Chapter 2

I had reserved a hotel in Paris that was fairly close to the Louvre. My plan was to be able to walk to our destinations as much as possible. Since we had arrived in the late morning, we were able to check in at the hotel and then do some site seeing. The first stop, of course, was the Eiffel Tower, the most visited paid monument in the world.

When it came to be our turn to ride up to the second level, David and I pressed forward and found out later that Chad had to take the next ride up. The view was incredible as we looked out over the massive city. Several times I hugged David, I was so excited. Chad was happy checking out his new camera and trying to get some good shots of the many historical and famous buildings that were all around us.

Later, we went to the Arc de Triomphe and then walked down the Avenue des Champs- Elysees. We found a nice restaurant and had a great meal. We sat at a table outside where we could look down the Avenue and watch all the people. The food was good, the atmosphere was great, and we all seemed to be enjoying ourselves. Eventually, the events of our long day caught up with us and we headed back to our hotel.

The next day we went to the Pere Lachaise cemetery where David and I ran ahead to look for some of the shots that we needed for the book. Some of the graves were heavily covered with moss, one of the scenes that I wanted to capture. We walked for blocks and marveled at the variety of memorials and the number of famous persons who were buried there.

We found a good restaurant a few blocks away and had a great lunch. Then we went to the Louvre to look for some specific items that I wanted to research. We had a wonderful time there and it was so fun to see the excitement on David's face as he witnessed historical treasures for the first time. He was just so fresh and intense and full of life.

Chad went off and studied the armour, guns, and other military things. At dinner, we discussed the possibility of taking a night cruise on the river Seine. The brochure said it was a great way to view Notre Dame, the Pont Neuf Bridge, the Grand Palais, and many other landmarks.

Chad appeared to be having some jet lag and didn't seem too interested in the cruise. I really wanted to go and told him so. Chad apologized and suggested that David and I go on the boat ride instead. We headed back to the hotel, where Chad could rest, while I freshened up for the evening ahead.

David and I left the hotel and walked hand in hand down the streets of Paris. As we neared the boat, I could feel the breeze rolling off the water. I felt young again and full of excitement and anticipation. It was a wonderful change of pace after being locked in a routine for so many years. We found some seats on the upper deck and sat down to watch all the historic building as they passed by.

The lights, the water, the night air, and David were all just so intoxicating to me. I took David's hand and placed it on my thigh so that he could rub my leg. It was incredibly sensuous as I enjoyed the cool air against my body. I rested my head on David's shoulder and drank in the magical scenes around us.

The tour boat was actually quite full, so we had to use discretion. I was satisfied to be close to David, to smell him, to feel him, to feel his warmth. I wanted to be able to remember this moment in time. I tried to take a photo, in my mind, of the buildings, the water, the lights, and most of all, the handsome man sitting beside me.

Of course, all too soon, the trip came to an end. The boat docked and we were ushered off. I held David's arm as we walked. I could tell he was enjoying the moment, but was he trying to capture it in time as I had tried to do? We stopped at a cafe and had a drink outside on the plaza. It was so wonderful looking at the beautiful old buildings and seeing real life happening in the square around us.

We walked to our hotel and stopped at David's room. David held my hand, as if to direct me into his room. I leaned up and kissed him, then reluctantly withdrew my hand from his and walked on to my room. When I entered my room, I found Chad was fast asleep. I slipped out of my clothes and joined him in bed. As I lay there, I played the events of the evening over and over in my head until I finally drifted off to sleep.

The next day we had a long trip ahead as we headed to the Alsace region. This is the wine region and there are some very beautiful towns that I wanted to visit. I also wanted to visit some wineries and vineyards. It was a long trip and we stopped once for lunch.

After we checked in at our hotel, we walked across the parking lot to a German restaurant. There, Chad and David ordered a meal of sausage, sauerkraut, and boiled potatoes. It was the first time that I saw the two of them bond, in a way, as they wolfed down their meal.

After everyone had their fill, we walked around the area. The hotel was backed up to a vineyard. Off in the distance was a small town. Over to the right was a church steeple. Up in the hills, we later learned, were the ruins of an old castle. We could faintly see the lights that illuminated it in the distance.

We said our goodnights, and David went off to his room. I prepared to get ready for bed. We had been unable to find a Laundromat, so I thought I would put some clothes out on the balcony to air out. I walked out onto the balcony and removed my blouse and pants. The night was dark and the air was so clean and fresh. It felt so good that I decided to remove my bra.

I stood there in the night air, wearing just my panties. I looked up into the hills and saw the lights from the castle. I noticed a movement and thought I saw the outline of David, out on his balcony, looking my way. I stood there in the night air, with the cool breeze washing over my body. I could feel David's wandering gaze studying my profile as I posed in the dim light emanating from the room.