Swiping through my dating app, I caught sight of a silver-haired fella in a naval uniform.
Member of the Royal Australian Navy, Fred's profile read.
It was May 2018 and, following a break-up, I was single and ready to mingle.
What do you do when you're not at sea? I messaged Fred playfully.
I'm an artist, he replied.
After chatting, it wasn't long before we met to have dinner together.
I spotted Fred, 54, across the restaurant straight away.
Tall, well-built, with a good head of grey hair, he was a real silver fox.
Nervous energy bubbled away inside me.
But, almost immediately, he set me at ease.