Catherine wrung her hands and nervously looked around the room. She had felt daring when she left her hotel room wearing skin tight leather pants, and a thin red shirt that didn't reach her belly button. Now looking around the room she realized she was laughably modest. She had been wearing a leather jacket, but took it off when she saw the costuming of the others attending the conference. An attractive man with a deep gravelly voice walked up behind her and put an arm around her. Catherine jumped back startled.
"Jumpy aren't you, so are you dom or sub darlin'?" The man said with a slow Texan drawl.
"Oh, umm, I'm just..." Catherine trailed off as a woman in a long leather dress walked on stage. The woman adjusted the microphone hidden in the purple lace around her collar, and introduced herself. The man was listening intently. Catherine couldn't focus on a word the woman was saying. She slowly wove her way to the back of the room and settled herself in a reasonably hidden chair on the back wall. The woman on stage finished her introduction and welcomed everyone to the convention.
"Now, why don't we make an attempt at fun while we are here? Hmmm?" The crowd clapped as the woman gracefully glided off stage. A man beside Catherine smiled slightly.
"She certainly is quite a lady." Catherine looked up.
"Hmm?"
"Lady Heather, she lives up to her name." Catherine nodded absently, once again caught up staring at Lady Heather.
"This is your first time?" Catherine nodded assent.
"Well, you'll want to sign up for a room then. The registry is over there, meanwhile, take a good look around, this is the best of the best."
"Oh, well, thanks." The man shook his head indulgently. Catherine's cell phone rang.
"Willows."
"Hey Catherine, any progress on our suspect?"
"I'm at the convention, but I haven't's see anything suspicious. And besides, I'm not entirely sure what passes for suspicious here." Nick Stokes laughed on the other end of the line. He wasn't entirely ok with the idea of Catherine being the one to go to the convention, but she was in charge now, and high profile cases required her to be in the middle of them. Nick sighed.
"Yeah, well, be careful Cath."
"Always." Catherine smirked at his worry.
"Well, I'll call you later to check up."
"I appreciate it." She really did, Catherine felt really out of place, and she wasn't used to or comfortable with it. Nick hung up. "Bye." Catherine said into the dead phone. She rolled her eyes, and stood up. She walked over to one of the guards at the door.
"Hi, is this everyone that comes to the conventions?" The guard grunted.
"No, there are private parties later on, but you have to come with your "partner" Stupid freaks."
"Your partner?"
"Sign up for a SM room and you'll be assigned a partner." The guard frowned annoyed. "I have work." Catherine left. She looked at the table and groaned. She didn't have any problem with BDSM, but she wasn't really sure she was ready to sign herself up for a round of it with a stranger that could also turn out to be a murderer. She shook her head dejectedly.
"What the Hell, I don't really guess I can get out of it." Catherine walked over to the registry table and the girls behind it looked at her funny. She was once again reminded of how out of place she looked. The girls giggled in their Victorian leather and lace.
"I umm, I'd like to sign up for a room." A girl with curly blonde hair looked up at her.
"Dom or sub?" She said and stared at Catherine through her lashes. Catherine stuttered. She hadn't thought about that. She really had no idea what she was doing. The way the girl was looking at her was slightly unnerving. Catherine knew she was pretty. She was used to people staring at her, watching her ass, but his girl was assessing her like a piece of meat. She seemed to be already playing scenes through her head, and Catherine found she was curious what they were.She shook it off.
"Oh, umm, well." The girl rolled her eyes.
"I don't have all day." Catherine was distraught, she had no idea what answer to give the girl. She supposed, hell, it was a long shot, but what other option did she have?
"Does, umm, Lady Heather have a room?" The girl shot her an odd look.
"Do you really think I'm going to set you up with Lady Heather just because you ask? You're a first timer aren't you?"
"Yes, but..."
"Look, Lady Heather doesn't just play with anyone. She's a celebrity around here, most people don't even get to meet her, much less share a room with her. You have to stick around for a long time to get that privilege." Catherine sighed.
"Well, someone told me I'd make a good dom once, so."
"But you've never done ths before?"
"No."
"I'll write you down as a sub." Catherine winced. Suddenly the girl looked behind her. Catherine turned. Lady Heather was walking through the crowd towards the second registration desk. Catherine felt a rush of adrenalin.
"Lady Heather." She called.
"My dears, you know that it would be head ace inducing if everyone started calling my name. Please, don't call out."
"Lady Heather it's Catherine Willows, I need to umm, well speak with you." Lady Heather spun, smiling brightly.
"Catherine, my lord, You must be the last person I expected." Catherine laughed,
"Well I had to fight Brass over the privilege." Lady Heather laughed.
"I take back my previous statement." Catherine stepped out of line. She started towards a back corner, and thankfully Lady Heather followed without question.
"What do you need?"
"I, well, it's a bit odd."
"Here?" Catherine smirked.
"Point taken. Ok, well, I'm looking for a murder suspect, but I don't think he's here yet. I need to get into the um, after parties." Lady Heather frowned.
"I can't bend the rules Catherine, I don't have the authority. The only way to get back to them is to take a partner." Catherine looked down awkwardly.
"Someone told me that, so I was wondering well..." She looked up as saw the lightbulb go off behind Heather's eyes. A slow smile crept onto Lady Heather's face.
"My, my you're just full of surprises today." Catherine smiled slightly.
"Well, darling, you realize that being a first timer, you'll have to be-"
"Submissive? Yeah, that's actually why I..."
"Your trust flatters me." It struck Catherine funny that trust would be the word Lady heather would pick up on. She smiled to herself.
"What is it?"
"You sound like Griss." Lady Heather got a far away look in her eyes for a moment, but she shook it off.
"Well then, shall we?" Catherine nodded. She took Lady Heather's hand and secretly reveled in the shock on the blond girl's face as Lady heather signed them up for a room together. She followed Heather to a staircase in the back of the convention. There was a long hallway above, with rooms off to either side all the way down it. Lady Heather led her to a room with deep purple walls a beautiful gold furniture. Catherine gasped.
"I love this one. I always try to make sure I can use it." Catherine looked sideways surprised.
"This place stays put together?"
"Oh yes, actually I own the building. I rent it out to business conferences, and I lock the stairs, but it stays this way." Catherine marveled at the power this woman commanded. Suddenly she heard a small click and found her left wrist handcuffed to the wall. She whirled around.
"Lady Heather." herself to watch as Catherine hunted her prey.