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“That’s one of the things people love about Janet. She has this way of making people comfortable even if they’ve never been in front of the camera before. I’ll be there the whole time.”
“Even if I can’t see you?”
One glance at me and he smirked. “Especially then.”
We pulled up to an unassuming building, and Hawk parked. I barely stopped myself from hopping out of the SUV, remembering the promise I made Cade. I waited until Hawk circled the car and opened the door for me.
His grin was blinding. “She can learn.”
“Don’t push it.”
“Oh, I will push it, baby girl. Into you. Very soon. Go on in. I’ll grab the bags.”
My stomach was a jumble of nerves. Here went nothing.
As soon as I walked in the door, I stopped. The space was nothing like it looked from the outside. A cozy front area opened up into a bright, airy space where there were sets in different places. A wrought-iron bed, a bathtub, a window with floaty curtains, some pillows and blankets that looked very much like a nest.
“You must be Isolde.” A woman sat behind the small front desk, dark hair, dark skin, and glasses. The scent of tangerines reached me. She was an Alpha, smiling at me. “Yeah, that’s me.”
She stood and came around. “It’s great to meet you. Hawk seems absolutely taken with you.”
“He’s outside bringing in way too many bags of lingerie. Seriously. There’s no way in hell we’ll be able to use it all.”
Janet laughed and gestured to the back. “Sounds like Hawk. We’ll get you started on makeup and hair, and then we can decide on outfits. Ever done anything like this before?”
“Nope.” I shook my head. “Not going to pretend I’m not nervous, either.”
“Don’t worry, that’s totally normal.” A brightly lit make-up station sat in a little hallway near the bathroom, with two more women. “This is Erin and Monica. They’re my Beta and Omega, and they’re going to take care of you.”
The way she looked at them made me stop short. Janet looked at the two women the way the St. James pack looked at me. “It’s nice to meet you.”
I extended my hand and Erin took it. “Oh my god I love working with redheads. You’re going to look so good when I’m done with you, none of your pack will be able to resist.”
A laugh caught in my throat. “Some of them already have that problem.”
“All of them,” Hawk’s voice echoed from the main entry. “We all have that problem. Janet, you want to take a look at this buffet to see what you can work with?”
Janet rolled her eyes, clearly amused. Then she leaned closer and put her hand on my shoulder. “Trust me when I say that the Alphas who go a little overboard always end up with the best photoshoots. You can be nervous, but we’re going to make you look incredible.” She strode away, and I heard her talking. “You really did bring the whole store with you, huh?”
Monica began brushing through my hair, and Erin stared at me. “Do I have something on my face?”
“Not yet. I’m deciding which way I want to go with you. Do you want something to drink? We’ve got tea, water, and soda. I think there’s some lemonade in the fridge. Or I could?—”
“Tea would be great,” I said with a laugh, their earnestness breaking through the nerves. “Thank you.”
“I’m thinking big waves and volume.” Monica pushed her fingers up through my hair, simulating the size. “Kind of old-school glamor. With this color it could be great. What do you think?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I love that. Good luck though. My hair hates curls. If you can get them to stick, you’ll be a miracle worker.” Even Ronnie hadn’t gotten curls to stay for my parents’ party. The blowout was incredible, but my hair loved to be straight.
She smirked. “That’s exactly what I am.”
Erin appeared with the tea, and they both went to work, chatting away. In the other room I heard the crinkle of tissue paper and low conversation as Janet and Hawk decided my wardrobe.
“Do you guys ever work with plus size clients?”
“Fuck yes we do,” Monica said. “All the time. They’re some of my favorites.”
I smiled. “One of my best friends said she could never do this. Granted, I didn’t think I could either, but if I can, I’d love for her to try it.”
