"It is not a problem," Jacques lied, pulling her out of crowd and into his friend's apartment building. "And... of course I forgot Etienne lives on the fifth floor."
He kicked the door shut behind them, and looked around the cramped little vestible. The land-lady had probably been at the Champs de Mars as well. Jacques felt an uneasy squirm in his torso, as if his stomach had tried to switch places with his heart. "There's- ah, here's the steps. Why don't you sit down, citoyen?"