Éva had never used a matchmaker to meet someone before. She only agreed this time because her friend Tímea insisted she and the guy would be a perfect match. The newly graduated guy worked at the same school as Éva’s friend. The guy, Levente, had organized an afternoon of board games at his home and invited Éva through their mutual colleague. Playing games together was the perfect start—they laughed and easily gauged whether a second date was worth pursuing or if they should quickly forget about each other.
For the next date, in order to avoid any potential awkwardness, Levente suggested they meet at a torchlight procession being held in the city. Éva, still in college, appreciated Levente’s thoughtfulness.
Levente was thirty minutes late. It turned out he had been battling a high fever and had tried to bring his temperature down. The date was rather subdued. By the time Éva noticed that something was seriously wrong with him, Levente was already shivering, and his face was flushed with fever.
It took two weeks for Levente to fully recover. But as soon as he felt better, he called Éva and asked her out again. Éva was surprised when Levente showed up at the café with a colleague, but she immediately understood what Tímea meant when she said Levente had some quirks. The afternoon went smoothly—the three of them had a pleasant chat over coffee and drinks. Éva found it particularly amusing how confidently Levente asked her for her share of the bill before paying. Specifically, he quoted a round number that surely covered both the coffee and the drink. He didn’t want to fuss with small change. Éva didn’t mind—after all, they were both young, and why should Levente pay for everything when there was no guarantee their dates would turn into a relationship?
Their next date was just the two of them, and Éva was delighted. This meant she had passed the test—Levente liked her enough inside and out to take things to the next level.
“Would you like some ice cream? I’m not having any, but if you want, we can get some.”
“No thanks,” Éva replied. She didn’t want to eat ice cream alone.
“Are you sure? They’re all really good. I come here often.”
“I’m sure,” Éva smiled, enjoying Levente’s kindness.
“All right, I won’t push it,” Levente said, then turned to the ice cream vendor. “I’ll have two scoops: pistachio and caramel.”
Éva stared at him in disbelief.
Date after date followed, usually in cafés or garden restaurants. The amount Éva was asked to contribute remained the same as that first time, even though the lemon water she typically ordered didn’t cost nearly that much. Éva didn’t know how to address the situation and was sure that Levente wasn’t trying to take advantage of her. She figured he was either unaware of the prices or just wasn’t great at math. Despite this quirk, Levente was always kind and polite, and he always walked Éva home. She found it unusual that they didn’t kiss goodbye at her door, as had been the case with previous guys who had taken the time to walk her home. But Levente was already working, much more serious and deliberate, probably waiting for the right moment to make their first kiss special. Éva appreciated the respect he showed her.
“I’ve got something really special planned for today,” Levente said, his face glowing with pride.
Éva excitedly got into the car, not asking questions but eagerly anticipating where Levente would take her. Their destination turned out to be Levente’s house, where his parents were already waiting impatiently for the car so they could leave. The introductions were quick—a simple handshake, as his parents were in a rush. Once they were gone, Éva blushed, imagining what might happen next. She was glad she had showered before the date and had worn her nicest lingerie. In her excitement, she didn’t notice the little boy standing in the yard with a badminton racket.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t walk you home,” he murmured softly.
The forty-five-minute walk was enough for Éva to turn her anger into positive thoughts. Life would be much cheaper without Levente.