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Jack’s face warmed with a genuine smile. “I’m so happy to hear that, Henry. I mean, not happy about the not-knowing-who-he-is-in-real-life part, but the part where you found someone you like. I hope you find someone just like him to warm your bed. And more—I know that’s what you’re looking for eventually.”

I bit my lip. “Maybe not eventually. Maybe now.”

He cocked his head at me as he finished his rice pilaf. “Really?”

I nodded soberly. “Yeah. Maybe it’s just the fact that I’m three hundred and sixty-five days away from my fiftieth birthday, but I’m ready to settle down. Fucking different guys every night is a young man’s game. I want someone to share the rest of my life with.”

Jack smirked around his glass. “Shit, man, I get it. I’m actually glad to come home to Julian every night instead of being out looking for my next conquest.”

“You’re living together?”

His playful smile always made me smile in return. “I didn’t mention that? Oh, yeah. He moved in with me a month ago.”

“And how the hell did I not know about this?” I had to fight the urge to yell. I wasn’t upset, just surprised. We talked nearly every day, over text at a minimum, and it had never come up.

He held his hands up between us, understandably misreading my volume. “Hey, sorry, man. Just . . .” He moved his empty plate out of the way and clasped his hands on the table in front of him. “Well, you know my track record. Given the fact I’ve never had a relationship like this before—with a man, no less—I thought it was best to be cautious, see how things were going before I announced it to the world. But he wants to meet you, so I thought it was finally time.”

“He wants to meet me? Would this be a meet-the-overprotective-friends moment?”

“Asshole.”

I laughed. “I’d love to meet your Julian. Your story makes my old gay heart so happy.”

Jack tossed back the dregs of his whiskey sour. “I still can’t believe you’re not bi.”

I shook my head as Jai Lin came by with our bill. Jack pulled out his card and handed it to her before she left. “Definitely not. I have no desire for women at all. I’m not sure when or if that changed, or if I was just so convinced I had to be with a woman that I made myself endure it. But yeah, one-hundred-percent gay.” I eyed him. “How about you? Have you changed your label now that Julian is in the picture?”

“Yes, actually.” Jai Lin set the check down, wishing us a good night. We smiled and thanked her, and Jack pocketed his receipt as she walked away. “Finding out I was into Julian understandably made me question some things about myself. And I realized that I’ve actually been attracted to women, men, non-binary people, all genders my whole life—I just shoved it down, ignored it, called it a bro-crush or aesthetic appreciation or some shit. Through this whole process, I discovered I’m pansexual.”

We stood, and I clapped him on the back with a grin. “Good for you, man. I’m so glad you found Julian and yourself in the process.” I caught his gaze. “Does he make you happy?”

He nodded somberly. “Very.”

I pulled him into a quick hug. “Then I’m ecstatic for you.”

Jack followed me out the door then turned to me before we parted ways. “Look, man, you’ll find your perfect match. Maybe it’s the camboy—if by some miracle he lives nearby, is available, you meet him, he’s into sexy silver fox Daddies, you know, et cetera, et cetera—or maybe it’s someone else. But you deserve it after being unhappy with Carrie all those years.”

I smiled at him. “Thanks, Jack, I appreciate that.”

We said our goodbyes, and I turned to head for the nearest light rail stop. My phone rang before I even got to the station.

I glanced down at the screen and cringed before reluctantly answering. “Hi, Carl.”

“Henry?” My old friend’s—or was it acquaintance? This relationship certainly felt one-sided—voice was high-pitched and pleading, and my stomach dropped to my shoes. He needed something. Again.

“What’s up? Everything okay?” I asked, knowing it wasn’t. I was in for another tale of woe that he would need his old punching bag—er, friend—to fix.

“I just . . . Lacey broke up with me again. I think it’s finally over.”

I bit back a sigh. Lacey was the latest in his string of on-again-off-again relationships, and they’d been doing this dance for a couple of years now. Given his history, it was about time for him to move on to someone else.

“What do you need?”

He sniffled as if he’d been crying, and my skin crawled at the sound. His tears always made me cave. Every. Damn. Time. “Can you help me move out on Saturday? Oscar said I could stay with him for a while.”

I was getting so tired of being expected to drop everything to help him, but I just didn’t know how to say no. He was an old friend, after all, and he didn’t seem to have anyone else in his life who was willing to help.

Maybe there’s a reason for that?