Lessons from Days Gone By Ch. 03

"Hey, we had 20 people on board the last trip," she replied.

"That was the first time since we went to Alaska last summer," Tom added.

"I can always a couple new pilots, you know," Laura laughed.

"Ouch," David replied. "We're ready to go if you are."

"Yeah, I think we are," she said. "I'm going to show Michael to one of the bunks and I'm going to see about taking a little nap myself."

"Help yourselves," Tom said. "Weather looks pretty good, so it shouldn't be too bumpy."

"I hope you're right," Laura smiled. She led me toward the back of the plane. Instead of the usual seats, there were couches and chairs. We approached a bulkhead with a door and she opened the door and after I was through it, she closed it and smiled. I looked and on either side of the cabin and there were indeed bunk beds. She took my hand and motioned with her head. I felt the plane moving as I followed her down the little corridor to another door. She opened it and I saw a king-sized bed. She motioned me to a chair and I sat down as the plane continued to taxi.

Once we were airborne, she unbuckled her seat belt and stretched. I watched as she moved slowly toward me, almost catlike in her movement. She finally sat on my lap.

"We have a couple hours until we reach New York," she smiled. "Ever heard of the Mile-High Club?"

"What's that," I asked innocently. Her smile broadened further. She stood and pulled her t-shirt over her head and quickly undid her bra. She took my hand and I stood. We kissed softly but it soon built rapidly. We parted, and she took both of my hands.

"Come here and I'll show you," she purred...

--

We landed in New York and a car was waiting to take us from the cargo terminal to the main passenger concourse at JFK. I marveled at the planes I saw moving about and wondered where they'd came from and where they were going. The car dropped us off at the Air France entrance and I grabbed our bags from the trunk. Before we landed, Laura had taken a quick shower and assumed the aura of the much more regal woman I'd came to admire. She was wearing a beautiful red dress with tan pantyhose and sexy black heels. I followed her as she led me to the desk. A gentleman in an Air France jacket met her the moment we walked in the door.

"Ms. Parker, it's wonderful to see you again. I'm glad we could make arrangements for you to fly with us today," the man said.

"Certainly Gerard. It helps to have friends in the right places," she smiled. I stood next to them holding our bags, feeling very awkward and out of place. Gerard noticed and waved a baggage handler over.

"Alain, please take Ms. Parker's and her guest's baggage. Here are the tags," he said. The baggage handler moved to me and I handed them over. Before he left, Laura slipped the man what appeared to be a $100 bill along with a warm smile.

"Please let me walk you to the lounge," Gerard motioned. I followed the two of them as they talked. It was amazing to see how people reacted to her. I knew there had to be the money issue, but she was so engaging. I listened as she asked Gerard about his family, particularly his daughter that was starting college in the fall as well. We ended up at to the entrance to the lounge and Gerard excused himself. I followed Laura and as we made our way through the door and I looked to my left out the long span of glass.

"Holy shit," I muttered quietly. There sat the fastest airliner in the world, the Concorde.

"You like your surprise," she asked me with a smile.

"Are you serious," I managed to ask. My mouth was as dry as cotton balls as I looked back and forth at the beautiful plane's sleek lines.

"I am," she said. "I thought you might get a kick out of it, with wanting to be an engineer and you do seem to know your airplanes."

"I can't believe this," I said. I was suddenly overcome with emotion and hugged her, picking her up and swinging her around in the process. I sat her back down and she smiled at me wickedly as she shook her head. I noticed a few of the other passengers had looked up from their copy of the Wall Street Journal, but eventually returned to them.

"Remember we might need a little decorum in public," she said softly.

"I know. I'm sorry," I replied.

"You do seem to like manhandling me. I must admit it is a bit of a thrill to have such a strong, virile young man under my spell," she said. I smiled at her before she led me to a small sofa. We chatted quietly until the flight was called.

"Are you ready to blast off," she smiled.

"I certainly am," I laughed.

"Let's go then," she said.

She led me onto the plane and not surprisingly, the Concorde fit my frame about as well as Laura's Ferrari. She took the window seat and left me the aisle. We buckled in and soon the cabin crew were telling us about the plane and its wonderful safety record. They also mentioned how much faster we'd be in Paris than if we were taking a conventional airliner. In seemingly an instant, we were backing up from the terminal and taxiing. The pilot turned on the runway and the plane came to a stop as the crew made final adjustments. Soon, we were rolling down the runway. I looked at the display on the forward cabin wall and watched as the speed gauge climbed faster and faster. I had no frame of reference to a conventional plane other than things passed the small window at an alarming rate. The nose of the plane rose rapidly, and we were airborne.

The plane climbed at a steeper angle than I was accustomed to and the speed gauge continued to rise. We were already well out over the ocean when the pilot announced they were starting the afterburners. There was a feeling of acceleration and the gauge passed the speed of sound. I looked over at Laura and she was smiling at me.

"Having fun," she asked.

"Yes. You have no idea what this means to me," I said.

"I think I do," she replied. She placed her hand on mine that was resting on my thigh. "We'll have other adventures on this trip I'm sure."

"I'm sure," I smiled. The speed gauge topped out at 1,300 miles per hour and we were at an altitude of 50,000 feet. The cabin crew moved quickly through the cabin serving champagne. I'd never had it before and found the taste to be quite enjoyable. I mentioned it to Laura, who smiled.

"We won't have time on this trip, but next time I'll take you to my vineyards," she said.

"You have vineyards," I asked, lamely. Of course, she does, I thought. She has money to have anything she wants.

"Yes. They've been in the family for years. My grandfather bought it from a friend of his," she said. "It barely makes money every year, but the family that runs it for me are hard-working and really wonderful people and I will never sell it like my accountant tells me to."

"Well, that's pretty admirable," I said.

"You think so," she asked with her amazing smile.

"Yeah, of course," I said. She simply smiled again and looked forward while taking a sip of her champagne.

They served lunch and to my surprise, the food was amazing. I was used to bland airline food. The food aboard the Concorde was another story entirely. It seemed we'd just finished eating when the stewardess announced we'd be landing soon. I looked out the small window and saw a green smear on the horizon surrounded by the deep blue of the ocean. Was that England I, wondered? The plane obviously slowed, and I could feel that we were descending.

Landing was just slightly less exciting than take-off. We came in low and fast over the very north outskirts of Paris as well as the patchwork of brown and deep green fields. Laura was holding my hand and the moment the plane touched down, she looked at me and smiled.

"Thank you," I said.

"No, need to be thankful, baby. I made you happy, that is all the thanks I could ever want," she said. Her smile was breathtaking. I started to lean over to kiss her, but she gave me a subtle shake of her head. Right, I thought. Decorum. I was trying my best to remember the things she'd told me. This was just fun. The more I was with her though, the harder that was becoming.

We left the plane and walked down the jetway. I expected we'd claim our bags, but once again forgot who I was traveling with. At the end of the jetway there was a man in a black suit whose face immediately brightened when he saw Laura. He walked up to great us.

"Madam Parker," the man said in accented English. "It's wonderful to see you again."

"And you, Jean-Pierre," she said. "Jean-Pierre, this is Michael. Michael, this Jean-Pierre or JP. He's my right-hand guy in Paris." The man extended his hand and we shook.

"Henri is getting the luggage, Madam," JP said.

"Thank you, JP. We appreciate it," Laura smiled.

"Certainly, Madam. We always look forward to your visits," JP smiled.

We followed JP through the airport and he led us to a very sharp Mercedes sedan. I moved to open the door for Laura and he seemed offended.

"Please, sir. You are my guest as well," he said. After Laura entered the car, he waved me in behind her. I looked at JP a little closer and my initial appraisal of him changed. He hadn't got that sort of build on a soccer field. Was he some sort of bodyguard? As he closed the door, I watched as he looked around. He looked to his left and I saw another man in black suit carrying our bags coming towards the sedan. The bags were quickly put in the trunk of the car and we pulled away from the airport.

I looked out the window and took in the sights. I'd never been anywhere really and there I was traveling through France with a beautiful, rich woman. And we had bodyguards. I began to feel a bit like James Bond. I'd have to remember to order my martinis shaken not stirred, I laughed to myself. My mind was a blur as we wheeled into the city. The buildings were all so beautiful and I tried to compare my home to this, the City of Lights. I looked at Laura and saw she was smiling at me. She reached over and took my hand in hers.

"Are you having fun," she asked.

"Of course, I am," I replied. She nodded and held my hand the remainder of the trip.

The car slowed and we stopped in front of a large hotel. A doorman opened the door and waved me out. I still had Laura's hand and tried to help her out, but I remembered that we needed to be discreet. I let go of her hand and the doorman helped her. Henri had already retrieved the bags from the trunk and I followed him and JP through the hotel door. Once inside, I was amazed by the décor. As I was coming to expect, the staff in the hotel knew Laura and gushed over her. We were soon escorted upstairs to our suite. When the door was opened, I couldn't believe we were actually going to stay there. It looked like it had come from a movie. The place oozed wealth and comfort. I felt myself staring too much and I noticed that Laura had a neutral expression on her face. She was all too familiar with this type of surroundings. JP and Henri excused themselves and she walked over towards me.

"What do you think," she asked.

"This place is just amazing," I said. "I can't believe the day I've had, Laura. Thank you."

"Thank you, baby. I wouldn't want you to find my hospitality lacking in any way," she smiled before she kissed me lightly on the lips.

"No way," I replied.

"We have a little time before dinner. How about we have a glass of wine and see how comfortable that bed is," she said. Her beautiful eyes gleamed with sultriness.

"That sounds wonderful to me," I said...

--

The following morning, Laura announced we were going shopping. After a light breakfast, JP and Henri picked us up in front of the hotel. On the drive, Laura explained that she had lunch plans after we finished shopping. Then we would go see the sights. That all sounded good to me. I knew I was certain to have the first-class tour of the city with her.

"Oh, that's a pretty dress," she said as we walked down the street. "I think I'll go in and look."

"Sure," I smiled. JP and I shared a quick smile and nod after Laura turned away. JP followed her and I stood outside waiting for them. It wasn't even 11 yet and I was bored with clothes shopping. I'd been asked too many times how something looked on her. She made anything she wore look gorgeous. How could I tell a difference? I did my best to remain interested, but I'd adopted an every other shop approach. Poor JP accompanied her into everyone.

I looked back down the street and saw Henri was still with the car. He was standing next to the Mercedes smoking a cigarette. His eyes kept a watch up and down the street. I couldn't get over how as fit as he and JP looked, they both smoked cigarettes. Their choice, not mine, I thought. I turned and walked up the sidewalk away from the store where Laura was. I noticed a compact, white van pull into a vacant spot right in front of a bank. I was looking through some of the shop windows wondering if there was anything I could get Laura for her birthday. I felt pretty lame looking for something for a woman that had more money than she knew what to do with.

I saw a man dressed in all black get out of the white van. He was wearing a long jacket, which I thought was odd since it was fairly warm. Another man came out and he was dressed the same way. They gave me a quick glance, before they walked into the bank. I walked past the bank and continued looking through the windows of the shops.

I heard an alarm and quickly turned back to the sound. I saw Henri was walking towards me, but he was still some distance down the sidewalk. I watched the two men come back out of the bank. They were wearing hoods and I saw one had a pistol, while the other had what looked like an AK-47. They both carried duffle bags in their other hands. I glanced further down the street and saw Laura coming out of the store. JP was beside her and they were laughing. The man with the rifle stopped, when he saw Laura. The man with the pistol took notice of what was happening and tried to wave him to the van.

"Come on, let's go," the man with the pistol shouted in French.

"I think we should take her with us. We're due some 'entertainment'," the man with rifle said. He dropped the duffel bag and he raised his rifle. Henri was still walking up the sidewalk, but he was still at least 75 feet from Laura and JP. He had his hand inside his jacket.

"Hey slut, maybe you want to come with us," the man shouted. Laura and JP looked up. I could see the fear on her face and saw JP looking for options. The man took his hand off the front hand guard of the rifle and waved to Laura. She froze and stood defiantly. The man with the pistol was at the door of the van still trying to get his partner in crime in the van. I watched the man with rifle bring the rifle back up and take aim.

"So be it bitch. I'll kill you here and now, you American cunt," the man hissed in French. Time seemed to move in slow motion. I saw JP and Henri drawing what I assumed were pistols from within their jackets. I was literally 15 feet from the guy and he had no idea I was still there. I dropped the bags I was carrying and sprinted towards the man. My football coaches would have been proud as I covered the distance in a flash. Neither the man with the rifle or the other saw me coming until it was too late. I lowered my shoulder and hit the man with the rifle between his shoulder blades and the belt line. He crumbled forward under my momentum and hit the sidewalk with a sickening crack. I'd lost track of the van and the second man until I heard shouting and the van squealed away from the curb.

The next thing I knew, Laura, JP and Henri were all standing over me. The man I'd tackled was unconscious. A small amount of blood was on the sidewalk from where his face had hit. A bloody nose, I remembered thinking.

"Monsieur Smith, we must be going," JP said, as he quickly frisked the unconscious man. Henri reached for my hand and helped me up. When I was standing, he nodded at me and smiled which was the first emotion I'd seen from him. I turned and looked at Laura, she looked absolutely terrified.

"Please, we should be going," JP said. He handed me the man's rifle after he'd removed the magazine. I returned to retrieve Laura's bags I'd dropped, and we moved quickly to the car. People had stopped and were staring but everything had happened so fast that they weren't sure what had happened.

"Michael, what on earth were you thinking," Laura asked, once we were in the car.

"What do you mean," I replied. We were talking in low whispers, even though the divider separating the driver's seat and the passenger seat was up.

"That whole thing. You could have been killed," she said.

"You could have been killed, along with JP and Henri," I said.

"You tackled a man with a machine gun. JP and Henri have training. They were in the military. You're still just a kid," she said.

"Yeah, just a kid," I repeated.

"Michael, baby. Please. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way," she said.

"How did you mean it," I asked.

"I don't know. I'm still in shock by the whole thing and that wasn't the right thing to say to you," she said.

I looked at Laura silently before I turned away from her. I looked out the window of the car and watched as the buildings passed. I hardly knew my way around in Paris, but I could quickly tell that we weren't heading back to the hotel. Soon, we were passing the outskirts of the city and were literally in the country. I glanced back to Laura and saw her just staring forward. I turned back and continued to watch the countryside pass by the window.

Finally, the car slowed, and we turned down a road that winded back through trees. After several turns, the car approached an impressive rock house. The car stopped in front, before JP and Henri quickly exited the car to open our doors. I stepped out of the car and looked around. I saw two men with rifles on the porch. Holy shit, I thought to myself.

"Madam," JP said. "Please go inside. Your personal items were brought earlier by helicopter."

"Thank you, JP," she said. "I will." Laura glanced at me briefly before she walked through the door. I looked back and forth between JP and Henri. JP nodded and put his arm around my shoulder.

"Come Monsieur," he said. He led me to the kitchen of the house and left me to get glasses and a bottle of liquor. He poured the three of us a glass and handed one to Henri and me before taking one himself. He raised his glass to me.

"Monsieur, my gratitude for your work today," he said. I raised my glass and JP and Henri clinked theirs against mine.

"Thanks," I said. We all took a sip of what I learned to be cognac. It was exotic and exquisite.

"You have the instincts. America would be lucky to have you as a soldier," Henri said.

"I was pretty stupid. He had a damn machine gun," I said.

"Stupidity and bravery are often parallel traits," JP laughed.

"I guess so," I laughed. "I mean you guys have all sorts of experience. I just played football. I mean the American kind. I just saw that he was going to hurt Laura and you guys and I felt like I had to do something. I mean he had an automatic rifle."

"Michael," JP said using my name for the first time. "You don't have to explain yourself. You reacted well and fortunately things went your way."

"And remember, this guy today, he was not, uh, how do you say, using his head," Henri added.

"Yeah, for sure," I agreed. "Where are we, exactly?"

"In the country," Henri said simply. I looked at him and he smiled. "Sorry. Old habits. This is one of Madam's country estates. We are about one hundred kilometers south of Paris."

"Okay," I said. "But what about you guys? I mean, you guys are bodyguards, you just work for Laura," I asked.

"When she needs us," JP answered. "Madam Parker has very important friends here. We can't let anything happen to her. Which is why I will probably get a strong reprimand from my superior tomorrow morning."