‘You’re bloody freezing,’ she complained a second later.
‘That’s what you get for running off into the night without adequate clothing.’
‘In that case, it serves you right.’ But in the next second she was pushing one of her gloves into his hand and had taken off her scarf and was carefully wrapping it around his head.
‘Come on, let’s go home.’
‘Ah, about that. Can I show you something?’
Her mouth twitched. ‘I thought I’d seen everything.’
‘Anna Love, wash your mouth out. There’s something I want you to see.’ He winced. ‘I need to phone Zdenka. She was supposed to meet me here.’
‘Ah, I should have told you. She’s been delayed.’
‘You knew I’d be here?’
She grinned at him. ‘I told her to have you here. I phoned her and asked her for a little help.’
‘Even though I stayed at her place.’
‘Leo,’ she chided. ‘Oh, and there she is.’
He looked up to see Zdenka striding towards them, grinning from ear to ear.
‘I’m not staying but I thought you might need these.’ She slipped a set of keys into his pocket, gave Anna a cheeky wink and ran off to Tomáš waiting for her on the other side of the bridge.
‘Come on,’ he said to Anna. ‘Let’s go home.’
She nodded and turned around.
‘No, we’re going this way.’
‘We are?’
He nodded as he tapped the address into his Uber app.
Five minutes later they were in the warmth of a cab, although Leo was quite happy for Anna to wrap herself around him to heat him up.
‘Are you going to tell me where we’re going?’ she asked for the fourth or fifth time.
He relented. ‘We’re going to Vyšehrad.’
She pouted. ‘That doesn’t tell me anything.’
‘No,’ he said and kissed her, tapping her nose. ‘All in good time.’
The taxi pulled up at their destination and they stepped out, their feet crunching into the soft white surface. The snow had blanketed the roof of the little low building, softening the edges and covering the terracotta tiles, transforming the exterior into a cosy cottage.
Leo led the way to the wooden doors, their feet leaving prints in the virgin snow, which felt like a sign. A fresh start. Clean and new. He opened a door and ushered Anna through.
‘What is this place?’ she asked.
‘I wondered if you’d be interested in staying in Prague with me. Starting our own brewery with a pub. Maybe here, if you liked it.’
‘Here?’ Her eyes widened. ‘With you?’
He nodded, his heart thudding painfully in his chest, as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, so that they were nose to nose.
