The Makeover

by Vacirca Vaughn

  Phoenix began to sweat just thinking about it. “Okay, so cardio sheds the pounds, and the strength stuff gets me stronger. What does the sculpting do?”

  Paulo handed her the photographs his nurse had just taken of Phoenix during her exam. Phoenix was mortified to be staring at herself in sports bra and biking shorts she had been asked to put on. Her breasts sagged and her stomach bulged. She nearly fainted at the idea of Paulo looking at her stretch mark-riddled skin and her cottage cheese thighs. When she noticed the faint ink markings on her especially noticeable problem areas—her breasts, upper arms, belly and inner thighs—she swore under her breath. “I didn’t know you were going to see these!”

  Paulo sensing her discomfort quickly threw out a set of photographs. “Before you go off the deep end in shame, take a look at these.”

  In the pictures was a large man who seemed slightly familiar. He appeared quite tall with his long legs, and just as wide. His man-breasts sagged to the upper part of a rotund belly that gave him the appearance of being pregnant with twins—twin baby elephants. The belly sagged over the waistband of the shorts he wore to his upper thighs. He had a round face and a massive set of chins that was covered by a full beard. Phoenix was sure she had never seen the man before, but there was something very familiar about his eyes. They were a rich ocher and filled with a kindness and light that Phoenix rarely ever saw.

  “You see this guy? Not very athletic, is he?” Paulo asked, his amber eyes now almost a toffee brown color as they searched hers.

  “He could lose a few pounds, why?” Phoenix snapped, still feeling the heat slamming in her cheeks. I don’t care about this dude’s pictures. I care about mine.

  “I just wanted to show you what body sculpting can do. Take a look at his ‘after’ pics,” Paulo answered, handing her another photograph.

  And Phoenix nearly fell off her chair for two reasons. “Oh my! Is…is he…you?”

  Beaming, Paulo nodded slowly. “That’s me, a few short years ago. Working on me, using the principles God shared with me, was how I came to realize these methods work. I know first-hand. It’s also how God chose to show me the call He had on my life. He wanted me to help His people stay healthy and overcome struggles with obesity and unhealthy lifestyles.”

  Phoenix heard what Paulo said, really, she did. But the words she heard had to battle for space in her head at that moment. Boy-oh-boy was it hard to concentrate when Paulo’s rock hard eight-pack was in her direct line of vision! Of course, she had seen a shirtless Paulo in the park but had been too wrapped up in her pain to fully appreciate his beauty. There wasn’t an ounce of body fat anywhere on his frame. His pecs were massive, as were the biceps, triceps, and every other ‘ceps’ that seemed to have taken residence on his long arms. She could barely speak. “Wow,” was all she could manage.

  “So body sculpting…Phoenix?”

  It was almost painful for her to drag her adoring eyes back to the real-life Paulo’s eyes. “Hmmm?”

  Paulo had to gulp a smirk of arrogance way down into his gut. He was used to compliments, but for some reason it made him feel like Superman when Phoenix looked at him that way. “As I was saying, body sculpting, after the weight loss, allows us to help you build the shape you want. Of course, we want to help you perform exercises that will address overall body conditioning, but if you have specific problem areas due to genetic factors, or environmental factors, we can design specific exercises to reform your body, if you will. For me, after I began losing the weight, I needed to get rid of that huge belly and wanted to focus on getting definition in my chest, back and arms. I also wanted strong legs. I learned that there were specific exercises I could do to help me achieve the look I wanted for my body. Now that I am in shape, I maintain it with a Saturday morning jog for cardio and specific exercises during the week. We can do the same for you.”

  Phoenix swallowed, struggling not to stare at the pictures of this gorgeous man in his shorts again. “So you mean you can make me look like that?”

  Paulo made a peculiar face. “Gosh, I hope not. You don’t want to look like a man, do you?”

  Phoenix sucked her teeth. “I don’t mean actually look like you. Will I look as good as a woman as you do as a man?”

  “I was kidding, and yes. We can help you address those so-called problem areas to help you look your best as a woman. I know you gain weight in the middle, so once you start shedding the pounds, and build up strength and endurance, we will begin to sculpt your body to help you achieve the look you’ve always wanted. Now, please, don’t get me wrong. We are not God or plastic surgeons. Our workout will not produce things that are not there to work with. What we can do, however, is make you look your personal best, with the body you’ve already been given by the Lord. Don’t say to me Paulo, ‘can you find a way to make me taller or increase my bust line?’ What we can do is elongate the torso by addressing certain muscles with exercise and help your existing bust line look better because it is firmer.”

  “I-I, uh, understand what you mean,” Phoenix stammered, flustered at Paulo discussing her bust line. “Um, so you can help me develop a flat stomach and a better waist. You can help me tone up my legs and behind, stuff like that.”

  “Exactly,” Paulo said.

  Phoenix’s eyes were skeptical. “You really can help me develop the body I’ve always wanted, P.? Seriously?”

  Paulo nodded. “Listen, you can achieve this goal. You absolutely can. But you have to really push yourself. You have to work hard. You have to stick to our plan. You have to practice self-control and diligence. You can’t give up and you can’t give in. You start praying, you follow some advice, and stick to what you’re starting, and I can assure you, you will see results. Thing is, Sweetie, I can’t make you do the work. I am here to help you, not do it for you. What you get out of all this depends on what you put into it. When you feel like you don’t want to be bothered, that’s exactly when you drag your lifeless body out of bed and keep your appointment with me, got it?”

  “Got it.”

  “And don’t forget, we are a Christian fitness center. We place God first in all things, so please take my suggestion: don’t forget about talking to God about this. Keep praying. Without God, it is really difficult to do things. I know the world doesn’t seem to get that. I just hope you understand that soon,” Paulo said, before his lips pressed into a firm line.

  “I am starting to,” Phoenix said, glancing at his picture. She sighed before taking the plunge. “I am not sure about church yet, but I am also going to attend your Bible study. I can come tonight, right?”

  Paulo’s face melted. “Of course you can, Phoenix. I am so glad to hear you remembered. I didn’t want to push.” Taking a breath, he leaned forward. “I am proud of you, Phoenix. You’re really getting started. I just pray you will stick with it. It will not happen overnight, but it will happen. Once you achieve these goals, in a few short months from now, and your life changes, you will kick yourself for not ending your suffering a lot earlier. But you know what? Everything is in God’s timing.”

  “I really do want to stick with it, I really do. I just needed some help,” Phoenix answered.

  “And you now have it. So are you ready now for our first work out? It’s already eight and we’re behind schedule. I want to get you on the treadmill for twenty minutes and on some light weights for ten, just to get you started today. Then we can go have a light breakfast.”

  Phoenix wanted to ask if he took all of his clients to breakfast.

  “And please don’t tell anyone here about our breakfast date, ‘cause they’ll want to know why I haven’t taken them,” Paulo said in a stage whisper, with twinkling eyes.

  It is a breakfast…date? Phoenix’s stomach began to quake. Phoenix couldn’t keep the smile off her face if God Himself told her to. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “And I’m sorry to shock you with those pics, but we needed to look at your body to finalize our program. We also like to have our c
lients track their progress with before and after pictures. I thought Nigella explained—”

  “She did,” Phoenix interrupted, wanting to forget the whole thing, “but I didn’t think you’d be looking at them.”

  “I see. You do know you have nothing to be ashamed of, right?” Paulo said, with warm eyes and a gentle tone, as he leaned over his desk to grab her hands. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. My wife, before she died…she was a full-figured woman, even more than you, for a large part of our marriage.”

  He’s a widower? Phoenix was stunned. She simply stared as Paulo opened up to her.

  “And I never thought she was anything less than beautiful. And believe me, as hefty as I was, I had never dated a full-figured woman before her, and yet I found her more beautiful than anyone I had ever met. I just got to a point where I wanted us both to be healthy, and well…” Paulo glanced at the clock on his wall and broke out into a smile. “You know what? We’ll get into all that another time. We have a work out to start.”

  The disappointment of not having Paulo continue his story was a crushing weight. “Yeah, okay, another time then. I’m ready to work out.”

  “Then our breakfast date?” Paulo tugged on her hands and winked.

  Phoenix held his eyes as her lips spread into a dazzling smile. “Yeah.”

  Paulo sucked in a breath as his stomach clenched at the sight of her smile.

  “Ready?” Phoenix asked, lost in the golden eyes that had zeroed in on her lips.

  Paulo blinked, cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. Let’s go. And don’t pass out, okay?” Paulo teased.

  “I’ll try.”

  Before Phoenix could take a step, he pulled her into his arms. His words were electric pulses that massaged her ear, traveled down her neck and spine, and back up again. “I am so very proud of you, Querida.”

  All she could do was breathe in his mint-flavored scent and melt against that rock-hard chest.

  And too soon, Paulo stepped back and led her, by hand, to the elevators. They arrived at the co-ed gym on the third level in silence.

  When they did, Paulo grabbed her hand, swung her around, backing her into the nearest wall as he descended into the small confines of her personal space. His eyes were blazing when he shouted, “Okay, enough hugs and therapy sessions. It’s time to work! You are going to move! You are going to sweat. I am going to work you until you’re begging for mercy! You thought it was going to be easy? Well, you got me all wrong. Nothing worth having in life is ever easy. No more Mister Nice Christian Guy. I’m the general and you’re the soldier. We’re fighting a war. You follow my orders, Private, and no one gets hurt! You copy?”

  Startled by the sudden change in the tall, gentle man, Phoenix gulped and swallowed. She nodded.

  Paulo leaned even closer, until his forehead was touching hers. “Do… you… copy?” he growled.

  “Ye-yes,” she stammered.

  As Paulo led her to the treadmill, she tried to ignore the churning in her stomach.

  What had she gotten herself into?

  Chapter 15

  Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the Lord (Romans 12:19).

  What had she gotten herself into?

  Phoenix stumbled out of the gym, sucking on that bottle of Fiji like it contained waters from the Fountain of Youth. Her pristine white tee shirt had turned into a beige bandage that had molded to her chest and back. Her hair belonged to someone who had to have been standing in a puddle when lightning struck. Her legs were trembling, her throat was raw, and she had a throbbing headache.

  Paulo, of course, did not break a sweat as he ran a five-mile incline as she huffed through a half-mile on a decline.

  Of course I am five-foot-six and two hundred twelve pounds, Phoenix rationalized.

  But when Phoenix noticed that flinging hundred pound weights—while she heaved two pound weights—didn’t even cause Paulo to flush, she wanted to use his face as a punching bag.

  Now that would have been a workout she would have enjoyed.

  But she was too weak and too starved to jump on top of him and start wailing away.

  Besides, his saving grace was that he brought her another bottle of water and a fresh tee shirt and shorts set from his company. “I thought you’d be more comfortable.”

  “How can someone be more comfortable when they’re already dead?”

  “Jesus brought Lazurus back from the dead, you know. Let me be Jesus to you right now,” he said, as he tossed his arm around her shoulder.

  “Please, Paulo, please,” Phoenix said, shrugging him away from her aching shoulders. “It’s hard enough holding up my own head at this point.”

  Paulo coughed through a chuckle that barely escaped her attention. “Okay, then, why don’t you go ahead and have a quick shower? I know you didn’t bring anything with you to change, but I had my assistant, Candice, supply everything you might need in our ladies locker room.”

  Phoenix was staggered when she found huge complimentary basket from The Lord’s Table waiting for her with a beautiful card covered in lilac flowers. Inside, Paulo’s neat penmanship told her, “Phoenix, I’d like to personally welcome you to our fitness family. I pray you enjoyed our first session together and I hope this makes it more bearable. God bless you, Paulo.” In the basket was a three-pack of Dial soap bars, a small bottle of Dial Body Wash, a shower cap, Aveeno facial cleanser, facial moisturizer, and body lotion; there was a bottle of Degree powder fresh spray deodorant, an array of wash cloths, two matching bath towels, a short robe, flip flops, a three-pack of Hanes women’s socks, along with a three-pack of Hanes panties and three matching sports bras in extra large. For her hair was a small hair dryer, flat iron, and hair moisturizer. There were three small laundry bags. There was also a lock and key, as well as a slip of paper assigning her to a locker in the dressing area.

  Phoenix was filled with awe at how much this man knew what she needed before she could ever think of asking for it.

  She felt luxurious under the pulsating waters of the massaging showerhead. After she came out, she was revived. She hurried to dress, using her new sports bra and underclothes, tee shirt and shorts. Everything fit perfectly and she blushed as she thought about Paulo picking such intimate garments for her. Of course she remembered that it was his assistant that had prepared the basket. Still, the thought of him ordering the items for her made her feel fluttery just the same.

  After placing the items neatly in her new locker, she brushed her unruly hair into a pony tail and truly felt like a new woman. Even her normally-ashy skin glowed.

  Paulo had also changed into a fresh set of gym clothes. Phoenix was wearing a red set, while Paulo wore a green one. She giggled when he said, “Our first outing and we’re already dressing like twins on Christmas Day? How corny!”

  “Seriously, Paulo,” Phoenix said, reaching up to hug him. “Thanks so much for everything. That shower hit the spot and those things you got me made it possible. I couldn’t have dealt with showering and putting on my funky clothes.”

  Paulo’s eyes twinkled. “I figured as much. I should have told you to bring something to change into, but I didn’t want to ruin my little surprise. I want you to know though that if you ever want to bring your work clothes here, and don’t feel like lugging dirty laundry home, we do have a washer-dryer all-in-one combo in both of the dressing rooms. You can wash and dry the previous set of workout wear while you’re in the gym and have it ready by the time you get in the shower. We try to make this experience as convenient as possible. Keeps our clients from coming up with excuses. You can choose to just wash your gym stuff here.”

  “You think of everything, don’t you?” Phoenix said as he led her into the elevator.

  “The Word says, ‘if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask God.’ So I do. I pray and God gives me all of these wonderful ideas for my business-slash-ministry.”

  Before
she could stop herself, Phoenix ran her hand down his arm. “I see that. But again, I thank you.”

  And suddenly they were caught in a force field. His eyes trapped hers and they froze. Phoenix’s hand tingled on Paulo’s forearm, while Paulo’s forearm began to flex under Phoenix’s hand. And every single nerve of their bodies zeroed in on those two locations: her hand and his arm. And they could not move.

  And they did not want to.

  “Excuse me?” the voice cut through the force like a hot knife through butter.

  Paulo blinked and dragged his eyes away. “Uh…yeah?”

  They turned to see a beautiful, Latina woman smiling at them. “Are you going up?”

  “Uh, no, we’re going out. Sorry,” Paulo murmured softly.

  And he held the doors while Phoenix walked out. Like a true gentlemen, he beckoned the woman to enter before he let himself off the elevator.

  In silence they walked out of the building and up the street.

  A few minutes later, they were at a small café that had just opened at the corner of West One-forty-sixth and Broadway. “This okay?” Paulo asked.

  “Of course,” Phoenix said, still thinking about what happened in the elevator. She wanted to bring it up but she wanted him to bring it up more.

  Paulo led her to a table and pulled out her chair. “What don’t you like?”

  Phoenix shrugged. “I can eat anything really and I am absolutely famished, Man.”

  “A workout will do that to you. So, I’ll order, okay?”