Page 14 of The Quit List

He must be over 30 and under 45

He must have stable employment

He must want a family

He must be looking for a long-term commitment

I thought it was the perfect hit list to snipe an eligible bachelor… but here I am, just having spent an entire evening with Keith.

I used to think Dylan hit all those things on my list. He’s 33, has stable employment as the manager of the Pinnacle, and he’s always said he wants a family one day.

I believed he was looking for a long-term commitment with me, because at one point, Dylan wasn’t only my boss… back in college, he was my boyfriend.

Dylan was the first guy who ever looked my way. I was a quiet, shy freshman, while he was a gregarious senior—and we were both majoring in Hospitality. I couldn’t believe he gave me the time of day, but he seemed to appreciate my qualities of being responsible and hardworking, and liked that I wasn’t into going out and partying.

We broke up when he graduated, Dylan tearfully citing a promise that “it just wasn't our time, but one day, we would find a way to be together, for real.”

Fast forward a few years, and we end up working at the same hotel. I thought, at the time, it was fate.

But then, Dylan got promoted to manager, and it still wasn’t “our time.” But he was still sweet, still complimentary—still borderline flirtatious with me—enough for me to keep waiting.

Way too long.

Now, with hindsight, I don’t know if it was ever going to be “our time.” If I was ever going to be enough for him.

“Aubs, I think I’ve had enough Spark dates for this month.” I pop the top button on my skirt to make room for more Chinese food I grab from the floor: spring rolls.

“Really?” Aubrey blinks at me through her glasses.

“No.” I close my tired eyes. “The show must go on.”

Aubrey, the eternal optimist, nods encouragingly. “You’re doing great, honey. I’m proud of you. He’s out there, we just gotta keep looking.”

“Jaxon says I need to learn how to read people.” Once again, I flash back to the bartender with the cute, boyish dimples and the straight-up manly, sexy confidence with which he intimidated Keith.

I close my eyes as the memory makes me smile.

There’s a beat of silence.

And another.

And then, I realize what I’ve done. My eyes fly open to the sight of Aubrey staring at me, her eyes all big and buggy.

“And who is this Jaxon you speak of?”