The Education of Grandpa - 5. An Interesting Dinner Partner 

The following day Grandpa Geoff began his Boston adventure. His neighbor drove him to the Long River station where he caught the Hartford Line commuter train to New Haven. Following a thirty minute layover, the Acela high-speed train from Washington DC and New York City arrived on time at 10:40. In two hours, he would arrive at Boston’s South Station. Seated in the comfortable business class seat, Geoff enjoyed the scenery as the train traveled at speeds up to 150 MPH (240 KPH). In Connecticut, the train traveled along the shore of Long Island Sound. The views of ocean beaches and marshes were spectacular. With an app Alan had installed on his phone, he was able to monitor the train’s speed. After crossing the Rhode Island border, the route left the shore, continued on to Providence and then to Boston. The train pulled into South Station within a minute of the published arrival time.

With everything for the trip packed in a wheelie carryon, the ten-minute walk to the Hyatt Regency was easy. Having arrived prior to check-in time, he left his carryon bag with the hotel concierge. From the hotel, it was a short walk to the Boston Common, a fifty-acre historic park in the center of Boston.

Geoff planned his sightseeing tour of historic Boston to begin at the Common. The Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) sidewalk path passes through seventeen locations significant to the history of the United States. While he would not have time to explore every place along the trail, he did visit some including: The Old State House, Paul Revere House, Old North Church, Site of the Boston Massacre, and Faneuil Hall. The area around Faneuil Hall, a marketplace that opened in 1742, includes historical buildings and sites related to the American Revolution, galleries, numerous restaurants, and tourist shops. The crowded plaza hosts street performers enjoyed by tourists and locals. Geoff had lunch at an outdoor café where people watching - actually mostly checking out men - was a delight.

He returned to the hotel, and after checking in, he took a short nap and then went to the hotel restaurant. As the maître-d led him to his table, Geoff realized he had never eaten alone in a fancy restaurant. As he savored the bowl of New England clam chowder, he felt a loneliness as he realized he was not sharing his meal. As he waited for the main course of Atlantic salmon, he observed the other diners. He was pleased to note that he was not the only lone diner. As he gazed around the room, the man sitting alone at the adjacent table looked up and smiled. Geoff, embarrassed that he had been caught staring, quickly lowered his eyes and busied himself looking at the wine list, although he had no intention of ordering wine. There was something about the man at the next table. Geoff looked up again as the man caught his eye a second time. This time Geoff nodded and smiled back. They were close enough that conversation was possible in the busy restaurant. The stranger asked, “Are you here for business or pleasure?” Geoff replied that he was a tourist and that this was his first visit to Boston in over ten years. The man replied, “I am here both for business and pleasure. I just ordered my after-dinner coffee. Would you mind if I sat at your table and have my coffee while you finish your dinner?”

Geoff observed the handsome stranger as he moved to his table. The conversation was easy. Geoff learned that Jason was a technical writer and editor of science books. He had been a high school science teacher when a friend, a professor at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, asked him to review an article he planned to submit to a physics journal. Jason reviewed the article. He made meaningful suggestions that his friend gladly accepted. As a thank you, he was taken out to dinner. The professor told a colleague about Jason’s assistance and others asked him to review articles they planned to submit to professional journals. This led to a request for him to proofread chapters of a science textbook that three professors from Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York planned to submit to a publisher. At the suggestion of one of the authors, Jason met the publisher in Boston, and eventually he became a writing consultant reviewing various science related articles and books. Jason resigned from his high school teaching position and now worked full-time from his home near Pittsfield in Western Massachusetts. He visited the publisher in Boston twice a year.

Jason suggested they go for a walk through the nearby Boston Common. As they strolled, the two talked about their personal lives. Geoff related that this was his first trip since his wife’s passing six months earlier. He explained that he had helped his grandson purchase a new computer to use in his senior year of high school and that he had inherited the grandson’s old computer. While it was old, to Geoff it was a substantial update to the ancient equipment he and his wife had used. The old computer had mostly been used to play solitaire to which he had been addicted. He told how his grandson’s friend had given him lessons and that he now felt comfortable using it as well as his new smart phone for various activities, including planning the trip to Boston. Geoff did not reveal that his enjoyment of porn had replaced his addiction to solitaire.

Jason related that he lived with his partner, Chris, an electrician. Of course, this revelation peaked Geoff’s interest. “How and when did you and Chris meet?”

While Jason had actually met Chris at Rock River, a gay play area near Brattleboro, Vermont, he was careful as to whom he gave the details of their meeting. His reply to Geoff was a white lie. “My parents had a small farm north of Pittsfield. About twenty-five years ago, my dad, who worked full time, decided to give up his farm hobby. Mom and dad bought a condo, and I acquired the family home and farm. The wiring needed updating and a friend recommended Chris. Let’s just say, we became friends and a few months later he moved in with me. We have been together almost twenty-five years and married since same sex marriages became legal in Massachusetts.”

Geoff became quiet following this revelation. Jason assumed Geoff’s change of demeanor indicated he did not approve of such a relationship. What seemed like an eternity, but was actually less than a minute, the two men were silent. The only noise was the laughter coming from the Swan Boat, full of happy tourists floating by on the nearby lake in the Common. Assuming his new acquaintance was disgusted by his revelation, a disheartened Jason started to get up from the park bench saying, “I’d better get back to the hotel and prepare for my meeting tomorrow.” Actually, there was no need to prepare - he had finished his discussions with the publisher that afternoon and just needed to pick up a flash drive that was being loaded with software updates for his work computer at home.

As he started to stand, Geoff grabbed his hand, “There is something I want to discuss with you. You appear to be someone who would listen and give me advice about my concerns.”

……………

Thank you for your comments. They are very much appreciated and help me develop this and future stories. A big thanks to pvt guy for his edits and comments. The make this story readable while also making it appear that I have mastered the English language.