Free Hiding Jessica by Alicia Scott Page B

cheeks. I have to say, most snitches don’t have your bone structure.”
    He released her chin and turned immediately to his kit while she looked at Mitch with startled eyes. Mitch grinned at her.
    “Meet Dan. He works for the Bureau, does all the important witnesses. Consider yourself in good hands.”
    “She’s having wrinkles, correct?” Dan spoke up crisply. He was perusing the widest assortment of hair dyes Jess had ever seen.
    “Yes. Next week, I think.”
    “Fine, fine. I can see your point now. Hair and eyes will help, but oh, that face. Truly remarkable. Black hair?”
    “Dark brown,” Jess amended.
    He looked at her sharply, scrutinizing her skin once more. “Quite right. Sit. We have a lot of work to do.”
    It was the last thing he said to her for the next four hours. Mostly he mused to himself, evaluating her hair and face with critical eyes. When he did have a comment or suggestion, he posed it to Mitch who sat on a nearby chair, cutting Jess out of the process completely. She didn’t question it because the interaction mirrored the modeling world and thus she was accustomed to it. A model was nothing more than a blank canvas, a passive receiver that came to life on demand. The beauticians and fashion designers were the true artists.
    “What about a perm?” Mitch asked shortly. “Something soft and curly to round out her face. At least until she puts on more weight.”
    Jess glanced over at him coolly, as if the words didn’t bother her at all. She’d be damned before she’d give the man any more ground.
    “Yes, curls,” Dan concurred. “That will help. And shorter, too, I think. It must be a totally new look.”
    And so it was, four hours later when he was done. Jess stared into the mirror at a dark-haired woman with pale, magnolia skin. Even her eyebrows and lashes had been dyed, accentuating new doe eyes of liquid brown. With a flare of rich, bold colors sweeping across her eyelids, her eyes looked huge in her face.
    Huge and...soft.
    Try as she might, they didn’t quite harden the way her natural eyes had. The icy edge seemed suddenly gone, tamed by richer, softer colors. She wasn’t sure she liked the change. On their own volition, her eyes swept up to find Mitch.
    He was staring at her, a frown apparent on his face as his gaze raked her up and down with critical fervor. He looked uncomfortable for a moment, as if he, too, wasn’t sure of this new woman. But then he gave a short, curt nod.
    “The contacts bring it all together,” Dan commented. For the first time, he addressed her in the mirror, holding up a small box. “You wear them twenty-four hours a day, then toss them at the end of two weeks. In here are enough pairs to last you the first four months. We’ll automatically send you a new supply once you’re settled.”
    “Are they hard to get?” she asked, hoping her voice sounded casual.
    Dan shook his head, already packing up supplies. “Not at all. Standard disposable soft lenses in brown. Ever miss a shipment, just go to your optometrist. ‘Bout fifteen dollars a pair. Just don’t let anyone see you without them.”
    The front door opened, all eyes turning as Bill entered. He stopped upon seeing Jess’s new look, then turned to Mitch. “Very good,” he said approvingly. “She looks much different than before. At the end of two weeks, you’ll have her completely ready for the world.”
    “Why, thank you,” Jess cut in, giving them all a pointed look for excluding her from the conversation.
    “We still have to work on that,” Mitch abruptly said to Bill, and the other man nodded as if he understood completely.
    “Work on what?” Jess demanded coolly, turning to Mitch.
    “Your mannerisms,” he said curtly. “You look like someone else, but the minute you open your mouth you ruin it.”
    From the corners of her gaze, she could see both Jamie and Dan suppress smiles. Her outrage was immediate and not quite controllable. Drawing herself up carefully, she