I suppose in those few minutes I managed to learn pretty much everything I wondered about concerning wearing a strapless ball gown. I walked around the house for fifteen minutes to half an hour without my feet, legs, or back bugging me. I actually felt kind of pretty and didn’t have a bit of that undressed feeling I had when I was first trying on the gowns. I began imagining Cathy dressed in a nice party dress, her hair down like mine as we were presented to the maddening throng as Lady Stevens and her daughter Catherine. That brought a smile to my face.

The squeeze on my chest and body by the bustier was still a bit of an annoyance but not intolerable. It still took getting accustomed to, but over a half hour had become almost unnoticeable. I didn’t know how I would feel about it after six or seven hours. Live and learn, I supposed. When I was going through the trials of the fittings, an hour and a half wasn’t bad.

Shortly before sixteen hundred I called for a taxi, figuring twenty minutes or less for it to get here, and thirty to forty to reach the house where James was stashed. When we began to get close I would call ahead and let them know to lower the tire spikes and open the gate. That thought reminded me to go grab my Motorola which was still sitting in it’s charger in my kitchen. I added it and it’s earpiece/ microphone to the spot next to my clutch which contained all my other necessities. I wish they made these radios smaller, it was somewhere between a little difficult and next to impossible to hide when I was dressed like this and I didn’t want it in my clutch. It wouldn’t fit anyway unless I removed the antenna, then it would be worthless if I needed it in a hurry. Just to be safe, I checked for everything I thought I might remotely need and added as much of it as I could, discarding some items in favor of others.

The taxi pulled up my circular driveway then the driver impolitely honked the horn rather than getting out to ring the doorbell. I pulled on my mink, opened the front door, exited and was locking the door then re-setting the alarm as I heard him get out and come around to open my door for me. He had seen the way I was dressed. Better late than never, I suppose. A minute later I had given him my destination and warned him not to drive onto the property itself until I told him it was okay. I explain that, during the winter, sometimes several attempt needed to be made before the tire spikes could be lowered due to frozen water in the mechanisms. That wasn’t quite true but would serve to make him cautious.

I called ahead when we reached a point about a mile out and discovered that the guys did have someone monitoring the radio system so everything could be accomplished before we needed to pull into the driveway. I received the all clear call just as we arrived so I told the driver it was okay to drive on in. He took the car up to the front door, checked the meter at the dash of the taxi and let me know, “That’s $18.20, Ma’am.”

I gave him $20 saying, “Keep the change,” as Bill was opening the front door. He came down to open the car door for me and then assisted me to the front door of the house, just in case the steps were slippery since they weren’t heated although the driveway and porch were.

“Hi, Lynn. Good to see you. The speech and presentation went well and he’s getting ready for tonight.” Bill closed the door shutting the cold air out of the house and I began to feel warmth flowing over me as I start to remove my mink.

He quickly helped me, “Take your fur?”

I turned my back to him to allow him to assist, then he promptly and carefully hung it in the closet. He gave me a quiet wolf whistle once he turned back to me and I acknowledged it with a mock curtsey. Accepting the offer of his arm we walked into the living room which brought four other men to their feet. As soon as they realised it was me they relaxed again.

“Wow, Lynn. You look great.”

“Yeah. You going to start dressing like that at the office?”

I looked at them with a fake hint of disgust on my face, “No. I don’t think so. I’d never get any work out of any of you. You’d be too busy tripping over your tongues.”

“You got that in one,” one of them chipped in.

I glanced around, “Where’s our Principal?”

“Upstairs dressing,” replied another as he checked his watch, “He should be down any minute.”

Raising one of my eyebrows, “Knowing how it is with most men, he is probably fussing with his tie. Which room is he in?”

“Second one down the landing from the stairs, left to right.”

I walked out going upstairs. Forgot to practice that ... After a couple of steps I was holding the front of the gown and the petticoat so my armament was out of the way while I negotiated the stairs. Finally upstairs with a minimum of injury, I walked to his room then after knocking on the door,

“James, it’s Lynn. Are you decent?” As if.

He opened the door a moment later, a look of exasperation on his face,

“Why can’t they just let us wear regular ties with a tuxedo? I hate these things,” flipping his bow tie which was hanging loose down the front of his shirt.

I pushed him back into the room closing the door behind me, before leading him over to better light. “It’s because they figure every man is going to have a woman who will be able to tie it for him. Stand still.”

I fussed with his tie and in less than a minute it was tied and adjusted. He reached for it and I swatted his hand, “leave it alone, it looks nice.”

He went to the mirror looking at it for a moment before he played with the tie anyway. “You’re hired.”

Turning, his attention finally off the tie, he noticed me for the first time. His jaw dropped as I smiled and did a slow twirl. As I finished he was looking at me like one of those cartoon wolves who was ogling a pretty girl.

“You certain you’re not female?”

“Any time you need proof ... ”

He shook his head from side to side and came closer, “May I?”

I nodded consent, then he came over and held me close, a little too close. My face reminded him he was still in my dog house — without heat.

“I want to thank you for all the time you spent with my daughter. She was telling me all about how you all were so much fun with her. She especially likes you. I’m glad you bought those storybooks.”

I didn’t realize he even knew they were there. He continued, “I had forgotten how nice it is just to sit down and read her a story.”

Maybe he wasn’t such an ogre after all. “James, It’s nice to play with her, too. We enjoyed the tea parties and we both liked me fussing over the things she liked to do. It made her feel like she belonged and was a part of life instead of a little girl in a sterile fish bowl.”

“I know. I know I’m a lousy father, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love her. I just don’t know what to do. Amanda died so soon and I just don’t know how to raise her. I want her to be a young lady and not a tom-boy so I stay away from her so I won’t rub off on her the wrong way.”

“James, just be her Daddy. Take her to see the zoo or shopping for clothes. Just be close to offer hugs when she needs and wants them. Let a couple of her girl friends come stay overnight or let her go stay with them once in a while. She does have friends her own age doesn’t she?”

I could see him almost panic at the suggestion she should stay overnight at someone’s home. Maybe I’ve been wrong about him. Maybe being a single father frightens him and he doesn’t know what to do.

“James? What’s wrong?”

“What if something happens to her? I couldn’t handle that.”

“James.” I reproached him, “ Children get hurt now and again. It’s part of growing up. If we don’t allow them to learn as safely as we might then they can’t protect themselves as they grow older. What do you have planned for her for Christmas?”

He looked at me blankly, “Nothing special. Just stay at home.”

He was back onto firmer ground and more confident. I gave him a disgusted look.

“Tell you what. You and Cathy come here for the two weeks starting a few days before Christmas and going through the New Year. I have spare rooms at home and we could have a good time. Might do you good to lose a snowball fight or two.”

“I’m a pretty fierce competitor.”

“James! The first thing you need to learn is that your daughter ALWAYS wins a snowball fight. You may put up a valiant defense but SHE wins.”

He nodded his head in sudden understanding, “This helps her to gain confidence ... ”

“And more. The two weeks might do you some good too. And I’m certain some of the guys would love to have her around their kids for the holidays. Another thing. She needs to be around other children her age. She needs this a lot. Come here for the two weeks or at least let her come here early, then you show up in time for Christmas Eve and stay through New Years. A little girl needs her family near her during the holidays. We have an office Christmas Party for the children at one of the homes, usually mine. The business buys the kids a bunch of presents. Santa Claus shows up to hand them out.”

I extracted myself from his arms going over to lift his coat, holding it for him as he put it on.

“Lynn, may I call you Lynn?”

“For now, let’s go with Lynnette. I’ll decide on the other later.”

“Okay. Lynnette, I find it difficult to equate what I see and hear with you not being female. I believe you, but you just look and act so ... so ... feminine.”

“Well, this is my tenth day in a row. I’ve dressed every now and then over most of the past twenty five years but generally never longer than a day or two except four times and those times it wasn’t my choice.”

“Why the change, if I may ask?”

“Truthfully? I don’t know. I just ... Don’t know. It feels right somehow.”

“I imagine it’s a bit frightening.”

“Actually ... Not really. It’s almost a relief to be doing this on a continual basis. I’ve decided it’s going to be a permanent change and I’m very comfortable with the idea.”

“From an unbiased point of view, I think it’s a good choice. You are a beautiful woman.”

I smiled at him, “Thank-you, but I hardly think you are unbiased. I’m not doing this to be beautiful, I’m doing it so I may be me for me, as opposed to trying to be some male for everyone else.”

“Okay, not unbiased, but let’s say I’m being slightly objective.”

I gave him the ‘yeah, right’ stare for a moment as I continue smiling.

“Really Lynn ... Lynnette,” he stammered out.

I looked around, “Do you have everything you need? Wallet, ID, keys, everything?”

He checked, adding a few items to his pockets as I picked my clutch up from the small table near the door where I had placed it when I came into his room. We walked out the door onto the landing where he offered me his arm before guiding me over to the stairs. They turned out to be a little tricky since I couldn’t see where I was walking but we managed to make it down okay since I had his arm to steady me. I would need to practice that a bit.

When the guys heard my heels clicking on the stairs, they exited the living room. Ralph had arrived while I was up talking with James. His jaw dropped for a moment as he got a good look at me then he quickly recovered, “Lynn, you look fabulous. Too bad you can’t carry in that outfit.”

“Oh, but I am. Both of my Berettas and their spare magazines. That reminds me, when the girls get back from their assignments they need to be sent to identify themselves at Macy’s and each of them are to have two gowns purchased and altered at company expense so they can carry weapons during events which require something along the line of a ball gown. It doesn’t need to be quite so formal but a sheath can’t be modified to hold the weapons. The alterations people at Macy’s said they still can’t do anything if we wear something more snugly fitting. Remind me to tell Nicci all the details so she can append the girl’s assignment files.”

“Okay.” He kept looking at me, “I don’t see where you could be hiding them. But if you say you’re carrying then I believe you.” The other agents were looking and seemingly agreed with his assessment.

“That’s the whole point, Ralph. I don’t want the perps to know I’m carrying. Hell, I don’t want anyone to know I’m carrying.”

My use of the swear word hit them like a sledgehammer. They didn’t think a thing about it if I swore while I was Lyon, but as Lynnette it bothered them. I needed to learn to control my language.

“Sorry guys, it sort of slipped out. Is the car out front now? And could someone get my mink?”

Bill checked the radio, “car’s moving up now.”

My mink showed up a moment later and a newbie held it for me as I slipped it on, James nodded approvingly, “Look like you spent my money well.”

“Actually you signed for your returned check, my own money bought all this.” as I indicated the emeralds, gown and fur, “and it was considerably more than the amount of your check.”

“Those are real?” he indicated the emeralds.

“I hope so. I paid enough for them and they were supposed to be natural. Not man made.”

“You returned the check?”

“Yes. And you signed for the delivery, I have the postal return receipt. I am not going to be beholding to anyone, especially not to a client.”

He looked a little confused but didn’t say anything further.

Offering me his arm, James led me out into the cold, down the stairs and then opened the car door for me. He did at least know how to be a gentleman, offering me his hand to assist me in entering the car.
We rode in quiet thought to the Convention Center, which had a portion walled off to accommodate the needs of the University’s fund gathering banquet. Enough room had been made for upwards of five hundred or so to attend the meal, the speeches, and to mingle before and after. It was a one thousand dollar a plate dinner donation and a great idea on the part of the University. They would wind up with close to nine hundred a plate after expenses and in many cases received much more than that from a single donation, not to mention the political hay they gleaned from the event. They usually pulled in at least Two mil from the event, normally closer to Four.

It was a good investment to the future so I didn’t mind paying my thousand dollars. Then you have people like James who plunk down twenty five thousand or more. With a hundred like him they were easily over the Two mil mark on the dinner donations alone before the evening even had a chance to get under way. I couldn’t imagine what his motivation was in his donations to the University but knew his wheels were always turning, investment versus yield. I suppose he must be expecting to receive some computer geniuses from their technical sciences college sometime in the near future.

As we entered, I thought I recognized quite a few of the shakers and makers from both industry and politics here tonight. That actually wasn’t too odd since a large number of the Universities graduates were now powerful personages. I saw a number of them eyeing me, probably wondering who I happened to be. I didn’t bother to enlighten most of them. It was even more delicious watching the women who were with them as they looked at my Emeralds. Their eyes were turning green and it wasn’t from the reflection of the light from the chandeliers bouncing off my Emeralds. I made a point of letting the rest of the security team know that the ceiling was false and had been lowered into place above the chandeliers. That prompted George to send a couple of men up to verify.

I wasn’t about to tell anyone that I had purchased most of my Jewelry at about thirty to forty percent of retail. My thirty-three thousand brought me well over eighty-five thousand in fine jewelry. All I needed now was to find a good deal on pearls.

There was a small string ensemble playing waltz music and James dragged me out for a dance or two as he led me between the few other adventurous souls who were also dancing before we settled into supper and then the obligatory speeches which would follow. After a couple of dances we stopped and James began to go around the room networking. He had me on his arm but I could see that most of the men here had abandoned their wives as they set out on their own networking paths. James must have had some ulterior motive in mind as I couldn’t imagine that he was doing this without considering the consequences.

I started listening a little more closely to the conversations and began to hear of opportunities for my own business. More conventions, other cities, the possibility of jobs in the two cities into which we were expanding and even some which might open up in Europe. I began networking as well and handed out more than just a few business cards.

“Hello James. Who’s your lady friend?”

We turned allowing me to recognize the gentleman speaking to us. He just happened to be one of our State Senators.

“Hello Charles, I thought that sounded like your voice. This is Lynnette Stevens of L. J. Stevens.”

“A lawyer?”

“No. Protection detail.”

The Senator gave me a doubting look, “Where are the agents?”

“She’s one. The linebackers are scattered around the room.”

“She doesn’t look terribly formidable. What would you do, young lady, if I were to attack James?”

“If I didn’t kill you outright, you would wake up in a hospital in police or Federal custody. Here’s one of our company cards, we’re listed with GSA in case you’re ever interested.”

“Thank-you, I’ll keep that in mind. Do you work in other cities?”

“We have National recognition ... We are able to field a fifty-man counter-terror team. We also teach security, counter terrorism and domestic protection. We are still about four months away from European recognition but are working on it and already have agents on the payroll who are certified there. All agents have permits to carry concealed nationally or throughout Europe with the exception of our medical staff. Here in the states we work hand in hand with the FBI and close to a half dozen of the other alphabet agencies. We use the latest Motorola radios in the same models as several Federal agencies and are able to sometimes share equipment. We occasionally are permitted to operate multi-city with secure satellite communications, although that usually only happens if we are involved in something which also has National Security implications. We’re not some penny-ante detective agency.”

“I’ll have my people contact your company. Maybe we could work out some sort of arrangement which would allow us some high level protection on short notice?”

“We usually need a few days to field a team, but we could have two or three men on the scene in less than eight hours. That depends a great deal on available flights, personnel and sometimes where our armored vehicles happen to be ... We are usually able to have an armored limo on site in less than two days, weather permitting. We are growing but our resources are a little thin at the moment since we are expanding into two new cities. One on each coast.

We hope to be back up to fully trained and manned strength in each city within eighteen months. Our primary city is centrally located so at the moment we usually are able to respond to either coast fairly quickly. Take a look in the books at our GSA reference information. They can provide you with most of the details you will likely need to know.”

“You sound like an advertisement, Mrs. Stevens. Your husband owns the company?”

“I own my company, Senator. And it’s Ms. Stevens,” the chill in my voice reflected my opinion of people who think a woman can’t do something on her own.

“Sorry. No offense intended. It’s a little unusual for a woman to own a security business. If you don’t mind, I’ll have my people make some inquiries and if we like what we learn we’ll get back to you. James ... Ms. Stevens,” he nodded his head to me.

James shook his head as the Senator walked away, “Me ... The Senator ... Are you this hard on all your potential clients?”

“Only when they are patronizing or egotistical.”

“And which am I? Patronizing or Egotistical?”

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