About Do You Believe in Magic

by Drew Zachary
25 pages / 11000 words
ISBN: 978-1-60370-361-1, 1-60370-361-6
Available file types - lit, pdf, prc, html

Illusionist Theo Charm was just having a really bad night when entertainment critic Craig Boston showed up at his gig. A bad night that wasn't even his fault. So he figures he doesn't deserve the crappy review Craig gives him, not one bit. When he marches into Craig's office to give the man a piece of his mind, and the chance to see another show, he doesn't expect the critic to be drop dead gorgeous, or to be someone he wants to get to know. Can Theo make Craig believe in a little magic between them?

Sample

Theo Kaminski, also known as Theo Charm, stood outside the Herald's offices. He was glaring up at the building, a wadded-up newspaper in his hand. Well, a section of it. The entertainment section. The section with entertainment columnist Craig's Boston's column, "Boston's Beat", in it. The section with the extremely uncomplimentary review of his magic show in it. The column didn't just dis his show either, oh no, it also claimed that he -- Theo Charm -- was an utterly uncharming fake.

It made him wonder what magician had pissed in Craig Boston's Wheaties.

It also pissed him off.

His mamma had always told him that his temper would get him into a world of trouble. His manager had actually made him read books about how to conduct oneself in the face of bad reviews, crying five-year-olds and other critics. That didn't stop him from opening up the Herald's doors and wandering around the building until he found himself in the right area to track down columnists; far away from the newsroom, close to the bathrooms.

"I'm looking for Craig Boston," he said to a harried-looking woman with a pile of files in her arms.

She nodded her head behind her. "First door on the right. He's the desk by the window." She gave him an amused once-over and took off toward the front.

"They put a critic near a window?" Theo muttered to himself as he walked down the hall and turned into the indicated room. "Not very well planned, that."

He looked around for a moment and spotted what had to be his target, sitting by the window and working diligently on a computer. Probably looking at porn, Theo thought uncharitably as he walked over. "Are you Craig Boston?" he asked, coming to halt by the desk.

The face that turned up to his couldn't possibly belong to a critic. Oh, no. This man was gorgeous. Short dark curls framed a square-jawed face with dark green eyes and pouty lips. Shirtsleeves and a loosened tie gave the impression of being busy, but did nothing to hide the muscles in the man's arms and chest. "Yeah. I am. Who're you?"

Theo looked down at the crumpled paper in his fist. Oh, yeah. Right. Pissed off. He could do pissed off, still. He hoped. He didn't like to think that he was utterly shallow, but then, he did work with illusions. "I'm Theo Cha-- Theo Kaminski. I'd like to talk to you."

Craig blinked for a moment and then grinned, relaxing back in his chair. "The magician. Oh, excuse me, your type prefers 'illusionist'."

"I prefer anything over 'hack'," Theo ground out. "As I'm sure you do. However, I at least do some research."

One of Craig's eyebrows went up. "Attending the show is my research, bub. And I assure you that I did. I even managed to stay awake. Through most of it."