Darcy's Paris Blog

Darn -- a missed opportunity for a good date

After work I had dinner with Frederick Drappier, the branch manager here. I thought he was asking me to have dinner as “sorry-you-got-robbed” consolation prize, so I also thought it would be a pretty nice dinner on the company. He asked me yesterday if I could go that night, but since I had French class (not to mention my date with Jimi,) I suggested today. This was, of course, before I knew that Jimi and I would really hit it off. I said I wanted an early dinner, maybe 7 or 7:30 (to try to meet Jimi, of course,) which is unheard-of in France, but Frederick said it would probably work. There was also another NI corporate person in town (fortunately someone from facilities here to tour potential new offices in other less-sketchy parts of Paris,) so the three of us were going together. When it was almost 8:30 and I hadn’t heard from Frederick, I called him, and he was nearly downstairs and ready to go. I was pretty irritated, since he was an hour later than I wanted to eat, but oh, well, it is France, and 8:30 is on the early edge of a regular dinner hour. The three of us walked to the top of Montmartre, which is a nice view but has pretty crappy touristy restaurants. I would’ve much preferred La Rughetta, to be honest. After climbing the walls, itching to get out of a mediocre dinner with boring conversation about building facilities, I was ready to get outta there and try to meet Jimi. When we’d walked back down the hill to my apartment and said good-night, I called Jimi, who was just leaving the bar, as the game was over. Damnit!! What a loss of a good night. But as Jimi said, there will be other chances…

posted by Darcy @ 10:42 PM