The International Writers Magazine:Booster Dates

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Playing Cupid • Martin Green Paul Lerner was a little late in arriving at the meeting room and saw that Travis Wyndham, President of the Boosters Committee, was already speaking.   He looked around and was glad to see that Anne Lewis was there.   Paul had introduced Anne, a widow, to a friend of his, Gary Palmer, a while ago in the hope that something would develop.   He and his wife Sally had invited Anne and Gary to dinner and to play bridge a few times, but he hadn’t seen them lately.   He was curious as to how things were going.

At age 75, Paul had tried to reduce his activities, but he hadn’t been able to leave the Boosters, whose mission was to espouse the attractions of their Northern California retirement community.   Paul had a certain reputation for wisdom.   With his calm demeanor and soothing voice, he was able to mediate the quarrels that were inevitable in a community of crotchety old souls.   At least, that was what some people had told him and this made him a prime candidate for committee service..
 
Wyndham finally ended his speech and the meeting adjourned.   Paul sighed, stood up, went over to Anne Lewis, asked her how she was, then asked if she’d seen much of Gary lately.. 
“Oh, off and on,” she replied.   “We went dancing last week.   In fact, I’ve been meaning to ask you and Sally over to have dinner with us and maybe play some bridge.   Is Saturday good?”   
  “I think so.  I’ll have to check with Sally.   She’s the social planner in the family.   I’ll ask her to call you.”
  “Fine.   Gary won some golf tournament and I’m sure he’ll want to tell you all about it.”

When Paul returned home he told Sally about Anne’s invitation.   Sally checked her calendar and said it was open..  “Anne and Gary seem to have hit it off,” said Paul, with some satisfaction.   Sally had been a little skeptical of his efforts at match-making, or “playing Cupid,” as she called it..
“Let’s wait and see.   I’ll give Anne a call right now.”.
 
The dinner at Anne’s on Saturday was very good; Anne was an excellent cook.    As Anne had predicted, Gary told them all about his golf tournament victory, in more detail than Paul would have liked.   Gary was a tall man in his sixties,  a widower, with a florid face and wavy gray hair.   He was fit and vigorous for his age, a low handicap golfer, still played tennis and liked to ballroom dance.   He was a little flamboyant for Paul’s taste, making sure everyone knew about his golfing prowess and showing off on the dance floor.   But Anne’s late husband, Tommy, had also been like that and Paul had thought that Gary and Anne would make a good pair. 
 
After dinner, they played bridge.   Gary and Anne had the better cards at first and Gary was all smiles as they won the first rubber.   But then Gary overbid trying to make a grand slam and, as he tended to do, sulked for a  while.   After a few more hands though he’d gotten over it;  the evening ended pleasantly and Anne told them that she and Gary were going dancing again that weekend.
 
When Paul and Sally returned home, Paul remarked that Gary and Anne looked as if they were becoming a couple.   Perhaps they’d be attending a wedding pretty soon.   “I’m not sure,” said Anne.   “Gary can be a little too much at times.”
  “But he and Anne like to do the same things---golf, dance, play bridge.   I think they’re a good match.”
  “Maybe they have too many interests in common.   Maybe they’re not different from each other enough.”
  “What do you mean?”
  “Well, like us.   I like to go out and do things.   You’d just as soon stay home all day and read one of your books.”
  “We’ve just gone out to dinner and bridge,” pointed out Paul.
  “Only because you’re playing Cupid..”
  Paul shrugged.   Sometimes Sally could be unreasonable.  
 
 
Two weeks later, Paul saw Anne coming out of the retirement community’s library.   She held out her hand, showing him an engagement ring.   “Congratulations,” said Paul.   “I knew you and Gary would hit it off.”
 
“Oh, it’s not Gary.”
“Then who …?”
“Travis Wyndham.   You know, the President of the Boosters Committee.”
“What?”
“You seem surprised.”
“I am.   I’d never thought of him.   I always thought he was such an old fuddy-duddy.”
Anne smiled.   “He is, in a way.   Something like you.   That’s all to the good.   I had enough excitement with Tommy.   I want someone settled and stable.”
“Have you told Gary?”
“Yes.   I liked Gary but he’s just too full of himself.   Besides, I don’t think he really wants to marry again.   He’s having too good a time with all the single ladies around here.”
Paul shook his head.   “Well, congratulations again.”
“I’ll send you and Sally a wedding invitation.   I hope you’ll be able to come.”
 
Paul didn’t see Sally until that evening when she came home from one of her club meetings.   The first thing he did was tell her all about his encounter with Anne.  
Yes,  I know,” she said.   “Anne was at the meeting.”
  “I suppose you were right,” said Paul.   “Gary wasn’t the one for her.   I feel a little foolish”
  “Don’t fret..  Your reputation for wisdom won’t suffer.   Anne credits you for getting her together with Travis Wyndham.   If you hadn’t recruited her for the Boosters Committee she might not have met him.”
“That’s right, I did recruit her.   I didn’t know I had a reputation for wisdom.”
“Oh, you know people look upon you as a wise old man.”
“Am I an old fuddy-duddy, too?   That’s what Anne told me I was.”
“Hmm.   You are pretty much, but a nice one.   Now let’s have some tea and we can decide what kind of wedding present we’ll give.”

© Martin Green October 2008
<mgreensuncity@yahoo.com>

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