| Sitting next to me in the evening flight to Paris from | | | | invariably stimulates the visitor. The writing is a natural |
| JFK, was a successful young executive. The | | | | by-product, don't you think?" |
| successful part of his equation was easy to perceive; | | | | "Of course. Except that in many ways visitors wonder |
| he was wearing a 500 dollar shirt, a conservative but | | | | what it would be like to spend a few days in Paris |
| eye catching Hermes necktie, an impeccable Tahaney | | | | without a financial restraint. In other words, spending at |
| suit and, by his feet there rested a leather | | | | will. Most people seem to think that everything is |
| attaché case made of fine unborn calf finely | | | | tremendously expensive in Paris and that a very large |
| designed and exquisitely finished metal locks almost | | | | budget is essential in order to be able to savor the |
| screamed "I am a mark of distinction!" | | | | many pleasures of the city. Our idea is to satisfy their |
| Responding to some unconscious quest for keeping | | | | curiosity and ours. We wish to determine if we can |
| things in their places, I mentally catalogued my seat | | | | spend twenty thousand dollars a day in a more or less |
| mate, even before I had a chance to exchange a | | | | normal manner; that is avoiding any type of purchase |
| word with him. | | | | and spend the money only on ordinary things and |
| In this age of high executive salaries, quick killings in the | | | | services. Remove the blindfolds and show how you |
| money markets and sudden wealth appearing from | | | | can spend a small fortune and have a great time. |
| sources of varied pedigree, I could not readily place | | | | Especially if someone is footing the bill" |
| him. I had to settle for one of those young lawyers | | | | To me, the project was peculiar if not outright fatuous. |
| who join Dad's old firm and, true to modern American | | | | To go to Paris and try to spend twenty thousand |
| tradition, start at the top. I also figured he was single, as | | | | dollars a day seemed to me stretching the limits of |
| I did not see a wedding ring nor the tell tale sign of one. | | | | responsible publishing. At the same time I was curious |
| This, however, is not a finding of any certainty as | | | | to know how anyone could manage to spend that |
| present mores allow unions, arrangements, situations | | | | much as a matter of course and not incurring |
| and joint ventures between heterosexual couples that | | | | exceptional expenses. |
| no longer make use of socially imposed symbols. | | | | "Listen" I said "I was in Paris for a solid week last |
| "Will you have champagne or something else?" -- | | | | month and even including the air fare I did not spend |
| asked the stew on duty. The question was directed at | | | | one fourth of the amount you plan to spend in a single |
| my seat mate first, as he was seated next to the | | | | day. I stayed at a good hotel, ate in restaurants, invited |
| window. | | | | people to dinners, tipped appropriately, made daily long |
| "Just Champagne, please" -- His voice was well | | | | distance calls continuously and bought me a silk scarf, |
| structured and his accent faintly smacked of Eastern | | | | a pair of shoes and two books at WH Smith!" |
| Shore. And, of course, champagne was the right thing | | | | His question was a clever one. It was a probing |
| to drink at that moment. | | | | question: |
| I also decided to have some champagne. Fortunately, | | | | "Yes, but were you by yourself?" |
| since childhood I have been exposed to its delights as | | | | I caught on right away. "Yes" I replied. "I did have lunch |
| my parents seemed to be forever toasting one thing | | | | with colleagues and hosted a dinner for one of the |
| and another with the finest brands. Early on I knew | | | | executives who was getting married next month. No |
| more about French geography and wine making than | | | | nightclubs, no trips on the bateaux and no quick visits |
| the average French Member of Parliament. | | | | to the countryside" |
| We were served a decent Clicquot, at the right | | | | "He laughed and said: |
| temperature and the usual small packets of peanuts | | | | "Were you bored?" |
| and other cocktail snacks. | | | | "Not really. I carry with me enough reading material to |
| "I am not going to ask if you are going to Paris. This is | | | | stay interested for days. Why do you ask?" |
| a non-stop flight, you know, and my powers of | | | | I felt it was time I take the offensive. Before he had a |
| deduction are not being strained." | | | | chance to answer I followed up with another question: |
| My seat mate had turned towards me, champagne | | | | "And you, Mike, don't you get bored on these |
| flute in his hand and had delivered his opening line in a | | | | journeys?' |
| soft and light tone, without exaggerating on the delivery | | | | He said what I expected to hear: |
| or including any nuances. Just a plain observation, short, | | | | "Yes I do. Mine is a lonely job. I have to verify every |
| friendly and polite. Class. | | | | aspect of a project and that involves both time and |
| "You are right, it would be difficult to go to Abilene on | | | | concentration" |
| this flight" I answered, without thinking. | | | | "Yes but in this case, spending twenty thousand dollars |
| He smiled and extended his hand. | | | | in a single day should be fun, not only for you but also |
| "My name is Mike McClellan. And I must add that it is a | | | | for those involved. Paris has many things to offer and |
| pleasure sharing this flying sofa with you." | | | | it is easy to build up outrageous expenses in no time al |
| He was pleasant, well educated and best of all, | | | | all" |
| impeccably mannered. We chatted about this and the | | | | Then it came. I was glad that the strategy had paid |
| other and in the process, as is usual, disclosed details | | | | off.: |
| of our lives. | | | | "Let me ask you something" he said and looked at me |
| He was not a lawyer. He was a Value Analyst for a | | | | in a way that included a clear message "why don't you |
| major publisher. And he was single, living in New York. | | | | join me in this project once you have finished your |
| There was more brief biographical data about New | | | | assignment. Or even before you start the assignment, |
| Jersey's hill country, Princeton, Rhodes scholarship in | | | | or just forget about the assignment. I feel that spending |
| London and some Navy service. | | | | these days with you and being able to spend at will |
| You know, the 6 hour period of captivity on the New | | | | can be the experience of a lifetime for me!" |
| York - Paris flight allows for ample time to talk. You | | | | I laughed and drank more champagne. Whoever |
| are almost obligated to do so. The cocktails and the | | | | invented that Cliquot, knew what he or she was doing. |
| meal take about 2 to 2 and half hours. The movie | | | | Someone with a velvet palate, I thought, remembering |
| takes another hour and a half. If you can sleep with | | | | one of Miranda;s descriptions of either great |
| your vertebra under protest, you can do no more than | | | | champagne or a great kiss! I said: |
| a half hour at a stretch. So that leaves time to stare | | | | "Tell me one thing. Are you supposed to be by |
| ahead, read or talk to your seat mate. Especially if he | | | | yourself while you add to Frances Balance of |
| is attractive, witty and wants to talk. | | | | Payments with those twenty thousand bucks or can |
| So we talked away. As always, I tried to reduce my | | | | you invite other people to join you?" |
| output of personal data to the necessary minimum. | | | | "It has to be strictly an individual effort. If I as much as |
| Accomplished women are not exactly what men | | | | invite you for a glass of Perrier, I have to pay for it |
| want to share a ride with. So I just mentioned that I | | | | from my own pocket. By the way, do you drink |
| also worked for a publisher in Boston doing this and | | | | Perrier?" |
| that; book reviews, studying new collections, etc. I | | | | The man had class and wit. Qualities I value in men. I |
| dared not mention the 9 books and countless columns | | | | recovered quickly and answered: |
| I have sweated over, nor the film scripts and the | | | | "Even without a glass, mon ami" |
| couple of Emmys I have somewhere in my garage. | | | | I agreed to accompany him next day when he would |
| I asked him what a Value Analyst does. I said: "I have | | | | begin recording the expenses. At the end of the next |
| never heard of such occupation, or is it a title devised | | | | day and, to my amazement, we spent only five |
| to confuse aspiring writers?" | | | | thousand eight hundred dollars. His hotel suite by itself |
| "No" he said. "It is a serious and responsible position. It | | | | took 2,500 dollars. The car rental with chauffeur cost |
| has to do with establishing real and accepted | | | | another 1,000 a day. Lunch for one at Lipp's took 450 |
| parameters of excellence in varying situations, places, | | | | dollars for half the bill, same as the 1,000 dollars for |
| products and even personalities. The Company must | | | | dinner at the Crillon and another 500 in generous tips to |
| know, for instance, if skiing in some new resort in | | | | head waiters, doormen, elevator operators and hotel |
| Canada can justify printing one of those hundred dollar | | | | clerk. We returned to the hotel around midnight and sat |
| books with great photographs that give a note of | | | | down at the bar for the usual nightcap, which turned |
| distinction to your coffee table, or whether to accept a | | | | out to be another bottle of champagne. I helped him |
| book proposal about some celebrity's bio." | | | | estimate the day's expenses, for which my portion had |
| "So" I asked. "What are you evaluating on this trip?" | | | | to be deducted and charged to his personal account, |
| "You may not believe this, but I have to do Paris on | | | | even if I insisted that I pay my share. |
| twenty thousand dollars a day. That is, I have to spend | | | | At one point he said: |
| that amount in a day. You have certainly read | | | | "I am afraid I can not spend twenty thousand dollars in |
| accounts about visiting Paris on small, medium and not | | | | a single day, unless I buy you some furs, a bracelet |
| so medium budgets. You have probably read | | | | and a gallon of choice scents along with enough |
| numberless written accounts on the subject and zillion | | | | orchids to choke your suite.!" |
| articles about the visit to Paris. For instance, last year | | | | "So, what are you going to do now?" |
| there were more than 4200 published pieces in | | | | He smiled with that charge of manly attraction and |
| magazines, Sunday Supplements, Travel books, | | | | said: |
| regional and local dailies, etc. Even Church newsletters | | | | "I am going to cancel the rental car and rent a lively |
| include accounts on my Visit to Paris." He paused to | | | | Mercedes. I am going to e-mail my office and tell them |
| raise his glass and with a charming smiled took another | | | | that I am taking a few days off, and that the Paris on |
| sip of the lovely fluid. I did likewise. He continued: | | | | Twenty Thousand does not work. Then I am going to |
| "Of all these written accounts, a full 60 percent were | | | | drive straight south and stay overnight in Lyon where I |
| devoted almost entirely to rating hotels, boarding | | | | plan to have dinner at one of Armand's restaurants. |
| houses, hostels, restaurants, shops, transportation, air | | | | Then, some lazy days in les Alps Mediterranee and |
| quality, peoples smiles, river water appearance, etc. | | | | then Provence. Some days at St Remy de Provence |
| etc. It appears as if people go to Paris to check and | | | | and then off to Barcelona and back to the yellow |
| compare hotel prices evaluate the plumbing and to | | | | cake mines in New York!" |
| determine whether the croissants in the morning are | | | | "Gee, that sounds great, Mike. Won't you be bored? |
| over baked, hot, cold, sticky..." | | | | He laughed and asked the question I expected him to |
| "Well, a city like Paris, like any other great city, | | | | ask. |
