Page 74 of The Little Board Game Café

And then suddenly, from nowhere, she found herself telling him about her mum. About the dog and the lorry swerving and his unsecured load. About the life support being turned off.

‘Oh, Emily,’ he said. ‘I never realised. Seeing Marjory this evening… Well, it must have brought it all back.’

‘I feel like I’m a jinx,’ she said. ‘Things get broken. Drinks get spilled. The people I love have accidents…’

‘And people you don’t love have accidents.’ Ludek brushed a stray hair from Emily’s wet cheek. ‘I did a few months in A & E when I was training. You’re not a jinx, Em. Accidents just happen. Every day.’

He handed her an already-soggy tissue from his pocket. Judging by the smell of it, Emily thought, it was one he’d used earlier to mop Kate’s spilled alco-pop off the Stone Age board.

He cupped her face in his hands and gently kissed the tip of her nose. Somehow the music had started again – she must have been sitting on her phone – and the unmistakable tones of Amy Winehouse filled the café: ‘Love is a Losing Game’. She closed her eyes and felt Ludek’s lips brush against each of her eyelids. She sighed as they worked their way down towards her lips, but then they stopped.

She opened her eyes. He appeared to be looking past her, at something in the far corner of the café.

‘What’s the matter?’ she said.

‘I think one of my meeples is under that table.’

Chapter Twenty-Six

When the stray meeple had been retrieved, Ludek announced he was walking Emily home.

‘I’ll pick up my games another day,’ he said. ‘Let’s get some fresh air.’

They walked along the canal, back towards the town centre. The geese were asleep on the towpath, their usually vicious beaks tucked under their wings. Emily and Ludek headed through the small park, deserted now, and along the high street.

As they passed Sweet Delights, he nodded across the road to the boarded-up shop which was once The Golden Wok.

‘Any idea what’s happening there?’ he said. ‘There’ve been shopfitters in this week.’

‘Not a clue. I hadn’t even noticed. I walk past every day but I’ve been so preoccupied with the launch that I hadn’t spotted them. Fingers crossed for another Chinese. Or an Indian. Save traipsing all the way to Hebbleswick every time we want a curry.’

As they reached Kate’s house, Emily was relieved to see that all the lights were turned off. She loved her best friend to bits, but didn’t want to see her this evening, not after what had happened. And besides, she was hoping that Ludek might come in for a cup of coffee, that they might resume where they’d left off before he’d spotted the meeple.

She opened the gate and stepped onto the path, assuming he’d follow, but he held back.

‘Goodnight, Emily,’ he said.

‘Would you like to come in for…’ she began, but he cut her off, saying, ‘Perhaps not tonight. I…I think I should probably head home.’

And then, against her better judgment, against all the advice Kate had ever given her and all the words of wisdom in those find-a-man self-help books, Emily did what you were apparently never supposed to do: she made the first move. She put her arms around Ludek’s neck, pulled him towards her and practically clamped her lips onto his.

At first, he didn’t respond, but then he began to kiss her back. Gently at first. Teasing her lips with his tongue, then more firmly. More insistent. Urgent almost.

But then he pulled away.

Emily scanned his face, trying to read his expression. His cheeks were flushed. He looked down at his feet. He seemed awkward, unsure of himself. Not unlike how he’d appeared on their very first date. It seemed so long ago now.

‘It’s been a big day,’ he said.

‘Yeah, it has.’

She wondered if she should ask him in, but he’d already declined once. And there was no need to rush things, she thought. Better to take it slowly.

‘Goodnight, Ludek.’

‘Goodnight, Em. I’ll talk to you soon.’

‘And thanks again. For the games. The pierogi frying. Saving Marjory.’