July 20

Inside the room, I was welcomed by the buzz of an air-conditioner. The floor was covered with a rich black rug, and in the middle of the room was a massive couch on which two pairs of pillows were propped up in an orderly manner. By the far wall stood a plasma television slightly above a refrigerator. The room was cold so was my skin.

"Hello!" I said to no one in particular. For a moment it looked like I was not going to get a reply until I heard driblets of water coming from the bathroom.

"Sit down," a voice from the bathroom said. It was the woman Henry had set me up with. "Stay calm! Stay focused! Henry told me about you. You want to have a random conversation?"

"Sure," I smiled. "Let us do this Mrs. New woman."

"Alright! Me? I am 32. Worried about our upcoming election, but today, right here and now, is lovely," the woman said.

"Most of the time, I think you are a scientist," I said, playing along.

"Well, I have a masters degree in conse