In this chapter, the narrator laments the fact that he has not been able to complete his work on time. He blames himself for his failure to finish. He laments that he is a "dried-up old man" and that he will not be able to enjoy the company of a "younger guy" who recognizes his worth. He apologizes for not having planned to go on a date with a younger man. He says that he had planned to "stick to his own field" , meaning that he would go out on his own for the first time in his adult life. He is disappointed to find that the older man has taken him to fast-food restaurants, which he finds "sad" and "off-putting" .