Jaycee Woods

In a draft with the working title, “Single Mom at a Bar,” I examine the often-asked question, “Where have all the good men gone?” from a male perspective through the character of Liam. Snip from beginning of draft below.

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Despite Liam’s many attempts, he had met with failure every time when it comes to him going out on dates. After being led on and left alone on a date, this was his last straw, leading him to go to the bar to get drunk and hopefully forget about his failed date. But as he sat down, Liam seemed to have caught someone’s eye.

“Hey sweetheart, what’s someone like you doing here? If you want, I wouldn’t mind treating you to a drink,” Naomi said as she smiled at him.

Liam said, “I am drinking away a bad date. A drink?”

Naomi nodded as she ordered him a refill. “So, who was the unlucky girl you dragged out tonight?” She took a sip of her glass.

Liam said, “I’m trying to forget so to me her name is History, bad history.”

Naomi chuckled a bit. “Oh? So how did you manage to blow it this time?” she asked as she leaned her elbows on the bar, taking a sip of her drink before looking to him again.

Liam said, “I don’t know. Things seemed to be going well, then a switch flipped in her head, and she just became flat.”

Naomi chuckled, “So you’re telling me that after talking and what seemed to be a connection. She went cold in the snap of a finger?”

Liam agreed, “Like always.”

A small laugh escaped Naomi, “Well, aren’t you unlucky then…how many girls have you tried out before?”

Liam said, “Too many. I was just being a sucker. No more dating for me.”

Naomi leaned over the bar, smiling at him with her eyebrow raised. “Maybe it is not just the girls that are the problem.”

Liam said, “Could be. I may be the problem in that I am a real person and not her imagined sock puppet. It is like grown ass women are mentally and emotionally little girls who played with Barbie and can’t handle that I am not the Ken she imagined at 6 years old.”

“Well, you certainly sound jaded in how you’re speaking,” she said before leaning in a bit closer with a smirk. “So, what could be the one thing that you’re lacking, that makes the girls not want you?”

Liam said, “Who know? Could be different for every one of them. For the same girl it might be different reasons on different days without me changing at all. Maybe it all depends upon what she ate for breakfast that day or the cycle of the moon. I bet they don’t even know but attribute it to a feeling from intuition. What is it women call it…the ick? Fine! I am done. I am tapping out.”

Naomi chuckled before she drank again, sighing as she spoke, “Well maybe you’re correct on that. But the thing is, you can’t think that about every single woman in the world. All of us are not the same, just how men are not the same.” She paused for a moment in thought. “Besides, aren’t you tired of all the failed dates?”

Liam said, “Very tired. I am not insane so when something doesn’t work then I will stop doing it. All I want is a loving woman, a wife. No more searching for that. If I need physical release, then I will just learn to be an asshole…screw, nut, and bolt; no dating necessary, no thinking needed.”

Naomi laughed a bit, shaking her head as she took another sip of her drink. “That’s a bit extreme you know. You don’t have to start screwing around when you know you want something serious.”

Liam said, “I am a realist. Maybe all the good women are already married so only the dregs of women-kind are available to date.”

Naomi chuckled at that, as she leaned in a bit closer with a smirk. “You seem to have a very harsh view on women. Maybe part of the reason why you’re single is because you have that negative view of us.”

Liam said, “Am I supposed to ignore experience? Am I to live according to a fantasy ideal that isn’t found in real single women? That seems like how single women behave towards men. All I have to do is pretend to be what she wants then ghost her after the in-and-out. Stupid guys do that all the time so how hard could it be?”

Naomi made a small scoff of annoyance. “You certainly sound like a joy to be around. Do you really only plan to attract a woman only to use her for one thing? Just to get what you want?”

Liam confessed, “No. Not really that is just my anger talking. I have been fed lies about the high quality of single women, so the truth has made me bitter. In truth, I am just done; no more dating, no more searching, just live my life…alone.”

As he said this, Naomi smirked. Her hands rested on the counter as she leaned in a little more. “But it seems like women can’t stay off your mind. So maybe instead of focusing on finding the ‘perfect’ girl for you, just have some fun.”

Liam said, “No. I am not actually a hedonist. I am not going to settle for the distraction of carnal pleasures. There is more to life than wasting it chasing untrustworthy single women. I could get a dog.”