18. Best Jade Plans

Jennie

"I wish I could meet a guy I have a connection with, or who isn't boring, at least."

"Sounds like you're used to bad dates," Camilla said, her fingers rotating the crystal figurine in her hands as she cataloged the item for auction.

I hadn't realized I'd said the words aloud until she spoke.

"No, they weren't bad, not really. Just…" I shook my head, not knowing how to explain it.

I'd never felt a connection or excitement. On every date I'd been on, it was as though my heart wasn't in it. But how do you tell someone that without sounding like a sociopath?

"I get it! Heaven knows I've had boring dates, too," Megan said, gently putting an antique book on the cart she was slowly filling. Her gloved hands protected the covers of the first-edition from the natural oils and moisture on her skin. "Don't go home with those guys; they have sex like someone who puts on a bib before eating. Zero out of ten stars."

A shocked laugh burst out of my chest, and I glanced over at Camilla, whose shoulders were shaking from giggles.

"I'm so glad I met you guys," she gasped.

It was something I was glad for, too. Because, in addition to meeting my two best friends, working at an auction house was a wonderful, hands-on way to learn as much as possible about the antiques I was interested in. I'd been working here for two years and had already learned so much.

Maybe the auction house wasn't meant to be my forever job, but at twenty-three, I didn't feel too pressed to figure out my future. And I loved it here.

The auction was scheduled for the next day because, according to my boss, the day before Valentine's Day was not a holiday. She'd ranted for the past week about how Valentine's Day was just a corporate scam designed to get more money out of hardworking people.

I disagreed. Although it wasn't like I had experienced anything other than the standard—a.k.a. boring—Valentine's clichés. Flowers. Chocolates. Cards filled with poetry.

They were empty gifts from men doing what countless ads told them they were supposed to do… all without putting in any real effort.

I blew out a sigh.

Maybe I had expected too much? I'd always tried to be romantic on my part and get something special for my partner as well. Perhaps I should've been grateful that at least a couple past boyfriends had tried to return the favor.

I'd certainly had other boyfriends with the same mindset as my boss—that Valentine's Day was nothing more than a cash grab by big corporations. Well, I still thought those guys had been tools, and I longed for some actual romance.

I wanted someone to romance me because they wanted to, not because they felt they had to. Someone I could share the excitement of being in love with.

"Do you have a date for Valentine's Day?" Camilla asked.

I wasn't sure if she was asking Megan or me or the room in general, so I didn't answer immediately. Picking up a heavy vase, I instead searched for the signature on the bottom to help guide me in determining its value.

"I do! He's hot, charming, and a business owner," Megan blurted, placing another first-edition book on her cart.

"Ooh, I love that for you," Camilla gushed.

"How about you two?" Megan asked.

Staying quiet, I moved on to another trinket—a little gold elephant statue that rested perfectly in the palm of my gloved hand.

"I'm going out with Tyler." Camilla had already told us about Tyler.

He was a trust fund guy with three degrees under his belt and another he was currently working through. I didn't know where they found these guys, but I wished them all the happiness in the world.

"Jennie?" Megan prodded, and I glanced at her.

Her eyebrows were raised, and she studied me, waiting for my answer. Even Camilla watched me with keen interest as she picked up an oil lamp that looked brand new and old all at once.

I was momentarily sidetracked by the antique lamp and wondered if it had ever been used since it was rare to see such an old piece in near-perfect condition,

Shaking my head, I avoided their eyes. "No Valentine's date for me this year."

Not because I couldn't get one, but because none of the options were that appealing. I didn't say the last part out loud for fear of sounding like an awful human being. But I was tired of wasting time on the wrong guys. I wanted to find my Mr. Right.

"I should set you up with my cousin." Camilla drummed her fingers on the wooden table.

Um, was she crazy? Maybe she'd forgotten the stories she'd told us about her cousin.

"You mean the one who's currently playing the field and dating every girl who'll say yes at the same time? The same one who forgot his date's name four times during Thanksgiving?" Megan asked, voicing my inner thoughts.

"UGH! I still can't believe he actually brought a girl home to meet his parents." Camilla sounded mystified, and I lifted both shoulders, glad the conversation had veered away from my love life.

"I bet she kept bringing it up, and he just brought her home to shut her up." Megan gave a terse laugh.

Camilla bobbed her head in agreement. "I bet you're right."

The conversation tapered off, and we continued cataloging the items up for auction. As we worked, I happened across something I'd never seen before and picked the object up with careful hands.

It was a beautiful jade container and instantly felt like a mystery to be solved. Turning it reverently in my hands, I analyzed it.

It was worn smooth, but the faint lines of a filigree pattern etched into the surface left me puzzled. The design work was unusual for the time period I was guessing the container had been created in. I'd never seen anything like the jade object, and I found myself driven to learn everything there was to know about it.

"Bye, Jennie! We're off to get waxed!" Camilla called in a sing-song voice, and I nodded, barely hearing her as I continued studying the object.

I tried to pull the top off, but it was stuck so tight, I gave up for fear of breaking the unusual artifact.

With the chatter of my workmates gone, I was left alone. The sudden silence of the room hit me like an arrow piercing my heart. My mind drifted from my work and back to the fact that everyone else had plans for Valentine's Day.

Maybe I should have just gone out with someone so I wouldn't be alone on the holiday, but I was tired of settling, and I wanted a real connection with the right man.

I sighed, hating that with each passing month, I was losing faith that I'd happen across the person for me. Tears burned the back of my eyes, but I refused to cry over my love life—or lack thereof.

Rubbing my thumb on the worn, smooth spot of the jade, I blinked back my tears. The filigree pattern seemed more heavily worn than the rest of the surface, and I wondered absently what had caused it.

"I wish I could have just one perfect Valentine's date," I mumbled under my breath.