The cold war 38

Chapter 9 – Life, but not as they know it

3 months later

“Emily, will you hurry up! We’re going to be late”, Ben said as he slipped his nylon clad feet into a pair of extremely high heels.

Jake shook his head in frustration, “give me a break will ya? I’m trying not to poke my eye out, here”, he replied looking down at the blue coloured contact lens on the tip of his manicured finger, "It’s alright for you, you only have to slip on a pair of glasses, and please, stop calling me Emily? You know I hate that name".

Reaching up, Ben instinctively adjusted the rim of his large round non-prescription glasses, with a shiny red nail, “I didn’t choose these disguises, you know”, he said pouting, “but like the names, we have to use them to stay safe”.

Finally inserting the contact lens, Jake blinked a few times, his long dark mascaraed lashes fluttering in front of his face, “I know I get it”, he said raking his French tips through his shoulder-length platinum hair, “but we’re alone right now, there’s nobody listening”.

“I don't like it either but we have to use our new names at all times, I don’t want to slip up in public and call you Jake, this is our life now, Em, and we have to get used to it”, Ben said repeating the message he seemed to have to say to Jake at least once per week.

“Fine, have it your way, Chloe, I’m just not as good as you at playing the part of a woman, I still don’t get why I couldn’t have been given a male identity”, Jake said pouting.

Having slipped on his towering pumps, Ben tottered across the living room to comfort his feminised friend, “hey, it’s not easy for me either you know, you don’t think I’m constantly worried that I’m going to slip up but the FBI said it was the easiest way to hide us, we have to trust them, they know what they’re doing, we’re alive and we’re together, that’s all that matters”.

Looking down and seeing his breasts heaving up and down through the opening of his tight revealing uniform, Jake sighed. As part of their disguises, he and Ben had gone under the surgeon’s knife to make what the FBI called a few minor changes.

He still couldn’t get over what they had done to him, if the breast and butt implants weren’t bad enough, the changes to his face made him look like a completely different person, made all the worse every time he looked at Ben, who although had undergone the same body modification procedures, still looked like somewhat like his old self.

“Sometimes I think it would have been better off if Danila had just pulled the trigger that day in the apartment”, Jake said bowing his head, “I don’t know if I can live like this”.

“No, don’t say that”, Ben said angrily, “I know things are tough right now but never say that, things will get better, I promise”.

“I’m sorry”, Jake said looking up, “I don’t mean it, not really, I just miss my old life back and my family, how much longer do we have to do this? it’s been months and there’s still no court date”.

Stepping forward Ben planted a kiss on Jake’s pouty enhanced lips, “I know babe, me too, but we have to keep going, they’ve got to set a date soon, then things can go back to normal, we just have to hang in there, ok?”, he said flashing a smile.

“You’re right, I'll try and be more positive, promise “Jake replied smiling back, “but seriously who picked this job for us, this uniform is so tight and every day by lunchtime, my feet cramp up in those ridiculous shoes”.

“I don't like it either, having to rub my hands all random strangers all day, but it’s what we have to do to stay safe”, Ben answered sombrely, “but come on talking of ridiculous shoes, go and slip them on, Em, or we’ll miss the bus and be late”.

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4 hours later

“Good morning miss, can I interest you in a massage”, Ben said to a passing woman with a fake smile plastered across his face.

“No, not today, I’m I a hurry”, the woman replied as she quickly passed by.

“See, I told you”, Jake said, “we only ever get men, and it’s not because they’re interested in our 20% off sale”.

Ben shot him a look, “that’s not true, we had three women”.

“Yeah, and about ten times as many creepy men”, Jake replied feeling the ache in his calf muscles and counting down the time until their lunch break.

“Excuse me miss, can I interest you in a massage today, it’s 20% off for the rest of the week”, Ben announced as a middle-aged businesswoman walked towards their kiosk in the middle of the shopping centre.

“No, thank you”, she replied without even looking and continued on her way.

Ben sighed, glancing over once at Jake, who was looking at him with an expression that said I told you so written all over his face, “not a word”, Ben said shaking his head before arching his back and placing his hands back on his hips, returning to the position they had been told to adopt while attending the training sessions, “not one word”.

(See image 9.1)

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6 months later

Having spent the day in the beauty salon, where he'd received the works courtesy of the American taxpayers, Ben stared at his reflection in the living room mirror trying to decide if he liked his new hairdo.

He had to admit, it made him look quite cute, but he had gotten used to shorter hair over the last few months and knew with these new hair extensions, his morning routine was going to take much longer from now on.

He felt strange, gazing at his reflection in the mirror, his perky breasts swaying up and down to the rhythm of his breathing and his perfectly made-up face that screamed girlie girl, staring back at him.

On one hand, he was looking forward to the night ahead, it had been months since he and Jake had left the apartment to do anything fun but on the other hand, he didn’t know who he was anymore. It had been weeks since they had last spoken to their FBI handler and with still no court date set, he felt like he was living in a state of limbo, living a life that wasn’t his, the life of some made-up person called Chloe James.

(See image 9.2)