The Almost Kiss: The Slow Burn Moment That Never Leaves

Wes Halvorsen: three years of almost

Wes Halvorsen, 31, is captain of the St. Paul Northmen, a professional hockey team in Yome's story. He is also your brother's best friend. His tagline says he told himself he wouldn't, and he is still telling himself. The almost kiss happened three years ago. Everything since has been distance.

His meetups take that distance apart one scene at a time. Fitted puts you alone in a tailor's fitting room in Minneapolis. After the Buzzer finds him alone on the ice late at night. Each plays in rounds, and every choice decides whether the almost stays almost a little longer.

Rory Keane: the bet

Rory Keane, 28, is a tattoo artist in Boston about to open his own shop, Low Tide, in South Boston. His dad married your mom. He told you not to make it weird, then said he would. His tagline is about three knocks on the pipe, the signal between your rooms, and that you always answer.

Corrigan's, Thanksgiving Night starts after Frank brings up Rory's record at dinner and Rory walks out. Half an hour later he texts you, just you. At the bar he makes it a game: who asks first. The almost kiss is the whole meetup.

Other slow burn guys

If you want the tension without a Story arc, look for men with a reason to hold back. Julian Seo, 32, a surgical chief resident in San Francisco, is your rival for one attending job and keeps score on a whiteboard. Lukas Brandt, 36, signed a contract with you that has a no-touching clause he says was his idea.

Teo Marrero, 29, is your roommate in Chicago with a list of house rules on the fridge. Rule 5 is still blank. Each of these men is an AI character with a reason not to, which is exactly what makes the almost so good.

How the almost plays in chat

Between meetups, the slow burn runs in text. He texts first. He remembers what you said last time, including the thing you both pretended not to notice. You can see what he remembers about you, which in a slow burn can be telling.

At relationship milestones he writes you letters. For a man who keeps stepping back in person, a letter is often where he finally admits what almost happened.

You can also Peek at what he is doing right now, a short scene of his moment. With Wes, that might be a late skate alone at the arena. With Rory, a sketch on the counter of a shop that isn't open yet. Small glimpses like these keep the slow burn going between meetups.