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  The big man looked between her back and me and exhaled in resignation and told her as he stepped past her to grab the other guy's wrist as he tried to lunge at her, “You know the rules Na Na.”

  She nodded as the other guy winced in pain and went to a knee just from the pressure of Byron's grip. I can imagine it was like the iron vice it appeared.

  Nala said, “Yeah, sorry Byron. Heading out now.” She smirked and kissed him on the cheek.

  He nodded, then gave me a two finger salute and apologetic smile, then started dragging the limping man off toward the back doors. It was all Pink Fuzz could do to keep up with the long strides of the mountain of a man.

  Nala stepped up to me, asking, “You ok?” I started nodding dumbly as she looked around then grabbed my hand and started dragging me to the front doors. “I got a forty-eight-hour timeout here now. No fighting inside. Happens all the time. So we have to go.”

  Oh...

  She turned to her crew as they started to follow and told them over the crowd cheering as the song ended. “You guys stay, have fun. I'll find my own way home.” She gave my hand a little squeeze at that. My chibi alternate self held up a sign as she giggled, which read, “That would be you.”

  They looked conflicted but when the one she called Spike grinned and turned back to the music that was starting up again. The rest followed suit.

  She pulled me outside and past a different man at the door, who wasn't half as imposing as Byron. A girl in line squealed and started pointing when she saw Nala. Causing my escort to drag me the other way until we were away from the line.

  Then she chuckled and looked down at me, not letting go of my hand. “Sorry bout that, I should have thought before inviting you here.” Then she bit her lower lip and looked across the street.

  Before I could say a word or ask any questions, she was leading me through the parking lot toward the road as she said, “I owe you a night of dancing and fun instead of watching some guy beating the shit out of himself.”

  I blinked twice, not finding my voice as I started blushing profusely and smiling. Nala was bringing me to the Ballyhoo!

  Chapter 10 – The Ballyhoo

  Oh god, Karmin probably felt how sweaty my hand was in hers. I was as nervous as hell. How did people go about telling someone they were into them? It was nerve wracking. Knowing me, if I tried, I'd just start babbling about podcast production again like I had just a few minutes ago.

  Then I go and make an ass out of myself by overreacting with that asshole in the Spartan. But... he laid a hand on her. He had no right. To my chagrin, I did get a bit of a rush out of making a fool of him. Nobody calls Kar a poser.

  I kept looking at her, and she just kept grinning at me. Was she daring me to try to speak to her like a real person? I looked away and tried to hide my grin as we crossed the street. This would be a new experience for me, as Na Na Evermore will look just as out of place at the Ballyhoo as the short, and sexy anime cosplayer looked at the Spartan.

  I dragged her toward the end of the line, which was wrapped half way around the building. She cocked an eyebrow, and I had to ask, feeling self-conscious, so acted cocky, “What?”

  She tilted her head down and lowered her eyes, letting her time in Japan show through again as she said, “Nothing, I just thought you were going to use your celebrity to... never mind.”

  I'm sure the look on my face was half sheepish embarrassment, half smirk, as I said, “I'm not sure I'm the type of celebrity that they want here. Though I do know the owner, Bonnie. We have a couple mutual acquaintances, like our webmaster, Reese Qualls from Qualltech. She and Crystal introduced us when she was showing me the kind of online presence she could help generate with my brand. The Ballyhoo has similar goals in some areas.”

  What I didn't share was that when she said Reese's name, I felt a pang of panic. I was happy to find out what an amazing person Reese was, and that her wheelchair didn't seem to slow her down one bit.

  She then narrowed her eyes and accused, nudging her chin back at the Spartan, “And, Kitty K-Hue? Really?”

  I parried her fierce look with my wiggling eyebrows. I thought it was inspired of me to leave that name at the door. I'd have loved to see the look on her face when she found out.

  We stopped at the end of the line, and I tried not to look around. The women in line and even the lone guy we saw were all gorgeous. Bonnie's club definitely catered to the lipstick side of the lesbian spectrum. I tried not to smile smugly when I saw Kar trying so very hard not to look around too.

  Three girls turned to look at us, and a cute girl with an ebony complexion, in a preppy and trendy pastel clubbing dress that looked to be painted onto her decidedly feminine curves, said with a smile, “Wow, nice look! You're totally rocking the Evermore.”

  I smiled and put my hand over Karmin's mouth before she told them, pulling her into me. They called my look the Evermore? Frosted lizard lips on toast, maybe this whole branding thing was working if even those not in the demographic I was targeting recognized it.

  I had to let go of Karmin when the little rat licked my palm. She gave a triumphant grin as I wiped my hand on my hip and she stuck out her tongue as she pulled down a lower eyelid.

  The other girls giggled at her antics as the vocal one of their group eyed her with a little bit of hunger that made me feel an odd twinge of jealousy inside. “And your girl is adorable.”

  The club girl straightened up and offered a hand to us, as Karmin busied herself with the marathon blushing session she had going on, which made me want to just hug her and spin her side to side. “Megan. And this is Tammy and Rhonda.”

  I hesitated and then gave an apologetic look as I offered as I shook her hand, “This is Karmin, and I'm... Na Na.”

  It was like a two-second disconnect as she just looked at me, processing the words. I saw the realization, and then slight embarrassment flash on her face as she recovered smoothly and pointed out, “That would explain why you rock the look so well.” Then she looked at Kar and said, “Dayum girl, great fishing skills. What'd you use for bait?”

  Karmin was at a loss as I grinned widely, happy the spotlight had moved off of me. She just blushed and buried her face in my arm as she grasped it with both hands. The smile that slowly spread on Megan's face was priceless as she started nodding in understanding of something that was beyond me and said to my mini companion, “A'ight, I see it.”

  Then she looked between us and the line and a glint of mischief filled her eyes as our paparazzi shadows started making a nuisance of themselves with their cameras as they showed up. She reached out and grabbed our hands as she started pulling us out of lines, “You two are now our best friends ever, the Bal-line-hoo endless wait just got shorter.”

  Tammy and Rhonda squeaked and hurried after us. It was easy to see who the ringleader of their group was, and the looks the blonde, Rhonda, was giving our hands in Megan's, spoke volumes of unrequited love. I understood completely. I reached out with my other hand and pulled her up to take my place, putting her hand in Megan's, then I slid to Karmin's other side.

  I felt like a giant. Like Gulliver in a land of Lilliputians. With the exception of a girl or two in the long line, I towered over them all in my boots. Some were staring at me because of that and some because of the look of recognition in their eyes. I hadn't thought so many in this lot would have had a clue who I was... I was wrong it seems.

  As we approached the big middle-aged woman sitting on the stool at the door, what was her name? Mindi? No Minnie. She sat up and looked directly at me as our group crowded around her. Megan said like she did it all the time, “We're with her.” She nudged her chin over.

  I shook my head slightly at Minnie and then added, “Yeah, we're with her.” I placed my hands on Kar's shoulders, and she looked back in panic at me.

  Minnie smiled widely and said in her smoker's voice as she inclined her head to our little Major and said, “Well if you're with her, why didn't you all just say so?” She looked
away from Karmin and gave me a quick wink and said, “Go on in.”

  Her hand shot up faster than lightning as she pointed behind us at the people in line who had started complaining. Everyone fell instantly silent at the look she gave which promised pain. I had to admit, Bonnie picked her door-woman well.

  She nudged her head toward the doors and said to Karmin, “Skedaddle, take your crew on in, cutie.”

  Karmin bowed her head and said without thinking, “Hai. Arigatou gozaimasu.”

  She was about to correct herself to thank her in English when Minnie surprised us by responding with, “Douitashimashite.” Ok, if I didn't have this huge crush on the Major there, I would have been in love with Minnie. She must have picked up a bit of Japanese when she was in the military, stationed in Okinawa back when we were just getting out of diapers.

  Karmin blushed again, and we hurried into the club with our apparent new best friends ever. I reached back behind me as we passed Minnie and we exchanged a finger wiggling palm brush of a five.

  Megan thanked us, and with her friends in tow, just bled into the crowd which made the Spartan's look minuscule in comparison. It was a veritable sea of women. I had never seen it when they were open, and this was incredible. I started laughing in delighted mirth when Karmin yelled over the music with sarcasm worthy of me, “Shortest friendship ever.”

  She seemed impishly pleased with herself, and I grabbed her hand and started towing her toward the tables ringing the dance floor. I stutter-stepped a bit realizing that I really didn't care much for touching people. Maybe because so many wanted to paw at Na Na. It took a while for me to get used to the hugs that Maddie handed out to me all the time.

  But here I was, grabbing Karmin's hand as much as I could tonight. It felt natural to me. And her small hand was as hot as the sun and caused a warmth to spread up my arm and warm my belly. I had it bad, didn't I? I was sort of relieved that I could still have crushes like this. My life had been all work and no play since college.

  I held a chair for a girl who was leaving with her friends, she shot me a shocked then hungry look as she stumbled off with her girls. I glared at others who were coveting the table, circling like vultures, as I continued to hold the chair so Kar could slide bashfully in.

  Achievement unlocked! Table secured at the Ballyhoo! I'm pretty sure that ranked up there on the legendary scale somewhere.

  I caught Karmin's scent as I stepped away, with its intriguing hints of tea and kiwi. Was it wrong I wanted to bury my nose in her hair and inhale to confirm it?

  I sat across from her and then called out over the live pop band. I secretly loved some pop as much as punk. Punk had this honesty about it, where emotions were played out through the music and the vocals. Conversely, pop usually tried to evoke emotions instead of displaying them, that was the difference between the two types of music. With some notable exceptions of course. It was those exceptions that I loved. Just don't tell my crew that I sing along with J8, or Conrad Chase, they'd tease me into next week.

  A waitress stopped at the table before I could start a conversation with the short leather-clad woman who was looking around like she was in a wonderland, trying to take everything in at once. It was her element I could tell. I have to admit, it wanted to look around too. It was so different when the club was open, instead of a cavernous empty space during the day. At night it became a seething sea of writing bodies and neon lights.

  I glanced back at the door and grinned at seeing Minnie in an animated argument with the paparazzi who tried to follow. The idiots. Everyone knows that on the rare occasion a male is allowed in the club, he had to be accompanied by and vouched for by a woman. If they cause any problems or hit on any of the patrons on premises, they are kicked out, and the woman who brought them was banned. Bonnie was pretty damn strict about that rule.

  It made a safe place for lesbian woman to congregate. Well safer place that is, as there are plenty of predatory women out there too, just not close to as many as there are men.

  I turned my attention back to the redheaded, shapely waitress, as she asked Karmin, “What can I get for you hon?”

  She looked around at the other tables, then looked almost embarrassed as she asked, “Cola?” That she didn't want to drink made me smile and wonder if she just didn't imbibe in the consumption of alcohol like me or if it was so she could drive home? Either way, I appreciated it.

  The woman turned to me, and I could see the schooled look of a trained professional as I saw the recognition in her eyes, but she showed no other outward indication of it, “And you hon?”

  I looked at Karmin who seemed far too interested in my answer. So I Na Na'ed it up, playing into everyone's expectations. “I'll take a tall tankard of your best beer.” After a pause, I continued. “Heavy on the root.”

  Kar grinned and the woman smirked as she typed something on the iPad she carried, and said, “Ok ladies, a cola, and a root beer coming up.”

  When the server left, my mini-obsession said over the music, “You didn't have to order that for me. You can be yourself, Nala.”

  I cocked an eyebrow and then chuckled as she studied me, she was trying to figure out where Na Na ended and Nala began. Good luck with that short little temptress, I don't even know where that line is anymore. I replied with a grin, “I know it sounds counter-intuitive to the culture and crowds I run in, but I don't drink, won't drink.”

  She cocked her head, and regarded me, her brow furrowed. I had to stop from uttering a “Daww,” since it looked so cute on her.

  Then she asked, “Why's that? I just don't like the taste of alcohol, especially since my co-workers in Japan got me sick on sake to introduce me to the country. Never again.”

  I shrugged, hesitated, then found myself telling her the whole truth almost against my will, “When I was a kid, my uncle... well my uncle had been a lush, a drunk. He always showed up to family events drunk, and always had that smell of stale alcohol about him. Mom barely tolerated him because his shenanigans upset my study time, but he was her brother.”

  I inhaled deeply and then said, “One day mom got a call from the police. Uncle Ken was in jail. He was drunk driving and t-boned another car, putting a woman and her daughter in the hospital. The girl was my age, and her mother died a few days later. The girl, Resse... her back was broken, and she was paralyzed from the waist down. She's been in a wheelchair ever since, because of my uncle's stupidity.”

  I gnashed out, “The only good thing that came from it was that Ken has never drank a single drop since. Once he got out on probation after serving virtually no time for manslaughter, he has been sober and actually gives talks about the evils of drinking and driving at local children's centers and community clubs.”

  I laid both hands on the table palm up and looked at them, at the blood on the hands of my family. “So I'll never drink. Even though alcohol is so pervasive in the circles I hang out in. Even my own posse... none of them drink, I'd street them in a second if they did. Sure we raise hell, but you don't need a fuckin' drink to do that.”

  I couldn't read the emotions on her face as she listened. She narrowed her eyes like she was trying to remember something. Then she brightened a bit and asked, “You had mentioned a Reese before. Your webmaster. Is she...”

  I nodded and then she hesitated and asked as she turned slightly from me, keeping her eyes on mine, “Does she know?”

  I nodded my head as I answered. “That my uncle murdered her mom? Yeah. It came up when she first took the job to create my web presence. The woman has an IQ I'm quite envious of. She said between the way I looked at her with all the guilt in the world and a couple other indicators that she figured something was up. So I came clean.”

  I shrugged. “She didn't respond the way I thought she might have. The woman got a pained look on her face and laid a hand on mine and had said, 'I'm so sorry. What your uncle did must eat away at you. Just remember, it isn't your fault. It is his and only his. Guilt by association is a pit you can't drag
yourself out of.' and then she proceeded to build me the most kick ass set of websites , while somehow becoming one of my casual friends.”

  I smiled and shared, “She has a way of making you feel ok about just being you. I suspect her wife has something to do with that.”

  Karmin smiled and slid a hand across the table to take one of mine and give it a squeeze. We looked up as the server set two glasses on the table in front of us. I reached for my bag, and she shook her head. “On the house.”

  She nudged her chin to the bar where Bonnie was talking with her bartender, who's name I'm ashamed I couldn't recall. They both gave us a little wave. I smiled and raised my glass in a salute the women, then turned back to the waitress. “Thank you very much...”

  She said, “Cindy.”

  I nodded and then she was gone with a smile to the next table with more drinks.

  Then I turned back to Karmin who was studying me again. I blurted, “What?”

  She shook her head then got all bashful again. Was I really that hard to speak to? She was looking at the people dancing as the band started a classic Amber LaLanie cover. My smile grew, and I stood, pulling my jacket off and claiming the table by laying it over the back of my chair.

  I held an expectant hand out as I called out, “Let's dance. I owe you at least one for all the trouble.”

  She took my hand timidly, and I relished the blush on her cheeks. The Na Na in me was pleased with that, she had said she was over her crush, but we could still make her blush. Then with Na Na in my forebrain, I held up a finger as I grasped her hand.

  I fished out my cell and dialed Devon. He answered on the first ring, and I yelled over the music into the phone, “Where's that damn music I requested?”

  He sputtered out something incoherent about me not answering his call when he got to my place. I smirked and asked, “Who the fuck said I was at my place? Get that shit to me, now!” Then I hung up and had to suppress an evil giggle as Karmin cocked her head at me in question while my phone buzzed in my pocket.