Chapter 1: Introduction
“Holy shit, Michelle. You look...amazing.” Mark's voice faltered before it dipped into something lower, warmer. I could almost hear his eyes widening on the other side of the call. Maybe he was even gulping.
Gulping at my beautiful—no, magnificent—new face, long walnut-colored hair, and the full new rack I hadn't asked God or whomever to bless me with as a child.
Somewhere under this svelte exterior, the man who spent thirty years figuring out who he was now felt like an alien in his own home.
How the hell was I gonna hide this from my nosy neighbors when I still had to walk my Boston Terrier, Bella?
"Mark, I...don't know what to do," I managed, my voice slightly higher than it used to be.
"Well, first things first. Find something to wear that doesn't look like you're about to meet the president." He chuckled nervously, "Actually, second thing.
Breathe."
My eyes narrowed at his attempt to lighten my situation, but I couldn't stay angry. I sighed, smoothed down my old XL T-shirt, and glanced at the mirror one last time. I looked like something straight out of a goddamn fantasy. Something Mark seemed to have trouble looking away from.
"Mark," I whispered, a faint blush staining my cheeks, "this is serious. And potentially illegal."
He cleared his throat and pulled himself together, "Right.
Okay, so, pick up a hoodie or something and let's get you out of there. I'll grab some food and meet you at the usual spot."
I knew that spot - the corner café, the one we used to haunt on those endless summer days when we were just two kids with big dreams and strong hearts. I felt the barest hint of a smile tug at the corners of my now-perfect lips. I'd take this masquerade in stride, one step at a time, and, most importantly, with Mark by my side.
Mark, who had seen me through thick and thin, who refused to leave even after all these years, who somehow became even more like a brother to me than before—if only this magnetic shift inside me since the transformation would fade as swiftly.
As we sat down, sipping our café au laits like a scene out of an Indie film, I caught Mark taking a quick glance at me. This time, it was not so much a reaction to my youthful appearance as much as a new intensity that sparked between us.