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going to leave that situation alone. I ’ ll have to get better at that.
    My phone rings. Ugh! I look at the number and immediately relax. It ’ s Kinsey, my assistant.
    “ Hey, girl! How ’ s the home front? ” I ask.
    She sighs. “ Busy. How was the first day? ”
    “ Oh my God, you sound like a mother should, ” I say with a laugh. “ It was busy. I ’ m going over the proposal now. ”
    I hear her clap. “ Is it worth the move? ” she questions.
    “ Um, yes, very worth it. You would definitely be getting a promotion along with more job responsibilities. Are you up for that? ”
    In a high-pitched voice, she answers, “ Hell yeah! Count me in! ”
    “ Okay, let me get back to this. I have to be up early. Oh, and give J.P. Dover a call. He had some things to go over with the editors, and he wants you to be on the call as well. ”
    “ Will do! Talk with you tomorrow. ”
     
     
    I head into my second day of meetings and conferences. I have this stupid rental with no electric start, and it ’ s less than forty degrees out this morning. How am I doing? Thank goodness for the hotel ’ s complimentary coffee. I slept horrible. Tossed and turned all night. Without this, I would be one bitchy mess.
    I head through the agency ’ s doors and say hello to the adorable receptionist, Elise. She is, without a doubt, shy and lacks confidence. Sadly, this just radiates off of her. She clearly underestimates how beautiful she actually is. Yes, she ’ s a little bit of a plain Jane, but I don ’ t think anyone ’ s actually taken the time to help her find her inner self, her inner Goddess.
    We as women all have that “ it ” factor, but sometimes it ’ s just hidden under a protective coat just as an oyster shell hides a pearl. I went through it. Growing up, I was a tomboy. I came home from school every day with dirty fingernails and scuffed-up knees. I never played with the girls. I would rather catch snakes and hold frogs than play house and dress Barbie dolls.
    I have one older brother, Luke, and one younger brother, Justin. So being surrounded by boys was a given. My mother was too busy on social lunches and shopping sprees to spend any time with me. That meant I was left in the care of my older brother; make-up and dresses weren ’ t part of the deal. Honestly, I didn ’ t care during my younger years, because I didn ’ t know what I was missing.
    As I got older, things began to change. My body began to change as I went through that awkward phase that all teens seem to go through. The girls at school became mean, and I became a social outcast because I dressed and acted like a boy. It wasn ’ t until college when I met my roommate, Kinsey, that I began to blossom.
    I remember the first day we met. I was setting up my side of the dorm, wearing sweats and an oversized, grungy T-shirt when she came strolling in — Miss Pretty-in-Pink with fair skin and blond hair. I almost threw up in my mouth. I was ready to switch dorm rooms with someone else right then and there.
    Kinsey Balterson looked me up and down in disgust, clucked her tongue at me, and shook her head. She said, without hesitation, “ We need to work on you immediately. When I fix you up, men aren ’ t going to know what hit them. ”
    To this day, we still laugh over that. She fixed me, all right. She brought out my inner Goddess and made me a diva! And man was she right about the boys! Most of all, though, she gave me confidence and the power to face the world head-on. After years of being torn down throughout high school, she was exactly what I needed. To this day, we are still best friends.
    So maybe it ’ s time I gave a little back and helped another sister on the road to Goddess-hood.
    “ Good morning, Elise, ” I say with a warm smile.
    She looks up at me, seeming a little surprised that I remembered her name. “ Good morning, Miss Daniels. ”
    She buzzes me in, and I head to my temporary office. It ’ s quiet; there ’ s very