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Lacie let out a shaky breath. “Okay, big guy. I’m going to hold you to that. Because if she gets out of that meeting and finds out there is no dress, she will lose it.”
Mac laughed. “She won’t. I’ve got this.”
After hanging up the phone, Lacie stared at the screen momentarily, still processing what had just happened. Mac had always been resourceful, but this…this was next-level. She couldn’t help but wonder what strings he would be about to pull.
With nothing else to do but wait, Lacie leaned back against the counter and muttered, “I need a drink before Jessie comes back and goes into full panic mode.”
One thing was for sure. If Mac could pull off this miracle, Jessie would owe him more than just a simple thank you.
Chapter Seventeen
Jessie exited the elevator, her heels clicking rapidly down the hallway as she rushed back to her office. The meeting with Mr. Ulrich and his son had been exhausting, but it wasn’t just that. The gala was only a few hours away, and she still hadn’t heard a peep from Lacie. She had gone radio silent, and that worried Jessie.
The anxiety gnawed at her. She wasn’t ready for this. She’d been thrown into the event at the last minute, and without a dress and a speech, she felt like she was heading toward a disaster.
As she neared her closed office door, she saw Lacie wasn’t sitting at her desk. Maybe she was still out working on the dress situation, though time was running out. She started to feel tears of frustration filling her eyes.
In a rush, she shoved open her office door, and instead of having a breakdown, her breath immediately caught in her throat. There, hanging on a rack in the middle of the room, was the most stunning emerald green gown she’d ever seen. The fabric shimmered under the soft lighting, flowing in a way that made it look both elegant and powerful—like it was made just for her. A pair of nude color strappy heels sat beneath the gown.
Jessie stood frozen for a moment, her mind spinning. A knock on the door jolted her back into the moment. When she turned, she found a short, petite woman standing in the doorway. Her white hair sported a hot pink streak down one side.
“Hello, Ms. Marchand. I’m Anita, your stylist for this evening. My assistant and I have everything set up in theconference room down the hall,” the woman said with a professional smile.
Jessie stood there with her mouth open. Before she could process what was happening, Lacie appeared, walking through the door and carrying a folder. “And voila,” she declared with a grin, waving the folder in the air. “Here is your speech, all typed out and ready to go.”
Jessie blinked in disbelief, her emotions catching up to her as she felt tears welling in her eyes. “Lacie…how did you pull this off?”
Lacie stepped forward and placed a hand on Jessie’s arm, shaking her head with a smile. “Jess, it wasn’t me. This was all Mac’s doing.”
“Mac?” Jessie’s voice was barely a whisper as she tried to grasp what her best friend was saying.
“Yeah,” Lacie nodded, her grin widening. “He called to check in earlier, and when I told him about the whole dress, speech, and stylist crisis, he calmly told me he’d take care of it. And, well—” she gestured to the dress and stylist with a wave of her hand, “he wasn’t kidding.”
Jessie felt her heart swell. Mac. Of course, it was him. He always had a way of handling everything, even when in crisis mode. His thoughtfulness blew her away, and her chest tightened with all the love she felt for him.
“Mac also arranged a car to pick you up at seven,” Lacie added, her voice filled with excitement. “So, we need to get you ready. Now.”
Jessie wiped the tears from her eyes, giving Lacie a grateful smile. “I…I don’t even know what to say. This is incredible.”
“Don’t say anything,” Lacie winked.
“Can I call Mac? I promise to make it quick.”
“Nope,” Lacie said, shaking her head and pushing Jessie toward the bathroom. “No time. You can thank him later tonightwhen you two are alone,” Lacie said, suggestively raising her eyebrows.
Jessie couldn’t help but laugh, though Lacie wasn’t wrong. Jessie planned to thank Mac in more ways than just words.
After a hot shower, Jessie let herself relax, allowing the stylist to start her transformation. As her hair was styled into an elegant updo, the kind that felt regal yet effortless, she glanced at the gown Lacie moved into the conference room. The dress perfectly matched her skin tone, and when she slipped into it, she marveled at how perfectly it fit. She smiled to herself, thinking about the bra and panties she was wearing under the dress. It was the green set that Mac had chosen for her at Cherise’s boutique. It made her wonder if Mac had planned for her to wear this dress at some point.
The dress hugged her curves in all the right places, with a long slit that added just the right amount of sexiness.
By the time the stylist finished her makeup, which was soft yet striking, Jessie felt like a completely different person.
She stood in front of the body-length mirror, her reflection staring back at her in disbelief. She looked like the woman she was meant to be—confident, powerful, and stunning.
She looked at Lacie standing off to the side. She had tears in her eyes.
“You look beautiful, Jess.”
