Free The Prince Charming List by Kathryn Springer

complicated to explain to someone I’d just met. I was still protective of it. It was like a poem I wanted to finish before I could share it with someone else.
    “So what else can you do? Besides cut hair?”
    The question nudged me off balance. Was he wondering if I knew how to do a spiral perm or a French manicure? Or was he looking for something deeper?
    “Let’s see. I can actually make a piecrust from scratch—my grandmother would disown me if I bought the kind you unfold . I can play Mozart on the piano. And I can walk on my hands but since I haven’t tried that since summer camp, you’re just going to have to take my word for it.”
    Sounding a bit defensive, aren’t you, Heather?
    Jared pretended to wipe the sweat off his forehead. “Wow. All that and she’s beautiful, too. Let’s find out if you can paddle a canoe.”
     
    Our Friday night adventure to Marley Creek lasted less than fifteen minutes. We didn’t even get the canoe in the water. The mosquitoes were hungry and saw an opportunity to devour the two unsuspecting outsiders that had naively wandered into their territory. As we raced back to the motorcycle, I wondered if anyone had thought of creating a designer perfume that included Deet. If not, I had first dibs.
    “Plan B?” I shouted over his shoulder as he revved up the engine.
    “You pick this time.”
    We ended up at Sally’s Café just as Sally was about to close for the night. Jared talked her into staying open a few more minutes so he could ease the pain of the mosquito bites with a chocolate shake. She made the shakes and then kicked us out into the street.
    “I need to sit down.” Even the most comfortable shoes had an expiration date and I’d been on my feet for almost ten hours.
    “I have a really great couch that looks like a sea serpent. It’s got to be at least twenty feet long and the fabric is this weird, shiny green. Vintage seventies’ rec room. I hauled it out of Marissa’s basement this afternoon.”
    I wasn’t really paying attention. My brain had stalled right after the word couch . He wanted me to go back to his…garage.
    It wasn’t that Jared gave off any creepy vibes that made me feel uncomfortable to be alone with him. I’d already learned a lot about him in the past few hours. He loved city life and was hoping to end up in New York or L.A. He described himself as a sculptor but eventually wanted to own a gallery. He moved with restless energy and talked with his hands. And he talked more than I did. He wasn’t anything like the guys I’d met in the YAC group. His plans…his world…seemed bigger . I was surprised at how much I wanted to keep listening to him. Wanting to listen instead of talk—this was a first for me.
    “The couch sounds great but I’ve been inside all day.” I suddenly developed an annoying stammer. “Why don’t we find a bench in the park instead?”
    Jared stared at me for a second, then shrugged. “Sure.”
    We crossed the street to the park, Prichett’s miniature version of a green space.
    “This playground equipment is new. My friend’s mom won the Proverbs 31 pageant last fall and the prize was a donation to her favorite charity. With the money, they replaced the slide and some of the swings. Bree told me the Boy Scouts might build a gazebo this summer, too.” I sounded like a bad tour guide.
    “Any idea where Junebug is going to go?”
    “By the drinking fountain over there. For maximum exposure.”
    “I was hoping I’d have a little more creative input about the sculpture. I’m still hoping I can convince Marissa to get the committee to change their minds about a cow.” Jared’s foot suddenly shot out to stop a ball that came skipping toward us. With an apologetic grin, he kicked it back to the kids and then joined them in a game that looked like a no-rules cross between soccer and football.
    He liked kids. This happened to be on The List. Come to think of it, so was outgoing. And creative. Character- list