“I can talk.” The sun was just starting to peek over the water. It made her smile. This entire experience made her smile-she was awake to see the sun come up. She was moving, sweating, breathing, meeting a challenge. She felt alive.

She turned and saw Theo scrutinizing her. “Thank you, Theo,” she said, knowing she was beaming at him.

“For what? The pie thing? Don’t thank me-just don’t do it again.”

She laughed. “Not that, exactly.”

Theo shook his head almost imperceptibly. “Then what?”

“For being so cool about everything. For being good at what you do. I’m lucky to have you as my trainer.”

Slowly, Theo’s grin began to fade, and Lucy watched him struggle to keep it in place. He shrugged off the compliment. “It’s just my job.”

Right. Lucy turned back to the windows and laughed out loud at herself for being flattered by his attention. Theo was looking at a huge payoff if he could get her to lose all the weight, and at this point it looked like she’d make it way before the year was through. That charm was professional courtesy. That smile was capitalism at work. She bet those cornflower blue eyes shone like that for all his paying clients. Of course it was his job. She was just a job. Nothing more.

Lucy told herself to remember that.

Chapter 3

February

Journal Entry Feb 6

Breakfast: 1/2 whole wheat bagel; 1 tbsp natural peanut butter; 1/2 grapefruit; decaf with splash of skim milk

Lunch: 2 cups romaine and raw vegetables; 4 oz turkey breast; 1 oz light cheddar; 1 tbsp olive oil; red wine vinegar; 1/2 c brown rice

Dinner: 1 small baked sweet potato; 3 oz broiled chicken breast; 1 c steamed pea pods and mushrooms