Page 30 of Tricking an Introvert

Cole

Tessa hadn't misrepresented the sketch session. They'd been shown into a room she hadn't revealed until now—a conservatory tucked right next to her bedroom.

Michael and Cole shared a black loveseat in front of cupcakes and single-serving strawberry tarts on a coffee table. He’d added a homemade pie, as promised.

Tessa played jazz in the background as she explained, "I've read the brief, and I have some ideas in mind. I'm going to sketch on my tablet, and you'll be able to see all my progress here." She pointed to a large TV screen fixed on the wall. "Let me know whatever you think—if you like what you see, if something looks wrong, if you want me to go back a step or two, all right? Instead of focusing too hard on getting one perfect project, we're just going to sketch half a dozen rough ones—and at the end of the session, you can pick your three favorites. For the next stage, I'll detail all three so you can choose the one you want to go with."

"Isn't that a lot of work?" Michael asked, wincing.

She smiled. "Sure, but given the fact that you're paying me four figures to get it right, that's not a problem."

Watching her bring life to Michael's character was fascinating. At first, Cole did his best to remain silent, stuffing cakes in his mouth each time he wanted to interject, but he couldn't help himself. "Didn't you say Iolen had a curved sword, Michael?"

His friend bit his lip. "Damn, that's true. Sorry, Tessa."

"No need for apologies, I expect revisions——really, don't hesitate, it's a lot easier to fix at this stage."

And a few strokes of digital pen later, Iolen's blade was shorter and curved.

He tentatively continued to give his opinion, wanting to be part of the magic.

What Tessa called rough sketches ended up being gorgeous black-and-white art. Cole was glad picking a favorite was Michael's job, because he doubted he would have been able to make a choice.

By early afternoon, they were done.

Michael got to his feet, hand extended. He shook Tessa's enthusiastically, thanking her for the experience.

Watching her was enlightening. She grinned, friendly as usual; there was no sign of a blush, she didn't lower her eyes or undermine her own worth. Tessa was truly shining, entirely confident in her work. She knew she was awesome at what she did.

Cole couldn't help wondering why that confidence didn't translate to her personal life.

"You don't mind if I take a few days to pick?"

"Of course not. Take all the time you need. I'm coloring another project most of next week in any case, so there's no rush on my end."

She accompanied Michael to the door. Cole followed one step behind her.

"Well, until next time…" Noticing Cole still firmly inside, Michael lifted a brow.

Cole hadn't been entirely forthcoming about the amount of time he was spending at Tessa's. He hadn't meant to hide it, but it had somehow felt private. Intimate.

"Go on ahead." He left it at that.

Michael grinned. "All right. See you at taekwondo tomorrow?"

"I'll be there to kick your ass."

Michael laughed as he left, with good reason; he won against him about seventy percent of the time at the dojang.

When he'd disappeared down the street, Cole turned to Tessa. "So, have you changed your mind about tonight?"

She seemed surprised.

Cole said, "You said you might feel tired today."

"Oh. No, I guess I'm okay to go…as long as you still want me to?"

She shifted from one leg to the next and looked away.

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