Pickup at
Solferino Bellechasse, Paris
by Jilliana
Ranicar-Breese
Have you ever
met someone of interest without talking? I have
in the 70’s. It was in Paris on a crowded
bus going to St Germain. I was standing up as
there were no available seats. So I was hanging
on to the overhead hanger facing a good looking
man who was also standing hanging on. We were in
each other’s personal space. Our eyes locked
but we did not say a word.
We reached our destination and he was getting off
the. Straight away he asked me if I would like a
drink at ‘The deux magots’ as it was
cocktail hour. I told him I was working at the
OECD at La Muette. He nodded but did not say what
he did. In those days I didn’t ‘interview’
attractive men.
He suggested dinner at the nearby Laperouse. I
agreed as I needed to eat. I was not used to fine
dining more like eateries on the Boul’Miche.
His company was pleasant and he was attractive so
I agreed he could come back to my flat and spend
the night with me. His name was Michel and I
reckon he was 45-50 years old but I never asked.
A week later he phoned and asked me to spend the
weekend with him on his favourite island -
Guernsey! We would fly there and go to his
regular hotel and eat lobster and…
Things went wrong from the beginning. I had
brought a small hand soap with me and a larger
soap. Without thinking I left the small soap on
top of the larger soap. He went berserk and
shouted I was an ignorant girl and that you don’t
mix scents. While he was taking a shower I looked
in his passport and saw he was the director of a
perfume company which explained his outburst.
Worse was to come the next day.
We went by boat to Sark for lunch. He knew the
island well. It was known for not having cars and
for its WW2 history. The restaurant specialised
in lobster and was atop a hill with stunning
views. Then he began to criticise my table
manners which began with the posh cutlery. I
burst into tears. I couldn’t eat what he had
ordered for me. I choked on my unwanted food
which made him more irritated. He’s said he
wished he had not brought me away. I couldn’t
stop crying.
The next morning he wanted to walk along the
beach and I couldn’t keep up with him so I
went back to the hotel determined to walk out
after I had said Adieu.
He came back and immediately went to bed putting
out the lights without speaking to me. I had
moved my small bag into the seating area of the
room and went to the reception to see about a
train to Paris. It turned out he had only booked
one way!
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