April 16
Café Central
The event at Ristorante Firenze was as good as billed. The wines were spectacular, and I had the chance to taste some that were not available in the States. Sipping my way through about fifty wines as planned, I carried Simone through the protocol and was rewarded with increasingly flirtatious comments and body touches.
But I was here on an assignment and being sidetracked by the American Ambassador didn’t seem like a good idea. After completing my task, I bid her good night which she insisted on sealing with a warm kiss on the cheek. I escorted her to the sidewalk and a waiting cab, then turned toward Stephansplatz, heading toward Weihburggasse and the four-block walk back to the Vienna Marriott and my room.
Morning came early today, and I woke to the rising sun
