Though not really expecting a reply, Pete sent one final What’s App before re-joining the conference, ‘you guys, o.k?’

Single dads, like Pete, walked a fine line. His seventeen and a half year old, Jeff, resented not being treated like a fully-fledged adult.  Jeff’s cousin, James, his sleepover buddy,  was a whole year away from adulthood.

Pete  ached for  the comforting presence of his beloved, deceased Anna. She was his guiding star.  Sudden Death Syndrome wasn't adequate for Pete as an explanation. He vowed never to give up the search for answers.

Back in the Conference room while the PowerPoint flicked between Capital and Taxes, Greg’s thoughts hovered between teenage boys’ home alone and achieving fiscal rectitude.

When the computer terminals were switched off the delegates filed out. Picking up his laptop, Pete wandered outside into the gathering evening dusk. November brought chillier evenings.

The ‘Etoile Hotel’ suited him. The clientele were not just business execs but backpackers and alpinists.

Conversation hummed in the semi-darkness. Walking along a floodlit path of pine trees, he picked up his pace, breathing deeply as his anxiety lessened.

Behind him he heard a loud thud. A backpacker had lost control of her pack and some contents fell onto the path. A weary sigh escaped her lips as she stooped to gather them up.

Turning around he offered to help, ’Give you a hand?’

The flaxen- haired woman hurried to push the contents back into her pack, muttering,’ damn it. Skint mature student.’

‘Mature student ,’Pete repeated, ’

‘Only way out of my predicament?’

Pete was in no mood to hear about anybody’s predicament. He had more than enough of his own.

Turning back, he walked through the hotel’s front entrance and into the warmth of its interior.

An executive buddy, Greg, gave him a thumbs up, enquiring,’ Hi, old man, feel like a beer later?’

Pete immediately nodded agreement.

After dinner was served the two execs met in the lobby.

Over a beer, Greg asked, ‘is your young fella home alone?’

Pete demurred at first but then decided to meet the query head on.

‘Yep, soon be an adult.’

Greg did not have parenting issues. Daughter, Melissa was grown up.

Soon the pair moved on to more familiar ground, chatting happily about Profit and Loss, Bonds and Gilts.

‘Hi,’ a female voice called out.

Pete recognised the mature student with the dodgy backpack.

‘Care to join us?' Pete enquired.

‘Just for a brief moment,’ the woman replied. 'Have my final trek  a.m  tomorrow, before flying  home to Dorset. Angie’s the name.’

‘Can I join your trek?’ Pete enquired, ’need some mountain air before breakfast?’

‘Sure,’ Angie replied, ’takes about an hour up and down.’

‘What’, Greg joined in,’ you doing a hike before listening to the company profit and loss. Still, mightn’t be a bad idea. Clear the head.'

Pete and Angie met in the early morning darkness along with two other climbers to begin their trek.

The others, including Angie, forged ahead. Pete thought turning back might be the best option.

‘Angie,’ he shouted, 'wait for a forty- five- year old, with a paunch, to catch up.’

‘Just hit forty, myself. Don't want to let  flab take over,’ Angie chortled. 'Just love these hiking ventures. Don’t need a pal. Club is for singletons, really.’

‘I’m a singleton, too, single dad,’ Pete added.

He surprised himself by his willingness to share sensitive aspects of his life with a total stranger.

‘Never took the parenting route,’ Angie added, ‘left it too late, I guess. Long term partner left. Had to start over, get a qualification,’ Angie added.

Different these days when women harvest their eggs.  Have a family later.'

Pete wondered why he found himself discussing egg harvesting with a total stranger going up a mountain, in Switzerland, in late Autumn.

Swapping What’s App memes back in the lobby, they went their separate ways.

 Angie prepped for her return flight. Pete headed to his conference talk.

                                                    *****

Within weeks, Pete was trekking through a forest in Dorset with Angie.

Who knows if love is just another trek away?

                                                     ******