Double Full (Nice Guys 1)

Standing at the simple sink, Jace washed his hands and splashed water on his face. The week before Nationals always meant longer hours. He felt the fatigue already beginning to set in and wished for a strong cup of coffee right about now. With a sweep of his eyes, Jace checked his appearance in the small mirror. He removed the small leather strap holding his short ponytail back. His hair stylist trimmed his chin length hair a little too short this time, causing some front pieces to escape the band and fall to his face. The summer blond streaks he asked her to add made him look more naturally blond than the light brown his hair had become as he’d aged, and the tanning bed turned his normally fair skin into a golden brown. Jace hoped he appeared a little healthier looking for the camera.

ESPN co-sponsored this year’s National Cheerleaders Association’s Competition. His gym was being spotlighted for some of the breakout sessions, giving the station something to run during the down times of the competition. Jace usually didn’t go to these extremes to look good, but this week he needed to represent as best he could.

He took a step back from the sink, looking over his clothing. Jace pulled at the clinging, tight fabric of his gym shorts. His thighs were thick from years of tumbling and lifting girls in the air, and the material clung to his legs, making his muscular thighs look massive. The fabric stretched as he pulled a little free room in the material. The double XL company logo T-shirt he wore stretched tightly over his upper chest and arms. He pulled on that material too, trying to gain a little extra room before tucking the shirt into his shorts.

At the last minute, he decided to let his hair hang loose, running a brush through the strands before tucking it behind his ears. Then he smiled, looking into his own green eyes, before lowering his gaze, making sure nothing from dinner had been left behind in his teeth. Giving himself one last look in the mirror, he decided he looked as good as he could and left the bathroom, walking directly into his office.

“Hello, I’m Jace Montgomery,” he said immediately to the two women standing together. The makeup artist came straight to him, ignoring his out stretched hand. Instead, she began to examine his face before ushering him to his chair.

“Hi, Jace, I’m Sandra Hamilton. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I feel like I know you already with the amount of time we’ve spent together on the phone.” Sandra stuck out her hand, shaking Jace’s in quick, aggressive motions. “This is Candy, our makeup designer. She’s a bit no-nonsense as you might be able to see.” Candy smiled at him.

“I don’t need to do much. You’re extraordinarily handsome. Your skin tone’s perfect as it is. Let me just get the eyes a little more pronounced. Have you ever modeled before?” Candy started right in, aiming her makeup brushes at his face. She worked quickly and efficiently, never taking her eyes from her work.

“No, I haven’t,” Jace said quietly, trying not to move his facial features as she worked on him. He hoped she hadn’t notice the blush creeping up his cheeks. He wasn’t shy by any means, but Jace hated being on the receiving end of compliments about his looks. It made him feel a little awkward, never really sure what he was supposed to say. On the other hand, someone could compliment him on the gym or cheer teams all day long; those were easier to respond to because of the hard work and dedication it took from all involved. And he was extremely proud of all the time and effort his kids and coaching staff put in at the gym. All of that diligent work was exactly the reason he was sitting in a chair blushing while chatty Candy fussed over his makeup.

“You should. The camera’s gonna love you!” Candy stepped back, examining him again before having him sit up straighter in the chair and adjusting his clothing. “Here, lift this sleeve up a little. Yes, perfect. It shows your bulked-up arms, and let’s pull the shirt back some. Yes, perfect, it outlines your chest, defines you more. Your legs look great. Just make sure you keep your foot on the bar of the chair. It keeps your leg muscles flexed.”

The whirlwind of directions slowed and Candy finally stepped back. The producer and cameraman were now in the office, setting up the camera while the producer began talking over their game plan for the interview. There would be a fifteen minute interview leading into a tour of the building showing some of the trophies and awards received. Jace had redecorated his office specifically for this interview. They sat in director style chairs in front of the large floor to ceiling window with a view of the teams behind them as they continued to perform. Sandra took her chair, and Candy now gave her the touch-up she insisted she needed before the cameras started.

“We have coffee mugs here full of water. If your mouth gets dry, just take a drink and keep going.” Jace glanced toward the deep voice and gave a nod to the young male producer while he pinned a microphone to his collar. On the producer’s order, all the activity came to a sudden halt and the reporter started the interview. And just like every single time, Jace’s stomach filled with butterflies and his palms grew clammy. He never got used to being on television or doing these interviews, but the exposure was great for the gym. After the interviews ran, he always had an influx of new members. He tried to recall all the instructions given to him earlier and prayed he didn’t say the wrong things. Taking a deep breath, he sat up straight, making sure his foot was on the bar of the chair and his muscles were flexed, just the way Candy had instructed him.