Star-crossed double-cross 02

Chapter 02 - Mariana

“Lucian, this is Mariana Lopez. She will be your mentor as you complete your training with us.” Raul announced as he walked Lucian into a large, well-equipped gym.

Lucian looked the striking woman up and down as she glared back and instantly felt intimidated. From the tips of her sparkling white sneakers to the top of her slicked-back black hair, everything about the gorgeous woman screamed perfection.

“Hola, Lucia,” the woman announced in a thick Spanish accent, “hablas Espanyol?”

“Err… what,” Lucian replied, not understanding a word.

The woman tutted loudly before turning to face Raul, rattling off a couple of sentences in their native tongue. Looking back and forth as the pair conversed in Spanish, Lucian had the same thought he’d been having all morning. "What the hell am I doing here?"

The day had started out alright, waking up in the most comfortable bed he’d ever slept in before devouring a delicious breakfast in the dining room of his five-star hotel. But it had been all downhill from there. Driven back to Raul’s office he had signed paper after paper, agreeing to god knows what! There was a contract as thick as a phone book, he started reading before giving up on page sixteen. And a non-disclosure agreement, where he promised not to speak about what he was doing to anyone. The whole situation was all very secretive, he hadn't even told who he was supposed to be doubling for! That information would be given to him if and when he completed the training course.

When the conversation between the pair ended, Mariana stood with her arms folded, visibly annoyed as Raul turned to face Lucian. “I will see you in a few weeks, Lucian,” Raul said as he checked his watch. “Listen to Mariana and do everything she asks of you.”

“You’re going? He replied nervously. “Erm… I think I've changed my mind about all of this Mr Jimenez. I don't think I can do this anymore. This is a mistake.”

Raul stared back and shook his head. “It's a mistake to make some money and save your mother? I don’t understand.”

Speechless, Lucian didn’t know what to say. Although he hated to admit it, Raul was right. He was being given a once in a lifetime opportunity to save his mother. How could he live with himself if he walked out now just because he felt a little uncomfortable and embarrassed?

Seeing the look on Lucian’s face and taking his silence to mean he had changed his mind, Raul nodded as he looked down at his watch once again. “I really must go now,” he announced. “Focus on that thought you just had, Lucian. And anytime you feel uncomfortable, just remember that you are doing this for your mother. The woman who gave you life.”

The pair locked eyes as Raul smiled warmly in his direction. Still feeling anxious, Lucian nodded his head, and as soon as he did, Raul turned and marched out of the door, leaving him alone with the beautiful stern-looking Ms Lopez.

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Forty-five minutes later, Lucian stood silently in the centre of the gym as Mariana scrutinised his appearance. His usual black baggy attire had been replaced with tighter, more colourful workout clothes, making him feel foolish and uncomfortable.

“Ok, Lucia. Let’s see how flexible you are?” Mariana barked, somehow unable to pronounce the n on the end of his name.

“Err… Mariana. My name is Lucian, not Lucia,” he replied timidly, looking out from under his pink baseball cap.

Mariana didn’t look impressed. “Si, Lucia. That is what I said, no? And you will call me Senorita Lopez. I am your teacher, not your friend.”

Feeling defeated, Lucian sighed. Having already questioned this woman about his outfit, he was quickly learning that Mariana Lopez was stubborn and not willing to compromise. Feeling an unusual tight clinging sensation surrounding his legs, Lucian thought back to the lecture on how he didn’t have any clothes of his own, and that if he was to be successful in impersonating someone else, he'd need to learn how to put his own personal preferences and tastes to one side. “Your body is now a blank canvas to be dressed,” she had stated as Lucian had stared back blankly. “Your head a piece of clay to be sculpted."

(See image 2.1)

“We will off start easy today,” Mariana declared as she walked across the room. “Some dance and light exercise to test your flexibility. But don't get too comfortable as I still expect your full dedication. Over the next few weeks, you will need to train hard and diet extensively to have any chance of being successful in our task.”

Lucian narrowed his eyes and ran the tip of his tongue along his slightly puffy bottom lip. Feeling a strange tingly sensation resulting from the lip balm Mariana had given him earlier. And as the room suddenly filled with an earache-inducing sickly pop song, Lucian let out a heavy sigh, thinking back to Raul’s comment about his mother. “I can do this,” he thought, “It’s just a few weeks.”

“Ok, watch me and follow exactly what I do,” Mariana hollered, having returned to the centre of the room. “Left leg up. Left leg down. Right leg up. Right leg down...”