Page 10 of The Little Board Game Café

This was always the way it went when they met for a drink. No matter what else was happening in their lives, the conversation always came back to one thing: men. Although Emily had Just Been Fired and a little sympathy wouldn’t have gone amiss, she didn’t mind. She knew how much her friend wanted to meet someone. It was hard to see why she was finding it so difficult; Kate was attractive, funny and intelligent. Emily sometimes wondered if she was also too picky.

‘Most of the time, it comes to nothing,’ Kate said. ‘I think most of the men out there just want some kind of pen pal. They don’t want to go on an actual date. And then if you do get to meet them… God, it’s awful. Sitting there in some random pub with a random stranger making small talk. You feel obliged to stay for an hour even if you know within the first five seconds that you don’t fancy them. It’s terrible. Occasionally you get a nice one. You think you’ve clicked. You think this could be it. And then you realise later he was using you for sex.’

‘Thank goodness Peter only fired me. I’m glad I’m not single.’

Kate frowned. ‘Well, personally, I think you’d be happier being single than being with him but—’

‘Tell me your idea.’

‘Right, yes. So instead of relying on the dating apps to find me someone, I start getting out there. With you. Into the real world.’

‘We’re in the real world now. In the pub.’

Kate looked round. ‘But do you see any eligible bachelors in here?’

There was a group of elderly men playing cards in the corner, but, other than that, they were the only people in the place.

‘Now listen,’ said Kate. ‘We have to prioritise going to places and events where we might meet men. Suitable men.’

‘We?! I already have a suitable guy, remember?’

‘Hmmm.’ Kate pulled a face that she often pulled, but despite all the years of knowing her, Emily never had been able to interpret. A look that hinted – perhaps – that she didn’t agree, but knew there was no point in saying so. A look that suggested, ‘You’ll come round to my way of thinking in time.’

‘You can come as my wingman. It’d be fun, Em. It doesn’t have to be about meeting men. It’ll help us both broaden our horizons, try new things, make new friends.’

Trying new things sounded good. As long as they weren’t dangerous things like bungee jumping or sky-diving or roller-skating. She knew most people wouldn’t consider roller-skating particularly dangerous but you could reach quite high speeds.

And perhaps she could get to know more people locally, put some names to faces. Improve her social life; apart from trips to the pub like this with Kate, it was pretty much non-existent.

‘What sort of events were you thinking?’ Knowing Kate, she already had a list.

‘We should go for brunch – or at least a coffee – on Sunday mornings. There’s a woman at work who met her husband in the queue in Costa.’

‘We don’t have a Costa,’ Emily said. ‘Don’t tell me you want to hunt for Mr Right in Sweet Delights?’

‘We could go into Manchester. Or Leeds.’

‘All that way to have brunch? I’m unemployed now, remember. In any case, a trip to a coffee shop is hardly broadening our horizons.’

‘How about skiing club?’

‘Skiing? We live in the Pennines not the Alps! Can’t you think of something cheaper? And less likely to involve a broken leg?’

Kate thought for a moment. ‘Cookery classes.’

‘I can already cook.’

‘How about the running club?’

‘Running? Me?’

‘They do beginners’ evenings and it has the added advantage of being good for us. Please, Em. Please come.’

‘Fitness and me don’t go together.’

‘If you did more exercise, you could eat more cakes. And that would give you an excuse to do more baking.’

Emily had to admit that Kate had a point. In any case, if she wanted to go somewhere and needed someone to go with her, Kate would be the first to offer.