I got married more than 30 years ago, to my first serious boyfriend. Having sex for the first time was a very big deal indeed and in those days every "date" was a potential husband.
I've no regrets, we were happy for a long time and then he died.
I now find myself in a place where I'd like some male company, some sex, but I have no desire at all for a new husband/life partner. Obviously not every date is going to come to that, but if you do have a series of successful dates, isn't that the usual progression?
How do you inhabit a world of dating people you like, if you don't want anything serious?