‘Do you know much about their background? Is Julia from the area? Do her parents live around here?’

He looks at me, cocks his head. ‘I don’t remember. Why do you want to know?’

‘Oh, just curious.’ I look down at the table and swirl my wine in the glass. I wish he’d give me something. I was hoping he’d be a mine of information. ‘So you’ve never met either of her parents?’

‘No, I haven’t.’ He shifts in his seat, looks uncomfortable, and I wonder if he knows something he doesn’t want to share.

‘Or Michel’s?’

He shakes his head. ‘Er, no.’ He puts his hands on the table. ‘Can we talk about something else please?’

‘Oh. Okay.’ Perhaps when I go to Thun this Sunday, I’ll find another connection between Anna and Julia. Even if Anna’s no longer there, perhaps someone will know her and be able to put me in contact. I wonder if I need to prepare anything in Swiss German, a message I can show people to read just in case they don’t speak English.

‘Do you speak Swiss German?’

‘What? No. Why?’

‘I might need someone to translate a short text for me. Do you have any friends who speak it?’

‘No, and it’s not a written language anyway.’ He shakes his head and lets out a short laugh, adding, ‘You’re a strange one, Jess.’

I don’t know what to say, but my surprise obviously shows on my face.

‘I invite you here because I wanted to see you again, because I thought – despite first impression, oh and second impression – that you might actually be a fun person to hang out with. And perhaps you might have wanted to hang out with me too, being a newcomer in a foreign city. But all you can do is ask me about the Chevalleys and if I can translate something into Swiss German? Sorry, I’ve got better things to do.’ He gets up from the chair and grabs his beer from the table.

I feel heat rising in my face as I play back the conversation in my head and hear myself. ‘Wait!’ I stand up too. ‘God, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I did – do – want to hang out with you. I wanted to see you play and I’m really glad I have because you’re just incredible. I’m sorry that I’m a little distracted. I’ve got a lot on my mind at the moment, but I know I need to try to think about other things. Can we start again?’

He looks at me. ‘We’re playing in five minutes.’

‘Then I have five minutes to attempt to be more scintillating company than before. Please,’ I plead.

His face softens into a smile and he sits back down again. ‘Well,’ he says, ‘I’d like to see you try.’