The University Biochemistry Student.....

Can't remember his name, but were he and Mimi supposed to be romantically involved? Or maybe they were just good friends, nothing more? Perhaps he was just someone she could talk to, a companion after her husband died, and after John left to basically live with his mother and her family for awhile? He just seemed to show up out of the blue (he came to Mimi's door one day and it wasn't clear to me why!) and all of a sudden he was around a lot, at the birthday party Mimi had for John, etc. Anyone know if this person existed in real life? From what I know of Mimi and from how she is portrayed in the film as well, she doesn't strike me as someone who would have had a romantic relationship with a younger man, but I really don't know.....