One of the big events of the year—at least for those participating—at the high school in New Jersey where I work as an English teacher is the annual trip to Paris for the French Club, which is composed of students who have taken French for two or more years.
The cost of the six-day trip in May after all the student discounts is around $1,000 each, which is usually paid by the parents or by the students with money they earn. In addition to the French teacher, Ms. Manet, usually a couple of parents go along as chaperons and any other teachers who want to—as long as they are willing to pay their own fare. I had always volunteered as a chaperon since I loved Paris, and this was the least expensive way to go.
This year, twelve students would be going, eight girls and four boys. One of the students was Michelle Baker, a beautiful long-haired 18-year-old blond of about five-foot seven who also was the top student in my English class. Ms. Manet happened to mention to her that I had already been to Paris seven times since I once worked as a travel writer, and as a result, Michelle gave up her lunch half hour many days to eat a sandwich in my otherwise empty room and hear about Paris.
I told her about walking around Montmartre, where Van Gogh had lived; I told her about the Latin Quarter; I told her about the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomph; I told her about the Paris Opera House; I told her about the Bateaux Mouche boats on the river Seine. She was enthralled.
"I would love to take you on walks through these places," I said, "But most of the trip is on a tight itinerary."
"We do have one free afternoon," she said, "Could you take me someplace then? Just the two of us."
"Sure."
Since the trip to Paris was scheduled in May—just before the high season—Ms. Manet was able to get a good rate at a little hotel, the Hotel Tour Eiffel, from which you could see the Eiffel Tower from all of the front windows. The girls would stay four to a room, and the boys the same. The chaperons naturally were given the best rooms in front. I have never liked having a roommate, so I paid a little extra to get my own room. When I walked out on the small balcony, I could look right up the street and see the Eiffel Tower.
The students had spent the first day on a bus-driven sightseeing tour of the city. I opted out of that since I already had done plenty of Paris sightseeing. But I did join them in dinner that night at a nearby restaurant, Vielle Paris.
I think everyone was very tired by the time dinner was over, and I was expected them to hit the sack early. Rules had been laid down before we started on what they could and could not do after dark, and basically it was: nothing outside of the hotel until the last night, and even then you had to have a chaperon with you.
So it was around 10 p.m. when I was sitting on the bed in my pajamas reading a book and enjoying a glass of chardonnay from a bottle I had bought at a nearby grocery store—when I heard a knock on my door.
Who the hell could that be?
I got up, walked to the door, and opened it. It was Michelle Baker, clad only in a thin pair of white silk pajamas and barefoot.
"Can I ask you a favor?" she asked, clutching her arms about her.
"Sure."
"Can you see the Eiffel Tower from your room?"
"Yeah, there's a small balcony in front. You can walk out on it, and the Eiffel Tower is right there."
"Can I look at it? Our room doesn't have any view."
"Sure, come on it."
She trotted in quickly.
"You look cold," I said.
"I am. I didn't bring any robe or slippers, just pajamas, and they're thin."
"So I see. The balcony's over here."
She scurried over and opened the French doors. The balcony was about five feet wide and eight feet long, with a small table and two chairs. It looked like an ideal place to have breakfast in the morning or a glass of wine in the evening. She walked out and stood at the railing. By this time at night, the tower was all lighted up, from top to bottom.
"God! It's beautiful!" she said. "I've lived my whole life for this."
I walked out and stood on the balcony behind her. She turned and hugged me. "Thank you. You don't know what this means to me." There were tears in her eyes, but also she was beginning to shiver. I went back into the room and got my jacket off the chair. When I returned to the balcony, she was back facing the tower again. I draped the jacket over her shoulders. She turned to me, and now the tears were running down her face. "This has been the dream of my lifetime. It's like a fantasy come true."
I smiled at her. Then I went to the bathroom, pulled a couple of tissues from the dispenser, and returned to her. "Here," I said. She turned around. I wiped the tears from her eyes. "Blow," I said, and she did, with a laugh, causing the jacket to fall from her shoulders. I picked it up and draped it around her as she turned to the tower again. She was still shivering, so I stood behind her and put my arms around her and the jacket. She snuggled back to me, and I could feel just how thin her pajamas were. Good thing she was oblivious to the growing presence in my pajamas. She clasped her hands over my right hand and after a moment slipped it inside the jacket—and inside the top of her pajamas, which had somehow become unbuttoned. "See how cold I am?" she asked, as she placed my hand over the stiff cold nipple of her breast. To say I was taken aback would be an understatement.
"I'm not supposed to be doing this," I said.
"You're not doing it; I am—and I won't tell."
Well, if that was the case, and if this was Paris, and if she was a beautiful barely-clad girl—which she was—I might as well go for the whole thing, I thought. I'm not going to get a chance like this again. I slowly lowered my hand until I reached the waistband of her pajama bottoms. Then I slipped it under. She was not wearing any panties. I slid my fingers down her belly until I felt the soft silky nest of her public hair. She drew in a sharp breath. "Should I stop?" I asked.
"No," she whispered. "Can I tell you something?"
"Of course."
"It's always been a fantasy of mine to be able to make love in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. And since my boyfriend is three thousand miles away—and didn't even want to come—and this chance may never come again, I wondered if you would be willing to do it?"