The look on James’ face was priceless. His eyes grew wide as he searched Mackie’s for some sign that she was joking. When he found none, he stood with his mouth open, just staring. After a few minutes he regained his composure. “Wow, that was a shock. Congratulations Mackenzie. You are probably the last person I would have thought would be in a beauty pageant.”

Mackie’s face clouded over at his final comment. “Yeah, well, things have changed.” She saw in his face the fact that he realized that his comment didn’t come out right. She knew James would never intentionally make someone feel insecure.

“I’m sorry Mackie, that wasn’t what I meant at all. Its just that, well, you were never one to parade yourself around.”

“There wasn’t much to parade back then.” She said with a chuckle. “I’m not the same little girl that you left back in Clinton, James. I grew up, and I had to learn to get along without your help. I was completely alone when you left me, and I didn’t know how to handle it.” Her eyes became glazed over. His hand reached out and captured Mackie’s and held it to his heart. She wasn’t really upset by the statement he made. What had made her cry was the truth behind them. From the second she signed up for her first pageant six months earlier, she hated the whole world she had gotten herself into. Girls that seemed perfect on screen were just stuck-up, arrogant, and mean-spirited as soon as the camera shut off and the judges turned away. Everything about them was a lie, and she had unwittingly bought into it. She felt the fool, but it was her once in a lifetime opportunity to be somebody-and be reunited with the man who was calming her with just his touch, mumbling soothing words under his breath and stroking her hand with his thumb. She faked a smile, something she had grown accustomed to, and pulled her hand away. “I’m awfully tired, I think I am going to go take a nap. Maybe I will see you around sometime. Later James.” She breezed past him, and back to the elevator. She disembarked on her floor, and when she entered the room, Shea was still asleep on top of the covers. Mackenzie threw herself n the other bed, sighing contentedly. Her flesh still tingled from where his hand had been, and she could still feel his heart beating. She was elated when she saw the lust in his eyes as her spoke to her. She had finally done it, tamed the one person who could make her feel good about herself. Truth was, making herself look perfect hadn’t changed a thing about her insecurities. She still hated who she was-even more so now that she was called on to be fake all of the time. And, as happy as she had been that he liked her new body, she also felt a twinge of sadness. James was supposed to be different than other guys. He was supposed to pull her into his arms and tell her that he loved her-that he had always loved her, no matter what she looked like. She sighed again.

“What’s all the sighing about?” Shea asked groggily.

“Oh, nothing…” Mackie replied, turning on her side to face the other bed.

“The funny thing is, you think you are going to get away with that answer. Spill girl, what’s up?”

Mackenzie was about to tell her new best friend about her encounter with James, but just as she opened her mouth, there was a knock at the door.