Star-crossed double-cross 08

Chapter 08 - Alone

Lucian felt his skin baking as he lay motionless inside the hot stuffy tanning booth. With each and every session inside the booth getting longer, the effect on his body was definitely becoming noticeable. His previous milky pale skin that rarely saw the light of day was slowly taking on a darker, healthier glow.

The tanning itself didn't bother him too much. It was just the time inside he hated. With his eyes covered and the bright lights shining, the small coffin-like walls felt as though they were closing in. And with only his self-doubt and insecurities for company, it was hard not to feel claustrophobic as time seemed to trickle by at a snail's pace.

Today the thoughts rattling around inside his head were particularly bad. Today he had another appointment with Raul. Meaning he would need to leave the safety of the apartment building and travel across the city to Raul's office. Once there, he would need to be on his best behaviour. Showing off all the skills he had mastered. Presented himself to Raul to be critiqued on the progress he and Mariana had made. The problem was, he didn't know if he could do it! The thought of going out crossdressed made his body shake and his stomach churn. The idea of the wind zipping around his smooth legs and blowing up his skirt. The thought of people gawking and laughing as he tottered by on his high heeled feet. Just the thought of him, Lucian Dominic Styles, dressed up as a woman and strutting around New York City. It was all so surreal.

Taking a lung full of chemically infused air, Lucian felt a wave of cool air rush into his pod as the lid was lifted. Slowly sitting up, he removed his goggles and winced as the bright salon lights hurt his eyes.

“Ok, over to the chair,” the masked beautician ordered, passing him a robe.

Swivelled his body into a sitting position, he obeyed. Before threading his thin toned arms into the silky sleeves of the robe. Slipping his feet into the slippers provided, Lucian stood up, smiling slightly as he felt his feet press flat against the floor. It felt good not to be wearing a pair of high heels for once, even if he knew the feeling would most likely be short-lived.

Lucian sat down and tried to make himself comfortable after a short but terrifying walk over to where the intimidating masked woman stood like a statue awaiting his arrival. Not the easiest thing to do, when feeling terrified about the pending changes about to be forced upon you. Changes that would alter your appearance, making you look even more feminine.

Without a word of warning, the chair was suddenly swung around violently. As Lucian span, he felt the back of his chair drop before his head stopped an inch above the sink he was previously facing.

Lucian closed his eyes as he heard the sound of trickling water and saw a pair of gloved hands approach the top of his head. He was again alone with his thoughts as he dreamed about a time when all the craziness would be nothing but a distant memory.

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“Oh no. no! no! no!” Lucian gasped as he looked upon the reflection that faced him in the mirror. It was worse than he had imagined. It was shocking!

He knew the result of the makeover was going to be bad after living through it for the last few hours. But seeing his unmistakable feminine face staring back at him, he suddenly felt a panic attack coming on.

(See image 8.1)

The masked woman stood silently to his right as he tried to comprehend how it was possible to look so different. How could his appearance have been changed so much from when he walked through the doors just a few hours earlier?

The small mirror he held tightly between his painted fingers shook as he imagined the woman smiling under her mask, proud of her work after mutilating his face.

His eyes dashed from one change to the next, remembering them happening before he finally slowed down to take each one in fully. The most notable of the changes were the long feathery lashes, fluttering around in front of his vision. After seeing them, they suddenly felt even heavier. Blinking a few times, he felt the soft lash extensions tickle the tops of his cheeks, remembering the painstakingly long process as they were individually attached.

Scanning higher, his eyes fell upon his new eyebrows. Two delicate dark arches, framing his now dramatic-looking eyes, adding to his sultry appearance. It was hard to look away as he thought about the consequences of having them. He still wasn’t sure what the woman had actually done. He remembered her fussing around, trimming and plucking before what felt like a pencil being drawn along his skin. There was a cold feeling, then small sensations of pressure that seemed to go on forever. Whatever she had done, the results were startling.

Glancing to the side, Lucian took another glance at the lighter blonder hair that now sprouted from his scalp. Something he had expected after the previous dye job, recognising the smell the second time around.

Finally, he looked back towards his lips and shook his head slowly from side to side. He had felt the needles go in as he lay with his eyes closed, so knew they would look different, but the puffy pouty, slightly sore, pink lips he was now looking at were hard to accept. How could they possibly be his? How could they belong to a man?

Hearing footsteps approach, Lucian’s headshot around as he felt his blond curls bounce against his cheeks. “Senorita, Lopez. This is too much!” he cried. “I look like a different person. I look like a…”

“A beautiful woman,” Mariana stated, finishing his sentence for him. “And you’ll look even more beautiful when you’re dressed. Now hurry up or we’ll be late for our meeting.”

“I can’t,” Lucian shot back. Noticing how strange his larger puffy lips felt as the words came out. “I… no! I can’t go”, he added before unintentionally pouting.

Stepping behind him, Mariana placed her hands on Lucian’s shoulders. “I know it’s a bit of a shock,” she said in a calming voice as she started to gently massage his shoulders. “But you knew this was coming. Tell me, why are you here? Why are you doing this?”

“Lucian gulped. “For mom,” he answered, almost choking on the words.

“Exactly. For your mother, “Mariana replied. “And you’d do anything to save her, right?”

Lucian nodded slowly, feeling very tears form in the corners of each beautifully made-up eye.

“Then you need to be strong and do what is necessary, Lucita. And right now, this is necessary,” Mariana replied, reaching over to grab Lucian’s hand, raising the hand mirror to head height once more. “Today, you need to think and act like a beautiful woman. The woman you see in the mirror in front of you. Can you do that? Can you do it for your mother?”

Lucian glanced back towards the mirror. Just as shocked as the first time to see an attractive but miserable woman’s face looking back at him. He wasn’t sure if he could do what Mariana was asking. He wasn’t sure if he knew how! But he also knew he had to try.