I walked out of the hotel heading towards the Eiffel tower which I could see off in the distance. I managed to avoid the various gypsy beggars and their children who tried to con me into giving away my euros. My thoughts weren't really on sightseeing at the moment, Amanda and I had planned on walking around together and now that was a bust. Well, you know where my mind was; with Amanda and Monique.
I grabbed a bite to eat at one of the many sidewalk cafes on my little tour. I sat, eating and contemplating what my wife and her soon to be lover were doing. Actually I had a good idea what they would be doing. It not only frustrated me it delighted. Luckily, it was a beautiful day out, the weather had been wonderful since we'd arrived, the rest of the week looked great too. Perfect for touring if we ever got back to that.
As I pondered my situation I enjoyed gazing at all the lovely ladies passing by. I'm not a big fan of large cities but they do have a tendency to have quite a lot of pretty women to make one smile. I finished my lunch and took off again to get some pictures. I'm not a street photographer I prefer taking pictures of wildlife far away from people. However, I found myself shooting pictures of people, buildings, and various signs and shops I found interesting. I was enjoying being out on my own the thoughts of Monique and Amanda vanished from my mind as I took pictures wandering about Paris.
I had been out about five hours when I arrived back at our hotel room. On the nightstand was a note from Amanda telling me she'd call after dinner, that she loved me and she hoped I had a good stroll. I ate dinner at the hotel restaurant then headed back to the room to look over the pictures on my laptop and maybe post a few on Facebook.
Around eight the room phone rang, it was Amanda. She and Monique were at Monique's apartment they had walked around a bit then took the metro back to Monique's. She apologized again for not being there and said she'd be back in the morning but didn't know exactly what time. I asked if everything was okay, she said yes, things were going well with Monique, she felt safe being alone with her. We said our good byes and hung up.
I still felt like this was some sort of movie or something because it didn't feel real to me. I tried watching TV but it didn't interest me. I edited a few pictures and posted them online, replied to my emails and then called it a night. It was weird sleeping alone in a hotel room without the woman I brought but I resigned myself to accepting it eventually falling asleep.
Saturday morning came too early, I didn't sleep well wondering about my wife. I had breakfast in the hotel dining room which was nice. When the Maitre 'D asked if I was alone I sighed yes. I was seated by a window overlooking the boulevard. I ordered a croissant and coffee, not my usual fair but I didn't feel like eating. After breakfast I decided to walk around again and take pictures. It was much the same as the day before different faces in the same basic area. I missed Amanda more than I realized. I hoped she was enjoying her time away because I wasn't. The day ended as it began, alone. She didn't come back to the room until Sunday mid-day. That's when I learned about her weekend.
Monique arrived just after you left. I was still fidgeting around unsure of what to wear. I opened the door and all my worries seemed to evaporate. She stood there gazing at me with a smile on her face. I felt embarrassed as she walked in kissing me on both cheeks then my lips.
Monique then looked into her eyes, "Bonjour, Chéri. You look lovely Amanda. I saw Monsieur Jay in the lobby, he told me your room number. He is quite a nice man, you are a very lucky woman."
She closed the door, "Thank you Monique. He is one of a kind that's for sure."
Looking round the room she replied, "What a lovely room. It's larger than my apartment."
"Oh my, your apartment must be tiny."
"It's cozy, but then it's only me and I'm gone quite a bit during the cruise season. Shall we get something to eat then do some shopping? You packed a bag to stay with me, no?"
Amanda hesitated, "I didn't but I can put some things together real quick."
"It's just in case you decide to stay, Chéri. I hope you will and it's easier if you are prepared."
"Okay, just a sec," she found a small bag, hurrying about the room she loaded some essentials.
Monique observed as Amanda scurried about the room, "If you forget something we can buy it. You look so very nervous."
Amanda stopped, looked at Monique, "I am nervous. I've never done or even thought about doing something like this."
"Aw Chéri, please sit."
Amanda did as requested. Monique walked over to her, placing her hands lightly on Amanda's cheeks she tilted the woman's face to look at her own.
"Please, don't be nervous. We talked about this on the ship. I want you to enjoy this more than you know. If you have any misgivings about this we can call it off. At any point we can call it off. I'm attracted to you like ze moth to ze flame. Relax, please Chéri."
Amanda sighed relieved by Monique's plea, "I'm sorry, I'm calming down a bit. Let me leave a note for Jay and I'll be ready to go."
"As you wish."
When Amanda stood Monique she slipped her arms around her intended loves waist. She pulled her in, whispering, she looked into Amanda's eyes, "You won't regret this, I assure you."
She kissed the nervous woman which calmed and reassured her. Amanda was a bit surprised with the kiss. It actually did relax her and excite her. She found the hotel note paper then scribbled a quick note to Jay. Monique held the small bag with the essentials in it patiently waiting. Amanda looked around the room making sure she hadn't forgotten anything. She grabbed her keycard, her purse then headed towards the door hoping she was doing the right thing.
Exiting the hotel they walked a few blocks to a small cafe. They sat at one end of the building apart from everyone else. When the waitress appeared Monique ordered in French for the two of them.
"I hope you don't mind, Chéri but, I ordered for the two of us. Something light and a little wine. You still seem nervous and unsure."
Amanda sighed, "Still that obvious, huh?
"Oui, it is. I completely understand. You know you can leave anytime you like, no? I won't just abandon you."
"I didn't think you would. I'm just thinking about Jay and so many other things. I wish I could just clear my mind and relax."