Page 26 of The Little Board Game Café

‘Ah, I see. Okay, I think that’s long enough. Give me your hand.’

She lowered her arm – at last – and stretched it out towards him. He eased the ring off, with none of the tugging or wrestling that she’d had earlier.

‘I tried and tried. Nothing would shift it.’

‘Lovely ring.’ He held it up and peered at it for a second before placing it in her palm and closing her fingers around it.

She stood up to go. ‘Thank you, Ludek.’

‘You’re welcome.’

She was almost at the door when he said, ‘Emily, I don’t suppose…’

She stopped. Turned back to him. Heart pounding again. He was going to ask her out. Sod the hypocritic oath or whatever it was that doctors had to swear when they left medical school. She wouldn’t tell if he didn’t.

He paused.

Ask me, she willed him. Ask me out on a date.

‘What are you doing on Friday evening?’

Yes! She could have punched the air, but Kate always said you shouldn’t appear too keen.

‘A group of us meet upstairs every week in the Red Lion. I thought you and Kate might like to come along. You know, since you want to get out more and meet new people.’

A group of us? Damn. Not a date then.

‘Of course, it mightn’t be your thing,’ he said.

But meeting his friends? Having a drink and a chat? It was a start, at least.

‘Why might it not be my thing?’

‘Board games. We get together to play board games.’

Chapter Ten

‘You had that second viewing on Nico’s yet?’ Kate said, popping her head into the lounge as she came home from work on Tuesday.

Emily shook her head. ‘Not yet.’

She was about to tell Kate about Ludek and the board games group – it would have been lovely if the two of them could have gone along; she missed spending time with Kate – but her friend was racing up the stairs in search of a change of clothes before Emily could open her mouth.

On Wednesday morning, Emily got up to find a series of Post-It notes around the little terraced house: on the toilet seat; the fridge; the mirror in the hall; and the television. They all said the same thing. Arrange that second viewing.

On Thursday, Kate was clearly having a quiet day in the office as she texted Emily on the hour every hour. Second viewing?

When Emily replied to one of these texts asking how the dating was going, Kate didn’t answer the question. She just wrote, Not telling you till you arrange that second viewing.

In the end, Emily decided to phone the estate agent just to get Kate off her back.

*

Emily said hello to three people as she walked down the high street. Dodged the geese who were hissing by the library. Stopped for a few moments to admire Oxfam’s latest window display. Pressed her nose against the glass of Sweet Delights. Well, almost. She peered in to see how many customers they had in there (loads). Pressing her nose against the glass would have been a bit weird.

She’d always wanted to be one of those people who strolled through Essendale saying hello to everyone and knowing their names. And now walking towards her was someone whose name she did know, but not someone Emily wanted to say hello to.

Annie.