Chapter 2: Building Tension
Cecilia was woken up bright and early by the sound of her alarm. 8:30 in the morning.
Cecilia yawned widely as Bin Bin meowed in complaint, perhaps sensing the troubled sleep his human companion had endured the previous night. Cecilia slowly paddled her feet over to the bedroom door. She walked to the kitchen with purpose, and then with an agonizing sluggishness started the coffee machine. As the coffee began brewing, Cecilia walked back into her bedroom, putting on a grey t shirt, black leggings, her white sneakers, and a sensible bra and panty set to match. Laci had told her to dress for comfort, and she'd done just that.
But she couldn't shake the feeling that what awaited her was anything but comfortable. As she fixed her short black hair in the hallway mirror, Cecilia steeled herself for whatever lay ahead.
The doorbell rang, pulling her from her thoughts, and she took a deep breath before opening the door to Laci's elegant presence. "You're late," Laci said, her tone somehow simultaneously mocking and flirtatious.
"I told you, 9am sharp was not realistic, even for me. Nonetheless, I'm here, aren't I?" Cecilia countered.
Laci smiled in return. "And I see that you've dressed yourself appropriately for the occasion." Laci raised an eyebrow as she took in Cecilia's outfit with a critical eye. "Let's move along, shall we? Your transportation awaits."
Laci led Cecilia down the elevator and out to a sleek silver Tesla Model X, presiding like royalty on the curb outside her apartment building.
As Cecilia slid into the plush leather seat, she felt a familiar gnawing in her stomach. Before she had time to properly process her own anxiety, however, Laci quickly turned to her, the two of them sharing the backseat.
"Alright so, first off, here's the deal, while we're on this shopping spree you're not Cecilia, okay? You're not an MIT grad, you didn't even go to college in general. Your name is CiCi, and you're an instagram influencer slash stripper who's looking for some new outfits for her trip to Maui, okay? That's what I want you to say to any employee who asks, and I want you to commit to it" Laci said, with a mischievous levity that belied the gravity of her request.
Cecilia felt a shiver run down her spine, her heartbeat accelerating with each word Laci spoke. She tried to fish for more information, but Laci’s cryptic statements left her feeling lost, like she was walking along a path blindfolded and stumbling through the dark. As the Tesla weaved through the seemingly endless stream of traffic, Cecilia tried to rein in her mounting nervousness and focus on the task at hand.
"So, just so I'm clear," she began, her voice betraying the first hints of anxiety, "you want me to pretend I am an Instagram influencer and stripper for all intents and purposes while shopping with you today?"
Laci glanced over at her with a teasing smile. "Pretend? Oh, no, honey. You're not pretending. You are, for the time being, CiCi - a fabulous influencer and stripper" she said, winking at her friend.
"And you're going to play the part to perfection" Laci grinned.
Soon enough the car stopped. As they stepped out of the vehicle Cecilia immediately noticed that they were in a rougher area of the windy city, near the red-light district. Just outside the vehicle sat the garish edifice of a clothing store named "Slutz," complete with a neon pink sign displaying the name.
Scantily clad mannequins stood proudly in the window display, showcasing provocative, revealing garments.
Cecilia's heart was in her throat now. "Are you kidding me? I've been in some pretty sketchy areas for work, Laci, but this place just screams high-class criminal enterprise." She turned, attempting to discern a shred of amusement on Laci's face. "You're not seriously expecting me to walk in there and pretend to be an influencer and stripper, are you?
That place is going to eat me alive the moment I walk through that door," Cecilia said incredulously, staring at the neon-pink sign.
Laci stifled a chuckle at Cecilia's visible discomfort, "Relax Cece, this is exactly where you want to be. Once we walk through those doors, you'll see that it's the perfect place to lose yourself for a while. Now don't forget: You're CiCi."
Cecilia hesitated as they approached the entrance of the boutique.
As they entered, the smell of fabric softeners, perfume, and cheap makeup hit her like a punch to the gut. Her eyes adjusted, and she took in the sights of the dimly lit space. The walls were lined with racks of clothes, ranging from skimpy lingerie to sheer, form-fitting dresses that barely covered the necessities.
"Welcome to Slutz, gurlies," a blonde, valley girl type with fake looking tits and several tattoos chirped as they walked in. "Like, how can I like, help you?" She asked as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. Laci simply looked at Cecilia. This was it. It was time for her moment. The first act that it would get her one step closer to 500k. It was time to be CiCi.
Cecilia sucked in a deep breath, pushing thoughts of dread and discomfort aside. She realized she had no other option but to give into Laci's wishes to fulfill her end of the bargain, even if it felt like selling her soul to do so.
With her shoulders squared, she looked right into the valley girl's eyes and put on her best imitation of the airhead's voice as she spoke, "Hiiiii babes, I'm CiCi ! I'm like-looking for a hot new wardrobe to take on vacay and turn some heads, you know? Let's find me something that'll make all the hotties wanna drool!"
Cecilia was shocked at how easily the lie came sliding off her tongue. It was sickening.
The chick's fake smile widened into an unsettling grin, and she winked lewdly at Laci.
"Absolutely, darling! Just follow me, and I'll show you some of our finest selections for your vacay wardrobe."
With a sense of unease clawing at her insides, Cecilia followed the shopgirl through the crowded store. They made their way to a section of the store set aside for lingerie, and the shopgirl began rummaging through racks of slips, thongs, and babydolls.
"Oooh yeah, look at this gorgeous bikini set," the valley girl cooed, holding up a matching set that was more for stripping than sunbathing.
Cecilia stared at the scanty piece of fabric in front of her, a creeping feeling of disgust churning in her stomach. She wanted nothing more than to throw the set in the garbage bin, but she knew that she had to comply in order to keep up the charade.
Laci was looking at her, waiting for a reaction, and she could not let her down.
"Go on girl, try it on," Laci urged, as if reading her mind.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, CiCi took the set from the shopgirl's hands and headed towards the fitting rooms in the back. She stepped inside the cramped space, struggling to breathe with the mix of cheap perfume and anxiety.
Her fingers fumbled with the strings, but finally she managed to slip out of her clothes and put on the lingerie.
She looked at herself in the mirror, and the image staring back at her was unrecognizable. The small triangles which comprised the top of the bikini weren't even trying to contain her breasts, barely even managing to cover her nipples, and the thong style bottoms disappeared completely in her ass.
She looked at herself with disgust. Who the fuck was she to be wearing something so revealing? She pushed the thoughts away. She was CiCi, an Instagram influencer and a stripper. This was just a part of the job.
Laci called out to her from outside the fitting room, impatiently waiting for her. Cecilia took a deep breath, opened the door, and stepped out. Laci's eyes widened, and she broke into a slow clap.
"Baby, that thong is just purrfect on you!"
Cecilia wished in that moment that she could have simply disintegrated, faded away into nothing, but she reminded herself once more that, mortified as she was, she wasn't Cecilia anymore, she was CiCi, and CiCi, would LOVE this. She forced a smile on her face as she responded. "Oh my gawd I know, right? Like, it's just perfect for my booty!" CiCi said before shaking her ass at the two women.
Laci chuckled and clapped again, while the valley girl-type squealed in delight.
As they moved to the next section of the store, a wall of clingy dresses, CiCi found herself increasingly overwhelmed. She felt like an alien in a strange land, a fish out of water. Her mind was racing a mile a minute, trying to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions coursing through her. This wasn't her.