Now standing in front of Carmen Davenport’s building, holding both her hands by the fingers she tells him she had a nice night and he agrees that he did too and they both smile goofily and wonder if they should try another kiss, he realizes that what scares him about her is what scares him about all intelligent women – that’s she smart enough to see, very quickly how completely full of shit he is. He doesn’t know what he is doing; never did. Doesn’t know where he is going, never had a clue. He feels, at his essence, that he is a baby who was dropped by a stork and is still falling toward the chimney. Everything else he shows the world is costume.
Dennis Lehane, “Small Mercies”, 2023
A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity 