Chapter 18
Her phone ringing startled her and she turned to answer it. Bob asked her if she was ready to see Paris or if she wanted to rest a while. She told him that she was ready to see Paris. In a few minutes there was a knock of her door.
"Well. Ms. Simmons. Your limo will be in front of the hotel when we get downstairs. We can either ride back or we can walk back. It will be about ten or eleven when we get done dinner."
"This has been a long and strange day," she answered, "I think that I'll need a ride back to the hotel. That is, if you don't mind."
They walked outside and their limo was waiting for them. Bob held the door for her and they started for the Eiffel Tower. Ann was all smiles as they pulled in front of the Eiffel Tower and the limo driver let them off in front of the structure.
"Do you want to go to the souvenir shop first or do you want to see it when we come down?"
Ann turned to him with a smile on her face, "Let's go there when we come down. We don't want to be carrying whatever around we buy. I'm anxious to see Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower. It's been my dream."
It was just getting dark when they got on the elevator to go to the second floor; from there they would catch the elevator to the top. They had to wait for the elevator at the second floor. Finally the elevator arrived and they were on their way to the top.
The elevator was packed with tourists. At least half of the tourists were Asian. Ann smiled when she saw that every one of them had a camera slung around their neck and a couple of the men had their cameras at-the-ready; preparing to take a picture of the first thing that they saw. As the elevator neared the top, several of the tourists started make a move to be the first out of the elevator.
The elevator stopped and there was a rush to get out of the elevator. Bob pulled Ann to the back of the elevator car and waited until the rush emptied the car... He and Ann then walked out onto the observation deck. Surprisingly there was only a moderate breeze blowing but that was enough to remind everyone that it was winter.
Ann walked around the deck for a long time trying to take in every part of Paris. Bob followed along beside her. After walking around the deck for about an hour she finally stopped at the rail on the west side.
"This is the best view. This gives me the best view of Paris from the Eiffel Tower. I never thought that I would be here. Thank you Bob for making my dream come true."
Ann shivered and clutched herself trying to keep warm. Bob walked behind her and put his arms around her to block the wind and keep her warm. Ann didn't make any attempt to move away from him. It just seemed so natural to her; a man's arms around her and watching the lights of Paris. They stayed together for a long time watching Paris' lights. Occasionally Ann would point out some feature that she thought was particularly interesting.
Ann heard the elevator coming up to the observation deck, "We ought to go down. I know that you're as cold as I am."
Bob took her arm and walked her to the elevator. They waited for the people to get off of the elevator and then they got on as did six other people. As the doors shut Ann saw that the tourists outside were taking picture after picture.
Bob was still holding her arm and said, "Why don't we go to the souvenir shop first and then we'll get dinner. It's still a little early for our reservation."
Ann nodded, "OK. It's warm in here. I didn't realize how cold I was until we got on the elevator. It was worth it though."
The elevator stopped on the first floor and they caught the elevator to take them down to the first level where the souvenir shop was. Ann looked at everything and Bob told her to get whatever she wanted. He jokingly told her that he would take it out of her paycheck. Ann settled on a beret for herself and Brenda and miniatures of the Eiffel Tower for herself and Brenda. Bob picked up some of the books on the construction of the Tower and some of the post cards. After he paid for everything he stuck them in Ann's bag.
By the time they got to the Jules Verne Restaurant it was almost nine o'clock. They entered the restaurant and waited until the maitre de came to the front desk. As soon as the maitre de saw Bob he broke out into a big smile and walked toward him with his hand outstretched and Ann saw Bob slip a hundred dollar bill in his palm.
"Mr. Bob long, the Athenee did not tell me that the reservation was for you. Don't you even do that again? If you need a reservation you call me."
He grabbed the menus and led them to a table close to the window, "Our salmon is the best that we have ever served here. I would recommend it highly."
Bob handed the maitre de the menus, "Please order for us. I would be a fool not to take your recommendations."
The maitre de beamed and left to place the order. In a minute he was back with a bottle of Champaign. He poured a glass for Bob and Ann and left the table.
"I take it that you've been here before," Ann smiled.
"Alex has one of our Range Rovers. I had it fitted with a special diesel engine and armored to B6. One week after he got it someone tried to kidnap him for ransom. The car saved him and prevented the kidnapping. He ordered another one and when I delivered it, I refused to accept any money. I told him that it was still under warranty. Alex knows more people of influence that any other man alive. He has sent me so much business that I should open a branch here in Paris just to service the customers that he sends me."
"If you open a branch in Paris, I'll run it for you," Ann smiled.
Ann sipped the Champaign and stared out of the window. She still couldn't believe that she was here in Paris. It suddenly dawned on her that she hadn't told Brenda that she was coming to Paris. She looked at her watch. Brenda would have to wait.
"Bob, you said that you have stocks. I was thinking about investing. I don't have any savings at all. Maybe you could help me find a fairly safe investment. I've heard that you should buy only good stocks and hold on to them."
"I don't know a thing about stocks," Bob laughed, "My father sold a small rental property, in the sixties, that he owned and he bought 200 shares of a stock that someone told him about. He stuck them in a safe deposit box and forgot about them. The stock was Berkshire-Hathaway. I think he said that he paid about one hundred and seventy-five dollars a share for them. It might have been a little more; I don't really know. The last time I looked those shares were worth about a hundred and one thousand dollars a share."
"I've never heard of Berkshire-Hathaway," Ann said.
"Warren Buffet?"
Ann recognized the name and mentally added up the value of the stock today, "My God, that stock is worth over twenty million dollars now. And you never check on them or anything?"
"My business supports me very well. I've never had any need to cash in the stock. I don't know what I'm going to do with the stock."
Their dinner came before Ann could reply. The food was fabulous and the service was impeccable. Ann turned down the offer of dessert. They exchanged small talk throughout dinner. Ann kept marveling about the view of Paris from the restaurant. Bob asked for the check and paid the tab. Ann couldn't see how much the bill came to, but there were several hundred dollar notes.
On the way back to the hotel Ann kept looking out of the window like a little kid on their first trip to Disneyland. She kept pointing out the various landmarks that she knew from her studies of French in high school and college.
After they entered the hotel they walked to their rooms and Bob turned to Ann and took her hands in his, "Well, I think that you really enjoyed yourself tonight. You'd better get some sleep tonight because you're going to spend all day at the spa. I've ordered the works for you. You'll have a massage, mud pack, Sauna, hair, makeup and manicure. We'll have to pick you up a dress to wear tomorrow night. I've got just the night club that I want to show you. We'll probably be the oldest ones in the crowd but I think that you'll enjoy it."
Ann crawled into bed but couldn't fall asleep right away. She was in
Paris! This had been her lifelong dream. It was much better than she
had ever expected. Bob Long was a great tour guide and companion too.
Ann finally drifted off to sleep and dreamed that she was in Bob Long's
arm and they were on the top of the Eiffel Tower and it was springtime.