Star-crossed double-cross 16

Chapter 16 – Zane

After groggily clambering out of bed, Lucian trudged his tired body to the kitchen, only to find Mariana in a foul mood.

“Good Morning,” Lucian mumbled as he walked over to pour himself a coffee. The response he received was a grunt and a shake of the head.

Sighing, Lucian took a sip of his bitter black coffee before joining his grumpy mentor at the kitchen table. He knew she had something to say, and he also knew he wasn’t going to like it. “Is something wrong?” He asked, his long acrylic nails forcing him to hold the mug comically between the palms of his hands.

“It’s about the conversation you had with Melena Gomez a few nights ago at the award show,” Mariana stated while glaring at Lucian disapprovingly.

“Not this again,” Lucian moaned, rolling his eyes. “I told you, I had no choice in the matter. She walked up to me.”

“Well, that might be true,” Mariana snapped back. “But it doesn’t change the fact you told her that Bianca would be willing to meet up with her sometime this week.”

“I was put on the spot, and I didn’t know what to say,” Lucian answered, feeling frustrated. “What’s the big deal anyway?”

“The big deal is. It’s been leaked to the press. It’s all over the front cover of every magazine,” Mariana replied bluntly, tossing a magazine on the tabletop. The cover read, ‘Bianca and Melena to resolve issues.”

Still half asleep and confused, Lucian looked down at the cover before raking his long nails through his hair, scratching at his scalp.

“This is a big problem! My reputation is at stake, perhaps even my job,” Mariana screeched, causing Lucian to jump slightly. “The record companies want this meeting to happen for the publicity. They have already set up a date. And as I’m the one responsible for you. If this doesn't happen, the axe comes down on me!”

Lucian continued to stare at Mariana, still unaware of the problem. “Do I have to spell it out for you?” Mariana barked. “Bianca hates Melena after what she did last year. She’s refusing to go. Which means…” as she dragged out the end of the sentence, Mariana tilted her head, giving Lucian a familiar look.

Lucian banged his mug down to the table as what Mariana was implying suddenly dawned on him. “Oh no! No! No! No! You're not suggesting I...” He anxiously announced while shaking his head.

“I am,” Mariana replied, cutting him off. “You made this mess. Now we have to fix it!”

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With an awkward silence having descended across the room, Lucian grinned nervously at his beautiful companion, desperately trying to think of something to say. “Erm… I love your outfit today. Red really suits you. It really makes your eyes pop,” he told Melena, who smiled at the compliment.

“Thanks, Babe. You look fabulous too,” she replied, smiling. “I guess someone in PR had the bright idea to put us in matching outfits today."

“Yeah, I guess so,” Lucian replied, knowing exactly what she meant with them both wearing red jumpsuits and open-toed stiletto heels. Both outfits hugged their respective wearers' feminine-looking bodies like a second skin and had a cut-out design. Melena’s, across her midriff, with Lucian’s chosen to emphasise his artificial cleavage.

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Lucian thought back to the circus outside the ice cream parlour when the pair entered. Led by a team of security guards with his arm linked through Melena’s, the pair were practically dragged through the army of paparazzi, set up and waiting on their arrival. Once inside, they were positioned side by side for a quick photo opportunity. Assuming the pose he had been taught, Lucian twisted his right leg to the side slightly to show off his designer pumps and stared straight ahead while pouting. After twenty seconds of holding the pose, Lucian was mightily relieved to see the photographers being ushered away. The door was then slammed shut, leaving him alone with Melena in the eerily silent room.

(See image 16.1)

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“Is everything ok?” Melena asked, looking a little concerned. “You sure are moving around a lot. Are you feeling nervous or something?”

Letting out a nervous giggle, Lucian nodded. “A little,” he replied, telling a half-truth but omitting the part about his aching testicles. Strapped up tightly between his legs, the pressure placed on them by the crotch area of his playsuit was distracting at best. “It’s just so quiet in here," he announced, trying to deflect the question while he tugged unsuccessfully at the velvety material surrounding his thighs, wishing he’d been allowed to wear a skirt that day. "Why are we meeting in here anyway? In this closed ice cream shop?”

As the room fell silent, Lucian slowly looked back up to see Melena with a shocked and horrified look written across her face. “You don’t remember all the happy times we had filming here?” she asked while squinting her eyes.

“Err… of course I remember,” lied Lucian, tapping his nails against the tabletop as his eyes darted furiously around the room. “The show we did years ago. The one we were in it together,” he added, remembering seeing it once or twice on one of those kids’ network channels and suddenly recognising the room as the set.

“We're not that old!” Melena joked, breaking the tension. “It was just a few years back that we wrapped up filming."

"Yeah, of course," Lucian said, looking around the room, searching for a new topic of conversation.

"You know, Bee, I really miss this place and our days filming here. Those times on the set, laughing and having fun with you and Zane, were probably some of the happiest of my life. I want, more than anything, to be friends again. For the three of us to hang out just like we used to! I’m so so sorry about how things worked out. Do you think we can get past this?” Melena rattled off. Picking up a napkin, she dabbed at the corner of her eyes.

“Erm… sure. Water under the bridge,” Lucian announced, with absolutely no idea of what she was referring to but also wanting to comfort the teary-eyed starlet who sat opposite him.

“Really!” Melena shrieked excitedly. “You really mean that?”

“Erm… yeah,” the confused boy replied, finding it strange how someone's mood could change so quickly.

“Thank you," she squealed, hopping to her high-heeled feet before dating around the table to give Lucian a tight bear hug.

"Ok, I wasn’t sure if I was going to do this. But now that you’ve said that. I think this will work,” she added, releasing Lucian before whipping out her phone to send a quick message.

Arranging his plump, glossy red lips into a half-smile, Lucian looked up into Melena's eyes as they bounced between the doorway and her phone. With his anxiety levels rising, the feminised boy was now more confused than ever.

Suddenly, a noise erupted outside, making Lucian turn to face the doorway. Baffled as flashes of light bombarded the glass exterior of the building, he tried to make out the muffled shouts as he wondered what on earth was going on out there.

The young crossdressed man wouldn't have long to wait for an answer as ten seconds later, the front of the parlour door swung open. Unfortunately, what he found standing in the doorway, only served to conjure up more questions.

Casually closing the door, as he ran his hand through his short shaggy brown hair, was Zane Efron! Actor, singer, superstar! Grinning to show off his pearly white teeth, Zane then proceeded to stroll across the room as Lucian watched on with his ruby red lips ajar.

Stopping next to Lucian and Melena’s table, Zane tilted his head slightly and gazed at Lucian with his sparkly blue eyes. “Afternoon, Ladies,” He announced in a deep, calm voice. “Mind if I join you?”

(See image 16.2)