When my mom suggested she cheer me up by taking me on her date with this new guy she was seeing and his son, I couldn’t find a good reason to say no.

So I joined them for dinner and a movie. I don’t remember what the movie was, just that Tim sat next to me in the theater. He turned towards me during the pre-show ads, asking me questions about myself, offering me popcorn and candy, sharing his story. He seemed unfazed by the fact his dad and my mom were sitting next to us flirting and giggling.

Tim was much cuter than I’d envisioned from what I’d learned about him: dropped out of college, living at home with his father, trying to figure stuff out and working in a factory. Coming from my elite, liberal-arts college (read: privileged and a touch snobbish) that hadn’t sounded like the kind of guy I’d be into.

But he was intelligent in a human sort of way. He had a friendly and humble air that I wasn’t used to, and for how cute he was with his dark, curly hair, chiseled jaw-line, and strong build, he put me at ease.

Throughout the movie, he leaned close to me whispering commentary and asking for my thoughts about in my ear, his voice a gentle, low hum. It sent shivers to my toes and I felt my sadness and anger at the recent loss of my boyfriend melting in his presence.

Back at my mom’s house, we all sat in the living room and had a cup of tea, and then my mom and Mark went to bed, leaving me and Tim to our own devices. Tim was planning to spend the night on the couch we were sitting on, as he and his dad lived over an hour away.

I froze for a moment as my mom’s bedroom door clicked shut, wondering if I should go to bed, leaving Tim to his bed for the night, but he didn’t miss a beat before offering to get more hot water for my tea.

I accepted and we sat together late into the night talking. He asked me about my writing and when he suggested we write a collaborative poem, taking turns writing lines, he had me.

We passed a notebook back and forth, our hands brushing, our bodies inching closer and closer to each other until simultaneously, we leaned towards each other for a kiss.

And it was good — really good.