Fifty Shades of Lies

by Charlize Benett

  After checking in I sat quietly in the waiting area, flipping through a magazine anxiously until they called my name. A young woman, with a very pale complexion, offered me some lemon water and a big fat stupid chocolate chip cookie. It was like the size of my ass. Why would they serve cookies, and then have lipo pamphlets everywhere? I received the water and declined the loads of fat that I would only have to suck out in a few years. Within a short time they called for me. Finally.

  “Miss Blue-Rae.” The receptionist whispered my name, correction she called Rae’s name, not mine. I wondered if what I was doing was illegal. If I end up going to jail for impersonating my twin and signing fraudulent medical forms, at least, I’ll be cute.

  “Here I am,” I lied, and leaped to my feet.

  As I approached the nurse behind the curtain, it frightened me to see that her lips were twice the size as they should have been. I could not resist, and asked if Dr. Peels had injected them?

  .

  “Do you get lip injections?” I asked frankly then smiled. Remember I have no filter. This was my curse for as long as I could remember. I have never been able to contain my inner thoughts. My eyes fixated on the strange ridge around the perimeter of her lips. It curled up oddly when she spoke. This was hideous.

  “Yes, they are injected, but Dr. Peels didn’t do them. We are not allowed to use the services offered.” She beamed proudly, as her lips curled up like a blowfish. I was relieved to hear that Dr. Peels didn’t create this train wreck. “I go to Dr. Fish… he’s the next best in town. Do you like them?” She wistfully asked.

  Did she really just say Dr. Fish? I must have been hearing things.

  “Oh, yes… they look great.” I lied. Lying was better than telling the truth in this case.

  “Thanks, glad you like them. I love them.” She elated then squeezed my forearm, showing a physical gesture of her excitement. I was not impressed. “Dr. Peels taught Dr. Fish everything she knows.” She added reassuringly to me. I wished she would just suck her lips in and shut up.

  OMG, she did say Dr. Fish… and that Dr. Peels taught him. Who would get their lips injected by a person named Dr. Fish? This man needed to go back to school… as well as sign up for a name change.

  A sudden onset of deep regret swept through my body. It was too late to turn back now, the nurse had stepped out and ushered me through the velvet curtains.

  The back area was dimly lit, more so than the waiting room. I suppose they did this to offer privacy to their elite clientele. My heart palpitated abnormally. It was a concern that they made it dark so that the patients could not see what was being done to them until it was too late. Oh Lord, what did I get myself into?

  I followed the nurse down the narrow dark hallway, towards a brightly beaming light; I felt like I had died and was making my way to a heavenly being. This feeling really creeped me out. The nurse swung open the door and led me into a sterile white room. My pupils constricted from the sudden blast of light. The quick lighting transition was painful to my eyes. What the fuck, I blinded by the light. She padded a medical recliner, gesturing that I take a seat. I promptly took my seat as she rattled through a long list of medical questions. When we finished, she vanished behind a white curtain.

  “Hello. Miss Bleu-Rae…” A cheerful ambiguous voice resonated from behind me. Rae’s name echoed in my ears, just another reminder that I have become an avid liar. I could not go on remembering to respond to my sister’s name much longer.

  “Yes,” I answered, turning around to see who was addressing me, only to be face to face with a living Barbie doll.

  “I am Dr. Peels.” Her amber eyes gleamed brighter than the sun. “I heard you are a close friend of Steele’s.”

  “Err… uh well—yes—I guess.” I lied, wrinkling my nose… perhaps, he told her I was a close friend to get me into see her so promptly.

  “It’s okay dear… They are all close friends.” She giggled. Who did she mean by they?

  “You mean the contestants?’ I inquisitively asked.

  “Oh, no. I’m talking about the girls he likes… the many he has trained and fail… well they failed… he’s being more selective in this centur—never-mind. I thought you knew.” She appeared to have bitten her tongue, figuratively and literally. Was she going to say century?

  “Knew? Knew what?” I politely asked. I want answers. Now Barbie..bitch

  Although, my words cursed her for an answer privately in my head, heightening to a shrill. She ignored my question. I should have been more forward. Her long graceful fingers tilted my chin upward and pivoted my head from side to side.

  “Nice bone structure. We can do a lot with this.” Her words trailed off, as her eyes scrutinized my flesh. What’s with everyone commenting on my bones? I thought.

  “What? No, I just want lip injections.” I firmly rejected the idea of any other treatments. “And, not too much. Please make them very natural looking.”

  “Okay, suit yourself. Why would not you take advantage of Steele’s generosity? You know he is funding anything you want done today.” She informed me.

  “Oh no, I didn’t know that,” I lied. “But, really only the lips, and please… don’t make them so obvious.” I begged.

  Of course, I knew he was paying… I couldn’t afford this on my part-time salary. I was certainly getting hooked on this lying thing; it was as easy as Hooked on Phonics, but with a better payday… for sure.

  Dr. Peels carefully examined my lips, probing, poking and flicking them with her fingers. Soon after a young woman, a rather plain, very petite blond pranced into the room with a long syringe in her hand. “Are you ready doctor?”

  “Yes, we are small one,” Dr. Peels grinned. Her eyes grew oddly large as she peered down the length of the syringe, nearing it to my face. I was almost ready to jump off the end of the bench. These people were creeping me out.

  “Wait.” I screamed. “You haven’t numbed me, yet.”

  She grabbed my wrist. My eyes widened, as she wrapped her lips around my flesh, murmuring, “Numb, numb, numb, hummm you taste delicious.”

  “What are you doing?” I quipped; mortified at her bedside manners… she wanted to eat me.

  “I am trying to get you to calm down.” She giggled blandly.

  “That’s not going to work… I am not six years old.” I scoffed. “I just want some numbing… not gumming.”

  She frowned, pouting her lips. “No need for that. Now just relax… you won’t feel a thing… but a little prick.” She said reassuringly. I held my breath, tying to relax. Within minutes she announced she was done. “That wasn’t so bad, now was it,” she said in a condensing baby voice. I’ll be damn. I think she was mocking me.

  “Really you’re done? I didn’t even feel a prick at all.” I giggled, at my innuendo. She didn’t seem to get my joke.

  “I will see you in a year or so, good luck with Steele—” she turned her back to me—“talk about a big prick.” Her voice trailed off to a whisper.

  “What…?” I turned to her.

  She handed me a mirror. “We are all done. Here check them out.” She set the mirror on my lap… and she slipped behind the curtain again—gone without answering my question.

  Did everyone in town know he had a huge dick? Is that what she was referring to—the size of Mr. Maximillion’s manhood, or his personality? I wasn’t sure. She seemed fond of him. I was jolted from my thought, when the assistant Camilla swabbed cotton over my lips. I didn’t even know she had reentered the room. She never spoke to me. I wondered if she was ordered not to. The assistant took the mirror from me, and held it out for me to see my lips. She had an enormous grin plastered on her face.

  I stared at my reflection. “Wow.” I whispered out loud. They looked bee-stung and so natural. Better than Angelina’s lips. Very angelic, and thank god, not fishlike, in the least. I had the cutest Cupid’s bow now too.

  * * *

  As I approached my car in the parking garage, I felt as if I were wa
lking on air. I had a new pair of pouty lips. Mission completed. I felt ecstatic. Out of the blue, I heard a husky voice. It was coming from behind me.

  “Let me see them.” A man’s voice demanded. See what, I thought. Instantly a feeling of panic raced to my brain. I am being followed, I thought. I pivoted on my heels to face my assailant head on. My heart almost stopped.

  “You scared the shit out of me.” I yelped demandingly at the one and only Mr. Maximillion.

  My heartbeat increased, but this time not from the fear of being followed. I was secretly thrilled to see Mr. Maximillion had been stocking me. This was my hope anyway.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I yelled. My voice resonated through the parking garage. He flashed me a wounded look when I accosted him. “Why are you following me?” Oh, yes, I questioned him, as if I had the right to, and I did.

  I walked right past him angrily. He really scared the shit out of me. A little toot even slipped out. “Leave me alone.” I didn’t want him to think his sneaking up on me was acceptable behavior.

  “Hey, hey slow down baby-doll. I just wanted to see what I paid for,” he replied, catching up with me and latching on to my forearm. He was making an effort to stop me from fleeting. A smile rose at the corners of his mouth and settled in his eyes, as he appraised my face. I felt my anger dissolving. I almost forget how beautiful he was. I questioned myself how could I have for a millisecond forgotten his dreamy eyes, perfect physic and devilish smile. My heart nearly stopped.

  “See,” I pursed my lips, sensuously. His eyes danced over me. Oh my, what sexy mesmerizing eyes this man donned. The sun-rays flickered through the opening in the parking garage causing a glistening effect in the black specks of his gray eyes. This momentarily took my breath completely away.

  “Perfection is possible with my connections,” he gloated, flashing me a wolfish smirk.

  “I didn’t expect you to pay for me.” I uttered, nonchalantly. “Thanks I heard you can afford it… but thanks.”

  “Oh. C’mon you can lie better than that—can’t you? Surely you expected me to pay.” He smiled ruefully at me, but looked vaguely disappointed. “You have to learn to lie better than this, how do you expect to convince fifty million viewers to become your biggest fans?” I felt a pang of disappointment; here he was criticizing me again. He was relentless.

  “No, really I didn’t expect you to pay… it’s so generous of you Mr. Maximillion.” I glanced shyly into his eyes. I was lying, of course.

  “That’s better… I almost believe you. You will make a good little contestant after all.” He stuck out an open palm.

  “What do you want?” I asked. My eyes searched for a clue.

  “Your hand in marriage,” he said. His prose made my heart leap. “Your keys, silly.” He beamed brightly. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach. He was playing me. Teasing me. Asshole.

  “Oh… yeah, you’re so funny,” I laughed, playing his marriage joke off as best as I could.

  Without missing a beat, I fished out my keys from my purse and handed them to him. This was not like me. I have never just given in so easily to a man’s commands. I felt like a puppy, licking my lips and fetching for him. Steele walked toward my car. There was no exchange of words. The silence felt awkward, so awkward. What was he up to? He hit the unlock button on my keyless remote then politely opened the door for me. I quickly slid in behind the wheel, glancing up at him, and pursed my lips again, waiting for him to say something—anything nice.

  “Okay there you are slim. I would like to take you to dinner and fatten you up. Put some meat on your bones. Tomorrow night that will work for you…? Alright.” He clasped his palms together, loudly. I think he asked if tomorrow night would work for me, but it sounded more like a demand. He set the date in stone before waiting for my reply.

  A numbing shock rocketed through my mouth and down my spine. Was it from the lips injections? How strange. I was speechless. That was not like me either. Usually I never shut up. Did getting lips injections make me lose the ability to carry on an intelligent conversation?

  “I will call you tomorrow.” He pivoted on his heels, I watched him weaving between the parked cars and suddenly disappeared; he vanished like a ghost or an otherworldly creature.

  My hands furtively shook. I put the key in the ignition turning on the car’s engine. When I looked down into my lap a beautiful shiny red apple laid there. Where did this come from? I don’t remember Steele holding an apple or in the least setting it in my lap. What was with him and these apples? I picked up the apple… beneath it was a small note.

  Eat me, slowly… enjoy. BTW Love your new luscious lips. SM

  He loved my lips. My heart leaped with joy. I was overwhelmed. Quickly, I grabbed the rearview mirror and titled it down towards my face. In the reflection of the mirror I could see my lips were quite plump, red and indeed, luscious. What a simple procedure leaving behind huge results. Eat your heart out Angelina.

  My stomach growled rather loudly. Without further thought I placed my swollen lips around the shiny apple and bit down softly. It was so juicy, bursting with the most exotic flavors; different than any apple I had ever tasted in my life, even more so than the one I ate in the elevator at Steele’s office building. I was uncannily horny. Before I knew it, I had devoured every inch of the delicious red fruit. I felt more satisfied then the best sex I had ever had in my entire life. God, I had to know where Mr. Maximillion’s bought this potent fruit. It had to be organic.

  I sped out of the parking garage filled with a new lease on life. I could not wait to see Steele Maximillion tomorrow night.

  * * *

  The following day passed me by in a blur. By the time Mr. Maximillion arrived at my home for what I will call our dinner date… it felt like time abruptly stopped. He worn a Steele gray shirt, loosely tucked into faded light blue jeans. God, he looked so hot. I begged Bleu-Rae to stay hidden until he left. I convinced Rae if he saw her it would only remind him that we had lied, and we didn’t want him to change his mind about suing us. She reluctantly agreed, and hid in the bedroom. I wasn’t ready to tell him I had a twin sister. I justified lying to him because he wanted me to learn to lie… but if he knew the biggest lie I have ever told was to him—I didn’t want to think about what he might do.

  The ride to our destination was amazing. He picked me up in a black SUV limo. We had great conversation and a few glasses of champagne in the limo. Traffic was insane getting to our destination. It was nice and I welcomed all the time I could spend with him. Mostly he talked and I listened. He shared with me facts about his life. I was surprised to find out he was adopted by one of the most affluent families in America. He was not born, but raised with a silver spoon in his mouth.

  When we arrived to the restaurant he insisted that I was blindfolded. I didn’t understand all the theatrics, but went along with his request. He guided me as I walked in the darkness. The absent of sight increased my sense of smell. The aroma of delicious foods filled the air making my belly rumble. It felt as if we were probably in the back alley of the place. It smelled divine.

  “Here we can remove this now.” He carefully slipped the red scarf off my head and smoothed down the disobedient strands of my hair. His touch was very gentle.

  “Thank you.” I said all breathily, gazing up into his face. He was calm, and poised. I followed him, as he led me down a dimly lit narrow corridor.

  “What is this place?” I inquisitively gaped at the vines that grew from the ceiling. There were tiny little red buds spouting from the thin branches, they appeared to be apples in their infancy. How odd that they could grow without sunlight—if in fact they were the apples he had been feeding to me.

  “Are these apples?” My eyes examined one of them closely.

  “My personal breeding grounds.” A wicked glow flickered in his eyes then faded, a smile crawled over his face.

  My lashes fluttered, as I beamed a smile into Mr. Maximillion’s gorgeous gray bluish eyes. �
��Where exactly are you taking me? To the Garden of Eden?” I joked with sarcasm ringing in my tone.

  “It’s a surprise. Be patience.” He sternly said, as he gently slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. I did not expect this sign of affection from him, up until this moment he came across very business-like, well, aside from the wacky blindfold. A surge of energy coursed though me, my limbs felt warm, heavy and weak. This could have been from the champagne. If I were a betting kind of girl, I would guess Steele was the real cause for my heady disposition.

  “Stay close to me.” He whispered. Oh, I did.

  A constant breeze filled the hallway. An odd white mist gathered around our ankles. Anticipation built in my heart. At the end of the hall I could see two men standing on opposites sides of a large iron door. I assumed they were bouncers to the private venue he was taking me to. The larger of the two men, formally greeted Mr. Maximillion then unlocked, and opened the door. Steele stepped slightly to the side allowing me to enter first.

  It was very dark inside. The same small red like fruit, hung low, overwhelming the ceiling—it was actually breathtaking. I heard the sound a fire crackling loudly in the background, but there was no fire to be seen. The room was void of light. A few candles flickered, scattered randomly, seemingly at the perimeters of the haven. Floor length candelabrums created a perfect circle. He led me between them. In the center was an exquisite single table, draped with white linens, that dusted the floor, and two lattice style chairs. A vase with a single black velvet rose, thrived in water and a red apple splayed on a delicate crocheted doily. The set-up was beautifully arranged, yet peculiar. Simple elegance…

  “Please, would you like to have a seat, Bleu?” Awe he called me Bleu. He pulled out the chair for me.

  Bleu, my alias name stung in my ears… oh, the dreaded lie I was living, I had to tell him the truth, soon. What a tangled web I was weaving.

  I hesitantly sat down. My nerves were frayed. I was hoping for a public place filled with other patrons… at least this would offer us both a distraction, if needed. This place had no distractions that felt disconcerting to me.