Page 106 of The Little Board Game Café

Emily followed her gaze and saw him sprinting over the grass. He joined Clipboard Woman and the other helpers in the middle of the circle. Not a wasted evening after all.

He caught Emily’s eye and gave a little wave. She gave a bigger one back.

When the warm-up was over and they began to run, he came straight over and ran alongside her and Kate.

‘How are you, Em?’ he said.

She was already beginning to pant. ‘I’m good, thanks. You?’

‘Yeah, good. Didn’t think this was your thing?’

Couldn’t they slow down a bit?

‘No. But I didn’t…know how else…to get in touch…with you.’

Kate elbowed her at that point. Emily knew what she was angling for: an introduction. Her friend still hadn’t sussed that she’d met this guy before. ‘Kate…meet Rob,’ Emily said.

Rob nodded at Kate, then looked back to Emily. ‘You wanted to get in touch with me? How come?’

‘Well, actually… I wanted…to ask you if—’

Thankfully at that moment, Clipboard Woman slowed to a walk and then the whole group slowed.

‘Two minutes walking,’ she shouted from the front of the group.

‘What did you want to ask me?’ said Rob.

Emily stopped walking. Put her hands on her knees and tried to catch her breath. Kate and Rob stopped too and people began to overtake them.

When Emily stood up again, the running group were a little way ahead.

‘I was wondering if your offer still stood.’ Emily put her hand on her chest. Her breathing was becoming a little more normal now. ‘I need someone to paint me a sign.’

‘Why d’you need a sign, Emily?’ said Kate just as Rob said, ‘What d’you want the sign to say?’

Emily wiped a drop of sweat from her forehead. ‘The (Not So) Little Board Game Café. Dad and I have bought Sweet Delights.’

*

Emily had the strongest sense of déjà vu ever as she stood at the top of a dodgy stepladder, wielding a paintbrush loaded with pale-grey emulsion. Not so long ago, she’d been doing this in Nico’s. And now here she was: proud new owner – well, co-owner – of Sweet Delights, which was about to become Essendale’s second board game café. Not the original, but it was definitely going to be the best.

‘More tea?’ said Marjory, emerging from the kitchen. She was giving it a deep clean, though Emily wasn’t sure why as Peggy had left the place spotless.

‘Definitely,’ said Mr B, putting down his paintbrush.

‘Another tea break?’ Emily said. ‘There’s only ten days till the launch.’

The front door opened and Annie poked her head round. ‘Anyone need sustenance?’ she called.

‘Great timing, Annie. Marjory’s putting the kettle on,’ said Mr B.

They sat at one of the tables, drinking Yorkshire Tea and eating Annie’s latest creation: cupcakes with huge swirls of icing, a bright green snake and a tiny ladder poking out of the top of each one.

‘How’s the caravan, Annie?’ said Marjory.

Annie had been the first person Emily had told when they’d signed the deal on Sweet Delights. Annie was going to bake all the cakes for the new café, do some of the cooking and she’d even suggested she could do the accounts – she’d always done them at Ridley’s so it seemed like a sensible idea. The promise of a job had been enough to secure the caravan and she’d moved in pretty much straight away.

‘You’ve no idea how good it is to have a place of my own again. Quite a few people live on the farm – there’s a couple of converted vans in the yard and a narrowboat moored next door on the canal. I’ve got a bit of company in an evening, when I want it. It’s ideal. I’m making cakes for the farm shop too. They’re selling like…’