Fear isn't something I let control me. Sure, I'm not a bodybuilder, I'm kind of small for my gender, but I can handle myself. One on one. Being the target of a lynching had never crossed my mind until my girlfriend dragged me along to Las Vegas to attend a convention of the National Lesbian Alliance.
I was thinking about this new-found fear when my girlfriend pulled me into the convention hall while dressed in women's clothing. I'm not a lesbian. I'm not even female. I'm a male that really doesn't identify with either sex. Often called andros or androgynes, I can pass as either gender, and I am comfortable with that. I also have a wider selection of clothing to choose from, and that is fun.
After an hour in the hall, I could tell the Alliance was anything but. There were factions among the alliance, and some of those factions I didn't feel comfortable around because I was male where it counted. Laura kept close to me most of the time, but when I lost her by one of the exits, I did just that.
There was a woman outside leaning against a railing, pondering the Vegas skyline. She had bodyguards, big ones, so I steered clear of her. I was glad my clothing was white, because it was hot outside. When I had announced my trip to my co-workers, they joked about Vegas, the place you committed sins in Hell.
Once I got used to the temperature, it wasn't all that bad. I could see the waves of heat coming off the ground, distorting the heart of Sin City, U.S.A.
"Hi," the woman announced herself to me as she moved closer. "Do you mind if I join you?"
I cast a look over her shoulder at the bodyguards. "Do they mind if I join you?"
She made a flicking sign with her left hand while offering me her right. "I'm Carla McCauley. And you're Heath Jenkins."
Laura had been introducing me as 'Heather' to everybody in the hall, and Carla calling me by my actual name made me uneasy. "I was invited here," I said as I took her hand.
"I know. I invited you, along with your friend Laura. I hear she's very worried for your safety, so I told security to let her know where you were."
Now her name sounded familiar. "You're the President, the lady Laura writes speeches for."
"I'm no lady," Carla snickered. "Let's settle for 'woman.'"
"Yes ma'am," I nodded. Carla still hadn't pulled her hand back from the handshake, and then she trapped my hand between hers.
"You have very soft hands," she commented. "I like soft hands."
"Even though I'm a man?" I asked in a whisper.
"You're more woman than some females in the hall. I still like your hands," Carla moved close enough to whisper in my ear. "These are magic hands." Her tongue darted out and landed in my ear canal.
I heard a door slam and heels clacking along the concrete. "Heather! I'm sorry I lost you."
Carla turned around. "Heather's quite safe out here."
"Ms. McCauley! I'm so sorry, ma'am."
"You need to keep beside Heather in the hall," Carla voice was stern. "All right?"
"Yes ma'am," Laura said.
"The two of you are welcome to sit at my table for dinner," Carla said. "Can I expect you?"
"Certainly, ma'am," Laura nodded.
"I have to get back to corralling the herd. See you later, Heather," Carla gave me a peck on the cheek. "Be good."
Carla picked up her two bodyguards on the way back into the building. "Holy shit, Heather," Laura said.
"Did I get you into trouble?"
"You know how big a deal it is to sit with the President of the Alliance? I mean, she's the role model for...well, the U.S." Lauren got her 'in deep thought' look. "What were you doing when I came out here?"
"Um...Carla had her tongue in my ear," I admitted. "She said that she invited us both to the convention. How did she even know who I was? She called me 'Heath' before she called me 'Heather.'"
"That's kind of my fault. She was in Columbus one night when you and I were out on the town. The next day when I was going over one of her speech outlines, she invited me and my girlfriend to the conference."
"And you told her," I finished. "Why invite me along at all? I overheard some conversations in that hall, and they weren't friendly. Do you know how dangerous it is for me to be here?"
"Well, it is really hard to tell Carla 'no.' It's not just her title, it's her presence. She's a domme, and everybody knows she can wield a whip as well as a word. As far as your safety, my presence is supposed to guarantee that, except for when I leave you alone."
"Neat," I muttered. "I think it is probably a good idea for me to leave. If any of those women in there find out I'm sporting a pecker, they'll yank it off."
"You bug out on me now, I'll yank it off," Laura threatened. "Carla is expecting both of us at her table."
"You make her sound like some sort of queen," I scoffed.
"She is," Laura said. "Please, Heath."
"Heather," I corrected. "Call me Heather."
"All right," Laura grinned.
She may have been grinning, but there was fear in Laura's eyes. We went back inside the hall, Laura mingling with the other women, me her arm candy.
Laura was talking to a small group of women from the Seattle area when I felt Carla behind me. The group Laura was talking to grew quiet as I turned to face her. "Hello, Carla," I said.
"Hello, Heather. I was wondering if I could steal you away from Laura for a little bit?"
"Laura?" I asked.
"Sure, Heather. See you at dinner, babe."
I turned around to give Laura a kiss, and noted the expressions on the women she had been talking to. There was a mixture of fear and curiosity among the faces, and I made a note to ask Carla why that was. Laura gave me a peck on the cheek before Carla pulled me away.
When we were clear of the hall, Carla took my hand and tried interlacing her fingers with mine. I resisted when she tried again, pulling her to a stop with me. "Please don't do that," I sighed.
"Why not?" Carla asked.
"I'm involved with Laura, Carla. She may be scared shitless of you, but I'm not," I said.
"Come with me, I'll show you just how involved Laura is with you."
I let Carla lead me up to an observation deck above the floor. It was hidden by lighting, so I hadn't seen it from below.
"There's your friend," Carla pointed to Laura tugging a blonde woman toward one of the many alcoves around the floor. When they were out of sight of people in the main hall, Laura pulled the other woman close to her and started kissing her ferociously.
What the fuck, Laura?
"So? Our relationship is not exclusive. I have friends and she has friends." It did hurt watching Laura make out with the blonde, but I wasn't going to let it show right now.
"Keep watching," Carla said. The woman Laura was with pulled out a ring box and opened it up. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but it seemed pretty obvious. "That's Kaylee Metzger, she's one of my advisors for the Midwest offices," Carla explained. "She comes to Columbus to see Laura once a week, on her own dime. It has been going on for a year now."
"Why are you showing me this?" I asked as I pulled away from her. "What's your game, Carla?"
"Just giving you a heads-up. Dinner's at seven."
"I won't be there, Carla," I said. "In fact, I'm going home. I don't need this shit."
"You'll show up."
"No, I won't. I'm not scared of you, Carla. You may be the Domme of The Alliance, but I'm not your Sub."
"You'll show up, otherwise Laura and her new fiance will lose their jobs. Hell, I might even shut down the Columbus office for shits and giggles."
"That's your power? Blackmail? It's a damn good thing that I don't work for you or your organization, one minute under your thumb and I would kill myself. Good day, Madame McCauley."
I went back to my room and was almost done packing when Laura burst into the room. "What the hell did you do?"
"I told Carla I didn't want to have dinner with her, and she had a fit. How did you get in here anyway?"
"You gave me a key in case I wanted to come and see you," Laura held up a key card.
"I was wondering why you wanted a separate room when we checked in, then I saw you and Kaylee on the floor. Why didn't you tell me about her?"
"You were spying on me?" Laura asked.
"Carla took me up to the rafters and pointed out what was going on. Why didn't you tell me about Kaylee? We promised each other if we were getting serious about somebody, we'd let the other know."
And that ring looked pretty damn serious.