Monday was cool and sunny, with a slight breeze that carried the scent and promise of early autumn. Jack Williams eased his 73-year-old body down on his accustomed bench in the small park downtown and opened his book. He liked this spot under a big oak tree whose leaves had just begun to show signs of changing color. The fresh air was nice and it was shady and cool during the summer. In the spring and autumn the sun angle was just right to give a little warmth. It gave him a place to ponder his life and those other things that needed pondering. He'd just settled into his read when a shadow fell across the page. He looked up and saw a pretty young woman looking at him.
"Would you mind if I shared your bench," she asked in a soft voice.
"I'd be delighted to share with you, Miss." He stood up and gestured to the bench. "Please join me."
"I didn't want to interrupt your reading." She sat down and crossed her legs.
Jack smiled at her. "You're not disturbing me in the least. This is just my thinking place." He resumed his place at the other end of the bench.
She looked at him quizzically. "Your 'thinking place'?"
"I just come here to read and think, if it becomes absolutely indispensable for me to think."
She looked at him for a moment, then laughed softly. The twinkle in his eye gave him away. "You don't like to think?"
"I find it a chore and it sometimes dredges up memories that I'd rather not deal with. Especially on such a nice day." He smiled at her. "Especially in the presence of such a charming young lady."
She blushed. "My name is Dana Raffelli." She held a hand out to him.
"I'm Jack Williams," he said, taking her soft hand and squeezing gently. He released her hand and looked at her a little more closely. She was indeed pretty, with auburn hair and eyes that defied description. A strange mix of hazel and grey, almond shaped, with long lashes. He held out a paper bag to her. "Care for a chocolate chip cookie?"
"Oh, thank you." She took one and bit into it. "Delicious. Does your wife bake them for you?"
"She used to. She died about a year ago." He looked away for a moment.
"I'm sorry about your wife." She touched his hand gently.
"Thanks, but it's all right. I'm used to it now. So, now I bake them for myself. Looks like they're pretty good bait, too."
She looked at him. "Bait?"
"I caught you, didn't I?" He looked at her and smiled.
She decided he was much nicer looking when he smiled. It helped to change the lines in his face. She smiled back at him. "Very tasty bait."
"Thanks." He put the bag down on the bench between them. "Just help yourself. I got plenty more at home. Once I get started, it's hard to stop."
She laughed softly. Jack liked the sound of her laugh. He liked the way her nose wrinkled and her eyes flashed. He sighed within himself, wishing he were her age. He could get interested in her very easily, but the difference in their ages would make that impractical. At 73, he was a little old for her, but it certainly didn't stop him from dreaming and wishing.
His own perception of himself was that Time had taken him into an alley and beat the shit out of him. His face was lined and puffy, and somewhat colorless. He was losing his hair, which, by now, was all gray. Oh, well, at least he'd be spared the burden of trying to woo and win a girl and fend off the competition. He'd never been good at that.
Sometimes the nights were lonely. Sometimes the only pleasant company was his good old right hand, and even then his stiffy was iffy. But, more often than not, it got the job done. It was a good release and brought back memories from happier times.
"Do you come here every day?" Her hand was on his arm. It felt wonderful.
"Yes, just about every day unless it's raining or snowing. Then I stay home and enjoy the fire."
She stood up. "Well, I have to get back to work. It was nice meeting you, Jack. Maybe I'll see you here again."
"I'd like that, Dana. It was nice talking to you." He stood and took her hand again. "You're a very nice person. They're getting fewer and farther between." He let her hand go, but she seemed reluctant to release his.
"I know what you mean." She finally let his hand go. "Until the next time, then." She turned and walked off toward the street.
He watched her walk away. She does have nice legs, he thought. She was such a charming young woman. He wondered idly who was the lucky guy that was keeping company with her. How could anyone resist those eyes?
They met again the next day and chatted for the duration of her lunch hour. She had brought a sandwich and some fruit. Jack had more cookies and a container of milk. They shared their food and talked about nothing in particular. She seemed to enjoy his company, for which he was grateful, not so much for the company as for the opportunity to spend an hour with such a lovely young woman.
It continued for the next several weeks. They would sit, chatting amiably and learning more and more about each other until that fateful Friday when she didn't show up. Jack wondered if she was ill, or just didn't care to have any further meetings with him. He was disappointed. She filled a void in his life that he was reluctant to leave empty. He looked around for a bit, then decided to finish his book. When he'd finished reading he stood up and put his trash in the bin, looked around one last time, then started for home.
Suddenly, "Jack, wait a minute!"
He turned and saw her running toward him. His heart leaped. "Hi, Dana. I was just leaving. I missed you at noon."
"I'm too late, then." She looked genuinely disappointed.
"Not at all, Dana. I didn't think you were coming, so I finished my book. I didn't see any point hanging around any longer, but now that you're here, let's sit." He noticed that her smile was a little forced, and there was evidence of tears on her cheeks.
She looked at him with those lovely eyes. "I'm so glad I caught you. I could use a friend right now."
"Hey, what's the problem?" He saw that she was ready to break down. He put his hand on her arm and squeezed it gently. "Care to talk about it?"
She did break out into tears. She lowered her head and sobbed disconsolately.
"Come on, Dana. Put your head on my shoulder and let it out." He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him. She didn't resist him and her head fell to his shoulder. Her sobs tore at his heart.
"I lost my job today." She told him the story between sobs. "My boss started making advances to me, and I just lost it and slapped his face as hard as I could."
Jack held her close, trying not to get too familiar with her. She just continued sobbing. He gave her his handkerchief and let her clean up a little.
"Want to talk about it?"
"I'm glad I'm out of there. I need the job, but not that badly. God! What a pig that man is!"
"Maybe you should file a harassment suit against him." He gave her a little squeeze.
She leaned against him. "No, I'm just glad to get away from him and his constantly horny buddies. I can find another job."
