Security
Chapter 1
I am so over travelling.
It has been 3 gruelling weeks moving around the country on this speaking tour, one city to another, imparting whatever wisdom I could to young professionals aiming to have a career like mine. Now I was on the home stretch, and I could not wait to get back to my haven, have all of my own things around me, cuddle up with my cat and exhale. I am tired, hot, surrounded by strangers and surviving on severely depleted reserves of patience.
As I should be arriving home in the late afternoon, on what my weather app assured me would be a stinking hot day, I already knew I would strip off, take a dip in the pool and then sit and sip a 'dark and stormy' while I watched the sunset. I was craving my ritual and had earned that much with the effort I had put in on this tour.
Which is why I was so pissed off that the line at airport security seemed to be going at a snail's pace. With my headphones on, so as not to be engaged in conversation by other travellers, I was listening to Jaira Burn - Goddess, when I looked over the long, crowded line zigzagging ahead of me and our eyes connected.
The crisp uniform just set off how sexy she was. She was standing behind the security counter of one of the conveyor belts that you place your hand luggage on for screening. Average height with curves in all the right places, her long honey coloured hair hung over one shoulder in a plait, but her eyes, her dark seductive eyes held me captured for a heavy moment in time, until she cocked an eyebrow, acknowledging that I was staring, and I broke away feeling foolish for virtually drooling.
At 5' 6" tall with a fuller but athletic build you can certainly notice my 'assets'. I have brown hair, hazel eyes and with a mischievous playful side, have been told more than a few times, "lucky you're cute!". I have been out and proud for many years now and wear my sexuality openly. Aside from my short haircut, I tend to wear shirts and jeans over leather boots making it fairly obvious that I am into women. As she looked very straight to me, I took the eyebrow move to be an admonishment. Opps, best keep my head down and hope I get directed to another lane.
More than a few times, as the line edged closer, I sneaked peeks and caught her searching the line for me or staring straight at me, each time making me immediately glance away. Usually confident, there was something utterly arresting about her. Was it the uniform and position of authority or the way she stared at me? Whatever it was, it was throwing me out of the usual comfort of my own skin. I felt naked under her stares. More than that, I felt like my attraction to her was so obvious that everyone around me could see it written all over my face making me flush with embarrassment.
Another member of the security team, a tall guy with a stern glare, was directing people, as they got to the front of the line, as to which conveyor to proceed to. I was both relieved and disappointed when he pointed towards the opposite conveyor from where she was standing. Striding over, I bent to collect one of the trays from the shelf below the counter, but as I stood back up, I was just in time to see her tapping the shoulder of an older blonde colleague manning the body scanner right in front of me. Damn, I thought I had dodged the showdown but instead she had put herself in my path, why?
My stomach dropped but I calmly placed my bag and pocket items in the tray, pushed it onto the conveyor and marshalled myself, chin up to step forward and be called through the machine. Stopping and placing my hands on my hips, I waited for her and her colleague to finish their brief hushed conversation. At which point the blonde stood to one side and she assumed the position on the far side of the scanner right in front of me. I noted her name badge labelled her Laurel.
As I lifted my eyes from the badge on her chest, our eyes met, and the same eyebrow twerked upwards just a second before she motioned for me to step forward. This time I recognized it for what it was, amusement with a dash of challenge. I stepped into the machine, assumed the position and waited to be called through, just as I had been at every other security checkpoint at every other airport I had visited in the last 3 weeks.
Instead, in a confident and silky smooth voice she said "Please step over here" gesturing to a spot right in front of her.
The request cut straight through my inner turmoil over my attraction to her and how obvious that might be. I was confused, I had never been flagged for anything before, what could possibly be different this time?
"Are you concealing anything on your person?" She asked.
"No" I answered, "Did the scanner show anything?"
"I will ask the questions thank you. You have been selected for a random body search. Please follow me to a private room." The words 'body search' and 'private room' combined with her authoritative tone apparently triggered a visceral response in me as I became aware of a tingle in my groin.
"What about my bag?" I asked slightly tersely, aware that it was still on the conveyor. My thin patience was now being tested as I wondered "why me?" and it seemed likely the delay meant I would miss my sunset cocktail.
"My colleague will collect that and keep it safe until we are done."
"So just follow you?" I checked.
"Correct!"
With that she turned and started walking, past the conveyors to a room on the far-left wall of the security area. I mutely followed, slightly apprehensive as to what this would involve and how long I would be detained. I was not concerned that she would find anything during this random search but given the effect she was having on me I did not relish having to strip down in front of her, just in case the evidence of my arousal was noticeable.
Chapter 2
As she held the door and gestured for me to enter the room first, I held my breath and stepped past her. I noted that inside the room there was nothing other than a built-in bench seat running down the full length of the far wall and a large mirror to my right. My first thought was oh god, is she going to make me strip, bend and cough like the check-in process at the start of Orange is the new Black?! Surely not.
I heard the door close behind me and turned to see her standing, appraising me where I stood.
"May I see your passport please?" she said, holding open her hand in anticipation.
I pulled it from my pocket and passed it to her. She opened the cover and looked at my details, clearly after finding out my name.
"Thank you Ms Rivers. As I mentioned before, you have been randomly selected for a body search."
It occurred to me, with disappointment, that perhaps this, and not the same spell binding attraction I felt, was why she had been tracking me in the line. What had she seen that lead her to believe that I might be a security threat? If so, it did not feel very random, it felt very targeted.
