Page 40 of Don't Fall in Love (and how to break the rules)

Nisha waved from the other end of the group of children, and Chrissie’s heart leap as an involuntary – and thoroughly indecent – image from the night before flashed across her mind.“Come on, everyone,” said Nisha, “time to rock and roll.” The children began to shuffle towards the Eiffel Tower, chattering loudly about how scared or otherwise they were of the height they might end up climbing to.

“I could climb to the very top and sit on the point without being scared,” Hardev announced.

“Right you are, mate,” said Dan. “Come on, you lot, pick up your feet.”

Happily, because they were a pre-booked group, the Birmingham school party didn’t have to wait in the enormous queue filled with tourists from around the globe. For the sake of simplicity, and to keep things interesting for the children – and perhaps to tire them out a bit – they’d opted to take them up the stairs rather than use the lift.

By the time they’d all reached the main platform, they were ready for a rest. “Ok, everyone,” said Nisha, “grab your water bottles and have a little drink before you do anything else, please.”

Suddenly, the sound of Nisha using her teacher voice had become something far more intimate to Chrissie, who had been bossed about by the teacher in a very different setting just a few hours earlier. She shook her head. This was not the time.

“Miss Anderson?” came a little voice. It was Francis. “I’m a bit scared. Will you hold my hand?” Chrissie looked down at the boy, who had significantly more colour in his cheeks than he’d had the night before.

“Of course, Francis. It is very high, isn’t it?” said Chrissie. His hand was cold. “Don’t you have gloves?”

“I have mittens,” Francis replied, “but Hardev said they were babyish.” He looked at his shoes.

“Mittens!” said Chrissie, “I love mittens. Look at mine,” she added, pulling her purple and green woollen ones from herpockets. “These are my favourite pair. Look, I’ve got them on now, and I’m not a baby, am I?”

“No,” said Francis, a smile forming on his face. “Look, mine are blue and red.” He put them on.

“Lovely,” Chrissie told him. “I must get a pair like that.”

It was clear Francis wasn’t going to cope with the higher levels of the tower, so Chrissie offered to stay behind with him while Dan, Philippa and Nisha took the rest of the overexcited rabble up.

“Right, Francis. Don’t tell anyone, but as well as mittens, I love hot chocolate. There’s a café over there, and I think they do hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows on. What do you think?” asked Chrissie, once the rest of the children had disappeared.

Francis’ eyes grew large. “Are we really allowed?”

“Yes,” said Chrissie, looking at his tiny frame and thinking he could probably use the calories. “Come on, let’s go.”

They sat side by side, drinking their hot chocolate and studiously avoiding the view in case it made Francis feel afraid. Chrissie allowed herself to think back to the feel of Nisha’s lips on hers, Nisha’s hands on her body, and shivered. The sweetness of the hot chocolate only added to the sensation of warmth she was experiencing.

“Miss,” said Francis, taking her from her reverie. “I think this hot chocolate and the mittens have made me brave enough to look at the view now.”

“Wow,” said Chrissie. “Ok, Francis, if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure. But perhaps you could hold my hand?” he suggested. “But don’t tell the others.”

“Deal,” said Chrissie with a smile.

Chapter Thirty-Five

The next stop was Notre Dame Cathedral, but getting the children there via the Batobus Boat was something of an adventure.

Chrissie spent most of the journey with Francis and another child, who both felt sick on the journey. Meanwhile, Nisha was chatting away with the more confident children alongside Philippa, and Dan was searching for Hardev, who had declared he was off to speak to the driver. Chrissie felt her eyes starting to close with the gentle bobbing of the passenger vessel. Her two charges were gazing into the paper bags they’d been issued.

She sighed. Paris was a wonderful city, but perhaps less romantic when there was a schedule that had to be followed to the letter, and when she and Nisha were surrounded by children and well-meaning adults. She knew the two of them probably needed to talk, but this wasn’t the place for that.

Chrissie felt restless. Bored, even, of being responsible for the children. Being with Nisha had released something in her, reminded her of the person she’d once been. She wondered whether Nisha had been right when she said the rules she had made for herself were too strict, whether she had set her life upto be too controlled. The freedom she had felt with Nisha the night before felt life-changing.

She laughed at herself. It was one night. How much could it change her life?

Once they reached Notre Dame, they unloaded the children and gathered them on the steps in front of the cathedral to eat their packed lunches. These had been issued by the hostel they were staying in – twenty-nine white paper bags, containing cheese rolls, crisps and apples.

“Mum,” said Dottie, loudly, “what if someone here was vegan? What would they eat?”

“Darling,” Philippa replied, “no one here is vegan, so we don’t need to worry.”

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