When Sam goes on a gay website looking for romance, he finds more than he bargained for. Rejecting all the usual requests for hook-ups, he searches for something more sincere. And he finds it in the most unexpected of places, as he is drawn to the profile of a man in a faraway place. Amir, an Algerian descended from desert nomads, has posted a profile looking for the love of his life. Sam finds it amazing that a gay man born in the Algerian desert has the bravery to not only declare he is gay, but also to admit his dream is to find a husband to spend his life with. While Sam doesn’t consider himself the marrying kind, he starts chatting with Amir, telling himself he just wants to learn about another culture. His friends laugh at him, saying this man just wants to use him to emigrate to the west and take him for his money. But he refuses to believe it, sensing a sincerity he has never seen with anyone else. The two begin a dialogue that moves to weekly Skype sessions, discussions of religion and world politics, assistance with life challenges and, finally, a declaration of love ... and an invitation. Can these two men from vastly different worlds and cultures meet and find common ground for a romance? The challenges are great, and spending a life together seems like an impossible dream. While Sam’s friends continue to discourage him, he knows he cannot give up this man. Is Amir sincere, or is Sam being used? There is only one way to find out if Amir is really sincere. And Sam knows what he has to do.

Not on My Bucket List

“That makes me very sad,” he said. “We were hoping to be together for three months. Now it will be three months before we even see each other, and then only for a week or so.”


“I don’t think I can go on like this, only seeing you for a couple of weeks twice a year, and never having you with me in my own country, in my own bed, in my own house. Amir, I have to ask, do you think it would be better if you found someone else, someone who has enough money and influence to make things happen for you? I seem to be doing a pretty poor job. I’m long on promises but short on results.”


“No, never, Habibi,” Amir responded emphatically. “I’m not in love with anyone else. I can’t fall in love with someone just because they have more money, or they can give me more advantages. I am in love with you. I have always been in love with you, and I always will be in love with you, no matter what kind of good luck or bad luck is in our future.”


Chapter 55