Page 40 of 10 Ways to Accidentally Fall in Love

“Have you done many 5ks where that was a thing?” he asks curiously.

“I’ve never actually finished a 5k.”

He looks surprised by that. “Really? Why not? You’ve run that far before, haven’t you?”

“Well, sure,” I tell him. “But, you see… The first one I did, there was this restaurant advertising bacon breakfast sandwiches, and I got a little sidetracked.”

Joey laughs.

“And then the one after that, this woman next to me fell and skinned her knee. And that was it, man. I had to bow out.”

“Wait, why?”

“Blood,” I explain. “Can’t do blood.”

I shiver just thinking about it.

“Huh,” Joey says. “Well, when we get to the end of this one, you can find out if there are donuts.”

“I hope there are, but if not, you’re buying.”

He shoots me a smile. “Deal.”

Joey and I run in silence for a while. A good eighth of a mile, in fact.

“Do you want to get married?” I ask him.

Joey trips, eyes wide as he recovers and looks over at me. A few people move around us as I give Joey’s shoulder a steadying hand.

“Geez, dude. You good?”

He nods, huffing as we settle back into our running pace. “Uh, crack in the ground,” he mutters. “You mean that generally, don’t you?”

How else would I mean it?

“Yeah, I figure it’s a pretty important compatibility measure,” I point out. “You said kids are flexible for you, but some people have pretty firm beliefs about marriage. Probably something your wingman should know.”

Joey is quiet for a minute. I wave at a cute toddler in a stroller as we pass.

“I’d like to get married if it feels right,” Joey finally says. “It’s not a deal-breaker for me if the person I’m with doesn’t want that, but… I guess I always hoped I’d walk down the aisle one day. For so long, someone like me wouldn’t have been able to. And although every single person should have the same inherent rights as human beings, it doesn’t change the fact that queer individuals face scrutiny every single day, simply for being who we are. I don’t want to take for granted the effort we’ve gone through to be seen and accepted and be able to do something as simple as proclaim our love in front of others. And I want my partner to know I wouldn’t ever take them for granted, either. So, yeah, I’d like to walk down that aisle. It’d mean a lot to me for so many reasons.”

My chest feels tight as I take in the earnest expression on Joey’s face. He’s such a good guy—solid and sweet and immensely thoughtful—and he deserves to have that. To find someone who will share his dream.

“Joey,” I say seriously, “don’t settle, okay? We’ll find someone to walk down that aisle with you.”

His smile is soft. “How can you be so sure?”

I shrug before wiping the sweat off my forehead. “Because I’m determined. I promised I’d find you your guy, and there’s no way your guy won’t want to give you everything you deserve. He’s out there; I know he is. I’ll hook you up, J-dawg, even if it’s the last thing I do.”

Joey’s lips twitch. “You’re starting to sound like my pimp.”

“Your marriage pimp!” I say with a snort. “Can that be my official title?”

“It’ll go right on the certificate,” he deadpans. “And J-dawg?”

I cringe. “Yeah, that one didn’t land. Don’t worry, Joey-roo. Won’t happen again.”

He chuckles. “Sometimes I wonder if you’re even real.”

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