Ben Reach was not surprised by the call from Ann Cameron. “Ben, I need some personal advice. When could I see you?”
“How about four this afternoon?” Ben said.
“See you then” Ann said, and hung up.
Ben was standing at Joanne’s desk when Ann arrived. After hugs Ben walked her to the library-conference room and they settled into captain’s chairs across the table from one another.
“How are you, Ben?”
“Good, Ann. You?”
“Lonely,” Ann said.
Ben nodded understanding. They were contemporaries, without their spouses each four years.
“I know you and Annie have one another,” Ann said. Ben nodded.
“I have tried to connect with someone to share some life with, not marriage, “Ann said, “but it’s been a disaster. Last thing I tried was the internet, guided by my granddaughter, age nineteen. I went for coffee with four, for supper with two. The last seemed maybe a prospect, until I caught a whiff of B O.”
Ben suppressed a smile.
“How can I find a good man my age to share some of the life still in me with?” Ann said.
Ben thought a moment, then said, “Let me have a little time to study that.”
“Till when,” Ann said.
“Same time tomorrow?”
“See you then,” Ann said.
When Ann arrived at Ben’s office next day, Ben was seated in the library-conference room with a short glass of The Macallan before him, no ice, no water or soda. Joanne showed Ann to the room.
“What will you have?” Ben said.
Ann nodded at the bottle of The Macallan 12 and said, “No ice, no water.”
Ben smiled and poured her a dram in a short glass. He had remembered correctly.
“So, what is your advice, Ben Reach?” Ann said after settling into the captain’s chair and taking a sip of The Macallan.
“Your church feeds the homeless, doesn’t it?” Ben said.
“Yes, every day. I give to the program,” Ann said.
“Why don’t you volunteer to work at serving on the food line, on Sundays?” Ben said.
“OK,” Ann said. They enjoyed their drams and a dividend, all the while talking of mutual friends they admired or missed. Then Ann departed with a hug of Ben, returned with equal sincerity.
A month later Ann and Fred Coleman showed up at Ben’s office at four on a Friday without an appointment. Ben and Sam were in the library-conference room with a dram of the Macallan before each of them. Joanne showed them in.
“We are here to tell you we have found love,” Ann said.
Ben and Sam stood and hugged them in turn.
Fred Coleman had consulted Ben about his loneliness as a widower a month before Ann had. He had told Ben of his volunteering on Sundays at his church’s program feeding the homeless.