If you're in the book publishing field—which I am—the major event of the year is the annual book fair in Frankfurt, Germany, which always occurs around the middle of October. Since my company pays all of the expenses, I always go to it and bring back at least a dozen book ideas in which our company may be interested.
But this time, as long as I was over there, I also wanted to spend a couple of days in Paris, my favorite city, before coming back.
So, in addition to the lavish room at the Frankfurter Four Seasons, the company had made arrangements for me to have a first class sleeper compartment on the 8 p.m. express international train from Frankfurt to Paris at the end of the fair. I did not like flying on European airlines and much preferred to travel by train.
After settling into the compartment of the international express, I followed my usual routine of walking from one end of the train to another. I have always like walking and do not like being cooped up in a limited space.
I was halfway through one of the second class couchette cars when I came upon a young woman standing in the hallway and looking out the dark window. She was slender and dark-haired and was wearing corduroy trousers and a green jacket. She looked like a very young Juliette Binoche or perhaps even Sophie Marceau, two French actresses I admired. She certainly looked French. "Pardonez-moi," I said as I passed her, and she said "Oui."
I walked back down to the dining car that adjoined the first class sleeping car and ordered a dinner of dover sole, green beans and a fine glass of French wine.
When I finished dinner, I decided to take another walk through the entire length of the train before retiring for the night in the compartment with a book and a bottle of wine that I had bought at the train station.
When I got to the second class couchettes, I found the young woman still leaning on the railing and staring out the darkened window.
"There can't really be anything to see out there," I said, trusting that as an apparent student, she probably spoke English.
"There isn't," she replied. "It really piss me off! I paid for a couchette—there!" She pointed to one of the compartments. "But it is me and five guys—who apparently think I am their fuck for the night!"
I looked over at the compartment. She was right. There were five young men in it. I should explain at this point for those who may not know that a "couchette" is a six-person train compartment where you are permitted to turn the seats and backrests into bunks and lie down with a provided blanket and a pillow, but where you are not supposed to take off your clothes. I could not blame her for not wanting to be the only woman in a couchette full of young and presumably horny men.
"What will you do," I asked, "Stand out here all night?"
"Yes, of course."
I shook my head and walked past her. Then I thought about it: There were two bunks in my sleeper compartment, and upper and a lower, and only one of them was being used. It seemed a shame that she would have to stand up on the ten-hour trip to Paris. I walked back to her. "What's your name?" I asked.
She turned. "Michelle."
"Just like the song."
"Yes."
"Well, listen, Michelle. I have a first class compartment paid for by my company in which there are two beds, and I am only using one of them. I'm sure I'm not supposed to do this, but would you like to have the other one?"
She looked at me suspiciously. "What do I have to do for it?"
"Nothing. It's just going to waste. I was at the book fair, and now I'm on my way back to New York. I'm going to spend a couple of days in Paris."
She thought about it for a minute. "I have a second class ticket, and the sleeper compartments are first class. I'm not supposed to be there."
"I know that, but if we get caught, I'm sure the porter will be open to a bribe."
She smiled "Maybe he's even used to it."
"Maybe."
"Let me get my pack," she said. She opened the door to the compartment and pulled out a forest green knapsack. "Ou son---?" someone asked. "Fuck you," she replied in English.
We managed to get into my compartment without anyone seeing us. "This is wonderful!" she said, spinning around. "I have never been in one of these!"
"And now you are. Would you like a glass of wine?" I asked, reaching for the corkscrew.
"Yes, of course."
I unscrewed the cork, poured the wine, and handed her a glass. "I forgot to ask: Are you hungry? I'll take you back to the dining car and buy you dinner if you want."
"No, I had some cheap food at the train station." She smiled. "But I would have waited if I had known you were going to invite me to dinner."