Page 103 of Love Letters on Hazel Lane

They stood facing each other. Jo clasped the paper bag in one hand but wasn’t sure what to do with the other. Suddenly her limbs felt like they didn’t belong to her. She shifted her weight uneasily from one foot to the other. ‘Tea or coffee?’

‘Coffee, please.’

‘Have a seat.’ She gestured at the stained sofa; she still hadn’t got round to buying that throw. ‘Would you like your pizza heated up?’

‘Now look,’ he said sternly, ‘I was offered cold pizza. My favourite breakfast.’

She scrutinised his face, trying to work out if his stern tone was in earnest or if he was winding her up, but she couldn’t tell.

‘And since I’m getting my favourite breakfast,’ he continued, ‘I thought I’d better bring you yours. Look in the bag.’

She’d forgotten she was still holding the brown paper bag. It felt warm in her hands. She peeped inside. Croissants and pain au chocolat. He must have called in at the bakery on his way here. Fancy him remembering; those first messages they’d exchanged – well, they’d been ages ago. The cold pizza had stuck in her mind, she supposed, so the croissants must have stuck in his.

He’d brought her croissants.

No, she told herself. Don’t read too much into that. Friends often bring gifts when they visit each other. That’s all it is. Don’t get your hopes up.

‘How did you guess I was Dazzle?’ he said.

‘When you played zax.’

‘So, I gave my secret away for a measly 19 points?’

‘And the game.’ She smiled. Her heart rate was finally beginning to return to normal. ‘It won you the game.’

‘Not much of a Cyrano de Bergerac, am I?’

‘Nope. Although you do have…’

‘Yeah, I know. A big conk.’

‘I like your nose. It’s rather Roman. Distinguished.’

Razz digested this for a moment before he said, ‘Look, I’m sorry I walked out. I was annoyed about the adventurous activities thing, but I know how persuasive Kate can be. She made me delete Scrabble from my Buzzz profile.’

‘Kate did?’

‘Yeah. Emily – you know, my colleague Ludek’s other half – suggested that Kate took a look at it for me. Reckoned she was some kind of dating guru.’

‘She is.’

He harrumphed. ‘Maybe.’

So Razz had originally written Scrabble on his dating profile? Imagine if Kate had never made him remove it, Jo thought. Imagine if Kate had never interfered with her profile. Things might have worked out so differently. They might have played Scrabble on their first date and lived happily ever after.

‘But then also,’ he said, ‘I was in a bad mood anyway that evening. I’m sorry – I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. But I’d had some terrible news.’

‘Did someone die?’

‘I’m a doctor. I’m used to people dying. It’s worse than that.’

‘Worse? What’s worse than death?’

‘Well, not really, but we’re losing the church hall,’ he said. ‘This Friday’s Scrabble club will be our final session. And I don’t know how I’m going to tell everyone.’

‘Let’s eat,’ she said, ‘then we’ll think of a solution. Another venue. Pepperoni or margherita? Plate or box?’

‘Margherita, please. In the box.’