It's Only Beginning
A/N: All rights belong to the beautifully talented Charlaine Harris. I'm only playing with the characters she created.
Alright y'all, I'm super nervous about this fanfic… it's the first one I've written for the Sookie Stackhouse's… so take it easy on me. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 1
I'd had a hard day today. In between busily shuffling around Merlotte's slinging drinks to the regular rowdy bunch, including Jason's impatient work crew (because he for some reason unknown to me, believes that there are sibling rights involved in being served at the bar I work in) in my new, off the sales rack, un-broken-in tennis shoes from Wal-Mart, and attempting to keep my mental shields up at full mast, I'd been hard pressed not to just throw my tray down and call it quits before my shift ended.
All that, not to mention a passing through trucker named Mackie gettin handsy with my rear end did nothing for my already stressed mood. Although, Jason quickly put him to rights; right out the door with a sprained elbow I might add. At least I can thank him for physical protection. Lord knows I need it most times in the lewd crowds we get.
My boss nearly had a conniption at the instance of Mackie puttin moves on me; I could feel the shift of anger and wrath in the tangled mess of his red-tenured thoughts. Of course I could never get a full mental read on Sam Merlotte because his thoughts were consistent scrambled goo to my thought radar. Whereas other people would have either a fine stream of thin mental images or thinkin, it's like his mind is underwater and I can't hear nothin' clearly from him. Not that I mind, cause I'm only too sure I'd not wanna know what was goin' on in his kind head anyway. I've always known Sam held a soft place in his heart for me, and I certainly don't want to bruise that softness with no return of the sentiment. So I let it hang that he has feelings for me. I don't need another thing to deal with now anyhow.
After finally driving home to my comfortable old house, I rested my head against the steering wheel a moment to gather myself together before heading up onto the porch and through the front door. Normally I don't let the stress get to me this bad, and right then I made a mental note to more actively practice my mental shielding; maybe I just needed a couple days off… I thought about this while greeting Gran and kissing her on her cheek.
"How was work, honey?" She asked me. Mostly only kind words with Gran, and not that she didn't know how to give mine and Jason's hides a good lickin when we stepped out of line when we were kids, but she'd bite her sweet old-fashioned tongue before being in any way rude intentionally.
"Fine, Gran. I'm just tired is all. I think I'll go take a bath." I said to her, hanging up my keys on the hook on the kitchen wall.
"Well alright then. Goodnight Sookie." She said to me before picking up her overturned book from the kitchen table to resume reading.
I stripped off my work clothes quickly, my muscles aching at the movement, eager to relax in my claw-foot bathtub. I squirted some of the vanilla and honey bath gel bubble stuff my coworker Arlene had bought me for Christmas into the water, before checking the temperature and slipping in.
Not often did I gift myself a real bath soaking, what with work, errands, and my regular daily chores to attend to. But now I relished the hot water seeping into my pours and wringing out my sore muscles to jelly.
Even in the calm trance, my mind still did some meddling of its own, and I began to think about the whirlwind of craziness that surrounded the recently introduced real-life vampires, "coming out of the coffin." Who knew that Buffy held some truth? Now my Gran had raised me faith-based, open minded, and accepting of all kinds of people so I didn't hold any kind of disdain towards them; but boy did some of the Christian folks who came into Merlotte's have some awful nasty thoughts about them. Ever since their coming out, I'd be lyin if I said I wasn't fascinated by the concept. I had "heard" some pretty eccentric things about them while on my barmaid duties. Like how vampires have an insatiable sex-drive (that was gathered from women who read those gossip magazines). I didn't want to wonder too much about how the writer found out about that, but being that I am twenty-five years strong with untainted pure-as-snow virtue, not by choice, I probably couldn't fathom it too well anyway. It sure would be interesting to meet a vampire, though.
After allowing myself to drift off into simple thoughts and relaxation for a good ten minutes I grabbed my razor off of its little holder and did a leisurely review of my underarms and tan legs, mindful that it's still Summertime and in Louisiana that means hot. And I'd be damned if I let the sunny weather go to waste without gettin out in my tanning chair to take advantage for as long as possible, preferably with non-prickly legs. Not that I had close neighbors to see, but a lady still wants to feel nice.
Fully satisfied with my bubble bath indulgence, I dried off with a fluffy crème colored towel, brushed out my healthy blonde hair, and slipped on a comfortable cotton nightgown and crawling into my bed. I was awake just long enough to finish my prayers before sleep consumed me.
A/N: Please review if you like what you see. &Fear not! Eric in all his glory is coming. I'm trying to focus on shorter chapters to begin with, that way you won't be waiting too long.