Star-crossed double-cross 05

Chapter 05 - Revelations

Stepping out of the gym after his morning workout, Lucian clicked along behind Mariana on his high-heeled feet. Now, pretty proficient, and confident walking on the previously daunting footwear after weeks of intricate dance routines and trotting around the apartment. In fact, if it wasn’t for the racket he made each time his feet collided with hard polished surfaces, that seemed to cover almost every floor of the building, he may have even forgotten he was wearing them at all.

Looking down, he caught a glimpse of his shiny red nails and shook his head. Another one of Mariana’s ideas to help take him out of his comfort zone. “You already had painted nails,” she had stated as he complained upon leaving the salon. “What’s the difference between black and red? It’s just a colour.” He had to admit, she had a point. Having always painted his nails black ever since his mid-teenage goth faze, he was used to a little polish. He just hated how feminine the new colour made his hands look. At least the rest of his outfit was comfortable. The jeans were a little short for his liking but paired with a comfortable hoody, he was grateful to no longer have to parade around in colourful bright outfits.

(See image 5.1)

Daydreaming as he stepped into the elevator, everything seemed normal until he realised, they were going down instead of up. That’s when he noticed the light next to the number four, and his stomach sank. Looking over at Mariana, she looked back at him reading his mind. “There’s no time for lunch today, I’m afraid,” she announced in Spanish. “We have an appointment later and have some preparations to do.”

Puffing out his cheeks, Lucian nodded slowly. It’s not like he was hungry anyway. After weeks of following Mariana’s low-calorie diet, he rarely felt hungry these days. His body had adjusted, just like it had to all the stretching and exercise.

As the elevator doors pinged open, Lucian’s stepped out to get a lung full of a familiar chemical smell. This would be his third visit to the salon, and he now had a better idea of what to expect. Not that it made him feel any happier about the inevitable changes in store for him.

“Ok, get changed into these,” Mariana announced, producing a small spandex piece of material seemingly out of nowhere. “The beautician is running a little late today, given the late notice of our appointment.”

The beautician! Lucian hated that name. In fact, he hated everything about the creepy masked woman and her place of work.

Taking what turned out to be a bikini bottom from Mariana, Lucian stared at her for a moment but seeing her glare back with one of her faces, that said, don’t you dare complain, he decided to just do what she wanted. Rationalising that they wouldn’t be too different to the tight colourful underwear he was given to wear each day anyway. That is until he re-emerged wearing them. Beet red with embarrassment, he stood in front of Mariana in the high-cut garment, looking down in disgust at his scrawny frame.

“Well, don’t just stand there, come over here,” Mariana stated as if the situation was nothing out of the ordinary. “We’ll set you up on the sunbed until she arrives. Your skin could use a little colour.”

“What is this appointment later anyway?” Lucian asked as he walked towards her. “I don’t suppose you want to tell me about it?”

“No,” Mariana replied with a chuckle. “I’ll tell you later. For now, put these on and try to relax,” she added, passing Lucian a pair of goggles and what looked like a swimming cap.

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When Mariana returned a few hours later, she found Lucian slumped a chair, staring down at the ground with a stunned, miserable-looking expression on his face. “Muy bonita. But try to smile a little, Lucita!” she chimed out, using the pet name she had been using regularly to refer to him over the last few days.

Raising his head slowly, Lucian glared at her. “Smile!” he almost spat. Pushing a strand of blond hair from in front of his face. “Look at what she did to me! I look like a girl! I’m done! I didn’t sign up for this!”

“You sighed up to look and behave like someone else,” Mariana answered in a much harsher tone. “This is a necessary step towards our goal.”

Lucian painted pink lips dropped open in horror as something clicked in his mind. Looking down at the flowing red skirt surrounding his smooth legs and still feeling the pinch of stud earrings in his newly pierced ears, it suddenly all made sense. The dieting, the clothes, the dance routines. “She’s a woman, isn’t she?” He almost shouted. “The person you want me to look like, it’s a woman!”

“Yes,” Mariana shot back. “It isn’t that common that Raul selects a man to double for one of our female stars, but he did his research and handpicked you for the role, meaning he believes it will work.”

The room fell silent as a thousand thoughts rushed through Lucian’s mind. The humiliation he suddenly felt, the craziness of the situation, his mother! “I can’t do it,” he mumbled, shaking his head. “I can’t be a woman! I don’t want to be a woman!”

“You won’t be a woman,” Mariana replied. “You’ll just be acting and dressing like one. It’s just a job, a very well-paid job, I may add.”

Another hush fell across the room before Mariana clapped her hands together loudly. “Now, get up, Lucita. What’s done is done. Nothing you are wearing is new, and the way I see it, you have two choices. Outside there’s a car waiting. You can give up now, and it will drive you home. Or we go to our meeting with Raul as planned. What is it to be?”

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As Lucian left the meeting, nothing felt real anymore. And still finding it difficult to walk in a pair of much higher than he was used to, wedge-style sandals, Lucian stumbled along behind an angry-looking Mariana. Who hadn't spoken a word since leaving Raul’s office, clearly frustrated, and annoyed by her boss' reaction and how things had turned out.

(See image 5.2)

From the moment they walked in the door, Lucian had seen the disappointment on Raul’s face as he looked him up and down. His sulky behaviour and short answers probably hadn’t helped things. What then proceeded was a heated argument between Raul and Mariana with Lucian barely catching a word even after weeks of Spanish lessons and being immersed in the language each day. From the little he did gather, Raul had seemed concerned that not enough progress was being made as Mariana defended herself, telling him that using a man for the role was a stupid idea.

Suddenly turning, Mariana glared at him. “Hurry up, Lucia,” she barked. “I want to get out of here as quickly as possible.”

“I’m sorry, Seniorita Lopez,” Lucian announced, giving her a sad look. “This whole thing was a bad idea from the start. It’s probably better that it ends it now.”

“End?” Mariana repeated loudly. “Nothing is ending. I going to show that hijo de puta exactly what I can do. We have a lot of work ahead of us, Lucia. We’re just getting started!”