Chapter #7 Outline
"My FANCY MAN AND I"
In this chapter, I tell of the first two years dating Pierre, and squeezing out a meager living by exhibiting, and selling my paintings. Suddenly the art market went south, forcing me to choose between moving back to the States, or into the Paris Metro! Not anxious to become a street person, I sadly decided to leave my Pierre, and my exciting life in Paris. I describe the life-altering evening when breaking the bad news to Pierre, and his shocking reaction. He told me that he wanted to pay all my expenses, and financially support me as if we were married, meaning I would have anything and everything I wanted. At first, I thought the worst of him and his offer, picturing my sunset years as a grotesque, old concubine! However, reminding me of how much he loved, and refused to lose me because of a silly thing like money (which meant nothing to him), I said yes, and throughout our twelve years together, I never regretted being with Pierre. After I began selling more paintings, and could once again manage on my own, Pierre insisted on continuing as we were – making me far more than financially comfortable! I go on to tell of our many rendezvous evenings offering a peek into our reserved, romantic room in a beautiful, private, and very respectable hotel known as a hotel discrete, a well-kept secret of wealthy, Parisian lovers.
I explain my reasons for never making love in my apartment, and Sport’s jealousy, once “mistaking” Pierre’s leg for his favorite tree! I describe in detail that same evening dining at an iffy restaurant with Sport, and Pierre, and meeting food poisoning face to face, on a first name basis. I confess that becoming a mistress to a wealthy Frenchman is at least in part, the midlife rebellion of a frustrated, born-again virgin. I end the chapter writing about all the loving, but repetitive mother/daughter talks during my teen and pre-marital years, which by the way, never once included the unthinkable option of having a fancy man. That would have defeated the purpose, since the only reason for these “talks,” is to guard the daughter’s virginity until marriage, in fact, acting as a verbal chastity belt!