On our first evening in Paris a dinner / dance function had been arranged for all the sales conference delegates and their partners. Seated at the same table as Mike (my husband) and me were a delightful French couple. They were significantly older than us, with Pierre and his wife being around 50, whereas Mike and I were in our early 30's. Despite the age difference we found them to be friendly and charming and were a pleasure to chat to.
Pierre asked me to dance a few times. In chatting during these dances I established that he was not attending the conference, as he was actually on the commercial side and so not directly involved with sales. When he found out that I had not been to Paris before he immediately volunteered to show me around. He said it would not be a problem for him to take some time off work to do so. I was later to find out that he was in fact very senior in the group of companies and so few people asked questions about where he spent his time.
I accepted Pierre's offer thinking that it would be great to have a Parisian show me around on my first day there. Not only would it help get me orientated, but Pierre could show me some of the true French lifestyle. Little did I know how intimate my experience of the French lifestyle was going to be.
The next morning Mike and I had breakfast together before he set off for the conference. Around mid-morning the Pierre collected me at our hotel. I was pleased to see that he had dressed just as I had guessed he would -- casual but chic. I had worked out that this was probably the Parisian style, so had tried to dress similarly. I hoped that I had got it right, not wanting feel embarrassed by being over or under dressed for whatever Pierre had in mind.
Being a soave Frenchmen, Pierre complimented me on my outfit. I had chosen to wear a simple, but stylish dress which fitted my figure very well. The buttons all the way down the front added an element of casualness, and prevented it from looking too chic for the daytime. I had quite a good figure with firm legs so most of my dresses were about mid-thigh length.
Pierre steered clear of the typical tourist sites explaining that he wanted to show me how real Parisians lived, shopped, dined etc. He was excellent company, very informative and was always charming. He had a way of making me feel great, and that it was actually a privilege for him to spend time with me. The Frenchmen have a reputation for knowing just how to charm a woman -- and Pierre certainly lived up to this.
We stopped at really quaint restaurant for a late lunch. Pierre had this way of taking control, but making me feel like he was treating me as something special. He ordered delicious seafood and salads, with some beautiful French wine. Over lunch Pierre asked me a lot about myself, my interests, my work and my personal life. It seemed to me that he was genuinely interested to know more about me and that he was not just making polite conversation. I was charmed that despite our age difference he wanted to know about my life.
We had a long lazy lunch, and I found myself quite comfortable in the company of this older man. He was charming, polite and very attentive, all of which made me relaxed and happy. No doubt the excellent wine contributed to my enjoyment of the afternoon as well. As the lunch drew to a close, I thought Pierre might want to, or need to go his own way. I thought I would give him the opening to be able to leave if he wanted to do so.
"Pierre, you have been fantastic company and I really appreciate you taking out so much of your time to show me around. It has been great to see Paris from a Parisian's perspective. I really just don't know how to thank you for the time you have spent with me today!"
"Oh.... I am sure we will find a way," he winked at me and gave me a naughty smile. We both laughed at the subtle suggestiveness of his comment.
He settled the bill and led me out of the restaurant. As we walked along the crowded pavement he took my hand and asked if I would like to find out more about how real Parisians lived. He assured me that he had set aside the day to entertain me, so I gladly accepted.
Pierre said he found it refreshing that I was not only interested in the traditional tourist aspect of Paris and offered to show me where he lived, so that I could get a feeling for suburban Paris.
Although I felt a brief pang of uncertainty about going to his home with him, I accepted his offer. I reasoned that he was married, a good 20 years older than me and besides he had been a real gentleman since I had met him the previous evening. Although I knew his wife worked, it was already quite late in the afternoon and I figured she would be home anytime soon as well.
Pierre's apartment turned out to be very impressive. It was on the top floor of a 6 story building, and had very nice views from his large balcony. Theirs was the only balcony at this level in that area so was also very private. The rest of the apartment was beautifully furnished with very expensive looking furniture and fittings. It was then that I started to realize that Pierre was obviously in a position where he earned well.
Pierre produced a bottle of champagne and suggested that we sit outside to enjoy the balmy late afternoon climate. I was already a bit light headed from the wine at lunch but could not refuse a glass of genuine French champagne. Pierre poured two glasses of the chilled champagne and sat down next to me on their bench, looking out over the Parisian roofs.
We drank to each other's health and the good day that we had together. We relaxed and made small talk as we enjoyed our drinks. At some point when the conversation had stalled briefly, Pierre turned to me. "Let's talk about how you could thank me for today?" he suggested.
Innocently I encouraged him to go ahead. He gave me gentle, appreciative smile and put a hand on my knee.
"You are a very beautiful woman, Ann. I would like to see you naked, or at least in your lingerie. May I unbutton your dress, so that I can truly appreciate your beauty."
I was stunned. This mature Frenchman was suggesting that I reward his generosity to me by letting him see me naked or at least in my underwear. My initial feeling of rejection was quickly tempered by the realization that he was complimenting my looks by asking to see more of me. I sat there just looking at Pierre not quite knowing quite how to respond.
