As I sat alone on February 14, nursing a glass of red wine, I realized this was my first single Valentine’s Day in a long time. I reminisced for a while about the guys I was with previously and realized this cast of characters might be enough to make any girl thankful she doesn’t have a valentine this year—or maybe they suggest I need intensive therapy before reentering the dating world.
2/14/05
I like to call Wes my first real love. I knew the night I met him, I had to have Wes. Fortunately, the feeling was mutual. We started dating immediately, and I fell hard and fast. I often give him a bit too much credit, but deep down, I feel like Wes was a bad boy who desperately wanted to be something different, but didn’t have the resolve to do so. Long story short, about a year into our relationship, I learned through the rumor mill, Wes engaged in illegal business on the side. I tried to pry the truth out of him, but Wes would never admit any wrongdoing. He was a spectacular boyfriend who pulled out all the stops to make a girl feel special. Unfortunately, one day he hawked his wares in the wrong spot and found himself in the county jail.
2/14/06
Jake, a bona fide cowboy, grew up on cattle farm in the Midwest. Beyond his belt buckles and cowboy boots, I was instantly attracted to his boyish good looks and confidence. I met Jake at my parents’ church, and in gentlemanly fashion, he asked me out on a proper date. Jake came off as a dream guy—he brought flowers, opened car doors, and cooked elaborate dinners all the while being a man’s man. There was a side of him no one knew, and slowly, Jake’s façade came down, and his emotional and mental issues became more apparent. Jake began displaying signs of depression, and while I tried to be there for him, I could see he needed professional help. Despite my prodding, he refused to consider seeing someone. The situation began to deteriorate, and Jake threatened suicide in the midst of a fight. Although the signs had been there for a while, it was in that moment I began to fully comprehend the severity of Jake’s problems. I reasoned with Jake for a week and finally convinced him to call his parents back home and talk things through with them. A few days later, they flew in, packed Jake up, and took him home to get the help he needed in a safe environment. And, thus, my notion of this dreamy cowboy faded.
2/14/07
I knew there was something special about Dylan the day I met him, not to mention he shares the name of my ’90s TV crush, the notorious Dylan McKay. We met at a party, and I should’ve seen the red flag when he called me the next day even though I hadn’t given him my number. Turns out one of our mutual friends did. Dylan never met a stranger, and I felt like I’d known him for years after just a few dates. We began spending more time together, and Dylan was getting serious far more quickly than I was. When I took a job in another city, strange things began happening. Dylan became paranoid that there was another guy in my life and began knowing where I was and what I was doing without being told. After he emailed me a picture of me walking down the street with a guy I work with as proof that I was “cheating” on him, I ended things. Turns out, Dylan’s ex-girlfriend lived in my new town, and she began stalking (or as he liked to call it, “investigating”) me at his request. I’m not sure which of them is creepier, but I guess they belong together.
