Erica sat down in front of the mirror and took a close look at her face. Looking back at her was a twenty-nine year old woman with short reddish brown hair, green eyes and careworn features.
She sighed.
It wasn't always like this...
The other occupant, a thin, Japanese male in a rumpled grey suit looked at her, stroked his greying mustache.
"You don't have to go through with this you know. We have sufficient to prove infidelity and get the prenup tossed in just about any court in Japan."
"I know." she replied "It's...it's just...I have to do this."
"I understand. I'll leave you to it then." And with that he stepped out of the room.
With familiarity gained after weeks of secret practice, Erica opened up and laid out the makeup kit that was sitting on the table: brushes and sponges, pencils, tubes of makeup, a wig of natural, shoulder length, coppery red hair with black roots, her coloured contacts and some bits and pieces of rubber. With swift, deft movements she began. First, she inserted her dark black contact lenses, pulled her hair back and pinned it under a wig cap then, she used a small aerosol inhaler spray, coughed, inhaled-"Aaah!" Tested her voice and repeated the action twice more, until she was satisfied with the results. Her voice was now deeper, huskier, the sort of voice that comes from too much alcohol and too many cigarettes.
Careful application of a snubbed nose prosthetic, some gelatin bags under her eyes and a thin layer of latex to mask over her eyebrows added years to her face. Slightly discoloured tooth caps fitted over her front teeth and some thin, sponge pads that fitted in her mouth changed her appearance even more.
The basics finished, she applied a layer of heavy, sallow coloured makeup. As she applied eyeliner, false eyelashes, mascara, blush and lipstick an attractive looking Asian woman, late forties in age gradually took her place. The transformation continued apace as she slipped into her costume for the night: a padded, black corset with black fur trim, black stockings, a dark patterned leopard print dress of crushed velvet with a slit up one side and matching elbow length, fingerless gauntlets. Long, false fingernails, painted a coppery black and her wig completed the transformation.
A last look in the mirror, some minor adjustments to her makeup and accessories and Miki, was ready. She slipped on a pair of expensive looking black high heel shoes, a stylish black jacket and stepped out of the room.
"Ok, here's the setup. This choker has a small mini camera with limited range. It will download to my keitai as long as I'm within 100 meters."
He continued "The clasp on your bag has an audio pickup as does this brooch."
"The target, your husband, has some well defined habits. Tonight he'll arrive at this bar shortly after 8pm" passed her a flyer "and with some luck will pick you up."
"Don't worry, we'll be there to back you up if something goes wrong." He motioned to his assistant who was dressed in a stylish dark green dress suitable for clubbing.
Continuing on "Once he makes the move, play him along and get him to take you to this lovehotel. I've got an arrangement with the tencho san and we'll be able to monitor whichever room you go to."
He paused, looked at her "Is everything clear? he asked.
"H...hai!" she replied and then with more conviction "Yarimasu!"
He smile and in Japanese replied "Sore dewa Suzuki Miki san, ikimashoka?"
An hour later, Miki was sitting in the bar playing idly with the dregs of her drink when he came in. She watched him and a few of his coworkers order drinks and settle around a table that commanded a good view of the bar.
He looked around at the sparse crowd in the bar, ignored the salarymen singing karaoke and briefly eyed the OL's plotting in the corner and finally, looked at her. She met his gaze for a moment, looked away and looked back in his direction.
He was staring at her.
"Would he recognize Erica?" she thought. "Or was she safe?"
Miki quickly buried any such thoughts and calmly sipped her drink.
From time to time, she cast quick, shy glances in his direction as he drank and joked with his co workers and then decided to take the initiative by walking past him towards the women's washroom.
As she returned to her spot at the bar, the bartender approached her with a drink, the same as she had just finished,
"Compliments of the gentleman sitting over there." he said.
"Take it back to him and tell him to deliver it personally." She replied