Page 9 of The Hot Mess

“I just want to look less like…this.” I scrunched up my nose, waving over my clothes.

She was quiet for a moment, thinking it over. “I might be able to help you. But I don’t want to turn you into something you’re not. I just want to open you up a little. You know, help you build some confidence.”

“Yes! That’s exactly what I need,” I gushed, already feeling better about the whole venture. “Oh, and one more thing. I was hoping…well, there’s no need to tell Lucas about any of this. Think we could keep it just between us?”

She paused again, and I could see her wheels turning. “Sure,” she replied, taking a sip of water. “You know, I heard a rumor that Jack Landson was back in town and working around Heartstring. I remember him from high school. All the girls had a thing for him. This makeover idea of yours wouldn’t have anything to do with him, would it?”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “I don’t know what’s gotten into everyone. I decided I needed a new look before Jack ever came back into town. And aside from that…I’ll tell you the same thing I told Camille. Guys like Jack don’t go for women like me, made-over or not.”

“Don’t be so sure,” she argued. “A woman set on changing her life is one of the most attractive things in the world. I wouldn’t be surprised if he started looking at you in a whole new way.”

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say that getting a boyfriend out of all of this would be great,” I sighed. “But that’s not the only reason I’m doing it. And I don’t expect Jack Landson of all people to be lining up for me. I’m sure you’re good at what you do and all, but come on. Let's be realistic here.”

“Maybe I am being realistic,” she murmured.

We ordered salads and mimosas for lunch before heading over to some nearby shops. Victoria navigated every store and the workers like a pro, pointing to different garments like a hawk finding mice in a field and barking orders to the shopgirls who scurried back and forth to meet her every demand.

My head was spinning by the time we made it to the fitting room with piles of clothes, bags, and shoes waiting for me to try on. The first dress I tried was tight and short, in a hot pink shade that was better suited for Victoria’s skin tone. But that only made the second look catch me off guard even more.

I stepped out in a dark green blouse that hugged the new push-up bra she insisted I wear, showing off more cleavage than I even knew I had. She paired it with a pair of high waisted gray dress pants that flared out at the bottom and made me look a whole foot taller. As someone who wasn’t used to wearing heels, I was grateful for the chunky heeled boots she picked out, as opposed to the impossible stilettos she always wore.

“Now we’re onto something,” Victoria smiled, hovering behind me as we both studied my reflection.

“Definitely an improvement,” I beamed.

“This is good for work. You need something for going out.”

I let out a laugh that was louder than I meant for it to be. “Don’t bother. I never go out.”

“The old you never went out,” she argued, placing her hands on my shoulders to redirect my attention back to the mirror. “This is the new you. And new you is going to have all sorts of dates to go on.”

I smiled at the thought. Even if I wasn’t as sure as she was, the prospect was exciting. And shopping for dresses I never dreamed of wearing before would be fun.

As we were leaving one of the last shops with our arms full of bags, she asked me, “Why didn’t you ask Camille to help you with this? I’m glad you came to me. I just always imagined that if I had a sister, these would be the kind of things we would do together.”

“Uh…the Meadows family is a little different in that regard,” I tried to explain. “We’re close and all. But also very competitive. Camille would be too critical and would end up changing my mind about the whole thing.”

As we walked, I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection of the shop windows. I had to admit, I already looked like a whole new woman just with a change of clothes. I couldn’t wait to see what I looked like by the time we were finished at the salon.

But before we could go to the salon, Victoria insisted we stop by the vision center so I could get a prescription for contacts. I wasn’t thrilled about learning how to put them in, but she insisted I shouldn’t hide my pretty eyes behind glasses.

Even more shocking than seeing my face without glasses, and actually being able tosee anythingwithout glasses, there was the surprising haircut everyone insisted on. It was a vintage bob that framed my face and made me look a little older, in a good way. It was topped off with the most adorable bangs. It was the kind of thing I never would have been brave enough to suggest on my own, but the finished product made me wonder why I hadn’t done something like that years ago.

As we finished up for the day, I couldn’t believe how much Victoria had managed to transform me in such a short period of time. I started to wonder if I shouldn’t sign up for my own profile on Heartstring as a part of the new campaign. Victoria was right. I felt like I could snag my fair share of dates, finally.

Maybe I really was about to live out one of the romances I always read about. The only question was…with whom?

5

Jack

Iwas deep in a good workflow of assessing all of Heartstring’s successes and failures. With Lucas’s offer constantly tumbling around in the back of my brain, I tried to consider that satisfying feeling of being in the zone as a possible plus for accepting it. I rarely had trouble digging in and getting to an addictive work state. It was just that in between those states, I was boarding jets and crossing seas, putting down my temporary roots one burst at a time, wherever I was called to.

I imagined my life being like my work. Having the time to settle in long enough to exist in that zone in more places than just my job. And how maybe that would make my work even better.

Oddly enough, the thought itself was enough to distract me from my flow. But it was lunchtime anyway, so I took a step back and headed out of my office. As I passed through the main work floor, I caught sight of a woman standing at the other end of the room. She was wearing a tight black suit jacket and pencil skirt with heels that accentuated her gorgeous long legs. Her sleek bobbed hair was shielding her face, but from the looks of her body, she was a stone cold hottie.

I smiled to myself, thinking women like that might be another perk to sticking around. A guy could really get himself into trouble that way. The pro turned to a con as I considered how much harder it would be to resist temptations at the office when you were in the same one every day. One bonus to bouncing off so quickly was knowing that if your desires ever did get the better of you, you’d be gone before it could cause any trouble.

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