want to find a place that doesn't exist on any map, let a friend drive the car."
"Haha… that phrase was always true."
"Despite all these adversities, I love to drive, even at night. It was a beautiful period in my life which I will always remember with fondness…" Jo stated.
"Me too…"
Browsing Matthew's record collections, Jo found old CDs with Celtic music they listened to while preparing for their final exams. She was very excited when recalling the last hours of study before her graduation.
"That music matches the end of an important era in our lives." She said with heavy sentiment laced in her voice.
"Yes. These CDs also mean the end of the carefree era." Noticing she wasn't in the best mood, he proposed something that he kept for a special occasion. "Would you like a glass of good cognac?" He offered.
"What do you have?"
"Hennessy, Courvoisier Initiale, Francois Voyer, or Remy Martin Louis XIII?" He asked.
"Do you really have Remy Martin Louis XIII?" She couldn't believe it.
"Of course, when I got it, I was thinking of you. You are the only person who would truly enjoy the taste of it."
He brought the famous bottle and handed it to her. She was staring at the bottle and it brought back memories of the time they were together in Rémy Martin headquartered in Cognac, France. Jo had already heard the interesting story years ago.
They chose the name for the cognac as a tribute to King Louis XII of France, the reigning monarch when the Rémy Martin family settled in the Cognac region. He was the first monarch to recognize cognac as a category in its own right in the world of eau-de-vie.
They produce the cognac in the Grange Champagne region of Cognac, from the growing of the grapes to the distillation and aging of the eau-de-vie. They compose the final blend of up to 1,200 individual eau-de-vie from Grande Champagne vineyards, ranging from at least 50 years to 100 years in age.
"The origins of Louis XIII cognac traces back to the founding of the House in the Cognac region in the early 1700s." Matthew tried to tell her the story which he had heard a very long time ago.
Jo was sure that she had heard about the history of that noble drink and just trying to remember where and when.
"In 1841, after more than a century of producing cognac, Paul-Emile Rémy Martin assumed control of the business and began selling the Houses' cognacs under the family name. Paul-Emile broke from tradition and began bottling his cognacs rather than continuing to sell them by the barrel.” He stopped trying to remember the details.
“In 1874, he began selling a blend of his best 100% Grande Champagne cognacs in an ornate decanter. While originally designated ‘Grande Champagne Very Old–Age Unknown,’ this blend and its decanter later became known as Louis XIII."
"I remember one summer when our crazy team spent a few days in Cognac, but they preferred to run around to the shops." She interrupted him. "I remember the lovely Old Town, The Château de Valois, The Saint-Léger church and the musée d'Art et d'Histoire. The most interesting part was our visit in Jarnac, home to Courvoisier."
"Wow!!! I am surprised that you still remember."
"Yes, I do. I still remember visiting the six famous vineyard areas around the Cognac area, all of which are within the Appellation contrôlée for Cognac. They all varied in quality from the best growth area of ‘Grande Champagne’, through ‘Petite Champagne’ then ‘Borderies’, ‘Fins Bois’, ‘Bon Bois’ and finally ‘Bois Ordinaire’." How could she forget?
"Yes… The best Cognacs contain Grande and Petite Champagne grapes, but they blend cognac with a variety of "Eau de Vie" which can include grapes from different locations, and from different vintages. It is the cellar master's skill that ensures that a brand's Cognac is recognizable regardless of time of production since he can blend multiple eau de vie to achieve the right taste for his house…"
"Matthew,… I think you made a huge mistake in life. You should be a chef, I am sure you could have a first-class restaurant with Michelin stars or a successful winemaker." She said seriously.
"Maybe I was a winemaker in my past life." He was joking. "Maybe we were even together, living happily in the French castle somewhere in Provence or Cote D'Azur…"
"Haha… maybe, who knows."
Talking about the past, drinking cognac, and listening to the Hans Zimmer soundtracks. They were truly happy at that moment.
She woke up with not only a headache, but also a stomach ache. All her muscles were sore."Again… I won’t drink anymore…" She thought.Judging by the sunlight falling into the room, it was not early. She was in a king sized bed adorned with white sheets. Everything around her was white or light grey which gave a sterile feeling but she liked it. She got up very slowly trying not to move her head too much. When she made it to the bed, she was surprised to see a large framed photo hung on the wall above the bed with a magnificent view of the sunset. She took it when their crazy team was together, the same evening she took a photo of Matt training with the wooden sword on the beach…She opened all the blinds and the windows, and felt a pleasant breeze. There was a faint scent of linden, rose and lavender outside. After a few deep breaths, she felt better. The familiar rumble of her stomach demanding food roused her from her lethargy. She
A knock on the door broke her train of thoughts. She felt sick inside as her head would explode any moment. Her stomach hurt badly. She still wanted to throw up, but she had nothing left in her stomach to do so. She mentally promised herself that she would never drink alcohol again. Not that she drank it, but occasionally she had a glass of white or red wine with dinner, sometimes a glass of excellent cognac. In fact, she also couldn't think of her favourite pancakes, macarons, or any food in general. She loved good food so much. This was not her at all... It was supposed to be a reset from her perfectionism, but it turned out to be a dud."Jo, are you ok? You've been in there half an hour now." She heard Matthews' upset voice call out to her from outside."Yeah… I'm fine…""It doesn't sound like that. Can I come in?" He asked, but came in without waiting for an answer. He was afraid that something bad might have happened to her again.She w
"Where?" Matthew and Mike enquired together. They looked at her as if she was about to give them a shock any second."Where do you want to go?" Mike asked her again, this time in a friendlier tone.She saw that characteristic twinkle in their eyes.‘What is wrong with you guys?’ She thought. ‘I am only a woman, weak and vulnerable at the moment. Not that I can't break your necks. You have taken care of it and I was a very diligent student in this matter, but not in that state. It's hard to concentrate, let alone any physical exertion…’Matthew pressed her shoulders against the sofa and he wasn’t gentle compared to when Mike was holding her hand with the drip. Both of them knew that she could be unpredictable. If they pissed her off, they could easily have black eyes. They couldn't afford it. Both of them had to go to work."Baby, think of your magnificent body. I'm sure you don't want to have more bruises.
The white kitchen table was perfectly set for three people. Every detail looked polished to excellence. Jo loved the contrast between the table: grey placemats under white plates and bright grey napkins accompanying them. In the middle, it was like a full-fledged feast had been arranged with all kinds of stuff like salmon, potatoes, green asparagus and spinach."Wild Atlantic salmon and organic vegetables. All steamed. No fat. No oil. No salt." Matthew informed. "Jo, try something. The food is light. I also have some steamed whole grain rice, if you prefer some.""Where is my favourite white wine?" She asked looking around the table."Nooo… She looks like a ghost from a dark horror movie and still asks about Chardonnay!" Mike was really frustrated."Why Chardonnay? It doesn't go nicely with this meal! I was thinking more like Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling, something more suitable for fish. And who said that I will drink it?" As Jo was speaking, she s
The rays of the summer sun streamed into the bedroom through the open window blinds. Jo woke up just before 6.00 am as she felt some warm light on her face. It was an amazing feeling to wake up without the after-effects of a great night with alcohol: a pounding headache, but most importantly, no burning sensation or stomach discomfort and nausea. She felt refreshed. "No more parties! No more alcohol! No more madness!" She decided.She could already hear some noise in the apartment which, she was certain, was coming from the kitchen. She heard the clinking of cutlery and dishes; she could feel the delicate aroma of freshly brewed coffee tingling her nose.Matthew didn't drink it in the morning so probably Mike was already here. She didn't want to see him. That wasn't a secret. So why was he here so early in the morning?Jo didn't feel sorry for him regarding what had happened years ago. She didn't blame him or herself. Why would she? They were not perfect h
As Jo entered the kitchen, she felt consternation. In the background, she heard the Zimmers' music score from The Dark Knight. That moment she knew for sure they were playing with her. That was the sophisticated game they've been playing for years: a game of words, music, lyrics and gestures. They expected her to be the foreground character so she would play along as they wished.She didn't mind their way of playing. She was good at it too. The only thing that surprised her was that they didn't take into account that she really felt bad. Today she should have been fasting because of the tests and visit to the hospital, but judging by the smell throughout the apartment, the two had prepared her favourite breakfast. Were these two friends of the seven sorrows so ruthless?"Good morning my handsome, heartless heroes!" She smiled.
More than a reset, Jo needed a proper rest. Right after graduating from university, she moved away, far from everyone she knew. She lived in a completely unknown environment and started everything from scratch. All she had achieved so far was due to her determination and hard work. She was very proud of herself but she had been working so hard over the past few years. She couldn't remember the last time she had allowed herself to a moment of weakness. When she had a cold or even pharyngitis or bronchitis, she continued to go to work unless she had a high fever and couldn't get out of bed, in which case she stayed home. Immediately after graduation, she had joined the corporate "rat race” in which she lost herself for several years, but that was the reality of the labour market when she finished university. There was no other choice. If you wanted a job, you h
She still couldn't believe that she was sitting on the plane and in less than three hours, she would be in her beloved Paris. Despite the fact that it was not so far away, due to her life plan being jam-packed to the limit, she could not pay the visit there earlier.She had to fall ill to have free time. In addition, friends had to use a trick to make her forget about work. It was really pathetic when she thought about what had happened to her life. There hadn’t been even a hint of spontaneity in the recent years.What happened to her? She became the person she swore not to be. Has she grown up? Is this what the life of mature people is like?Everything in her life had to be carefully planned. At work, she had a plan for any unanticipated situation. Seemingly impossible, but it was so. Working in public