She’d researched and planned the best booth display possible. Colorful banner, bright business cards showcasing her talent, and oversized storyboards with her illustrations. This was going to be her year…well, starting now, in June at the Dallas Comic-Con. That gave her six whole months to make it her year. Yeah, pep talk. That’s what she needed.
Once she had everything in place, she stood back and smiled. Oh, it was great. Everything worked together perfectly. The colors, the fonts…all of it. Yep, definitely her time to shine. Pride swelled inside her. This time next year, Buck would be eating her dust.
A voice carried, drawing her attention to the front of the convention center, and her heart lodged in her throat. No, not Buck. Not here. Not yet. She wanted some success under her belt before she faced him again. Instead, she was broke, single, and pathetic. Plus, bingeing Death by Chocolate while she’d cried the last year hadn’t helped her hips at all.
Buck must have sensed her stare because his gaze caught hers and a smile spread across his face. Ugh. The snake. Before he’d betrayed her, she would have called him attractive. Well, most women would have. Tall, broad shoulders, physically fit, a head of blond surfer hair, and dimples. Hewasgorgeous until he showed his true colors.
He slithered toward her, and she gulped down her anxiety. The crowd parted a bit more and…double no. Cinnamon Andrews was with him? The voice of Queen Sheba in Xavier Parker’sDragon’s Fury, the most popular multiplayer game in recent history?
Sadie didn’t have raindrops falling on her head; she was getting pummeled by concrete blocks. She looked around. No way was she letting this slug of a man show her up. Not here. Not at the start of her new beginning.
Weasel-suit Guy caught her eye as he drifted past, and she quickly hooked an arm in his as Buck approached. “Play along, okay?”
“Why should I?” he asked.
He had a point. “I’m sorry I mocked your horrible choice of cosplay. Just do me a solid here, and I’ll be in your debt.”
“Deal.”
Oh, he'd said it too quickly. Her eyes widened. "Uh…stipulations."
He shook his furry head. “Nope. I help, you owe me.”
“I am not…doing…you know…” The words died mid-sentence as Buck stopped in front of her. She only needed to keep it together and not let Buck get under her skin. Her gaze dipped to Furry Guy’s arm. “Please don’t have bugs,” she whispered and discreetly scratched her arm.
“What?” Furry Guy asked.
She wanted to bang her head. For someone like her with no filter, this guy was a wise-crack goldmine. But if she insulted him, who knew what he’d do, and she couldn’t risk the snide comments from Buck. “Uh, nothing.”
“Well, well, well, Sadie Baylor,” Buck said.
“What are you doing here, Buck? I thought you were going to be at the Seattle Comic-Con.” Sadie could cry. She’d double-checked that he wouldn’t be in Dallas. How was he here?
A smile stretched across his lips. “Couldn’t let you set up shop and not keep an eye on you. I know how you like to steal designs. I want to make sure you aren’t trying to slip some of my company’s illustrations by as your own.” He laughed and held up his hands. “I’m kidding.”
Kidding? Yeah right. In her head, she could see smoke billowing from her ears. His company? The gall! “Ourcompany before you underhandedly stole it and my clients from me by using a non-disclosure, non-solicitation clause. And those illustrations were all mine.”
“I didn’t steal it. If that was the case, it wouldn’t have been awarded to me,” Buck said. He held up his hand. “Look. Let’s start over. I didn’t come here to fight. I actually have a business proposal for you, with legal documents and all, outlining everything. I think it’s a good fit for you, and we’ll both get a win.”
Brain freeze in the middle of the comic-con. Buck had to be joking. “Work for you? After what you did to me? Have you lost your mind?”
Buck sighed. “We’re adults. We can put the past behind us.”
She hated his attempts to make her feel small and petty. “Adults don’t go behind other adults’ backs and quietly kick their partners out, blindsiding them.”
“I’m sorry you felt that way—”
Cinnamon cleared her throat.
“Oh, sorry,” Buck said. “This is Cinnamon Andrews, but you probably know that given your history as a gamer.”
Cinnamon stuck out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. When Buck said he’d dated Sadie Baylor, I can’t say I wasn’t a little jealous.”
Sure she was, and Sadie could use fine-tip eyeliner without stabbing herself in the eye. Cinnamon was at least four inches taller than Sadie with long auburn hair and perfect makeup, looking like she’d stepped out of a magazine shoot.
Sadie bit her tongue as they shook hands. “Nice to meet you.”
“And who’s the…what are you?” Buck asked, turning to Furry Guy, his gaze traveling the length of the suit.
