Skin Deep (3 page)

Kiera’s body jolted from the restless sleep she’d fallen into. For a moment she lay in her big bed with her heart threatening to beat out of her chest.
What did I dream about?
She couldn’t remember what had made her wake so suddenly, until she felt the uncomfortable bubbling in the pit of her stomach.

She lurched out of bed, dropping her beloved blanket on the floor, and scrambled for the bathroom. Her stomach gave a painful squeeze that had her gripping her mouth with one hand.
I’m not going to make it.
She diverted to the closest trash can and managed to reach it before the heaving began. She loved Little Debbie’s oatmeal cream pies, but not when she had to regurgitate them in her kitchen. Kiera gripped the sides of the plastic container as if it was the last thing she would ever hold on to until the heaving subsided a bit. The thin plastic sack stuck to her fingers like a second skin when she tried to pull away.

“Kiera, oh my gosh, are you okay?”

Kiera looked away from the mush in the trash to see Maryline standing at the top of the stairs, her arms full of bags. She tried to answer, but her stomach gave another heave, this time bringing up nothing but air.

“Here, I’ll just …”

Hands touched Kiera’s hair, pulling it out of her face. Her stomach gave one final lurch, again bringing up nothing, but sending burning bile to the back of her throat. She rocked back on her knees and plopped onto the cold wood floor. She ran a shaking hand over her face, praying to God the vomiting was over.

“Here, honey, drink this.” Maryline stood before her wearing leopard-print leggings under a sinfully short black skirt and a golden top. She held a glass of water.
When did she stop holding my hair?
“It will make you feel better.” Her gray eyes looked uncertain and Kiera realized she had been staring at her for some time.

“Right. Thanks.” Her voice sounded like gravel. She took a tentative sip of the water, still cool from her refrigerator door. The back of her throat burned but started feeling a little better.

“You okay?”

Kiera nodded. “Thanks again. But … why are you here?”

“Well, I came to check on you. I told you I would, remember?”

Kiera’s mind shifted into overdrive as the events of the night before came rushing back. “The spell?”

“It was real, honey.” Maryline’s gaze strayed across Kiera’s body.

“Real?” Kiera tried to wrap her mind around it and looked down at her foot. It was still her foot there on floor in front of her. Her toenails were still the pearly-white color she’d painted them two days ago. The foot most certainly belonged to her, but it was different now. The arch seemed more pronounced, the bones on the top appeared daintier beneath her dark skin, and her ankle was … thinner.

My mind is playing tricks on me.
She frowned at her foot, letting her eyes roam higher, over her toned calf muscle. Her thigh was next. It was her thigh—the tiny diamond-shaped birthmark on the inside proved that—but it, too, was different. The thickness that used to be there was gone, leaving in its wake a lean, muscular limb.

Her gaze traveled further. “What the … ? I’m naked!” Kiera jumped off the floor and made a beeline for her dresser. A sense of panic nearly overwhelmed her. She didn’t want her friend to see how disgusting her body truly was.
She probably saw you last night!
Kiera cringed at the memory.
What was I thinking?
Letting people see her naked was not something she did.
Ever.

She was nearly to her dresser when she stopped, catching her reflection in the mirror. A huge part of her screamed that she cover her body, but she couldn’t listen to it. She was frozen by the person staring back at her. The girl on the other side was someone she had never seen before. Someone she had dreamed about her whole life. A woman with tanned skin, a slim waist, round hips, and a flat stomach. She had slim shoulders and small arms. Even her hands looked dainty.

Kiera wiggled her fingers and was surprised the woman in the mirror did the same. Her face wasn’t as full as the one Kiera usually saw there. She didn’t have chubby cheeks, but smooth, flawless skin that flowed perfectly, as if God himself had sculpted her by hand. Her breasts were still just as full, the two round globes thick and perky—perhaps the only thing that had remained completely the same.

“This isn’t possible.” Kiera moved her arm and touched it to her forehead. The reflection did the same.

“It is,” Maryline called from behind her.

“You mean … it actually worked.” Kiera’s gaze focused on her stomach. It was flat, not big like before. It was still her stomach, though; the hideous scars that marred her flesh were still there. She brushed her fingers against the white marks, where they were raised above the rest of her flesh, never to be perfect. She broke her gaze in the mirror to stare down at herself. “This is actually real …” Her hand trailed further down her stomach. “Oh my God. This is real!” she screamed, and the trembling in her hands increased as she spun around.

“Kiera, is everything okay?” Darla’s voice sounded as she clattered up the stairs. “Oh my!” she yelled when she saw Kiera’s naked form. Kiera didn’t pay her any mind. She was too busy running her hands up and down her body, in complete awe of the physique beneath her fingertips.

“I can’t believe it! The spell actually worked!” Kiera looked up when Maryline approached, holding out her pastel terry-cloth robe. Kiera slid her arms into the familiar garment and let shock engulf her again at how loosely it fit. She tied the front and turned around, meeting Maryline’s gaze. Kiera wasn’t a hugger. There were a lot of factors that played into her reasoning why. The main one being that no one had ever really hugged her as a child. Only her mother had, and after she died, hugs became one of the last things anyone gave her. After Roth, she had kept her distance from everyone. But there wasn’t a person in the world who could have stopped her from hugging Maryline in that moment.

“Hot damn, honey. Now you have the body you’ve always wanted, am I right? I thought you were beautiful before, of course, but your happiness is what’s important.” Maryline patted her back softly.

Kiera burst into tears. A torrent of emotions barreled through her. She tried to latch on to one, but couldn’t, so she let them go. She freed them and a small weight seemed to lift from her shoulders. Maryline held her close, allowing her to weep like a baby into her dark brown hair. Kiera sucked in a deep breath, filling her lungs with the woman’s sweet, floral scent.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to become a blubbering idiot.” She leaned back and ran a hand over her face.

“Don’t be sorry, sweetie. Are you feeling okay?” Concern filled Maryline’s eyes.

Kiera nodded her head. “I actually feel a lot better. I don’t think I’m gonna throw up again. I should really go get ready for work now.” Kiera climbed out of Maryline’s embrace.

“Work? Honey, it’s eight thirty.”

“What, like at night? You mean I slept all day?”

“Bettina told you that would happen, didn’t she?” Darla smiled from behind Maryline.

“Yes, I guess she did, I think. What are you guys doing here?”

“We came bearing gifts.” Darla motioned to the huge heap of shopping bags spread across the living room.

“Gifts?”

“Of course, baby. We can’t let you go out to storm the town in your baggy old clothes, can we?” Maryline pulled tissue paper out of a bag that said
Versace
on the side.

“Storm the town?” Kiera’s mouth gaped open.

“Yes, honey. Tonight we are taking you out to show the world your beauty.”

As it turned out, Maryline didn’t give her a choice this time. They were taking her out and that was that. Even Darla was adamant about her going with them. She didn’t seem upset about the spell anymore. Their optimism was contagious, especially when mixed with her own excitement.

By ten o’clock they were close to walking out the door, though Kiera couldn’t stop staring at herself. The weight that had lifted before when Maryline hugged her had returned in earnest, though in a different form.
Am I ready for this? Maybe I should just stay home.
She didn’t know what to do, but plastered a smile on her face while the two flitted around her.

They dressed her in a black strapless number that was shorter than sin, along with a pair of shiny black stiletto heels. A white-gold diamond tennis bracelet glinted at her wrist and a matching necklace with a single diamond pendant hung from her neck. When Darla put the beautiful jewelry on her, Kiera expressed her gratitude for letting her borrow what were surely prized possessions. Darla only snorted and informed her they were a gift. Maryline had picked out the clothes and Darla had handled the accessories.

A sheer black, diamond-studded clutch completed the outfit. Regardless of the complicated emotions spinning like a tornado inside her, she’d never felt so beautiful. She couldn’t get over how long her legs seemed, or how her hips flared under the tight material of the dress. This was something they had always done, though before it was more of a bulge than a flare. Part of her itched to grab a sweatshirt and throw it on over her head. She didn’t, but her grip on her new clutch became tighter.
Some habits will just have to die hard.

Maryline stepped forward with a black cashmere jacket that was far longer than the strapless number she was wearing. Kiera shrugged it on, snuggling into the warmth of the knee-length coat, and immediately began to feel better.
I can do this.

“Are you happy?” Darla asked from behind her.

“Yes.” The word came out somewhere between a squeak and a shout.

“You sure?”

Kiera turned around and met Darla’s green gaze. She wasn’t sure. She was nowhere near confident, even with her new body. The past still lingered in the foreground of her mind. She pushed it away. She wouldn’t let anything ruin this, not the past, nothing. Nothing could ruin tonight. “I’m more than sure.”

“That’s all we wanted for you, darling.” Darla hugged her and kissed her cheek as she spoke. Kiera embraced her tightly, enjoying the feel of touching another person. Something she had longed for all these years.

“I-I don’t know how I could ever thank you.”

“Hey now, none of that!” Maryline spoke quickly. “No smearing of the makeup!”

Kiera giggled and patted beneath her eyes. Minutes later, she locked up and followed them out to Maryline’s 1966 cherry-red Mustang. The chilliness of the night air gave Kiera goose bumps on her skin.
At least it isn’t windy.
As if on cue, a rustling sound came from the bushes of the building next to hers. She looked in that direction, but nothing was there. She shivered and climbed into the car. Darla sat in the back, letting Kiera enjoy the ride from the front seat.

“You are so lucky to have hair like this,” Darla commented. “We hardly had to do anything to it. It curls so perfectly. I thought you just fixed it every day.”

Kiera glanced down at her long red curls. They did curl kind of prettily, now that she thought about it.

Maryline turned up the radio and Kiera stared out her window at the streets of Kittery illuminated by pale yellow lights. It was a beautiful place, with all the century-old architecture. She could see a lighthouse off in the distance. Its light shone brightly, no doubt illuminated for a late-night tour.

A fifteen minute drive brought them to a large dark building with the words
Lucky Zipper
glinting brightly on a neon sign.

“What kind of place is this?” Kiera asked as they got out of the car. A sudden feeling of dread washed over her.

“It’s not a gay bar.” Maryline lifted her head, her nostrils flaring, before smiling at Kiera. “We both know that’s not your cup of tea.”

“I figured that, but I thought I’d better ask before you introduce me to Bertha or Helga. Do you come here often?”

Darla snorted. “Yeah, every now and again. This is where we met Bettina. It’s nice and lively, with lots of good music and dancing.”

Darla and Maryline started through the overly crowded parking lot—nearly every space was filled—but Kiera’s feet stayed rooted to the ground.

“Well, c’mon, Miss Thang! What are you waiting for?” Maryline glanced over her shoulder. Kiera couldn’t explain it, but there was something telling her she shouldn’t go in this place.

“Maybe this is a bad idea.” The sense of dread was becoming overwhelming. She turned away from the building and looked at the car. The shiny red paint seemed to sparkle in the moonlight, making her feel a fraction better.

“It’s okay to feel that way. You’ll feel better once you’re inside.” Darla walked over and looped her arm with Kiera’s. “Tell you what, if you don’t feel better once we go in, we’ll take you home. Deal?”

Kiera could only nod as they made their way toward the club.

By the time they reached the door, Kiera’s stomach was churning and she was certain she was going to vomit again. Though once the large front door opened, revealing a cloud of smoke and a group of people waiting in line, she felt better. The deep bass of a fast-paced song washed over her, sucking the nauseous feeling right out of her body, leaving her floored … and excited.