Page 4 of Tricking an Introvert

Tessa hesitated. She only finished about one in a hundred sketches; they were normally just studies to keep improving her understanding of bone structure and expressions.

"I might, I'm not sure. I don't really have the time to draw for myself, these days—I mostly do commissions." From the corner of her eye, she saw Cole come back, accompanied by another guy this time. Almost as tall as him, and maybe even hotter. "You can follow my social media to see updates. Whether or not I complete it, I can totally sort out prints." She handed Perky Titties a card, and grinned back at Cole. "Hi again."

"Tessa, this is my friend, Michael Croft."

The name rang a bell. Come to think of it, the handsome, light-haired Adonis's face rang a bell too.

Then it hit.

"Shut up. The Michael Croft? I have all your books. Literally."

He laughed, extending his hand. "Charmed."

"Michael is my main client. We’ve been talking about going another direction for his next book cover."

Yes. Yes. Yes.

She adored his books, but his covers were just so boring. A shield. A mace. A sword. That was about it.

"You'd like character illustrations?"

"Cole tells me I should try to see if it improves my sales. He's the branding guy. I tend to concentrate on content. I like these, though," he said, waving at her table.

Michael Croft liked her art.

Redhead combustion alert.She was going to implode at any moment.

"If you're free later, maybe we could discuss working together over some drinks?"

The smartwatch on her wrist pinged and she was pretty sure that her heart rate was going through the roof. "Yeah, sure. Hang on……" She wrote down her personal cell phone number on one of her business cards, as it only had her email, website address, and the work phone that lived inside her sock drawer. "Give me a call after the con, or text me. I'm here until tomorrow afternoon.”

She couldn't believe her luck.

No, not quite luck. That was all him. Cole.

Michael walked away, and she turned toward Cole. "How can I thank you?"

He shrugged. "If you improve his sales, I get a bonus. I'll have to thank you then. This is just business." Then, he grinned. "Although I believe I do detect a little crush."

Tessa was unrepentant. "I'm in love with Michael's brain. Everything he writes punches me in the guts and makes me crave more."

"Is that what love is? Good to know."

Tessa tilted her head as she thought it out. “In lust, then,” she conceded. "I can't believe your client is the Michael Croft."

"We go way back—we used to go to high school together. When he had enough of his publishing house bossing him around, he asked me to help with the marketing side of things, the public image—everything the publisher used to do. As he said, he's a content dude."

"His style greatly improved since he started publishing what he wants," Tessa admitted. "So, thanks for making sure he's stayed relevant. Not all heroes wear capes."

"Only during the occasional Sunday brunch with my nieces. And at the Comic Con. I make a pretty good Batman, or so I'm told."

Tessa laughed her ass off. Noticing more people inching toward her table, she waved Cole off. "Go save another poor damsel. I need to sell more prints."

"I wouldn't dare stand between an artist and capitalism. Enjoy."

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