Page 22 of Tricking an Introvert

“Why is that?”

Tessa grinned. “Because he’s Lewis Michaels, at the top of his game, with the world fawning over him. Hell, I thought you were going to ask for an autograph.”

“Oh, I would have if he’d stayed another minute.”

Unsurprising. “Right. Well, he sees the world from the summit of the mountain, and he thinks that I, his sister, ought to have the best of the best. Type-A personalities in perfect bodies.”

“And you don’t?” Cole wondered, head tilted.

She bit her lip. “Loaded question. I mean, sure, hotties are cool. And I love abs. Who doesn’t love to lick abs?”

“Can I get back to you on that one?”

“In the end, those people drain me. They’re all ‘work, work, work,’ and they want different things out of life. A cool car, a flawless wardrobe. Things that don’t matter to me. I want to be able to live off my art, eat amazing food, cuddle dogs, and enjoy myself.”

Cole tilted his head, heading back to the sofa. “Well that’s…interesting. And mostly bullshit.”

Her jaw dropped.

“There’s a reason people say opposites attract, Tessa. I’d absolutely hate to hang out with anyone like me. I stress me out. I don’t need a Cole Two doing the same thing. I pretty much fit your Type-A stereotype, and my best friend is you. In pants.”

“I wear pants.”

“You, in pants without bunnies.”

She had to concede the point. “Maybe. I just didn’t click with any of his friends. I don’t think they liked me much either—I’m not ambitious enough, pretty enough, dressed appropriately, I don’t know. And Lewis has never clicked with any of my boyfriends, either. Artsy types; musicians, painters, sculptors. He puts up with me, but he seems to think everyone else is pretentious and thinks they’re better than they really are.”

“You must not have thought much of them either, if they’re all gone.”

“Again with the logic. See? That’s why Type As are annoying.”

“Endearing. You find me endearing.”

Damn him, she did.

Granted, mostly she found him confusing. The fact that he was still on her sofa, hanging out with her for no reason at all, hadn't started to make any more sense than it had two hours ago.

Tessa wondered whether he would have stayed if she hadn't started crying like an idiot. Maybe he just was feeling sorry for her after the day she'd had. Cole was clearly the kind of guy who took care of people; he did so with Michael, and finding her similar to his socially awkward best friend, he'd naturally bring her under his wing too.

"I was going to watch another movie. You game?"

"Sure thing, unless you'd rather be alone."

Often, the answer was yes. She absolutely preferred to be alone at home, enjoying her space without pressure, without feeling the need to make conversation, fill silence in with nonsense.

Today she didn't. She liked him being there. They'd watched half of The Princess Bride without exchanging a word; when they did talk, it wasn't taxing.

"What's your feeling on the new Star Trek movies?"

"Great first, promising second, and let's pretend that the third never existed."

The man truly was perfect.

She tossed the remote control in the air in his direction, and he caught it effortlessly. "I'll do popcorn—find them in my digital library."

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