Free Twice Smitten (A Modern Fairy Tale) by Melissa Blue

ambitious and cocky. The man’s entire closet probably cost more than he made in a year. Stephen would like the idea of winning.
    “The campaign the client chooses will win bragging rights.” The people in the room groaned, and he laughed. “Also, a grand each from my own money.”
    With that announcement Abigail leaned forward. “You must be quite sure of yourself.”
    “I am,” Drew said. “You pick first.”
    Leslie, from promotions spoke up. “I’m the only one for promotions.”
    Drew shrugged. “You’ll work in tandem with both teams. Think of it this way—you’ll be getting a guaranteed grand. If, which isn’t likely, my team loses, they won’t get a dime, but you will.”
    Leslie’s dimples winked. “I think I like you already.”
    “Bribery,” Abigail threw at him, but her eyes gleamed from the challenge.
    “She’ll be putting the product in the customers’ hands.” He crossed his arms. “But first we’ll go over what we have now. Paint me a clear picture. This will be a normal meeting, except afterward I’ll get in contact with my team to set up further sessions.” He nodded to Abigail. “Pick.”
    She picked all the members of her core team without any hesitation. This time he said, “So sure of yourself?”
    “It’s a team I already put together. I know they can do what the clients need. They have before and will again. No offense to the others.”
    Drew checked the reaction of the other members, the ones she loaned from time to time. There wasn’t a flinch and not because they didn’t respect Abigail. He’d seen them with her. If he didn’t already have a thing for her, he would have now.
    “You hear that?” Drew said to the room. “Can’t buy respect from your boss. All right. Michael and Nancy, tell me what you’ve got so far.” He leaned against the table and listened for the next hour. By the end of it, he was impressed by what they already had. It was damn close to what the client envisioned, but he saw the hole. He made sure to get his teams’ contact information before they filed out of the room.
    Abigail stayed seated, tilted her head and frowned at him.
    He moved to her, sure to keep a comfortable distance. “What are you thinking?”
    “You’re smooth. You didn’t come across as aggressive. You didn’t state your way will be the only good way. Though, you’re cocky.”
    “Some jobs you can’t come across as meek, but there’s also no need for me to beat my chest. The point is to get both teams thinking about a different way of doing things. When you become familiar with people, you get stuck in a cow path.”
    Looking amused, she said, “And it helps when you pave the way with charm and money as a prize.”
    “It’s effective, and it costs me nothing.” He shrugged. “The grand each is part of my fee. I get paid an outrageous fee and parting with some of it…” He shrugged again.
    Abigail shook her head and chuckled. “Like I said, smooth.” She hesitated, “I’m impressed.”
    “But not convinced I’m going to win?”
    “I have to beat you, or I’ll lose my team.” She sighed. “Sit, because I hate that you’re looming.”
    Drew pulled out the chair in front of Abigail. This setting felt better. There wasn’t a desk or antagonism to keep a wall between them.
    “This is me calling a truce,” Abigail said.
    He spread out his hands. “There’s no reason for one.”
    “So you’d rather we keep butting heads? We want the same thing. For this consulting job of yours to work,” Abigail added. “My team looks good. I look good for working with you amicably. I keep my team. You get paid and ride off into the sunset.”
    “True.” He kept his gaze locked with hers.
    “But,” she said, “I feel one coming. You want more.”
    He shrugged. “Friendship would be nice.”
    “Friendship?” She looked and sounded skeptical.
    “Yes, have nice things to say to each other.” He tapped his fingers on the chair’s arm. “Have inside