Uncuffed in The Stuff That's Not Interesting But Is The Most Interesting Stuff I'll Write

So they have these stupid filters on Instagram with little games or something that pop up above your head. You have to sound out the gibberish that sounds like a popular phrase. I got one that said “cuffing season” and I laughed in disbelief because I had no idea what that was.

It was at this point that I got a reply from this kid Ben that I had been dating for a couple of months before I went on the cruise.

Now, if I’m being honest, that situation became the closest I’ve had to domesticity in a very long time. We’d see each other about once a week; meet for dinner/movie, and then we’d go back to his place, fuck and crash there. Then the next morning, we’d both wake up, get ready for work and grab breakfast together the next day.

It had started to become a really comfortable routine.

He’s only 22, and he was in a relationship with an old co-worker of mine from the bar, whom I’ve known for several years but just as an acquaintance. His boyfriend is in his 40s and is a jockstrapped shot boy. We both discussed the fact that we were drawn to each other, and we weren’t really being serious, because I was traveling so much, and he was in this situation with his boyfriend that was getting kind of funky for him.

As I said, we were hanging out up until the cruise.... in fact, the day of my flight, I stayed at his place and he drove me to the airport. Once I got back, I got some courteous replies to messages I’d sent, but nothing really substantial. Then the quarantine started, but even still, he wasn’t messaging me.

Then I saw, a few weeks ago on Instagram, he moved in with his boyfriend. So I figured that was that....

Then I got this message that explained what cuffing season was:

“It’s coupling up during the cold winter season. You cuff up with someone like a warm pair of gloves.”

I replied, “Oh, that’s a good idea.”

And he said “Exactly, you were my winter cuff, now spring is here and I don’t need you anymore”

My face:

I have to admit, I was really hurt by that.

It takes me a lot to open up and it doesn’t happen easily.... but I suppose that’s something good to know going forward. I just was so surprised how casual he was about it. He still messages me as frequently as he did before, and I respond because the truth is I’m not angry with him, he wasn’t being malicious. He just didn’t think that I would be hurt by that turn of phrase.

At least he was honest with me. And that’s more important in my book.