Page 72 of Seizing Mack
“But what if he breaks it?”
“Then we’ll break every part of him that matters,” Jay said, an unusually somber edge to his voice. “But for what it’s worth, I don’t think he will. That man has it bad for you, Mack.”
Does he, Mack wondered? Jay must have used his special BFF powers to read her thoughts because he said, “Yes, he does. Why is that so hard for you to believe?”
That was an excellent question, the answer to which was probably rooted deep in her psyche and decipherable only with a degree. “I don’t know. Let’s just say, life experience tends to suggest otherwise.”
“Bullshit,” Jay scoffed. “When are you seeing him again?”
“I don’t know. He’s going to be away for a couple days. Police business.”
“Perfect! I’m calling Marcus.”
Mack narrowed her gaze. Jay had a gleam in his eye, the same gleam he always got when he dreamed up some grand scheme. A ripple of foreboding went through her. “Why?”
“Because it’s time to step out of your comfort zone and own that shit. Your man is not going to know what hit him when he comes back.”
“Jay, we’ve tried this. The makeover? The Charity Ball? Ring any bells?”
“Yes, and for the record, you looked amazing.”
“But it wasn’t me.”
“Exactly. That’s where we went wrong. We’re going to bring out your inner you. Unleash the sexy beast inside you.”
“Jay...”
Jay stood, grabbed his phone, and held up his hand. “La-la-la, I can’t hear Mack. Talk to the hand, baby girl, and just leave everything to us.”
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FOUR DAYS LATER
“Looking good, Mack.” Jay nodded approvingly at the high-definition screen.
“I can’t thank you enough, Jay. All of you.” She looked around at the half-dozen male models that had volunteered to help out. She hadn’t realized how hard these guys worked. Who would have thought three hours in front of camera could be so exhausting?
“Anything for you, Mack,” one of them winked.
As they headed for the locker rooms, Mack felt gratitude and a sense of pride. The gratitude came from their unselfish willingness to do a pro-bono shoot. The pride, a result of professional appreciation for their beautifully-sculpted bodies, bodies which she had helped hone to optimal fitness.
They were good guys, guys she’d known since Jay brought them toSeizewhen she first opened. They’d been offering to help her ramp up her advertising with some free publicity, but she’d felt weird about using them that way. Jay, however, had no such reservations, and had set up a campaign with his partners in collusion, Marcus and Tish. The idea was to promoteSeize, Tish’s agency, and the male models. A win-win-win.
“I don’t know about this, Jay,” she said, biting her lip as she looked at the digital proofs from the shoot. She had to admit, she lookedgood. Of course, a French bulldog would look good in the middle of those guys.
“I know. That’s why I’m not giving you a choice. I’ve already sent them to Tish.”
“You did that in the two seconds it took me to grab some water and thank those guys?”
“Welcome to high speed internet, Mack,” he quipped, flashing her a grin. “Didn’t want to take the chance that you’d chicken out.” He glanced down at his phone. “And FYI — Tish has already approved the release. She loves it! Says you’re very photogenic.”
Mack snorted.
“Seriously. Strong is the new skinny, and honey, whether you know it or not, you are an inspiration.”
Mack focused on the inspiration part as she wiped some of the body oil from her chest and arms. If she could inspire just one woman to feel empowered, then it was worth it. After all, that was whatSeizewas all about — giving people the means to take control of their own lives and create their own success stories.
“And when Mr. Yummy Detective sees that...well, I give it thirty minutes, an hour tops, before he’s tossing you over his shoulder and taking you back to his man cave.”
