The Dead Pan Contest
Title: Stop That Rhett Now!
Story/movie parodied: Gone With The Wind
Characters: Eric, Sookie, Pam, Lafayette, Bill, Felipe
Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns the SVM characters. Somebody else owns Gone with the Wind (that would be Margaret Mitchell).
Summary: This is my entry to the Dead Pan Contest entry where SVM meets GWTW, Life can be a dream and a freckle holds the mystery of romance.
Sookie had slept in until nearly eleven. As usual, she'd had that initial 'Am I late?!' jolt run through her before remembering it was her day off.
She snuggled back into her pillow and lay there for several minutes before heading into the shower to prepare for her day.
With her hair still dripping and a towel around her shoulders, she padded into the kitchen. Today she was going to be self-indulgent. She grabbed the cocoa.
Armed with a large mug of cocoa and a slice of leftover pizza from the fridge, she went into the living room to tackle making a fire.
When the blaze was to her liking, she curled up in her favorite chair with what was left of her cocoa and the new romance novel she'd checked out of the library a couple of days ago.
She had just started chapter two of her book, when she heard a truck pulling up her driveway, followed by a heavy knock on her door. She held the curtain back and peeked out the window. After nearly dying at the hands of insane fairies, she'd gotten more cautious. Not that her deadbolts could really keep anyone out if they really wanted in the house.
The tall man dressed in brown and holding a wide white box under one arm, grinned and held up the computerized tracking pad they used now to record signatures.
She signed her name, he thanked her and handed her the package. Carter Couture and Custom Tailoring was embossed in red on the sides of the box.
The box wasn't quite as heavy as it looked, but it was big and bulky and the inside weight wasn't evenly distributed so it was awkward to handle. She sat it down on the couch and looked at the label. Carter Couture was in Shreveport. Eric.
She carefully opened the box, expecting to find something utterly ridiculous. She wasn't disappointed. Inside was an exact replica of the frilly, full length, off the shoulder, white with green flowers dress Scarlett O'Hara wore to the Twelve Oaks barbeque at the beginning of the film version of Gone With The Wind. Beneath the folded dress was a corset, pantalets and a full, hooped petticoat embellished with enough lace to make curtains for every window in her entire house. She had no doubt they would all fit perfectly.
She held up each garment shaking her head and wondering exactly what Eric had on his mind when he ordered all this. Especially since it was the middle of winter. Not exactly the time of year for barbeque and a spring party dress.
She was so distracted by this odd gift, she was startled by the next knock on her door. Another delivery. This time when she opened her door, she found a florist van in her driveway and a young man holding a hatbox on her porch. Tied atop the box was a single red rose.
"Looks like somebody put you to a lot of trouble to deliver one flower," Sookie said with a grin, knowing full well what must be inside the hatbox.
The man gave her a big toothy smile and handed her a clipboard with a delivery receipt for her to sign. "No trouble at all ma'am. Your boyfriend is a real good tipper."
"He likes getting his way," she said, handing back the clipboard and taking the box.
"Don't we all. You have a nice day now."
Sookie took the box inside, removed the rose and sat it aside before opening the box. As she expected it was a very wide brimmed, floppy straw hat with long ribbons of the same fabric as the dress tied around. Pinned to the top of the hat was a small envelope. Inside was an invitation …
My very dear Miss Scarlett,
You are cordially invited to attend a barbeque
To be held at Fangtasia
This Thursday evening, beginning at 8pm
A car will be sent for you at 6pm and as a dressing
area will be readied for you at Fangtasia, you will
not be required to travel in your party attire.
Your devoted host, Rhett Butler
So much for a do nothing day. She tried to be irritated with him, but it was no use. His little role playing game sounded like fun. For all his faults, you had to give Eric one thing. When he set out to be impressive, he succeeded with flying colors.
She tried on the dress just to be certain of the fit. Of course it fit like a glove. The corset gave her some trouble. Naturally it had laces rather than hooks. She'd need help to really get it on properly.
Eric probably planned on being her dresser. No, she thought with a giggle. He's probably thinking more about helping me out of it. She managed to get herself undressed and packed everything back into the box. There were no shoes. Sookie got a pair of strappy sandals she'd bought for Rhodes and put them into the box with the dress.
She found herself really looking forward to the evening and by the time it was getting close to six she was positively antsy. She had wrapped Gran's pearl hair combs in tissues and tucked them into her purse and was tying her tennis shoes when she heard a car pulling up. Right on time. It was five minutes before six.
She took the last drink from her lemonade and opened the door. Big mistake. She laughed so hard she almost choked and lemonade spewed everywhere.
"Honey chile, it's jes wrong to treat yo mammy like dis," Lafayette said with great flourish. He was wearing a floor length ragged house dress stuffed with enormous amounts of padding around the middle.
Sookie brought one hand to her mouth and held her stomach with her other arm. "Oh my god!" she giggled when she had recovered enough to speak. "You can't be serious!"
"Girlfriend, if you don't think me struttin' aroun in some frumpy shit like this here ain't serious, you got bigger problems than vampires circling' yo pretty little ass like sharks."
"Oh Lafayette, I'm so sorry," she giggled, her hand still covering her mouth. "Your make-up is great though," she added, before cracking up again.
"A bitch gotta have some flair, baby girl," he said, batting his long fake lashes and showing off his metallic gold eye shadow. "Where's yo stuff?"
Sookie pointed to the boxes containing her clothes and hat. Lafayette carried them out to the rented Town Car, put them in the backseat and held the door for Sookie to get in the front with him.
"You din wanna ride in the back, did you?" he asked after he was already behind the wheel.
"No. I'm good right here." She was able to get the words out, but she couldn't hold her straight face. She started giggling all over again. They had reached the Shreveport city limits before she was able to look at him without breaking into peals of giggles.
When they got to Fangtasia, Ginger let them in. Like Lafayette, Ginger was dressed in rags.
"Hello, sista! Looks like you get to be a slave for a day too," Lafayette said as he flounced into the bar and wandered off in search of the food service area.
Ginger showed Sookie to a storeroom which had been rearranged into a dressing area complete with a tall three paneled mirror and a make-up vanity. Perched on a barstool next to the vanity was a pair of emerald green, satin pumps with about four inch heels.
"I'm supposed to help you get dressed," Ginger said. "I guess you have lots of laces in the back, huh?"
"Yeah, lots."
When Sookie was suitably bound into the dress and her hair was arranged into a blonde replica of Scarlett O'Hara, she was ready to join the party. It was just before eight when she entered the main room and saw Pam standing beside the bar. Pam looked even more irritated than usual, and knowing her, Sookie was guessing the way she was dressed probably had a lot to do with it.
"Pam?" Sookie could feel her eyes beginning to bug. Pam was wearing a dove gray silk dress with a high lace collar and a wide lavender ribbon at the waist, but very little other adornment.
Pam turned and gave Sookie a quick once over. "Laugh and I'll drain you where you stand. He can stake me and it'll be worth it," she sneered.
"It's really a very lovely dress, Pam," Sookie said, trying to be diplomatic.
"Yes," Pam snapped. "And my mother had a lovely one just like it back when they were in fashion." Then in a softer voice she added, "And I think you're supposed to call me Melly. I wanted to be Belle Watling, but he said no because she wasn't at the barbeque." Pam rolled her eyes and sighed heavily.
"Did you tell him there were no vampires there either because the barbeque was held outside in broad daylight, not inside a bar at night?"
"Well aren't you cute!" Pam said with a huge smile spreading across her face. "You said that just like you really thought it would have made a bit of difference. You do remember Eric, don't you?"
"I see your point," Sookie conceded.
"Good evening ladies. You're both looking particularly fetching tonight."
"Go to hell, Compton," Pam sneered. "I thought you were supposed to be a Yankee?"
"Yes, the costumer was under the same misconception. Fortunately I was able to correct the error in time." Bill gave Pam a sly smile before focusing his attention on Sookie. "This type of dress becomes you, Sookie."
"Thank you," she responded with a smile. "And I think I like you in gray much better than I would in blue."
"And what is your opinion of white?"
"On whom?" she asked as she spun to face Eric. "Wow."
Eric was dressed as Rhett Butler, in the white linen suit he was wearing during the burning of Atlanta.
"I'll take that as a positive," he said with a smirk and a tip of his hat. "And as I expected, you are a vision, Miss Scarlett." Eric gave Bill a much less pleased glare. "I see you've chosen to alter the casting assignments. Ashley, I assume?"
"Yes," Bill replied. "Having actually been a Confederate soldier, I found the character more relatable."
"Of course," Eric said. "Well, Mr. Wilkes, I'm sure Miss Melanie would appreciate a turn around the grounds."
Pam groaned and trudged away. Bill nodded and followed her.
Eric leaned to whisper in Sookie's ear. "Remember, we are wed. The King is here and he will be expecting to see a happy couple."
"What's he doing here?" Sookie asked as she glanced around the room looking for him.
"So what do you think?" Eric asked, a little too loudly.
"Very Southern Gothic," she replied with a smile. Felipe was walking toward them. He was dressed as a Yankee general.
Eric seemed amused by her answer. "I might have said Machiavellian, but I believe our tastes in literature are somewhat at odds."
"A civilization Gone With The Wind, how fitting a theme for a party to celebrate the reconstruction of my kingdom," de Castro said with a satisfied smirk.
It didn't take telepathy to see Felipe's foot planted firmly on Eric's neck. Eric had defied him and now he was paying dearly for it.
"There was a time when knowledge of the story was quite helpful in opening a conversation," Felipe said. If he was trying to be charming, it was lost on Sookie. "Though tonight's festivities durive their inspiration more from the film."
"And you're not so much opening a conversation as making a point," Sookie added with an arched eyebrow and a decidedly sarcastic tone.
Felipe clasped his hands together in front of him and looked at Sookie. As his smile grew, he took on the look of a hungry alligator. As he stared, it was difficult to tell if he was considering responding to her or tearing her in half and feasting.
Eric stepped closer and placed a protective hand at the small of her back. "Your rapier wit, Miss Scarlett, is as sharp as ever. But I do not believe it is necessary to take your role quite so seriously." To Felipe, Eric said, "No doubt you recall my wife's flare for drama."
"Indeed, I do." Felipe's gaze lingered on Sookie for a moment longer before moving on to Eric. "I heard someone say you had a case of Royalty in your store room. I'm going to take a seat in a booth and enjoy the pleasures of observation. Perhaps you would be good enough to send a waitress over with a warmed bottle?"
"Right away," Eric said with a warm smile and a respectful nod.
"Be careful, Sookie," he whispered when he was sure the din of the crowd would prevent him being overheard. "I am in the process of raising funds to finance an overthrow, but in the mean time, you would do well to remember not everyone takes as much pleasure in you as I do."
She looked up at him from under her lashes and smiled. "Oh, believe me, Captain Butler, when you're in me, the pleasure is all mine."
That brought out his grin. "Would you care to dance? Or perhaps you prefer some refreshment first?"
"I don't remember any dancing at the barbeque. That was after," Sookie said.
Eric draped Sookie's arm over his and led her toward the buffet tables. "Then for the time being, we will feed you," he chuckled.
Despite the ridiculousness of the situation Sookie had a very good time. The food was great and the kind of quasi-role-playing was kind of fun once she got into it and when she didn't feel the pressure of Felipe de Castro staring holes into her flesh.
By the end of the evening Sookie was too exhausted from dancing to even change her clothes. Eric sent Lafayette to pull the rental car around as he escorted her out. She almost stumbled once and he offered to carry her, but she just giggled and pushed at him. She was quite tipsy.
Eric helped her into the passenger side of the car and tucked her dress in around her. He leaned in to kiss her good night but the moment his lips touched hers she pulled away and feigned offense.
"Rhett!" she scolded, darting her eyes in Lafayette's direction. "On the forehead, like a good brother."
Eric flashed her his sexiest grin. "I will wait and hope for better things."
"You do that," she murmured as she snuggled into the seat. She was asleep before they'd left the parking lot.
XXX
"Where are we?" Sookie held a hand to her head and looked around. They were in a ballroom with a band playing old fashioned music. But they were in a booth at the side of the room.
"We at the fundraiser for the South," Lafayette said from behind her.
Oh, no way, she thought. I thought we left already. She spun around and sure enough there stood Lafayette, still dressed as Mammy and busy sorting through a box of fabric scraps. She looked down and saw she was in the same dress. Would this party never end? "Why are we still here?"
"It's a fundraiser, Scarlett. We're raising money. Apparently we're all poor now." Pam was pawing at the collar of her dress and watching Sookie gape at her. "OK, so I guess you're doing alright from the look of you. But clearly I'm poor because I would have never bought this dress unless I had no other choice."
"Pam, what are you talking about? What's going on?"
Pam's brows furrowed and her mouth tightened into an almost perfect circle. "Scarlett, are you feeling ill?"
"Miss Scarlett honey, why you messin' wit Miss Melly like dat? Ain't it bad enough you done stopped wearin' yo mournin' clothes so soon after yo husband died?"
"Oh my god," Sookie whimpered into her hands. She took several deep breaths before looking up again. Nothing had changed. She glanced around the room and noticed a thin young man carrying a basket and walking toward them.
"Ladies, I'm collecting jewelry for the Confederacy."
Pam rolled her eyes and gave the man a vicious stare. "Do I look like I can afford jewelry?" She looked down at her hand, pulled a ring from her finger and said, "Oh, wait. You can have this tacky thing." She then closed the distance between herself and Sookie and grabbed Sookie's left hand. "Here, you can have hers too. Her husband's dead. She doesn't need it any more."
Sookie started to pull her hand away. "Hey! I'm not even mar--". She stopped mid sentence when she saw the plain gold wedding band on her finger. Pam easily slid it off and tossed the two rings into the man's basket.
"Is that all you wish to contribute?" The man was looking at Sookie. At her hair.
Sookie's hands flew to Gran's pearl hair combs. "No. I mean, yes. That's all we have to contribute."
As the young man's face rearranged its self into a disdainful expression, another familiar voice joined the fray.
"On behalf of the ladies," Eric said as he removed several cigarettes from a gold case and placed the case into the basket.
"Eric, you don't smoke," Sookie said. "You don't even breathe."
Even if this was a nightmare, Eric's smile was dazzling. He dropped the cigarettes into a pocket and brought a hand up to his chest in mock surprise. "Scarlett, I stand before you a crushed man. To think the impression I made on you was so scant you have forgotten my name. Please, allow me introduce myself. Captain Rhett Butler, at your service." He took a step back and bowed deep.
"Oh, not you too." Sookie sank back against the corner of the booth, lifted a hand to her temple and began to rub.
"Surely you remember Captain Butler, Scarlett," Pam said.
Lafayette gave Eric a lingering leer. "I remember Cap'n Butler."
"Shut up, Mammy," Pam snapped, then turned her attention back to Sookie. "We met him at that awful barbeque. You know the one. It was indoors and in the winter time. We were all there, you, me and Ashley."
Instantly Bill was at Pam's side. "You called?" he asked. He put his arm around Pam's waist and looked at her hand. "Melly, my love, where is your wedding ring?"
Pam shrugged away from Bill's hold. "What are you doing here? You're not in this scene. Go away at once."
Bill vanished as quickly as he had arrived and the attention of their small group returned to Sookie.
"If my name escapes her, perhaps she will recall dancing with me," Eric said with a smirk and before she knew it, he had lifted her over the front counter of the booth, sending the neat stacks of ribbons and bits of cloth scattering in all directions.
Lafayette shot a look at Pam as he rounded the side of the booth, muttering to himself.
"I know you don't expect me to come pick that stuff up?" she said. "But hurry up and get it out of the way. Someone might want to come ask me to dance."
"You look good enough to eat, Scarlett," Eric said as they waltzed around the floor with every eye in the room peering at them every chance they got. "I'm so glad you're not in rags. I'm tired of seeing women in rags."
"That's in the stables, not here," Sookie said. "If we've all gone insane, let's at least keep the scenes straight."
Eric, um Rhett let loose a loud chuckle. The combination of the music and his laughter, mixed with her feeling of being on a sinking ship was just too much. Her mind was whirring as he spun her around the dance floor. "Eric, stop. I'm getting dizzy."
"You have many charms, Scarlett, but I must insist you call me by my proper name, Rhett."
"Right, Rhett. No, not right. Stop it Rhett, I mean stop it right now. I mean, I don't know what I mean any more. I'm dizzy."
Rhett laughed as she fought against him and they danced on.
XXX
Sookie felt a nudge on her shoulder. "There ya go. Get on out the car."
"Huh?" She was in the car. Lafayette had pulled over to the side of the road and was shoving her toward her door. "What the heck, Lafayette!" she yelped.
"You said you was dizzy and tried to take the wheel. You nearly ran us off the road. I do not want to die in a ditch and I ain't in no mood to clean up vomit out a rental car for nobody. Not even you, baby girl."
"I'm alright. I'm not gonna throw up," she said with a giggle.
"You sure? If yo still dizzy, we can sit here a while. I don't wanna have to keep startin' an stopping' all the way home."
"I'm fine, Lafayette, really. Let's go." Sookie smiled and patted his arm for reassurance.
Lafayette looked at her and had to admit, she didn't appear ill at all. "Well, alright then. If you say so. But no more grabbin' at the steerin' wheel. You don't need to kill nobody tonight. Especially not me."
"I promise not to kill anybody. Especially not you," Sookie vowed, and Lafayette pulled back onto the highway to drive the remaining ten minutes to Bon Temps. Sookie fell asleep again almost as quickly as she had the first time.
XXX
The gunshot was deafening. Sookie looked down at the smoking gun in her hands and screamed as she dropped it. She watched as it tumbled down the stairs and skidded into the dead man sprawled out on the floor below.
Pam came running to the top of the staircase dragging a long sword behind her. "You killed him," she said with a glint in her eye and a tinge of disappointment in her voice.
"I think so."
"Damn. I wanted to kill him."
The corpse on the floor, which bore a striking resemblance to Felipe de Castro flinched and sucked in a labored breath of air. " not … dead … looking … for Ashley."
Pam was down the stairs in two bounding leaps. She raised the sword over her shoulder and took a hard swipe at the man. No sooner had his head rolled into the corner, than Bill showed up at Pam's side.
"You called? Did you find your wedding ring?"
"Wrong again," Pam said. "But as long as you're here, make yourself useful and take this body out and bury it."
"Are you sure he's dead?" Bill asked.
"Ashley, he has no head," Pam said.
"I see," Bill replied. "He's bleeding an awful lot. Shouldn't we wrap him in something?"
"Good point." Pam looked up at Sookie. She was still standing midway up the stairs. "Scarlett, tear off part of your petticoat and give it to me. I'll never understand why you constantly run around in that party dress."
"I hate to tear it. It was a gift from Eric."
"I have no idea who Eric is, but if you think I'm stripping anything off with Ashley here gawking at me, you couldn't be more wrong. Just take the whole thing off and give it here."
Sookie reluctantly untied her lace petticoat, stepped out of it and threw it to Pam. Bill retrieved the head from the corner, wrapped it up along with the man's upper body and carried the corpse outside.
Pam looked around and called to someone in the hall. "You there, come over here and help us."
Sookie peered over the banister and saw Lafayette. He had removed all the padding from his tattered dress and was sidling along the bottom of the staircase toward Pam.
"I don't know nothing' bout birthin' babies," he squealed.
"You're all insane!" Sookie screamed. "I want to go home! I want my Gran!" Sookie bolted down the stairs and past the corpse. "Isn't there anyone who can help me?" she wailed as she ran down the hall and toward the back door.
Just as she reached the door, Lafayette caught her by the arm.
"What are you doing? Let me go! I've got to get out of here!" Sookie yelled as she struggled against him.
"It is freezing cold outside, Miss Scarlett. Yo Mammy ain't lettin' you go out there without somethin' to bundle up in."
"I thought you were Prissy now?!" Sookie shrieked.
Lafayette ran to a window in the parlor, dragging Sookie with him. With a mighty swoop, he ripped the left side of the massive green velvet drapery from the rod and wrapped it snuggly around her.
She gaped at him as if he might suddenly burst into flames. She clutched the velvet drape and ran through the back door. Once outside, she stood on the back porch with the wind whipping around her.
Suddenly Eric was standing at the bottom of the porch stairs. "Good evening, Scarlett. Lovely weather we're having."
Her nerves snapped. All the tears she had struggled to hold back, poured out at once. She sat down on the steps and sobbed uncontrollably.
"What's all this about, Scarlett? You're making quite a fuss in your velvets. What is it you want, my dear?"
"I want this to stop!" she screamed. "I want to go home! I want to go back to Bon Temps. I want Eric."
Before she knew it, Eric had scooped her up in is arms and was carrying her, someplace, as she cried softly into his chest.
"Shhhhh," he whispered into her ear. "You're alright now."
"I want it to stop. Please make it stop," she whimpered.
"Anything you want, Sookie. We're almost there. Just a few more steps."
"You called me Sookie," she said and looked up into his face. "But you're still wearing this suit."
"I thought you liked the suit?"
She saw where she was. "This is my house."
"Would you have preferred I put you up in a hotel? I could fly you back to Shreveport."
"Eric, what are you doing here?"
"That will be quite enough, Sookie," Eric admonished her as they reached her bedroom door. "You are making no sense at all. Do I need to call Dr. Ludwig?"
He stood her at the foot of her bed and tossed her shoes in the general direction of the closet. He must have taken them off somewhere between the car and here. He turned her around so her back was to him and began unlacing her dress. "Put your feet a little further apart and try not to topple over."
"Eric, why are you here?"
"You summoned me. I arrived just as Lafayette was pulling up your drive. You were crying my name. Lafayette said you had been doing that most of the way home."
"And that made you come?"
"Yes."
He pulled the bodice of her dress down over her hips and to the floor. "Step out."
She did as instructed and he shoved the dress aside.
"I've had the strangest dreams tonight."
"Did you dream of me?" he asked as he untied her bustle and hooped petticoat and flung them over with the dress.
"You were there, but you didn't recognize me."
He began work on the corset strings. "Ah, nightmares."
"Yes, I felt like I was being dragged along and things just kept getting weirder and weirder." She twisted and stretched a bit as her body was freed from its bindings. "Oh, that's wonderful," she sighed as he removed the corset.
She stood in a lace chemise and pantalets. He turned her to face him. In the process of removing most of her clothes he had also removed his jacket and shirt.
"May I kiss you now?" he asked with a smirk.
"I insist."
He drew her close and kissed her softly, then sat on the bed and pulled her into the space between his legs. He slipped a finger under each of the shoulder straps of the chemise, pulling them down onto her upper arms.
Sookie twisted and began to lift her arm out of the garment.
"No," he whispered, holding her arm in place. "Allow me." He ran his fingers along the delicate lace. He seemed fascinated by the way it moved under his touch. His hands followed the embroidered ivy patterns down her side to her hips and rested there before turning her so her back was to him.
With one hand remaining on her hip, the other felt its way up her back to the two ties at the top. He carefully pulled each small bow loose. Then placing both hands on the back of her neck, he moved them simultaneously to each side, slowly pushing the fragile fabric as he went, exposing her bare skin one inch at a time. "Beautiful," she heard him murmur.
"Eric?"
"Shhhhh."
The garment was coaxed down her arms until he released it, allowing it to fall to the ground around her ankles and leaving her naked from the waist up. He turned her back around so she stood facing him.
"So much mystery," he said wistfully, placing a hand between her breasts and trailing down her abdomen.
"What mystery?" she giggled. "There's nothing here you haven't seen before."
"You are mistaken. I do not believe I have ever seen this freckle before." He touched a freckled spot on her stomach and stared intently as his finger traced several circles around it. "I sometimes regret modern fashions. They leave nothing to be discovered."
"Is that one little freckle all mysterious and important?" she asked, running her own fingers through his hair.
He lifted his gaze to meet hers and looked as though she had asked the most bizarre question he'd ever heard. "That freckle is as much a part of you as this." He raised his hand and brushed his thumb lightly across her eyelid. "Or this." He smiled and playfully pinched her nipple. "Or this." His hand slipped between her legs and touched her clit, causing her to gasp as a quiver ran through her. "Take any one away and the whole changes. I wonder how you would be different without this freckle?"
His stare didn't falter. He was perfectly serious and waiting for an answer.
"I never thought about it."
"I have," he said plainly. "I do not believe I would let this freckle go without a fight." He leaned forward and kissed it as his hands slid into the top of her pantalets and pushed them to the floor.
He leaned back, never breaking eye contact with her and unzipped his pants, releasing his erection. She gave a little tug and his pants joined the growing pile of clothes on the floor.
Eric lifted a hand and beckoned to her. "Come to me, lover."
She crawled along with him as he scooted back until he was comfortably lying on the bed. When she lowered herself to kiss him, all the worry and confusion of the day faded away into a haze of passion and desire.
When they were both spent and Sookie lay quaking in his arms, she kissed his chest and breathed, "Can we just have sex until the sun comes up?"
Eric rolled over and gazed down at her. "I assure you, my lover, the south will rise again."
She giggles, threw her arms around his neck and greedily received his kisses.
By the time dawn threatened, she was certain Eric could draw a fairly accurate dot-to-dot map of every freckle on her body.
"You'll be staying here?" Sookie asked as she tried to snuggle even closer.
"If you have no objection," he said with a gentle squeeze. "The sun is near."
"You'll be with me all day."
"In a manner of speaking," he said softly as he slipped out of the covers. He twirled a lock of her hair around his finger and gave her a loving smile before kissing her one more time. "Now get some rest, you've had a long night."
But rest was the furthest thing from her mind as she watched him walk from the room. She'd had enough rest for now. She'd sleep again tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day.