A pack of CARDS

Was Paul just a joker playing with Anna's heart?

- 

Happy birthday, Anna!' Paul pressed a card and gift into her hand.

'I can't stop. I'm on my way to work. I'll come round later if you don't have anything else planned.'

I wish, she thought. 'No. Nothing planned. Thanks for the pressie.'

The second he'd gone, she opened his present. Playing cards. Was that all she meant to him? They weren't new either.

She had met Paul at a book group, where they discovered they lived close to each other. They'd both been widowed, which gave them something in common. When the group folded, they had carried on meeting up.

At first they only talked about books, then they started sharing takeaways and having the occasional day out. Every Wednesday, they'd play cards. It was all very proper and chaste. After all this time, she still had no clue how Paul felt about her.

After a morning spent catching up on chores, she grabbed a quick snack and set off for work. She’d walked the same route so many times, her shoes could have found their own way there.

Before stepping into the travel agency, she took a deep breath, wondering if they'd make a fuss, seeing as it was her 60th, but nobody took any notice of her.