A Most Unusual Request

Paris, always a city of surprises, never ceases to amaze me. Even after all these years, I still encounter requests that leave me scratching my head, wondering what the world is coming to.

This week, I had a rather… peculiar encounter. A young man, impeccably dressed, arrived at the hotel, radiating an air of nervous energy. He requested a single white rose, delivered to a specific address at precisely 3:17 AM. Now, delivering a single rose at an ungodly hour is not exactly unheard of, but this request had a peculiar twist. He insisted that the rose be accompanied by a single black feather.

I, of course, obliged. Who am I to deny a man his whims? The rose, a perfect bloom, was delivered with military precision at 3:17 AM. Later that morning, the young man returned, his face pale. He thanked me profusely, his voice trembling slightly.

"It worked," he whispered, his eyes filled with a mixture of relief and fear. "She received it."

He then launched into a bizarre story about a secret society, a forbidden love, and a ritual that depended on the timely delivery of the rose and the feather. I listened, intrigued, trying to decipher the truth from the fevered ramblings of a possibly delusional man.

Was it a love-struck poet, a desperate artist, or perhaps something more sinister? I have no idea. But one thing is certain: Paris, even in its most mundane moments, continues to surprise and intrigue.