Heart of a Man

"How do you do that?"The question came from her best friend since childhood, Camille O'Shay. They had grown up together in a tiny rural Texas town, attended the same college and now were sharing living quarters in the heart of downtown Denver."Do what, Millie?" she asked absently, her eyes carefully scrutinizing the gentleman under her authority, her eyes taking in every seam and pleat as she tucked and pinned."Completely change people's appearances, Izzy, like someone's fairy godmother or something," Camille said with a laugh."I'm completely astounded by your ability to wave your wand and work wonders."Isobel Buckley shrugged. "It's my job to dress and press these gorgeous gals and pretty boys and get them looking their best for the boardroom. The final product depends on me. It's hard work, not waving wands, that yields a final product I can be satisfied with."She wasn't telling her friend any new information -- Camille was well familiar that Isabel was a personal shopper and image consultant for a select, high-end clientele. And Camille likewise knew Isobel was every bit the perfectionist she sounded."You know, when you think about it, it doesn't really take much to make high-quality fashion look good on those pinup model hunks you work with," Camille observed wryly. "Although, of course, dear heart, you do it better than most.""What's that supposed to mean?" Isobel was busy straightening a silk tie on one of those so-called pinup model hunks who wanted to look his best for a national conference, and was only half paying attention to her friend's happy chatter."Turn around for me," she told the man, who willingly complied. "Oh, nothing," Camille replied, not sounding the least bit convinced as Isobel turned her attention back to her friend for a moment. "I was just wondering if you could do the same kind of work with anaverageman, someone who hasn't ever read a men's fashion magazine.""What are you talking about?" Isobel said, throwing a quick glance in Camille's direction. "You're babbling nonsense.""Am I?" she shot back, her grin reminding Isobel of a cat crouched to pounce on a helpless mouse. "What do you think about adding a run-of-the-mill variety guy to your clientele? The kind of guyIusually date, as opposed to the kind of guy youcoulddate if you weren't so caught up in your career?"Isobel rolled her eyes. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that.""So are you up for it?" Camille actually sounded excited, as if she were taking the idea for real."I beg your pardon?""Making a normal slob of a guy intoMr. Right.Blue-collar material, ya know? It would be fun."Camille was definitely warming up to the idea, while Isobel was beginning to cringe. Her friend was sounding all too serious about this fanatical, half-baked scheme."Here's what we'll do. I'll pick the guy, and you'll have six weeks to make him into a real man. The man of every girl's dreams.""You're kidding, right?" Isobel took a deep breath and held it. She could only hope.Camille shrugged, a noncommittal gesture. "Maybe. Maybe not. But don't be surprised if I come knocking on your door with a fellow who desperately needs your help for a makeover."Isobel pinched her lips, deciding to ignore her friend's obviously off-the-top-of-her-head twaddle. It would come to nothing in the long run.She hoped.Not more than two days later, her dear childhood confidant made good on her threat. Bursting into Isobel's office, Camille announced in a loud, triumphant voice, "I've found him!""I'm sorry," Isobel said, distracted by the pile of paperwork she was muddling through, piece by agonizingly slow piece. "You found whom?""The guy, of course. The one you're going to wave your magic wand over." She looked disappointed for a moment. "Our average guy, remember?"Isobel smoothed her thick, long brown hair with her palm and sighed, desperately wishing shedidn'tremember. "I wouKastner, Deb is the author of 'Heart of a Man', published 2006 under ISBN 9780373812721 and ISBN 0373812728.