Page 44 of Don't Fall in Love (and how to break the rules)

Nisha coughed before answering, squeezing Chrissie’s shoulder. “No, I barely slept a wink the first night.”

Chrissie was grateful that they were sitting side by side so Philippa couldn’t see how red her face had gone. She thought about the forthcoming evening, and her heart dropped slightly. She wondered if kissing Nisha again, being with her again, was a risk she could afford to take, given what had happened the day before.

“Ah well,” said Chrissie. “Time to go back to the hostel for tea, and then we’ll be up bright and early tomorrow for our trip back to Birmingham. Is it wrong that I’m actually looking forward to the sight of Spaghetti Junction?”

Nisha laughed.

Philippa’s phone rang. “Oh,” she said, surprised. “It’s Paul, my husband. Sorry, I should take this.” She stood and walked away from their bench.

“I get the sense that Paul doesn’t really appreciate her,” said Nisha under her breath.

“No,” Chrissie agreed, “but I suppose we all have different expectations of relationships, and different ideas of what works. She seems like she has everything worked out.”

“Yeah. She seems lonely, though,” said Nisha.

“Hmm. Maybe. Well, like you said, she has us now. I know we don’t normally make a habit of being friends with parents, for completely sensible reasons, but I feel we can trust her.”

“I agree,” said Nisha. A few moments later, Philippa came back over and sat back down, her face a little pale.

“Are you ok?” said Chrissie.

“Er, yes. I think so, at least. Nothing major, it’s just a bit of a shock, really. Paul’s been made redundant.” Philippa sounded like she could hardly believe the words she was saying. “As of now. He’s flying back to the UK tomorrow morning, he’ll be home by the time I get in tomorrow afternoon.”

“Wow,” said Nisha, “that’s a lot.”

“Yes,” said Philippa, her mouth a straight line. “Right, I think we need to get this lot back to the hostel before the sugar rush turns into a slump and they all turn into monsters.” She stood up and started gathering the children, even though they had at least twenty minutes before they needed to go anywhere.

Nisha and Chrissie looked at one another quizzically.

The group made its way slowly through the streets of Paris, pausing for a last look at the Eiffel Tower. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” said Chrissie, as much to herself as to Nisha.

“It is,” said Nisha, leaning on the bridge beside her, admiring the landmark. The children were busy chatting to one another, sharing the sweets they’d all inevitably bought in a nearby giftshop, and discussing their favourite part of the trip. The two women felt unseen.

Standing side by side on the bridge, watching the boats going by on the Seine, Chrissie felt Nisha lean almost imperceptibly towards her. Their arms touched and rested together. Chrissie closed her eyes for a moment, savouring the contact. The backs of their hands brushed, and Chrissie looked over at Dan and Philippa, who were engaged in an animated discussion with some of the children, paying them no attention. She allowed herself to look at Nisha, who smiled at her.

“Fancy being in the most romantic city in the world,” said Nisha, “and being with this lot.”

“Ha ha, yeah, they are something of a mood killer,” admitted Chrissie.

Nisha lowered her voice. “Because if we were alone right now, I would kiss you right here on this bridge under the Eiffel Tower.”

Chrissie gripped Nisha’s fingers between her own, briefly, her heart fluttering as she imagined that kiss. Other parts of her began to awaken too. But she knew she couldn’t get lost in the moment. She had to keep herself anchored. If she’d learned nothing else, that was essential. She couldn’t give herself over to Nisha entirely.

“Mr Harvey says you two need to stop mooning at the tower and come with us to the hostel,” said Dottie, who had appeared beside them. Chrissie abruptly broke contact with Nisha’s hand and looked over at Dan, who gave her a wink.

So much for them keeping things stealthy.

Chapter Forty

Dinner that evening was pasta, and the children fell upon it like they’d not eaten their own bodyweights in ice-cream and sweets.

Chrissie, Philippa, Dan and Nisha had decided to sit on a table slightly away from the children. They seemed in good spirits, after all, and the food was taking up most of their attention.

“So, how long have you two been together?” asked Philippa, her eyes laser-focused on Nisha and Chrissie.

“Together?” echoed Nisha.

“Us?” said Chrissie, unsure of what to say or how to handle this. They hadn’t even decided for themselves what they were, or indeed if they were anything beyond colleagues with a complicated past.

---