Well, dear readers, it happened.

A man I met in real life, whom I chatted up apropos of nothing, and to whom I gave my number, asked me out.

It took a while. First, he sent me a text that my phone didn’t recognize so it hid it from me for a few weeks. (Gee. Thanks iPhone).  While cleaning up old texts, I found it and wrote back.

One thing led to another.

“He asked me out!” I breathlessly told anyone in line at Whole Foods or the bank willing to listen. “No fakey online photos! No cheesy usernames! Just two people meeting and hitting it off!”

So here we are, at Sugar Lounge, where we first met.

We talk about our week, our vacation plans, our pet peeves, and our life philosophy.

Now, this man isn’t completely my type. A little rough around the edges. But cute. Blue eyes that crinkle when he smiles. Sincere. Working in an industry helping people.

I’m feeling warm from the wine.

“Ever been married, Malcolm?”

Silence. He looks down. He looks back up.

“Yeah. I’m married right now.”

Cue needle scratch over vinyl record. Room goes quiet while somewhere a wine glass hits granite floor. (Nah, I didn’t drop my glass. I’ve been through this before.)

So, we’ll be friends.

Next up: Addie Hits the Road to Find Love in Other Places.