Star-crossed double-cross 12

Chapter 12 – The switch

“Keep your head down,” Mariana barked as Lucian tried to look around the busy airport terminal he was being led through. Obeying his mentor, he looked down at the ground once more.

The petrified boy felt more uncomfortable than he perhaps ever had even if the outfit he was wearing, a pair of loose pants, a hoody, and a pair of chunky sneakers were a welcome change to his usual attire.

“Don’t draw attention to yourself,” Mariana added. “If anyone sees your face, it will give the game away.”

Lucian gazed at his shaking legs for a few more minutes as he was guided through the crowd of travellers before he felt an arm around his shoulder pulling him through a door.

Hearing the door click shut behind him, Lucian lifted his head to survey his surrounding but instantly wished he hadn’t! Lost for words, his mouth fell open as he looked upon the unbelievable scene unfolding in front of him. There in a state of half dress was Bianca Cabello, surrounded by two of her assistants.

“This is her?” Bianca questioned, stepping closer to get a better look at her newest lookalike. “I guess she will do.” She added before returning to her two assistants, one of which was holding a makeup removal pad.

“It’s a… nice to meet you,” Lucian stammered, not knowing what else to say to the global superstar opposite him, whose makeup exactly matched his own.

“Yeah, yeah,” Bianca shot back without looking. “Can you hurry up and get undressed already. I’ve had a long flight. I want to get out of this disgusting little room and rest.”

Lucian opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. Mariana stepped forward to take charge. “Of course, miss Cabello. Sorry for the delay, she said before turning back to Lucian with a focused look in her eyes. “Lucita, take off your clothes and hand them to me. And be quick about it.”

“My clothes,” Lucian repeated, feeling confused and dazed.

Mariana exhaled loudly and made a tutting sound. “Fine let me help you,” she announced, pouncing on the shellshocked boy before starting to carefully remove his hoody.

The hooded top was gone within seconds, leaving him standing with only a padded bra to cover his slim and toned upper body. The sneakers and pants soon followed before Mariana expertly unclipped his bra.

Instinctively folding his arms across his fake breasts, Lucian cringed with embarrassment as he suddenly found himself standing in front of one of the most famous people on the planet with only a pair of silky black panties for protection. Beet red beneath the layers of makeup caked onto his face, he stared down at the ground once more and wanted to disappear. Luckily for him, no one noticed his shame as the whirlwind of activity continued around him.

Bundling up the pile of clothes, she had just removed from Lucian shaking body, Mariana stepped forward and handed them off to one of Bianca's assistants. What happened next only took an instant as Bianca, now devoid of any traces of makeup, slipped into the clothes and sat down as another assistant quickly did up her laces.

“She knows what to do, right?” The free assistant asked Mariana in a stern voice. “She’s not going to embarrass Miss Cabello, is she?”

“No, of course not,” Mariana answered in a calm voice. “I trained her myself. I assure you all will go to plan.”

Nodding her head, the assistant seemed satisfied with the answer. “Good. Miss Cabello’s outfit is on the chair. Leave through the main door and only give them thirty seconds to a minute. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Mariana replied in a slightly irritated voice. “This isn’t my first time, you know? I know what to do.”

“Great, well we are done here them,” the woman replied as she turned. “Time to go, Miss Cabello.”

Without another word, Bianca Cabello, now wearing a pair of large sunglasses, stepped passed Lucian and exited the room, taking not only her assistants with her but also Lucian's outfit. Alone once again with Mariana, he stood quivering, wondering how things could possibly get any worse.

The next few minutes went by in a blur as Mariana grabbed the feminised man by his long-nailed hand, practically dragging him over to a nearby seat. Paralysed with fear, Lucian felt a pair of pantyhose being carefully raised up his smooth legs. They were followed by an extremely tight top being placed over his head.

“Ok, stand up,” Mariana ordered as she helped him onto his nylon clad feet.

On command, Lucian lifted his legs as a tiny blue skirt was hoisted up his ankles before being shimmed over his slippery thighs and fastened tightly around his waist. An incredibly soft fur jacket was then placed across his shoulders before he felt his feet being slipped into a pair of ramped shoes. Mariana then went to work fluffing up his newly dyed locks as Lucian stared blankly at her, wobbling back and forth on the extremely high pumps crushing his feet.

“There. All done. Take this,” Mariana stated, handing the feminised man a diamond-encrusted handbag. “It’s time to go.”

Lucian didn’t move. Crippled by fear, he was rooted to the spot. That is, until, he felt a rather forceful slap catch him clean across his beautifully made-up face. “Snap out of it,” Mariana yelled. “We don’t have time for this. This is what we trained for. All those hours in the gym. All those days of dieting. All you have to do is walk out the door, stand for one minute, and we’ll be done.”

Looking as though he was about to burst into tears, Lucian lifted his dangerous-looking hand up to rub his stinging cheek. “Don’t you dare cry and ruin your makeup,” Mariana roared. “In fact, stop touching your face,” she added, reaching up to remove his hand. “You may be dressed like a girl but it’s time to man up and do your job. Or are you just a little sissy wimp after all?”

“I’m not a sissy,” Lucian shot back angrily. “But this is insane. I can’t go out there dressed like this.”

“This is show business, it’s all insane,” Mariana replied. “And you’re going out there if you like it or not. Look around you. There is nothing else to wear in here, and I'm leaving. If you’re not out there in thirty seconds I’m getting airport security.”

“What you wouldn’t,” Lucian cried. But his words fell on deaf ears, watching in horror as Mariana turned, marched across the room, and exited through the door.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Lucian thought to himself as looked down at the expensive-looking flashy outfit he was now wearing. Taking a step forward, he felt the full height of his new heels as his ankle ligaments strained and his toes crushed against the front of the sparkly death-traps. That’s when he looked to his left, catching a glimpse of himself in a full-length mirror. For a moment, his heart stopped as a gasp of pure disbelief left his glossy pink lips. He didn’t see himself anymore! He was looking at Bianca Cabello, someone he had always secretly had a crush on, and it felt unbelievably bizarre.

A loud tannoy sounding off from outside the room snapped Lucian from his stupor. Turning away from the mirror, he breathed in deeply, filling his lungs with as much air as his tight top allowed. He knew what he had to do. He knew he had no choice!

Inching forward on his towering footwear, feeling his restrictive outfit compress his slim emaciated frame. The crossdressed celebrity clone made his way towards the exit, terrified of what lay beyond.

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Flash! Snap! Flash! The scene in front of him was like something from a movie as the petrified man stood rooted to the spot outside the airport terminal. A chorus of voices screamed out, Bianca as the surrounding paparazzi snapped picture after picture.

(See image 12.1)

Pushing down hard on his trembling legs, Lucian pursed his swollen lips together and held his breath, trying to come to terms with the crazy scene in front of him.

His fake bosom heaved up and down. A chill ran up his pantyhosed legs. And his extended hair tickled his neck.

“It’ll be over soon,” he kept telling himself as the seconds felt like hours.

The flashes continued around him as he started to feel lightheaded and faint. The screaming and shouting no longer sounded like words as they blended together into a deafening, drilling like sensation in his jewellery laden ears.

There was a sudden gasp from the crowd as Lucian stumbled forward on his designer heels, catching himself at the last minute just before faceplanting to the ground. Within an instant, a large man appeared to his right. The delirious boy felt a strong-arm wrap around his waist. Another even larger man then appeared, clearing a path through the crowd as Lucian was almost dragged towards a waiting car. Helped inside and still blinded by the lights, he could still hear the racket around him. Quickly bundled inside, the door slammed shut as the car screeched away into the night.