This had been a slowwww burn people. Like 8 months of build up, friendship, and flirting leading up to this moment.

So there you go. The cycle keeps looping. Anxious people crave closeness. Avoidants crave space. And when both people keep reacting to each other’s triggers, the push-pull dynamic never stops.

He’d sometimes rest his hand lightly on my knee while he laughed or told a story.

Just little flirty touches, always within my comfort zone.

She was hooked, and they started seeing each other semi-regularly.

He would text her, she would go over. He would text her, she would go over.

I mean he was sooo sweet and charismatic, but also… is he drunk!??

Is he being this flirty with everyone? Are my pheromones just working overtime today??

You know it’s a good sign when the pros start stacking up and the cons start disappearing…

"Nayomi! [my old address]”

I still couldn’t make out who was talking in this large group of guys. I’m also super blind in the dark. I was squinting and searching. Then he appeared… smoking his cigarette.

The next day I met a friend after work. Of course we were having a typical girl kiki and sharing our dating stories. I was telling her about my talking stage purgatory that just ended when I got a call.

It’s so interesting how you really never know what’s gonna happen next, when you’ll meet someone new. That has to be the best part about being single—anything is possible. A moment of calm can turn into excitement in two seconds… and that’s exactly what happened.

Luigi Mangione is the dreamboat this country desperately needs. Honestly, why debate policy when we could all just agree that Luigi’s eyebrows deserve their own holiday?

Darling readers,

We have our very first ‘Ask Nay’ advice submission. How exciting!

But it’s just the accumulation of rejection after rejection, beating down on me like the waves when I almost drowned in Miami (lol). I’m tired. I question myself a lot. My worth, my competence.

M: Damn…. You’re filling me up with testosterone (laughing). I feel like I’m pumped for my game tomorrow.

We were both laughing.

Then I realized- Oh shit, I’m supposed to meet up with my friends.

Nolan put one arm around me while the group was talking. I didn’t mind at all. Then he leans into my ear and says “can I have a kiss?”

Me: NOLAN!???

I looked at him in surprise, almost disbelief, but I was also laughing. I mean I wouldn’t put it past him to at least try. I know my chickens.

N: Ahaha okay, okay… half kiss? You can say no.

So whatever, we keep talking and he was just soooo nice and cute. Like he just had this really balanced, centered energy. Kind, fun, generous, handsome, smart, amazing job. It was like my dress was unzipping itself….

Just because we got on as friends doesn’t mean I was looking for more. Like, ever.

I mean, I know I can’t trust what guys say. Words are just words. We can say, fine- trust actions not words. But in my experience, I haven’t been able to trust actions either.

Me: What are you talking about? Planes? Helicopters? ….Drones?
He slightly shook his head. (he was already annoying me at this point but damn, good looking people get away with a lot. Life is not fair)
Me: Hot air balloons?
D: You know there’s other things that fly right?
Ew that was kinda condescending

I said sure without even thinking. As soon as I said it I was like, “what the f*ck… how do I get out of this.” I was just hoping he’d never text me. My friend was looking at me so confused because she knows he’s not the kind of guy I would be into…

After a while I was feeling …. idk I was just feeling. I knew these moments were fleeting. They would become memories… eventually distant memories. This happens to me a lot though.. even with my friends… anticipatory nostalgia. Missing something before it’s over. (Not very Buddhist live in the present of me). I kinda just wanted to slow down time... I got out of my chair and sat on his lap. But like… facing him so we could keep talking. It feels weird to say this now…but at the time, between the talking and kissing… it was like nothing outside of that balcony existed. I was in a blissful bubble.