Page 26 of Fairy Godmothers Aren't Cheap

Museum Babe (Char)

Hey, sorry about that. Is it 2 late for milkshakes?

Me

Never.

Where R U? Pick U up?

Museum Babe (Char)

Walking north on 10th.

Of course. Why hadn’t I thought of swinging out that way?

Well, because knowing where she’d planned to go was not an invitation to show up there. That would be overeager and send her running.

I already felt like I had no game around this woman, and it made me careful. Maybe too careful. But I’d never had to hold back while pursuing a woman like I did with Char, and it was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do.

But she was worth it.

Unable to bury the smile that came with the knowledge that I’d soon be hanging out with her, I headed south past SAIT’s campus, and over the bridge into the downtown’s west end.

Minutes later, I slowed along tenth before spying her walking like she was trying to put distance between her and wherever she’d been. I pulled up alongside her.

She opened the car door and leaned in when I came to a stop. “Hey, cutie! Heading my way?” She fluttered her lashes in what was probably supposed to be flirty. It was adorable and so innocent I wanted to cup her beautiful face and kiss her.

“You bat your eyes at anyone going to Peter’s?”

“Pretty much.” She climbed in, doing up her seatbelt with trembling fingers. She smelled like fresh spring air.

I maneuvered the car through the quiet city streets, driving north, the last of the day’s sunshine long gone from the sky.

“How’s it going?” I tried for casual, reading her for signs on what had happened since I’d seen her last. She seemed her usual upbeat self, but there was a stitch of preoccupation in her expression, and an atypical quiet about her. Plus, there was the whole shaking-hands thing and the speed-walking she’d been doing.

Her voice grew low, like a kid in trouble. “Sorry about your date.” Her eyebrows pitched upward as if she felt personally responsible for the way things hadn’t worked out with me and what’s-her-face.

“It’s fine. Can’t even remember her name.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t choose for your date to get cancelled.”

I shrugged. “Things happen.”

“A timely coincidence?” she muttered under her breath.

“What about you? Your walk-by seemed to take a while.”

Char remained silent, watching the city from the side window. Finally, she shifted, facing me. “Have you ever made a wish and had it come true?”

“Probably.”

“No, for real.”

“I don’t know. Why?”

“Think of one.”

I laughed at her intensity. What bone had she locked onto now? I knew she’d gnaw it until she was done, but I had no clue how long that would take, or what this was about. I loved that she kept me on my toes and I could never guess where her busy mind was at. “I’ve wished for a basketball game win.”

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