Con Man
By T. Torrest
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Cover Design: Hang Le
Release Date:
March 24, 2017
Synopsis
Lucas Taggart is the best con man
in the business, so to speak.
A former-geek-turned-hottie, Luke
is now an image consultant and life coach to the rich and privileged in New
York City. His eight-week program is designed to transform ugly ducklings into
swans by instilling some much-needed confidence, and hey, a makeover never
hurts.
But when Ainsley Carrington signs
up as a client, Luke's world is thrown into a tailspin. Ainsley doesn't need an
image consultant; her image is already perfect just the way it is. Luke
immediately finds himself grappling with his attraction to the introverted
beauty as all his old insecurities come bubbling back to the surface.
The thing is, Luke doesn't date
his clients. Ever. But fighting his desire for Ainsley is proving more
difficult than he ever imagined. Especially since the cocky and arrogant
"confidence man" has just completely lost his cool.
***CON MAN is a romantic comedy
novel intended for ages 18+ due to some offensive language and graphic
sex/sexual situations.***
READ WHEN YOU'RE IN THE MOOD FOR: cocky, fun, dramatic, insightful, relatable.
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Excerpt
Chapter One
The
gorgeous redhead leaned forward across my favorite table at my favorite
restaurant, and from the look in her eyes, I already knew what was coming next.
“So, what do you think?” she asked. “Should we take this conversation back to
my hotel room?”
The two of us were seated at a prime patio table at Ocean, a fairly classy
restaurant bordering the south end of Central Park. We’d been having a pleasant
conversation from our outdoor post, enjoying the mid-summer breeze which was
made blessedly cooler from the shade of our umbrella. We’d been planning to
indulge in a leisurely meal as we talked, but Charise’s question ensured that
this little luncheon was going to be cut rather short.
I eased back in my chair and assessed the fiery-haired bombshell seated across
from me. Her invitation was unmistakable, and I found myself letting out with
an exasperated breath. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”
“Well, maybe I should have been a little clearer,” she purred, sliding a finger
to trace along the swell of her ample breast. “I’m hoping you’ll be able to,
ah, teach me a thing or two about what a man
really wants.”
“That’s not what I do.” I’d encountered this scenario a time or two, and I’d
learned it was best to just confront the situation head-on, without mincing
words. “Look, Charise, I think you’ve been misinformed about what kind of
service I provide. I’m not a sex therapist; I’m an image consultant.”
I’m the founder and CEO of Swan,
Inc., New York City’s
preeminent makeover service. People who felt stuck in the “ugly duckling” stage
of their lives came to me for transformation. My services provided much more
than a simple makeover, though. Aside from helping these ladies out with a new
hairdo and some clothes, I also offered some intensive remodeling of a client’s
self-esteem. Reputedly, these methods helped to unleash a woman’s inner sexpot.
It kinda went with the territory. The sex appeal was simply a happily
unexpected side effect of the confidence training I provided.
Charise blinked a few times in my direction, clearly confused. “I was told that
you teach women to be absolute maneaters. And after I saw the change in Darla
Haagen… I mean, she was positively glowing by the time you got through with her.
She said you were a godsend. She said she never experienced a better eight
weeks in her entire life. I’m sorry. I guess I just assumed…”
“Sometimes people do. I’m not offended.”
Most of the time, a new client and I will have engaged in a series of emails
prior to our first meeting. Even if we haven’t, it was easy enough for them to
do their homework on their own; my website clearly lays out what it is that I
do. But sometimes, like in the case with Charise, here, people jumped to their
own conclusions and thought they were merely hiring a high-priced escort. Hell,
even if I was in the sex therapy business, actual sex isn’t a part of the
therapy provided.
I gave Charise a smile, trying to put her at ease regarding the mixup.
Essentially, the woman had just offered herself up on a silver platter only for
me to turn her down. Rather than dwell on her undoubtedly bruised ego, I
decided to point her in the right direction. “In fact, if you’re looking for a
sex therapist, I can recommend someone for you. I have a friend out in
Arizona—his name is Justice Drake and he’s the best at what he does. But he and
I don’t work in the same field, understand?”
Charise tipped her head to the side and eyed me curiously. “No. I guess I don’t
understand. I thought I was hiring you to teach me how to please a man.”
“Yes, to a point. Essentially what I do is teach you how to please yourself.” Charise’s lip
curled, confirming that her mind was spinning all over again. Before she could
jump to another conclusion, I added, “I teach confidence.
That’s it. When you think about it, that’s the sexiest trait of all, wouldn’t
you agree?”
I could see the shift in her posture as my words finally sunk in. “But I
already have confidence.”
“Yes, you certainly do. Rightfully so.”
She gave me a flattered smile for that. “So, I guess this isn’t going to be a
good fit, is it?”
“I’m sorry, no, it’s not.”
There was an awkward pause between us as the situation sank in, until finally,
she let out with a resigned sigh. “Well,” she said agreeably as she rose from
her chair. “It looks like my little sex-school adventure is going to turn into
a shopping marathon instead.” She gave me a smile and held out her hand. “It
was a pleasure to meet you, Luke.”
I came around to her side of the table to give her a hug. “You too, Charise.”
When we pulled away from each other, there was a devilish twinkle in her eye as
she purred, “You know, Luke… Just because I’m not hiring you for sex, that
doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun off the clock. Armed with nothing but
false information and your photograph, I flew all the way out here from
Houston, and I have to say, you’re even more delicious than your picture. I’d
hate to think the sexy vacation I was planning is actually going to be a
complete letdown. I could use some company over the next couple of months while
I’m here.”
I couldn’t contain my smirk as I answered, “That is one tempting offer,
Charise. Truly. But I’m going to have to respectfully decline your generous
proposition. Something tells me you’re going to have one hell of a vacation
without me. Here,” I added, pulling out my wallet and digging around for my
friend’s business card. “Maybe after you’ve torn up New York for a few days,
you’ll decide to reroute to Sedona. Give Drake a call. He really knows his
stuff.”
She took the card from my hand, flicking it around her fingers as she said, “I
will. I promise.”
One of my brows raised as I added, “Although you strike me as someone who’s
already well-schooled in this area.”
Charise grinned as she gave me a last peck on the cheek before jaunting across
the patio and into the park.
My morning appointment was a bust, and my afternoon appointment wasn’t
scheduled to be here for another two hours. Since now I had some time to kill,
I decided to take a walk to clear my head. I asked Fernando to hold my table,
then slipped out of the gated patio and into the courtyard.
There were a few high-end boutiques that bordered this end of the park, so I
did a little window shopping. Eyed up a new suit in the display at Brooks
Brothers; checked out a new watch in the front case of Tiffany’s. When my
stomach started growling, I became aware of my abandoned lunch, and stopped off
at a corner pushcart to get a dirty-water dog with the works.
I loved the city. New York was the best place in the world to test a person’s
mettle. You could live out your every dream or disappear into a sea of faces.
Do whatever you wanted to do; be whoever you wanted to be.
I headed back to Ocean and hit the men’s room to clean up before my next
appointment, throwing a couple bucks in the attendant’s tray and giving a quick
glance in the mirror as I ran a hand through my hair.
I wasn’t always this good-looking.
Before you can accuse me of being an arrogant, conceited jerk, I’ll tell you
that the personal assessment of my handsomeness is mentioned without spectacle
or vanity of any kind.
Well, maybe a little pride, but that’s it. And I’m only
proud because it took a ton of hard work to get myself looking this way.
Countless hours at the gym, consultations with fashion gurus, and a whole
helluva lot of mental reprogramming all combined to create the man you see
standing before you today.
Fact is, before I was one of the “beautiful people,” I used to view an
attractive person with the same sort of indifference as I would an air balloon.
Pretty to look at, but there’s no substance to it.
Strange that I should’ve made my living as an image consultant, right? If I had
such disregard for external beauty, then why did I make it my mission to help
women achieve the height of theirs?
And no. Before you can ask, I’ll tell you emphatically that I did not start this whole venture as some
elaborate scheme to pick up chicks. I’m not looking to hit on them. I’m looking
to help them.
Unfortunately, the sad fact is this: I’ve been where these women are now. I
know from firsthand experience what it’s like to be ignored or downright
snubbed for not looking like those people you see on your television screens.
Society as a whole has always been impressed with such superficial qualities in
a person. Looking good is the easiest way to catch a guy’s eye, and if a woman
is coming to me to help her land a man, she’s going to have to understand that
men appreciate external beauty above all else.
At least they think they do.
That’s why the second part of my service is even more important than the first.
Yes, I’ll whip your body into shape. Yes, I’ll hook you up with hair and makeup
professionals. But while all that is happening, I’ll be working on your internal assets. Pointing out
your positive attributes, trying to teach you how to use them to your
advantage. Building your confidence in little baby steps until you’re ready to
do it on your own.
At the
end of it all, you’ll have reached a point where you don’t even need that
spa-day makeover, but you’ll get it just the same. Although by then, it’ll
merely be icing on an already delicious cake.
Meet
the Author
T. Torrest is a
fiction writer from the U.S. She has written many books, but prays that only a
handful of them will ever see the light of day. Her stories are geared toward
readers of any age that know how to enjoy a good laugh and a dreamy romance.
Ms. Torrest was
a child of the eighties, but has since traded in her Rubik's cube for a laptop
and her Catholic school uniform for a comfy pair of yoga pants. She's a
pop-culture junkie, a movie aficionado, and an enthusiast of talking about
herself in the third person. A lifelong Jersey girl, she currently resides
there with her husband and two sons.
She also really
digs it when she hears from readers, and is known to use words like
"dig" in a non-sarcastic way. You can find out more about her books
at her website:https://www.ttorrest.com/
She also LOVES
to get friend requests on Goodreads and Facebook, and personal messages from
readers via email: ttorrest@optonline.net
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