The story follows the journey of Nicholas “Nick” Barnhart, a young man searching for his purpose in life and love. From an early age, Nick is an idealist, believing that his purpose is to find a life partner who will fit with him “like a glove.” The story begins shortly after his high school graduation in 1990, as he starts a new editorial internship at National Geographic and navigates life without his first love and neighbor, Logan, who has moved to New York for photography school.
Nick’s new job proves to be unfulfilling, and the mundane reality of office life, rude coworkers, and a demanding boss tests his initial idealism. This frustration is a stark contrast to his vivid dream of Logan telling him to “get up and start to live,” a phrase that haunts him. At the same time, Logan is also grappling with his own purpose at photography school. He is a talented artist with a particular clean, crisp style, but his teacher challenges him to explore a “dark side.” Logan, however, is determined to focus on his work so he can finish school early and return to Nick.
The narrative shifts between Nick’s and Logan’s lives, highlighting their contrasting experiences. Nick struggles with his identity and the fear of coming out, particularly to his family and coworkers. Pressured by his mother not to lie, Nick invents a fake girlfriend to tell his sister, while his father grapples with his own concerns about Nick’s sexuality and the AIDS epidemic. Meanwhile, Nick finds himself in a complicated situation after a night out with coworkers, leading to a drunken one-night stand with a female coworker, Sasha, leaving him in a panic over unprotected sex and his own hypocrisy.
Logan, on the other hand, is a more confident and open young man. He meets his new neighbor, Reagan, and casually reveals that Nick is his boyfriend. Reagan, who is secretly plotting to get close to Logan, feigns friendliness and respect for Logan’s relationship. As the story ends, Reagan is presented as a potential threat, and Logan’s unwavering trust in Nick and their relationship is contrasted with Nick’s growing sense of anxiety and self-doubt. The story leaves readers wondering if Nick’s commitment will hold up against his internal struggles and external pressures, while Logan’s life remains in the balance, unknowingly close to a manipulative and dangerous man.