Page 3 of Illicit Illustration

“I hope not,” Charley joked, her expression sobering when she realized I wasn’t. “No. He’s not. I mean, I asked him, but Hudson vetoed it. He’s not sure Reid would take it seriously.”

“Because if he’s doing it, I’m out. There’s no way I can do it if I’m worried every guy I’m talking to is him.” And because I’d recognize his voice and then over-analyze every word that came out of my mouth, which would make me too flustered to talk to anyone else.

Which was another reason I had to go through with the plan. I needed to stop crushing on Reid and find someone who couldhelp with my problem. I was tired of scratching my own itches. I wanted a big, hard, thick…

“Calm down. You’re going to do fine. Just be your charming self and you won’t have any issues.”

“Why do people always say that? I’m not charming, Char. I’m not you. You give off sex vibes with your witty banter and I just give off desperate feral cat lady vibes.”

“You’re allergic to cats, Haz.”

“Great, just add sneezing to my lack of vibe and none of these guys are going to be interested.”

“Did you take your meds today? You’re a little extra right now.”

“Yes,” I hissed, wanting her to keep her voice down. No one was here yet, but I didn’t need her broadcasting it. “I even made sure my alarm was set, so I took it on time.”

“Then you’ll be fine. Just relax. I have a good feeling about this. The whole anonymity element will help you stay calm, and you’ll be texting your little heart out for the next two weeks before you meet your Prince Charming.”

“I’d just be happy if he’s not a frog.”

“I think you’re mixing your fairy tales, but no frogs in the bunch, I swear.”

I wasn’t so sure I believed her. There was always a catch. And if someone could embarrass themselves during a blind date, I could. Even through a barrier.

“Just go change into something that makes you feel sexy and confident. Then come back down and wait in Hudson’s office. Once the other women start to show up, I’ll come get you.”

Nodding, I took a deep breath and escaped into the kitchen. If I was going to survive tonight, I needed some emotional support potatoes.

Tater tots made everything better.

“You in here hiding?”

I visibly startled at the unexpected voice coming through the open door, instinctively flipping my sketch pad over so he couldn’t see what I’d been drawing. At least I’d thought ahead and left my penis study sketchbook upstairs. Not that I knew what his penis looked like up close…even if I desperately wanted to.

“No,” I replied, busying myself by lining Hudson’s pens up by color on his desk. Maybe if I avoided looking at him, I could keep my blush at bay. “Just doing some line work while I’m waiting for Charley to come get me.”

He sat down in the chair across from the desk, extending one long arm in my direction with his palm up. “Lemme see.”

“Absolutely not,” I stuttered, grabbing the pad, and holding it to my chest.

“Oh, come on, Haz. It can’t be that bad. I want to see what you’ve been working on. It seems like you’re permanently attached to your iPad when you’re not working the pass.”

“I was just practicing some shading.” On the forearms I drew as soon as I sat down in this chair. Forearms I was trying not to stare at in person, although it wasn’t working as my eyes zeroed in on the way Reid’s currently flexed.

“Then let me see.”

“It’s not as good as what you do, but I’ve been taking some workshops on creating depth with shading. I still feel like I have a long way to go as far as skill level—and it’s hard to get the right brush set calibrated with my stylus—but my sketches haven’t looked as flat lately. It’s really helped with my rendering.”

“I’ve had a bit more practice than you,” he laughed, leaning forward so he could snag the edge of my notebookwith his fingers. They brushed the bare skin of my collarbone, and I shuddered, my traitorous cheeks beginning to heat at his accidental touch.

He pulled the notebook into his lap, his eyes scanning the page. Without looking up, he extended a hand toward me. “Pencil.”

“What? No. You’re just going to show off and make me feel inferior.”

“Haz, all I’m going to do is show you how to vary the crosshatch and how hard you press with the pencil to create a more realistic shade along the edge. Drawing skin is hard, but you’ve done a great job so far.”

My blush deepened at his praise, and I reluctantly handed over my pencil. He studied the barrel, the teeth marks in the middle drawing his attention. His eyes flashed to mine with a knowing look, and I glanced away.

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