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ropeIce formed on my eyebrows as I leaned over the railing. Staring out at the Statue of Liberty didn’t help much. “What is Liberty, anyway? The freedom to tear a man’s heart out?”

Sure, I told myself, be melodramatic. That ought to fix it. At this point I didn’t care. It’s not like I even know the woman; damn Tom for connecting us online. I never would have agreed to this blind date thing if Tom hadn’t been there when I needed a friend most; when my life was unraveling.

Sigh. Who has a first date on the ferry out to the Liberty Island anyway? This whole thing is starting to sound silly now that I think about it. Okay, maybe I’m rationalizing, but really, a ferry boat? I chuckled at the thought, even though right now what I wanted most was to leap over the railing and end my misery.

Another New Year’s Eve. I had spent the last few New Year’s eves alone, sometimes by choice, sometimes not. Okay, always not. I was actually starting to climb out of the annual doldrums this year, what with the big pay raise at work and all. But now this. This wasn’t going to help.

Stop. I am not doing this to myself again. Positive thinking, man. You know, that whole Norman Vincent Peale stuff. Go for it. Screw the girl who was standing you up. Just find someone else – anyone else – that looks in need of some warmth on this frigid ferry. Yeah, that’s it; go for it.

I had almost talked myself through this situation when a conspiratorial December gust blew a hat smack into my face. “What the h….?”

[to be continued]

David J. Kent is a science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

 

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