‘Is it that obvious?’
‘I’ve been on enough to know when someone doesn’t want to be here.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry if I’m giving you that impression.’
Arthur feared he had offended her when Toni stood up suddenly and flipped her handbag over her shoulder. ‘Let’s move to somewhere a little livelier,’ she said and he followed her to a noisier section of the pub where they sat under a speaker playing songs by Britpop bands he recognized from his twenties like Oasis and Radiohead. She pointed to his Smart watch, took his hand and placed his palm over it before speaking directly into his ear. She did the same with her own.
‘Don’t worry. If you’re anything like me, you’re not dating again out of choice but because you’ve got too much to lose if you don’t.’
Arthur nodded.
‘While I’m happy they don’t listen in to widows and widowers at home, it angers me that as soon as a date has been arranged through their organization, they can tune in through our tech to listen to ten minutes of our conversation.’
‘Really?’ said Arthur quietly. ‘I didn’t know that.’
‘I feel as if I can be honest with you, Arthur. I agree to participate in just enough dates to remain under the radar and appear that I’m looking for a spouse. I do what they suggest, I don’t wear my wedding ring so men think of me as “emotionally available”, I ask plenty of questions and I listen to the answers. Did you know after each date we are supposed to fill in a questionnaire about one another and give each other critiques and ratings?’
‘They mentioned that in my interview.’
‘I make sure to get my review in first and it’s always flattering so the other person isn’t tempted to leave anything that might trigger alarm bells and suggest I’m not taking it seriously. And, by playing the system, I get to keep my house and full pension and I can afford to spend the rest of my time doing what I want to do and not worrying about losing it all. It keeps the wolves from the door. Not forever, mind, but at least I can’t hear them howling for the time being.’
‘Isn’t it against the rules?’
They stopped talking when one song ended until another began. ‘Strictly speaking, yes. But there are plenty of us out there doing it, as you’ll discover. For the most part, dates will be like this one, perfectly pleasant. They can make it difficult for us to remain single but they can’t force us to be together, can they?’
‘What will you do if they put a deadline on finding someone else?’
Toni shrugged. ‘It’s likely to happen one day. Then, I’ll find myself a single old gay guy or girl who’s happy for a platonic relationship. I’m sorry if you were looking for more and that I’ve wasted your time.’
‘No, not at all,’ he replied and finally allowed himself to relax in Toni’s company.
‘I saw an advert recently for a company that uses not only genetic matching but also AI to ensure that, before you’ve even met your Match, you’re biologically, sexually, emotionally and mentally compatible too. The next generation won’t know what it’s like to date spontaneously. They’ll all be Matched in a laboratory or by an App.’
‘Whatever happened to romance?’
‘That went out with the Ark, Arthur. Like us. Anyway, tell me about yourself.’
Arthur recalled his years served in the fire service while Toni told him vaguely of her career as a therapist.
‘Specializing in what?’ he asked.
‘Couples,’ she said hesitantly.
‘A Relationship Responder?’ Arthur asked. Only when Toni saw him visibly bristle did she offer more detail.
‘Oh, Lord no. I’m most definitely not one ofthem. I focus on couples who actually want therapy, not those who it’s forced upon.’
‘Didn’t the Government make what you do illegal?’
‘Yes, when they revoked the licences of anyone who refused to retrain. Now they’re only awarded to graduates of their own programmes. So if I marketed myself as a couples’ therapist, I could be arrested and charged with “Fraudulent Misrepresentation”. I still have clients, but it’s all very discreet.’
As the night progressed, they spoke about their travels, films and bands they had seen in their youth. There was a lot more laughter than he had anticipated, and more recollections of their late spouses.
‘What do you miss the most about your husband?’ Arthur asked.
‘Where do I start? The shared memories, the giggles, the knowing there was always someone to talk to, who understood you, who was on your side. With David, I never had to do anything alone. What about you?’
‘I talked to June for months after she died,’ said Arthur cautiously. She was the first person he admitted it to. ‘It made me feel less lonely.’
