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to go it on my own.”
    “Now come on. Batters get three strikes. Rod was just a warm-up. I’m feeling things out. Never fear, Kris. I’ve got a whole arsenal of men. In fact, there’s this one guy I think you’ll like. He’s a pediatrician. Dr. Matthew Carlton. We play golf every once in a while. He’s been divorced a year and he’s a workaholic like you.”
    Unfortunately Rod returned to the table before she could ask Jason any questions about the doctor and once again, the conversation turned to mundane, watching-paint-dry topics like tax law and hernias. Finally, after two beers, Rod said goodbye, claiming he needed to get back to the office, as it was tax season.
    Neither Jason nor Kristen stood up to leave. Sheer boredom left them too numb to move.
    “Wow,” she whispered exhaustedly once Rod was gone.
    “Yeah.”
    “Maybe I should ask, Jason. What are you looking for when you say you’ve got a guy who’s perfect for me?”
    He chuckled. “Oh, you know, the usual stuff. Someone with a good job, a full head of hair, thirty-five to forty-five years old.”
    Kristen leaned back and crossed her arms, uncertain why she was surprised by his scanty list. Jason put a minimal amount of effort into most things, so she was crazy to think this would be any different. “That’s all you’re looking for? Jason, that list is lame. First of all, I don’t give a damn about hair. And I’m not sure how those attributes scream Ooh…this guy is great for Kristen .”
    “Fine. Clearly I need to work on the details a little.”
    “Gee, ya think?”
    “Okay, Miss Know-It-All. Why don’t you tell me what kind of woman you’re trying to find for me?”
    Kristen didn’t even have to consider her answer. “Age doesn’t matter that much to you, though I think you’d be happier with someone with at least a grasp of the same history you can recall, so I’m looking for someone between the ages of thirty and forty-five.”
    He nodded. “Sounds good.”
    “You’re an active man, so you’d most likely prefer someone who enjoyed doing physical things with you.”
    “Physical is very good.”
    Kristen didn’t miss the sexual innuendo. “I mean things like hiking, going to the gym, playing tennis.”
    Jason sighed, pretending to be disappointed that she hadn’t meant sex, but she forged on.
    “I’m also looking for someone with a good sense of humor who likes action/adventure movies, leans just slightly to the liberal side, enjoys concerts, hot dogs from vendor stands, an ice-cold beer on a hot summer day, dancing and camping.”
    Jason’s mouth fell open as she reached the end of her description of his perfect woman.
    “How did I do?” she asked.
    “Nailed it.” His tone was pure amazement, which pleased her.
    “You didn’t think I knew you so well, did you?”
    He shook his head. “No. I really didn’t.”
    “Well, tonight was fun.” She stood and pulled her purse strap over her arm. Jason gave her a really look that made her laugh and add, “After Rod left.”
    Jason rose as well. “So you’re going to give me another chance to find the right guy for you?”
    She pretended to think about it, then said, “Sure. I sort of like the sound of the doctor you mentioned. How about another trial run with drinks next week?”
    He nodded as they walked toward the parking lot and their cars. “I’ll set it up. And, Kris—”
    She turned to look at him as she reached her Kia. “Yeah?”
    “I’ll work on my list. I think you might be surprised how well I know you too.”
    He started to walk away before she could tell him he’d already proven that when he’d called her on the carpet for being a coward, forcing her to face some hard truths. She was grateful for his direct honesty. But she left that unsaid, deciding she wanted to see what else he’d come up with.
    Jason was turning out to be so much more than she realized. Who would have known when she’d set her second chance that her back-up plan would be