Free The Lie by Petra Hammesfahr

with the small discrepancies: a nail file that was worthy of the name, a concealer stick for her birthmark, an epilator for her legs, a ladies’ razor for underarm hair, tweezers for her eyebrows and depilatory cream which was gentle enough to be used in the genital area.
    Before Susanne knew what was happening, Nadia had taken off all her clothes and demonstrated what was needed. “I hope,” she said as she did this, “you haven’t got any hang-ups about getting undressed in front of a stranger. If you find it embarrassing, just tell yourself it isn’t you Michael’s seeing, but me. We sleep in the same room - naked. If you keep your underwear on, he’ll think I’m hiding something.”
    Nadia gave her an apologetic smile and described Michael as a typical representative of his species. To be unfaithful was perfectly acceptable - for him but not for his wife. “A little affair’s nice,” Nadia said, “and to
enjoy it for a whole weekend without wondering all the time what I’m going to tell my husband will be lovely. But it’s not worth jeopardizing my marriage for. And then you and me, it’s a fantastic opportunity. Who would have imagined it?!”
    Nadia couldn’t entirely rule out the possibility that Michael might feel there was something odd. But what could he do? Given their amazing similarity, he was hardly going to ask Susanne who she was. He’d assume Nadia was in one of her moods. And Susanne could make sure he didn’t feel there was something odd. She just had to behave the way Nadia did, and going to bed naked was part of it.
    Although Susanne hadn’t said a word, and certainly not expressed any fears or doubts, Nadia repeated her reassurances: “You really don’t need to worry. Normally he keeps well away from me when we’ve had an argument. If the worst comes to the worst you can always make a point of taking the tampons out of the cupboard.”
    Then Nadia put her clothes back on and laid several banknotes on the table. “That should be enough. It depends how many driving lessons you need. Can you see to that tomorrow and also make an appointment with a beautician?”
    Susanne nodded, unable to take her eyes of the money. It was almost as if Nadia had placed a contract before her - stretching out her hand for the money would be like signing it.
    â€œGood,” said Nadia. “And make sure they let you drive straight away. You just want to refresh your driving skills, you don’t need the theory. See the beautician on Wednesday. Buy your make-up there, also the perfume. And buy some body cream, its fragrance is more intense than a lotion and you’re going to need that if you can’t use deodorant. Then you can go straight on to the solarium and the jeweller. That all has to be done by Thursday. You’re going to the hairdresser on Thursday, four o’clock. We meet on Friday, at five, in the multi-storey.”
    â€œWhy?” She asked, just to get a word in. “You could come here.”
    â€œBetter not,” said Nadia. “When you come out of the flat yourself someone might notice there’s two of you.”
    She thought this precaution rather excessive but said nothing. It was Nadia’s game. That she wasn’t going to stick too precisely to her rules was merely a matter of economy. A woman who’d been living on noodles for the past few months and came out in a cold sweat at the thought of
her next fuel bill couldn’t just throw away several hundred euros. Should Michael Trenkler realize in the first fifteen minutes that she was trying to put one over on him, there would be no second performance and no more money. If she was careful with what she’d been given for expenses and the five hundred for the first weekend she could save herself two raids on her mother’s account.
    The next morning she went, as instructed, to a driving school and enquired