Beyond Blood

Lauren let Jodie cry for several minutes before offering her friend a tissue from her purse for Jodie and herself as the outpouring of raw emotions from her friend had cracked her hardened exterior. This was not going the way she had thought it would at all, "Jodie. Take a breath, sweetie." She sniffled

lightly behind the offered tissue. "What actually happened that first time? Did he force himself on you?" Lauren grit her teeth, she was getting too emotional. She wanted to believe her friend but for who's sake?

"Ar-are you, like, sure you wanna know?"

"Tell me."

"Kay…" Jodie sat the now disgruntled cat on the floor. "He...well I was scared, so like, he offered me a drink, and like, I took it but and, like, he was way too close and I was getting, like, totally not comfortable, and like, he was saying how he knew what I, like, liked and wanted. And I tried to leave cause, like, no way did I want it, but like I got super dizzy and fell and I was on my knees and he was smiling and he took it out and my god he was huge and-" Jodie's stomach growled and only then did she realize how much time had passed since her very meager breakfast, "but then he like asked me if I liked my job and...I got scared if I didn't he would fire me or worse. And me and Eric had already been fighting about money and I didn't know what to do! I didn't want to lose Eric but I didn't want this!"

"Are you saying he's forced you?"

"N-not that time?"

Lauren growled quietly to herself, "Does he ever?"

"I…" Jodie thought back to their first time when he had her pinned to his desk, and most recently the hotel weekend, "Well...he likes to, like, be in control."

Lauren did not bother holding back her venom as she pressed on, "What about H.R?"

Jodie shook her head weakly, "They can't help, I, like, signed a thing that says, we're like... dating now."

"Why?" Lauren had to be firm. Not everything Jodie said had made total sense. And that little pink joyride out in the parking lot just reeked of payment for sex.

"Cause I'm an idiot! I thought it was, like, for my surgery. It had a lot of big words so I just signed."

"Reading legalese is hard for even the average person." Jodie nodded, in the past she would have been hurt by Lauren's words and would have done everything she could to prove just how smart she was pretending to be but now, it was just easier to admit she didn't know something than struggle.

"But," she sniffled, wiping her eyes, "I have a plan. See, like, after he closes this deal I'm going to another exec and she's a much better boss."

"I think I know who you mean. But how is that going to help?"

"Well...I could be too busy to date, and like, he'll get frustrated that I never have time with him and we break up. I still keep my job and he can't really do anything."

Lauren nodded, "Wouldn't it be easier to just quit and find another job?"

"It took me three years of looking to find this one! You don't understand, Eric nearly ki-,like,we nearly broke up over it." Jodie hung her head as she fought back another wave of tears, not for the idea of losing her first real love, but that she was no better than any of his exes that came before, "I know he deserves better...and I know he deserves to know the truth, but please...let me be the one to tell him."

Lauren thought about this and agreed she owed her friend at least this much, "I will." She whispered and pulled Jodie into a hug. God, why couldn't she just hate her? She wasn't too terribly convinced her plan would work out how Jodie hoped but...she wanted to give her the chance to make things right...and maybe she wouldn't lose a sister in the process.

Jodie hated being reminded of her affair with Adam but it did feel good to tell the truth to someone. Lauren was the sister she never knew she wanted, making the inevitable all the worse.

The girls dried their eyes and spent a quiet half hour enjoying the distraction of therapeutic kitten innocence before Jodie's phone beeped, alerting her to a message from Eric.

[Hey, baby. Just finished at the gym and I'm starved. Up for some lunch??]

Jodie felt her stomach growl and her face flush as she remembered Eric's cock she had left so wanting mere hours ago. [Totally!!!]

Ten minutes later, Lauren gratefully jumped out of the car. "Girl, where'd you learn to drive?!"

Jodie waved off Lauren's concern and strode eagerly to the restaurant, "Pssh, we're, like, alive aren't we?"

"I think I saw my life flash before my eyes."

"Too bad it couldn't have been something more interesting." Eric stood beside a podium, embracing Jodie who wrapped herself around him.

"Something interesting like that time in eighth grade I walked in on you with a Victoria secret catalog?"

"Lauren!" Eric's face turned cherry red at the memory while the girls just giggled.

"Hey, like, why don't you get a table for us. I wanna show Eric my new ride!"

"Okay."

"When did you get a car?" Jodie giggled and dragged Eric away. Lauren frowned and followed the hostess to their table. She recognized the excited tremble I'm Jodie's voice. As shy as she was about the topic she was nowhere near as subtle about her sexual appetite. This and Jodie flirting with the guy at the pet store earlier to get her way made it harder to determine if her feelings of wanting to make things right were genuine or just the act of a classic manipulator.

Outside, under the miniscule protection of a single birch tree Jodie climbed into the passenger seat of her car while Eric sat in the driver's seat, "Agh!" And immediately had to adjust the seat for his height.

"So, what do you think?"

"It's a nice car. Are you sure you can afford it?" Jodie nodded and lay her head on Eric's shoulder. Enjoying the leftover scent of sweat from the gym. "Sorry, if I smell...I had to...to...cut my shower short. Jodie what are you doing?!"

Jodie was kissing Eric's neck while her right hand slipped under his shirt. "I missed you." She whispered.

"I missed you too but-"

"I also missed this too." She growled and grabbed his cock through his pants. Eric's penis quickly swelled under her aggressive touch.

"Jodie! We c-can't." Eric stammered, trying to force blood back into his brain.

"You didn't mind last night." She slowly pulled his zipper down, noticing he did nothing to actually stop her.

"We were al-" but all objection came to an abrupt end when she wrapped her lips around the tip of his cock. Eric knew they shouldn't, they could be seen here much more likely than the concert hall. All it would take is one person to walk by or one complaint to the manager and they could be banned or even arrested but...try as he might he just couldn't seem to care enough about the consequences to stop her. Instead he wrapped his fingers in her hair. From her moaning she enjoyed him pulling her hair. Unconsciously he started forcing her head down further until she was deepthroating his cock.

It wasn't long from this treatment and the teasing this morning before he exploded. Jodie quickly swallowed every drop before she could choke on her salty prize. She looked at her gasping boyfriend and smiled now having had one hunger satisfied. "Jodie...Jesus."

"Not quite, but I can make you see him." She climbed over into Eric's lap, grateful for her tiny frame for once otherwise this would be impossible.

"Still?"

"I can't go back in there like this can I?" She raised the hem or her skirt exposing her much smaller but still solid erection that had unfortunately broken free of her tuck and would need to be fixed. "Besides, your friend is totally ready to go again." She giggled and gave his still hard cock long, slow, strokes.

"Well, I wouldn't want to leave you unsatisfied." Eric smiled completely lost to his own lust. Leaning toward to lift the rest of her skirt to her waist put her boobs directly in his face as she sat herself on his cock

Much later that evening, the merry couple headed out once again. This time it was Jodie's turn to surprise Eric, as he had no idea the type of place he was walking into. "Wonderlust….do you think it's spelled wrong on purpose?" Eric remarked as he passed the neon rainbow windows.

"Or maybe you wonder about your lust?" Jodie smiled.

"Hmm" Eric grunted. He never considered himself the clubbing type. With the rare exception of being dragged out of his home by a girlfriend or Jordan...that thought however did cause him to chuckle finally. Entering the club they had to show their IDs and Eric was surprised to find that she had already changed her gender on her license. She must've been planning this for a lot longer than he was aware.

The club itself wasn't much different from any other, when they first entered the club there was a bar area in the center of the floor, there was a dance floor with an elevated platform for the DJ to the far wall, to the left was a glass door that was currently closed, and outside for the smokers was a small area lit with Christmas lights.

"Do you see your friend?"

"Not yet. He shouldn't be hard to spot though. He's almost as tall as you." After fifteen minutes of searching the couple had all but given up looking for Brit and approached the bar to have a drink when a statuesque blonde woman with legs that just wouldn't quit. Her perfectly round apple bottom was squeezed into a pair of denim booty shorts. Her stomach had a slight pooch to it that could only be described as baby fat was slightly obscured by the flowery top she wore.

"Jodie! Girl, let me look at you!" The girl gushed happily before pulling Jodie into a hug and kicking back one of her leather cowboy boots.

At first Jodie was confused until it suddenly clicked in her mind, "Brit?! Wow! You look….wow!"

"You should see me when I'm dressed up." She smiled, "Who did your hair today?"

"Uh, like, I didn't get it done today."

"Girl, who comes to the salon without getting her hair done. Tell you what, come with me and I'll help you out." The two talked a moment about what Brit could do to Jodie's hair, only stopping when Brit finally noticed Eric. "And who is this tall drink of water?"

"This is Eric, my boyfriend." Jodie beamed proudly wrapping her arm around his.

Eric smiled politely, offering his free hand. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Charmed." She said with an affected southern belle accent as she curtsied. "My good Sir," she continued with the thick southern accent, "If you would be so kind as to lend me leave of your sweet darlin here while you have a bit of moonshine, one me, I will bring her back in two shakes of a frog's leg."

"Uh….if it's okay with her?"

"My, my, such a gentleman." Brit giggled and pulled Jodie away.

"I guess I'm going with her." The two disappeared behind the glass door.

Eric sat at the nearly empty bar, occasionally eyeing the pool tables along the side wall, when before long one of the bartenders, a short woman with a pixie cut and a tank top that displayed her sleeve of tattoos, approached him, "Hi hun, what can I get you?"

Brit had lead Jodie beyond the glass door which turned out to house a small elevated stage and runway and about three dozen chairs with the choice seats near the runway roped off and marked as reserved. She continued behind the stage where Jodie was met with a smaller room, two couches, and a long singular wall-length make-up counter fixed under a wall-length mirror. Three men in various states of undress and varying degrees of makeup ranging from simple to elegant, and even the more wild and extreme end. Jodie was no stranger to a backstage or men in extreme makeup spending his time doing the same with his band but the ones he couldn't help but stare at with no small amount of jealousy were the men who's makeup bore the uncanny resemblance of femininity. If it wasn't for their exposed flat chests she would have assumed they were women as well. The thought occurred to her that only a few short months ago she was the same way and couldn't help but wonder. Out of the corner of her eye she spied young and beautiful black woman with long braided hair that seemed utterly out of place as the only one in the room besides her who had her own breasts and wasn't affixing a pair of breast forms or padded bra to her chest.

"Okay sweetie, you said we're going to go with some curls?"

"I, yeah, like, I think maybe I'd look good right? Are you sure you it's okay we're back here?" Surrounded by the beautiful men she suddenly felt exposed and nervous.

"Of course, don't worry I've got plenty of time before my set."

"You're a band?" The men giggled.

"Quiet bitches." Brit snapped, "No we're not a band, sweetie. Well, Delilah there is in one but , no, we're all solo acts tonight." Delilah being the elegant looking latina face with the toned physique of a swimmer or male dancer.

"Delilah?" She whispered.

"It's her stage name, sweetie." Brit whispered back, "Monday through Thursday he's Carlos but then he comes here and she's Delilah."

"First time at a drag club, sugar? I'm Bart. But Tonight I'm Adelle's younger cousin, Krystal light."

"Oh….Jodie and, like, yeah this is totally my first time."

"Don't worry, we won't bite."

"Unless you pay us." The extremely made up man added as he fixed a green wig to his bald head.

"Ignore her. Charmed." Krystal light, who looked like the typical girl next door sitting half naked and judging by his or….her accent, as it was now, was clearly the inspiration for Brit's teasing of Eric earlier.

"This is your first time?" Another male voice shouted on the other end of the make-up counter, "Girl, how long you been out?"

"...um, a couple hours? It was a pretty long drive."

"She means how long have you been transitioning, sweetie."

"Oh." Jodie thought for a moment, "I've only, like, recently gotten my breasts a little over a month ago."

"How long before that?" The braided beauty finally spoke up while still examining her makeup.

"I think, like…." she tried to think, Doctor Ben had called her trans a few weeks ago but that didn't seem believable to her, and she had told the therapist it was something she felt her whole life…. "Three years?" She used the date she started -dating- she moved in with Eric as her official transition date just to make things easier in her mind.

"Well you look amazing, I've only been transitioning six months." The braided beauty introduced herself as Nia and her stage name was Sierra Summerz.

"You're trans too?!" She didn't mean to shout or say "too" she didn't know if Brit was trans or not now as they were surrounded by men in drag and the few number of trans men and women she had seen as they searched for her had not helped matters. Jodie had never wondered before if she were anything but a straight boy, at the beginning of the year she was a simple straight boy with no job and a failing music career, doing her best to no to think about her childhood and failing that hiding from it in a bottle or stranger’s bed, but now here he sat in the back room of a drag club getting his hair styled and conversing with drag queens and at least one transwoman and felt…less nervous about being ‘found out’ than she had at the last club she went to with Eric. She even felt a kinship with the beautifying men as they explained more about their lives, relationships, and even their childhood when few had considered themselves straight boys as well. Even Nia, she was surprised to find, had for more than half her life considered herself a boy, assuming all boys felt as she had and that talking about it would not help her. It was only a short three years ago when she had realized, or maybe more accurately. admitted to herself that she was not a straight boy but a lesbian. This, and the offered fruity drinks, spurred Jodie to talk about herself, or the self she had created in her mind. Not that much had to be changed as far as her childhood went since she could discuss her boyhood freely without fear, and even supportive ears. When she inevitably discussed her relationship with Eric and her job, she only altered that she had mistakenly been assumed as a woman, or that she had to quickly beg Eric to pretend to be her boyfriend. No instead the story went, she was living with her boyfriend who was paying the rent and even using his money to help her transition when the pipe burst the night before her interview destroying her male clothing, still being in the closet at the time, and had little choice but to take the chance and be Jodie and luckily had passed, gotten a decent job with great insurance that allowed her to ‘finally’ have the breast surgery she had been dreaming of since her senior year. To the gathered queens, Eric was nothing less than a prince or shining knight. Which put a smile on Jodie’s face. She couldn’t do much to pay back his kindness and love so the least she could do, she decided, was to proudly let everyone know how she had begun to see him herself.

The black 8 ball fell into the side pocket eliciting a groan from Eric, “God, I swear this has never happened before.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re not the first guy to tell me that.” A shorter man laughed as he picked up the twin pair of fives each had wagered on the game simply to make it more interesting and reward the winner with their next drink.

Eric rolled his eyes and chalked up his pool cue, “Shut up and don’t go too far, I plan on you buying my next drink.”

And this is where Jodie found Eric, bent over a pool table and racking the colorful balls. He stopped when he looked up and saw Jodie standing at the end of the table. Her hair had been given a slight curl, while two long strands of her hair had been put into twin braids tied around the back of her head and adorned with flowers, this paired with her white solid lace v neck blouse and black and white polka dot skirt stopped Eric. “What do you think?” She asked, bringing herself to his side and wrapping her arm around his once again.

Looking between the two the shorter man coughed and offered his hand to the beautiful girl, “Since he seems to be brain dead, I’ll say it, you look beautiful.” Jodie smiled, having become accustomed to compliments from men the longer she went on, ”My name’s Vincent, but you can call me Vince.”

Jodie smiled and shook Vince’s hand, noting that despite being shorter than Eric he was still taller than her, “Jodie. That’s, like, a totally cool name.” She smiled.

“Thanks, I picked it out myself.” His laugh had confused Jodie but she let it pass when Eric finally returned from whatever fantasyland he had lost himself in, no doubt with Jodie.

The rest of the night they enjoyed Vince’s company, Jodie managing to win three drinks from him and one from Eric before it was midnight and the show was announced to begin. Nia was the MC for the evening announcing the other and chatting with the audience to kill time as one gurl needed an extra minute to change or ready herself for the stage, Jodie and Eric, and subsequently their new friend Vince, were treated to front row seats right next to the stage. The upside being an unobstructed view, the downside being they had to take part in back and forth banter with Nia, who Jodie had already found a comfortable familiarity with the woman, while Vince was the same as any awed fan, and Eric simply was confused as she constantly referred to him as prince charming but soon relaxed finding himself enjoying the show, from the comedic patter, the lip synching of the queens, including Brit, who’s stage name they found was Britney Bish and appropriately danced to her namesake in a red leather catsuit, and Krystal Light’s unaided voice as she sang ‘rolling in the deep’ in a beautiful burgundy gown.

After the show they lost track of Vince on the dancefloor but found Brit now returned to her more simple clothing of earlier in the evening. Eric and Jodie danced further into the evening to the various pop songs and remixes, until Eric went to renew their drinks. Upon his return he saw Jodie dancing with Brit energetically close. He watched for a moment enjoying the smile on Jodie’s face which nearly replaced with a pang of jealousy at how sensual their dance had become when another man approached them and Jodie politely left the two to continue their dance. She beamed excitedly as she took an offered drink from Eric, unaware of his brief jealousy which he reasoned away with a sight he was familiar with in clubs, and Jodie looked proud to have helped a friend and equally unaware that she had not had an alcoholic drink since the show had started hours ago now. Eric wondered if she felt more at ease being here or if she simply was so distracted by everything. The couple would later find Vince again before the night ended, exchanging phone numbers and promises from Eric to show him around his gym next week.