Rings of Paris — John Abeln

On his next European trip, Gannon Waters asked his wife Beth to come along, a combo work and vacation for the two of them. After some encouragement, the Spears, their close friends, came along as a vacation trip to Paris. Work and romantic evenings, what could go wrong with this? As they make the arrangements, Beth and Gannon are told by their oldest child Chris, he is moving to England for a college semester with Camille, his girlfriend. A side trip to England, plus Gannon's business activities, this trip turns into a logistic challenge. It's also an opportunity for Gannon to consider a European headquarters for his flourishing business. The tension with family issues start to make the trip conflicting for the Waters. The symbol of rings is used throughout the story as a metaphor for commitments, resolving issues that draw these people together. Meeting Mort, a lonely Jew, in the hotel, creates another bond between the two couples. Even though he is the antagonist, he is also the voice of reason and has a secret about rings.