Chapter Two
“So,” Jason said, settling back against the cushions, “how do you think I might help you?”
David took a sip of his Americano and related the conversation with his boss. Jason listened intently, nodding every now and then. When David got to the part about all the company employees working a shift, Jason’s eyes lit up.
“That sounds great. Damn.”
“What’s up?”
Jason gave him a shy smile. “Well, it sounds like you’re going to draw up a list of possibilities, and I think the place where I volunteer would be a perfect match. I’d hate to think they might lose out to another shelter. Not that it matters. It’s all about helping the homeless, right?”
David nodded. “Exactly.”
Jason’s face fell. “And it’s not like there’s any shortage of them in New York. You can hardly walk down the street without tripping over one of them. It’s such a shame.”
David had to agree.
Jason pressed on. “The thing is, the place I volunteer for is kind of small. It’s not one of those with the backing of a church.
More of a neighborhood effort. Everyone all came together, because they seemed to be.
.. well, overlooked. What you’re proposing would help them help a lot of people, and I’m kind of hoping they won’t be overlooked because they’re not a big place.
” He paused. “Hey. I have an idea.” Jason sat up and leaned forward.
“Why don’t you come with me one evening?
I can get someone to give you a tour, and you can talk to them, see what it’s all about.
” He smiled. “You could even help out if you wanted.”
David had to admit, that sounded like a great idea. “That doesn’t mean it’s a done deal.”
“Oh, I totally get that, but at least if you see the place, see firsthand what great work they’re doing… ”
There was something else at the back of David’s mind.
If it turned out the shelter was willing to affiliate itself with the company, it would save him a lot of time and effort.
Besides, the more cynical side of him knew Donald wouldn’t care which shelter they ended up supporting—as long as his company ended up looking good.
“Then I guess all that’s left is to arrange a day.” David got out his phone. “Can I have your number?”
Jason nodded and held out his hand. “Here, I’ll do that.” David handed over the phone and Jason entered his number. “I usually help out there four evenings a week.”
“Wow. You must have a really understanding family.” No sooner were the words out of David’s mouth than he wished he could take them back. Jason’s expression was solemn. David cursed his big mouth. You have no idea what his situation is like. For all you know, he could be a widower.
“When would you like to visit?” Jason asked him, and David heard the unspoken words. Change the subject.
“Well, how about if I leave that up to you?” David suggested. “You pick a day and I’ll go along with that.”
“Fine. I’ll see if I can set up a meeting with the guys who run it, give them a little heads up. I’ll text you which day works out best.”
“That sounds good.”
“Jason? You got a minute?” It was the girl behind the counter.
Jason flashed him that smile again. “No rest for the wicked. I guess my break’s over.” He rose to his feet and held put his hand. “I’ll be in touch.”
David shook it. “Thanks for this.”
“No problem.” He paused. “Wait a minute. I’ve just thought of something. Are you doing anything this Thursday, about six o’clock?”
“That depends if I can leave work a little earlier. What do you have in mind?”
“The shelter runs info sessions for people who are going to volunteer, the second and last Thursday of every month. It’s the last Thursday this week.
That would be a great time to visit. You’d get to see how they operate, you could ask any questions…
” He tilted his head to one side. “How does that sound?”
“Perfect.” David thought he’d have no problem getting out of work early, not once he explained the reason.
“Well, how about you meet me here at five-forty-five? The shelter is only about four or five blocks from here, along 4th Avenue.”
David stood, his empty cup in his hand. “That sounds fine. Thursday it is.” He took a step toward the counter but Jason stopped him with a hand to his arm.
“Here, I’ll take those.” He grinned. “No doubt I’ll be seeing you on Monday when you make your usual lightning dash for coffee and a bagel.”
David laughed. “Yeah, that’ll be me.” He thanked Jason again and walked out of the coffee shop, unable to stop smiling. At last he had something to report back to his boss. And if he was really lucky, his first stop would also be his last.
He walked along Bergen Street, his heart considerably lighter than it had felt that morning when he’d left his apartment. Thank God for Jason. The owner of the coffee shop seemed like a genuinely nice guy. Of course, the fact that he was just David’s type didn’t enter into it, not for a second.
Yeah, right.
* * * * * *
Sally shook his hand warmly. “So, did we answer all your questions?”
David smiled and held up his notepad. “I took copious notes, so what does that tell you?” He’d liked the shelter from the minute he’d walked through their door.
They were open for business between nine in the morning until three in the afternoon, and then they reopened again at six until ten, Monday to Saturday.
The line for meals had already started easing its way through their doors when David and Jason arrived.
The place had a nice atmosphere, and the volunteers serving meals were smiling and greeting their patrons warmly.
Yeah, this is a good place.
David glanced at his notes. “I have to say, your budget of $500,000 a year is impressive.”
She nodded. “And all of that comes from charitable donations. Hard to believe this all started in 1971 with three nuns, right? We have a list of companies who contribute, so we’d be more than happy for your company to join them. Do I understand right from Jason? Your staff would be volunteering?”
“Yes, that’s right. But I have to make something clear here.” He outlined his boss’s plans to publicize both the scheme and the shelter.
Sally shrugged. “The more publicity we get, the better, is all I can say. Helping Hands has become part of the community here, and if this PR scheme brings in more donations, then yeah, we’re all for it.
Just as long as your staff knows what volunteering involves.
We need help with food preparation, portioning meals, setting the tables, serving at lunch and dinner, and clearing up.
Plus, there are the lunch bags to be packed and the pantry bags to be assembled. ”
David nodded. The shelter provided bags of canned goods to help their hungry New Yorkers over the weekend.
“And your staff can expect to be busy. We serve up to two hundred fifty meals per day.”
“Do the meals vary?” David asked.
Sally grinned. “We have volunteers who like to get creative with all the donated food, but there are others who have favorite dishes that they make every week. Like Emma’s roast turkey, or Shawn’s special rice. There are restaurants nearby who donate entire meals, too.”
David loved how the community pulled together. He snuck a sideways glance at Jason, who was chatting animatedly with another volunteer. “Does Jason have a favorite dish he likes to make?”
Sally nodded. “He makes the best soups. You should try his roasted peppers and lentil soup, it’s yummy.” She cocked her head. “So, any more questions?”
David shook his head. He had more than enough to satisfy his boss.
Helping Hands was exactly what he was looking for.
As well as the soup kitchen, they provided permanent accommodation for nine people on the three floors above, including women with little kids.
It was definitely a safe place, and he could see why Jason thought it might benefit from the scheme.
“I’ll take all the information I have and go back to my boss,” he told her. “You should be hearing from us in writing real soon.”
“You’re that confident he’ll say yes?”
It was David’s turn to grin. “Trust me. And once my boss comes on board, he’ll ensure I pull out all the stops to make this work. After all, it’ll be making his company look good too, right?”
“Sounds like a win-win to me.” She gave a decisive nod. “I think this will work out just fine.” Sally shook his hand and went over to speak to the new volunteers.
“So, what did you think?” Jason appeared at his side.
“I think I owe you, big time,” David told him with a smile.
“Well, if it means they get more people to help out, then I’ll consider that payment.”
David beamed. He glanced at his notes. “I’d better go home and write these up, ready to show the boss tomorrow.”
“I’m going to head home too.” Jason picked up his jacket from the back of a chair.
“Where is home?” David asked him.
“I live in an apartment above the coffee shop.”
David grinned. “Hey, whaddaya know, we’re neighbors!” When Jason gave him a quizzical look, he explained. “I live on Bergen Street.”
“No kidding.” Jason arched his eyebrows. “Wait a minute. You live just down the street and yet you still manage to be in a hurry every day?” He tut-tutted in an exaggerated fashion.
“Shut up.” David knew he wore an embarrassed smile. He didn’t know what it was about Jason, but he felt like he’d known the older man for ages. They left the shelter and headed north toward home. There was a nip in the air, the first real chill David had noticed, a sign that autumn had settled in.
“So where do you work?” Jason asked as they walked briskly, the streets not too busy at that time of night.
“Wall Street.” David chuckled when Jason gave him an astonished glance. “Not really, that’s just my stop on the Metro. The law firm is on Trinity Place.”
“How long have you worked there?”
“About five years. It was my first full-time job after college, where I studied marketing.”
“Do you like it?”
David had to think about that one. “It’s okay, I guess.
It’s a huge company, for one thing. It can get a little monotonous.
Usually I put together ad campaigns for the press and internet, plus I get to liaise with the company that makes our TV and radio ads.
Publicity is everything nowadays. It can be a company’s lifeblood.
” He grinned. “You know those billboards you see everywhere, advertising companies? Well, you can blame me in part—those are my baby. My remit is to bring in business and make the company look good. This PR scheme is the first time the boss has had me doing something a little different, besides the usual advertising campaigns. I may not agree with his motives, but I can’t deny it’ll do some good. ”
Jason frowned. “What do you mean, about his motives?”
“Oh, I know he’s only doing this to make the company look good. If he gave a rat’s ass about the homeless, he wouldn’t wait until November to get started.”
Jason came to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk. “Wait—what’s that?”
David stopped too. “He wants to start the scheme close to Thanksgiving. He thinks it will have more ‘impact’.” He couldn’t hide his disdain. “You know, pull out all the feels.”
“Ah, I see.” Jason recommenced walking. “Yeah, I can see why that would piss you off.” He gave a shrug. “But you’re right, of course. At least some good will come out of it.”
They lapsed into silence for the remainder of the walk, and when they reached the coffee shop, Jason shook David’s hand.
“Thanks again for coming with me tonight. I’ll see you in the morning.
” His eyes sparkled in the streetlights.
“You never know, you might get out of bed at a reasonable hour, and find you have time to sit and drink your coffee for once.”
David stared at him for a minute and then snorted. “Yeah, ain’t gonna happen.” He bade Jason goodnight and continued his walk along Bergen Street. Time to throw something in the microwave and then get out his laptop to make sense of his notes.
As he stuck his key into the lock, he couldn’t help thinking about Jason. Apart from the fact that he helped out at the shelter, David knew nothing about him. Jason hadn’t volunteered any personal information as they’d walked home.
And that’s a pity, because I’d surely like to know more about him.
* * * * * *
“This is fantastic!” Donald Stretton leaned back in his chair, his face one big smile, David’s folder in his hand.
“Yes, this will be perfect. I’ll leave it to you to put something together for the staff, giving them details.
I’ll add my piece so they know this is compulsory.
So, we’re aiming to get this in motion by the week before Thanksgiving, right? ”
Donald’s exuberance emboldened David. “About that,” he said slowly. “I was thinking more like the end of October.”
Donald raised his eyebrows. “Why?”
David forged ahead. “Well, we’d have more time to advertise the scheme, for one thing.
Plus, with a company this size, we need more time to ensure everyone gets to work a shift that suits them, rather than giving them a limited time space.
That way, they can’t turn around and say it wasn’t convenient.
” He’d given the matter a lot of thought, reflecting how best to get his boss to change his mind. Donald could be a tricky customer.
As the seconds ticked by, David’s nerves increased.
Finally, Donald nodded. “That makes sense. I like the idea of not leaving them any wriggle room. We want to be able to say that everyone is taking part in this, right?” He placed the folder on his desk.
“Okay. We’ll aim for the last week in October as the starting date.
” His eyes gleamed. “Well, don’t just sit there, Davey. You’ve got work to do!”
David stood. “Fine. I’ll get going on it now.” He had a To Do list already sitting on his desktop. The first task would be to phone Sally and share the good news.
He couldn’t wait to tell Jason in the morning.