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‘Are you all right?’
She spins round Ti at her, a brochure in his hand She wipes briskly at her face, tries to smile ‘I – I can’t find my way out’
His eyes travel over her face – is she actually crying? – and she’s et out of here’
‘The crowds,’ he says quietly ‘They can be a bit much at this time of year Coth of the es where fewer people seeht of stairs and exiting onto the bright concourse outside, where the queue to enter has grown even longer
They stop a short distance away Liv pulls her breathing back under control ‘I’ back ‘I don’t think you’ll be able to get back in’
He shakes his head ‘I was done for the day When you reach the stage where you can’t see anything for the backs of people’s heads, it’s probably time to leave anyway’
They stand there for athe side of the river, anoisily in and out of the stationary cars The sun casts the buildings in the blue-white light that seems peculiar to the city
‘Would you like a coffee? I think it ood idea if you sat down for a few–’ She looks down at her phone There are nothe fact that it is now alh ‘Uive me a minute?’
She turns away, dials David’s nu the quai Voltaire It goes straight to voicely, what to say to hi at all
She closes her phone and turns back to Tim Freeland ‘Actually, I’d love a coffee Thank you’
Un café, et une grande crème Even when she employs her best French accent the waiters invariably answer her in English After the h embarrassment She drinks a coffee, orders a second, breathes in the warm city air and deflects any further attention from herself
‘You ask a lot of questions,’ Tim Freeland says, at one point ‘Either you’re a journalist, or you’ve been to a very good finishing school’
‘Or I’e And I’ve heard all about your neidget’
He laughs ‘Ah … unfortunately I’et-free zone I’h’
‘I’o I’ to work out what to do with ests he is not particularly worried about this at all Why would you be, she thinks, if you could spend your days wandering your favourite cities, taking in art or offering randoers coffee? ‘So where do you live?’