She sat me down, teary-eyed and shaking, and she came out to me. It was an emotionally wrought moment that had me crying with her. Not out of sadness or anger, but more so out of a surprising swell of happiness. I understood the hurt and stress having such a big secret could cause, and I didn’t want that for Ashley, even if it meant our romantic relationship was effectively ended the moment she spoke her truth. It made me realize that our connection had always been lacking a certain spark.

I returned the ring the next day.

So there I was, sitting in a grocery store parking lot, wondering when the hell it was going to be my turn to be happy. I wasn’t the kind of guy that liked to bounce from person to person. I enjoyed the idea of finding someone and throwing my anchor down, building an unshakable foundation of trust and love between us. It’s all I really wanted.

Well, maybe not all I wanted.

My notifications dinged, the Grindr sound echoing inside my silent car. I took out my phone and opened it to another dick pic and a message asking me to “hurry up and milk this load.” I sent back a couple of drooling emojis and adjusted my boner so that it was held down by the waistband of my khaki pants. I knew there’d be no way I’d find my “one” tonight, but at least I could have a little fun.

I got out of my car, the late-spring breeze carrying with it the sting of an extra-hot summer waiting in the wings. The sun was just beginning to set, throwing a bucket of orange-and-purple paint all over the cloudless sky. The clean glass facade of the modern grocery store reflected some of the colors and made it seem as if I was walking directly into an impressionistic painting. The bright fluorescent lights and chorus of high-pitched beeps and casual conversation washed over me. I’d never been to this store, so I had to orient myself first, scanning the aisle markers and stopping when I spotted the liquor aisle, along with the familiar face that walked out of it.

Noah.

It was my smile-prone and slightly messy coworker who was quickly turning into a good friend of mine. I always enjoyed our lunches together, which would usually devolve into a fit of laughter over our half-eaten plates of food as Noah recounted some viral video he’d watched or a crazy story of the trouble he and his group of friends got themselves into.

It certainly didn’t hurt that Noah wasn’t bad to look at.