Star-crossed double-cross

Chapter 01 – Selling out

Looking out over the sparsely populated room, Lucian felt a tingle run down the length of his spine. It was open mike night down at the crossroads tavern, and he was ready to blow the locals away. Taking a deep breath, he looked over at the miserable-looking sound technician, giving him the nod. It was time. Time to show the local rednecks and hillbillies what he could do.

(See image 1.1)

Hearing his backing track start-up, Lucian strummed down hard on old Mona, his favourite guitar, as the nervous energy he'd felt pre-show evaporated away. Usually, a shy, introverted type of character, Lucian typically didn’t enjoy social situations. But when he stepped foot on a stage, guitar in hand, he was suddenly in his element. After all, he was an artist. A superstar talent waiting to be discovered. There was no doubt in his mind that if he just kept plugging away, it would only be a matter of time before he was snapped up by one of the big record labels. Even if the fifty or so people in attendance seemed oblivious to his presence.

Belting out the first line of his reworked version of the song imagine, he scanned the room, seeing tables of people chatting and mostly ignoring him. “They wouldn’t recognise real art if it smacked them in the face,” he thought as he crashed his plectrum against the strings before locking eyes with a man sitting in the front row.

Feeling a surge of energy as he looked down at the nodding man, clearly from out of town, judging by his darker skin tone and flashy outfit, Lucian focused on his timings. It didn’t matter that the rest of the crowd were uncultured halfwits. He now had his audience.

His song ended to a smattering of applause, scarcely audible above the chatter in the room. With the majority of the people barely even noticing he had even finished. Apart from the man in the front row, that is. Stood on his feet, the Latino man was clapping enthusiastically and nodding away.

Shuffling down from the stage unnoticed, Lucian headed for the bar, where he knew at least one other person in the room would have appreciated his artistic masterclass.

Hopping up onto his usual barstool, his best friend Nancy greeted him with a smile and a bottle of beer. “Cool vibes, Luce”, announced the tattooed covered rock chick. “I didn’t think John Lennon and death metal would mesh, but that sounded sick”.

Looking over at his blue-haired friend, Lucian smiled. “Right?” he announced confidently. “If I wasn’t stuck in backwater Hicksville with all these Neanderthals, this place would be packed out.”

“Well, one guy dug it,” Nancy said, flicking her eyes. “That hot guy in the red leather jacket was going wild, and it looks like he’s heading your way.”

“What?” Lucian gasped, “what does he want?”

“How should I know, Luce? I’m not a mind reader.” Nancy scoffed. “But you can tell me when I get back from serving Trent down the end of the bar.”

“No, don’t leave. What if he’s weird?” Lucian blurted out as Nancy smiled and walked away.

Suddenly, Lucian could feel the man’s presence looming over him. Glancing up to his right, he looked into the strangers piercing brown eyes and immediately looked away.

“Hola, amigo,” the mysterious man announced. “I hope you don’t mind me approaching you like this. I really enjoyed what you did up there and wanted to let you know. Can I buy you a drink?”

Flustered, Lucian looked back up. “Err… thanks, but I just got one in."

“The next one then,” the man replied, taking up a seat on an empty stool and taking out a business card. My name is Raul Jimenez. I work for Synco entertainment. Maybe you’ve heard of it?”

Feeling a sudden surge of excitement, Lucian turned his body to face the man. “Synco entertainment? You mean, you work for Simon Powell?” he blurted out before staring at the man with his mouth ajar.

“So, you have heard of us?” the man chuckled. “If you are interested, I might have an opportunity for you. One that if everything works out, will make you a star.”

Feeling like all his birthdays had come at once, Lucian tentatively took the professional-looking card from Raul and carefully read it from top to bottom. It seemed legit!

“You want to sign me?” Lucian muttered, still in shock.

“I want you to come to New York this weekend, so we can discuss things further,” the confident man announced.

Lucian gasped, “New York? This weekend? I don’t know if I can,” he replied, thinking about his empty bank account.

“If money is the issue, you don’t have to worry,” Raul shot back as if he was reading his mind. “I will arrange a car to drive you there and back and a hotel for you to sleep, all expenses paid. Do you have a number I can contact you on?”

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Pulling up outside, perhaps the tallest building he had ever seen, Lucian looked out of the window of his limousine and felt as though he was dreaming. He was in New York! The Big Apple! And about to sign for the most famous record label in the world. Could it really be true?

After the conversation with Raul in the bar, Lucian had been sceptical at first. But after talking it over with Nancy, who was urging him to go, he had returned to his tiny apartment, knowing exactly what he wanted to do. Seeing the mould on the walls and the pile of bills next to his disconnected phone, it just didn’t seem fair. He was destined for greater things. He deserved better!

Exiting the elevator on the sixth floor, Lucian walked across the polished floors of the expensive-looking office complex, hands in pockets, thinking about the first thing he would buy when he became a global superstar.

(See image 1.2)

Approaching a reception desk, a cute looking woman stood up and introduced herself as Raul's personal assistant before showing him into the impressive office behind her. Inside the office, he was met by Raul, who surprised him with a kiss on the cheek before showing him over to a comfortable cushioned sofa.

After being offered something to drink and having to listen to Raul gush over how happy he was that he had agreed to come, Lucian finally got the chance to speak. “So, can you tell me more about this offer?” He asked nervously, looking across at Raul on the opposite side of the sofa.

“Straight to the point, I like that,” replied the now serious-looking Latino man. “Well, what I have for you, Mr Styles is what you might call an unusual offer. One that will require a lot of dedication on your part. But if you agree to the terms, we'll make you rich and famous.”

With his heart now thumping at twice its normal pace, Lucan leaned in and nodded, indicating that he wanted to know more.

“First, I’d like to try something,” Raul announced, reaching to his right and grabbing a piece of paper. “I want you to lip-sync to these lyrics,” he added, passing the sheet across.

Grasping the paper, Lucian looked down, and his heart sank. Written on the page was some cheesy pop song. The type of song that was currently playing on all the popular radio stations, the kind of stations he avoided like the plague.

“You want me to sing this?” Lucian replied, his horrified expression clear to see.

“No, I want you to lip-sync, and do it with a smile,” Raul shot back forcefully. “Is that a problem?”

Suddenly seeing all his dreams about to go up in smoke, Lucian gave Raul a half-smile. “Uhm… I guess I can try.”

“Excellent,” Raul answered, now looking much happier than he had a few seconds ago.

As if by magic, music began to play, and what followed was possibly the most humiliating event of young Lucian’s life. Force to smile and bop along to the upbeat sickeningly awful song about a girl getting over a man who had cheated on her, Lucian felt sick.

With the song coming to an end and his torture finally over, a red-faced Lucian sank back into the sofa, unable to look Raul in the eyes. He couldn't quite believe what he had just done, feeling as though he had just sold his soul to the devil.

“Not bad,” Raul announced, clapping his hands enthusiastically. “I think this could work.”

“That was some kind of test,” Lucian muttered, confused by the reaction.

“Yes, and you passed,” Raul announced, reaching over and pressing a button on a nearby phone before proceeding to speak in Spanish. A few seconds later, the receptionist from earlier entered the room with what he would soon find out to be a contract.

“I want you to read this over,” Raul said in a serious tone, “if you agree to our terms, we’ll start your training tomorrow.”

“Training?” Lucian repeated, feeling overwhelmed. “Mr Jimenez, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful here. But I’m a little confused. You are offering me a record deal here, right?”

“Not exactly,” Raul announced, leaning back in his seat. “What you have in front of you is an agreement to double for one of our current artists. You see, the celebrity lifestyle is so hectic, all our stars have look-alikes these days. It's necessary to throw the paparazzi off the scent, as you say."

Lucian looked over in horror, feeling as though a dagger had been thrust through his chest. “You want me to be a look-alike,” he spat back in disgust. You said you were going to make me rich and famous!”

“And I will boy," Raul answered, shuffling closer. "As a stand-in, you’ll get all the same living luxuries as the celebrity you’re doubling for. You’ll travel the world, stay in the best hotels, and be dressed the most exclusive brands.”

Placing the contract down, Lucian felt angry. “I appreciate the offer, Mr Jimenez, but I’m going to have to pass, I’m afraid. I’m an artist. Not some puppet!”

Raul edged closer once again before placing his palm on Lucian's knee. “If that’s your final decision, then fine. A car will take you back to the hotel, where you can enjoy all the facilities for the rest of the day. But I urge you to think this offer over. I perhaps should have mentioned the fifty thousand dollars we'll give you if you complete the training course. After that, if you still don’t want to proceed, we can go our separate ways. No hard feelings. I’m sure that money will come in handy, especially with your mother being sick! We can also help you find her the best doctors and the most cutting-edge treatments.”

“My mother, how do you know about that,” Lucian shot back surprised.

“We’ve done our research, Lucian,” Raul chuckled, “Mr Powell didn’t get where he is today without knowing everything there is to know about his clients. We’ve done our research.

Still stunned, Lucian looked down at the contract to his left. “And what does this training involve,” he probed nervously as he thought back to how much he’d cried when his mother had told him about her illness. A rare condition, with little chance of recovery, especially given their financial situation.

“I won’t lie to you,” Raul answered. “It will be intense. You’ll need to have an open mind and commit fully. We’ll need to alter your appearance. Nothing permanent, of course. But the hair, the exercise routines, and some of the outfits might make you feel a little uncomfortable at first.”

Lost for words, Lucian didn’t know how to respond. How could he possibly agree to such a thing? But then again, this man was offering to save his mother's life. How could he possibly refuse?