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‘Feelbetter now?’ he asked, his frown back in place. ‘Don’tworry,I’ma qualified skydiver.’
‘You’rekidding, right?’
‘Let’shope we don’t need to find out.’
‘That’snot funny.’
Hetook the camera off her lap, looping the strap around his neck and depositing the lens cap and his sunglasses in a zipped pocket inside his leather coat.Ashe pulled his hand out again, he had two wrapped candies in his palm.
‘Doyou want one?It’sginger.Tohelp with the nausea.’
‘Nausea?’ she repeated like she had never heard the word before.
‘Justin case,’ he winked at her.
Shewished he had given her all the information before tempting her on this magical mystery tour.G-force, nausea…?Nextthing, he’d tell her they were going to fly upside-down.Sheshuddered and took the candy, popping it in her mouth while giving him the side eye.
Jacqueshanded them each a headset, and she clamped it on.Jessbobbled her head around in all directions to ensure the headset stayed in place, moving her chin in a figure-8, left and right, up and down.
Gabrielcontemplated her with an amused glint in his eyes. ‘Youremind me of a cat that’s just had a cone fitted around its neck.’Hisvoice sounded tinny through the headphones.
‘Haha ha.’Feelingcheeky, she stuck her tongue out at him.
Andhe laughed!
Jessgaped at him with shock and surprise, like he’d just turned into a unicorn.Hiseyes crinkled, and his cheeks creased.Hissmile banished seriousGabrielto an alternate dimension.
‘What?’ he said, the corners of his mouth still lifted.
Sheshook her head. ‘Frankly,Ididn’t know you had it in you.’
Herolled his eyes. ‘Iknow how to smile.Ijust don’t feel like it most of the time.’
Beforeshe could answer, the helicopter bubbled to life.Theblades rotated above them: whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.Somethingbeeped andJessjolted, grabbing ontoGabriel’sarm.
‘Whatwas that?’
‘Nothing.It’snormal,’ saidGabrielwith a grin.Hisexcitement animated him. ‘Thereare going to be beeps and noises.Ifthere’s a problem—which there won’t be—Jacqueswill tell us.’
Jessnodded and sucked on the sweet extra hard.
Momentslater, the helicopter lifted off the ground, and she gasped.Squeezingher eyes shut,Jessthreaded her arm throughGabriel’slike he had transformed into a buoyancy device.
Hecovered her hand with his and she absorbed his calming warmth. ‘You’llbe fine.I’vegot you,’ he said, and he sounded so sure.Avery, very, very, very small part of her relaxed.
Andthen the helicopter zoomed into the sky.
5
Theground sank awayand the wind slapped across her face through the open doors.Thehangar that had seemed so huge a moment ago dwindled until it was the size of a garden shed.Gabrieltapped her arm and pointed.Inthe distance, she saw theEiffelTower, soaring up from the skyline.Itglinted in the late afternoon light and she held her breath.Itwas beautiful.
Jesssmiled.
Thehelicopter veered away and she lost sight of the iron tower.
AllofParisspread out before her, a well-ordered crisscross of buildings and roads broken up by the occasional green space.Thegeometric patterns of circles, squares and rectangles revealed themselves to her, andJessmarvelled at how neat and organised it looked from above.
‘Almostlike it was planned,’ she said, comparing it with the disorderly mess ofLondon, viewed many times in the opening title ofEastenders.
