I nervously looked down at my feet, hair falling forwards to cover my face. This was the last stop on my list, a late last minute call. My hands had the form in them, tapping the pen as I calculated things in my mind, eyes now looking up to scan the size of the building.
The door was swung open harshly, a male frowning down at me, looking over the board, and rumpled uniform on me. The white blouse had a few stains on it of various shades and colors, the knees of my jeans stained from bleach. I flash a smile at the man as I flick my hair back.
"Hello, I'm from the cleaning service, Hillard's. How may I be of use?" Stupid quote, but it was our company greeting. I beamed a smile, the famous dumb blond smile, said I was ditzy, friendly and naiveté. Not one hundred percent true, but it was what men liked, and made them forget about you soon after.
"This way."
I quickly turn and grab my duffle bag with my supplies and my mop and broom, buckle upside down on the handles. I was quick to follow the rather tall man. Comely as he was, he seemed arrogant and rude. I didn't care, most of my customers were arrogant and rude. The inside of that of a bar, black and red was the theme. My things softly clatter as I rest them on the floor, eyes scanning the area fast, taking in what was needed, where I would start, about how long it would take to finish.
The man had stopped in the middle of the room, frowning at me as I looked over everything fast. To him, I must have looked the stupid human. I turn flashing another smile at him, flicking my dusty, almost white blond, hair from my face.
"Is it the whole room you would like cleaned, or just the main mess, Sir?"
"How long for all of it?"
My eyes flicked around again, calculations causing my lips to move but no words to come out. I turn back to him after hardly a minute.
"One hour at for the main cleaning, twenty for the main mess, and another fifteen if you want the area behind the bar cleaned, sir."
"Where are the others that will help?"
I let out a girlish laugh, eyes closing as I do so. He was frowning more at me, watching as I pulled my hair back into a knot.
"They are all off clock, sir. I am the single team of the company."
"The policy of the company is to get it done in the time allotted by the employee, or it's free."
"I have never had a free cleaning, Sir," I say, eyes meeting his with challenge, the blonde façade dropped so suddenly it caused him to actually give me another look. "I know my job well, as I assume you do yours."
"Full cleaning then. Let us see if you are up to it."
"Excellent," I chirp, pulling the yellow rubber gloves from my pocket. "I'll have to ask you to leave me alone to clean."
He gives me a wary look before walking at a mortal's pace to the door by the restrooms. I waste no time as I set a timer for one hour and ten minutes, placing it on the bar.
The male came out an hour later after hearing the zip of her bag. She stood by the sink, filling a plastic water bottle that had been snapped to her bag. She looked up with a smile as he entered.
"Just in time, sir."
"One hour," he said as he looked around, trying to find fault in the sparkling room. Chairs were stacked on the tables, neat and organized. It looked new, the bloody mess from the middle of the room was gone.
"I assure you, sir, nothing was over looked," she says as she twists the top on to the bottle, stepping out from behind the bar, blood now staining her shirt in a few places along with the knees of her jeans.
He frowned as he stepped closer, trying to read the girl, she could hardly be more than eighteen. She was small, thin and fragile looking. Her form was well filled out though. She lacked any jewelry or personalization to her uniform. She glanced at him for a moment before turning back to putting the bottle back on the bag, gathering her forms and filling them out.
He took another step, she smelled different. Her eyes looked up to him, locking on his blue, not scared like most other humans. The color, or should he say colors, were startling. They were the azure of the sky with amber spiking out around the pupil, both contrasting with her milking skin. She flashed another smile as she stood to her meager five feet.
"I'll need you to sign this," she says as she holds out the paperwork.
He didn't look away from her as he signed it. She avoided his gaze shyly, blushing now. She was quick to rip his copy off and extend it before rushing to her things.
"Thanks for choosing Hillard's, sir," she calls over her shoulder, making a b-line for the door.
He was there to meet her at it. She blinked and gave a surprised jump, the squeak leaving her without much thought.
"What is your name?"
"I'm sorry, sir, I don't-"
"Your name, girl," he growls, fangs flashing.
He could hear her heart skip a beat, breath freezing in her lungs for a long moment. He could smell the sharp tang of her sudden fear. It quickly changed though as her heart beat faster, eyes narrowing in anger, heat pulsing from her.
"Don't you dare threaten me," she hisses, pushing past him roughly, tossing the supplies into the bed of the large black truck. She didn't turn her back on him once though, smart on her part. "And I am no child to be referred to as girl," she snips, hands on her hips, he could see the toned muscles of her arms now. "My name is Miss Lynwood to you Mr. Northman."
She turned sharply, giving him her back as she unlocked her truck with a simple click of a button. She had to grab the bar inside the door to help lift herself into the large truck.
"Have a good night," she chirps sarcastically as she shuts the door firmly.
He stood there for a moment, trying to read the girl, from her smell, to her name, all the way to her voice. She was from the Mid-West, and she clearly didn't like being threatened. She seemed to be indifferent to him and his breed.
He smirked as she drove off. The truck was not hers, he could tell by the other supplies in the bed of the truck, she lived off the main circuit, and it was most definitely a man's, to which he quickly memorized the plate numbers.
I shut the truck off with a sigh, dropping to the ground as soon as the door opened, muttering about men and compensation.
"You're later than normal."
I whip around with a hand to my chest. "Jesus in a minivan," I hiss out in fright. "Don't do that, Jason. You scared me to high waters."
"Did I now?" he asks with a playful smile, coming down the stairs of the porch to the girl trying to get her things from the truck.
"Jason," she warns, her eyes glittering with laughter as she holds it from her voice, lips quirking into a smile as she slings her bag over her head to rest on her shoulder, dropping the mop, broom and bucket to the ground before slinging herself over the edge. "Is Crystal here?"
He glanced around. "Nah. She headed out for a bit."
"She's hunting then," I say while motioning with one hand at the items I had dropped to the ground.
"Aw, now, Faelyn, can't you just ask for help?" he demands as he snatches the items from the air.
"Aint no skin off my back, Jason. There isn't a soul around to see it."
"I don't mind the freakyness, but not where others can see it," he grumbles as he follows me inside.
"It isn't freakyness, Jason Stackhouse. It's me."
"You're as bad as Sook."
I flash a bright smile. "Can we visit her now? I've been here a few weeks now and you haven't told her I'm here yet."
"And I would like to keep it that way, Fae. Last time-"
"Last time I was still getting used to the idea of my skills. There isn't going to be a repeat."
I was already stripping off my blouse, a white tank flashing my red bra through it. Jason rolled his eyes as I went to the spare bedroom, quickly gathering a blue jean skirt and a black blouse with a scoop neck and cap sleeves. Sandals were being pulled on as I rushed out of the bathroom thirty minutes later. My hair was up in a claw, bangs falling into my face.
"Go put some clothes on, Fae," Jason demands as I put my wallet in my back pocket.
"Oh shut it, Jason. I'm allowed to dress up like any other girl. Come on before I go without you."
"Alright. Alright. Hold your horses."
He quickly rushes to put more deodorant on and a slash of some kind of male spray. I waited in the truck, hauling myself up to the seat. Jason ran out, jumping in with east. He was eager to go out too, for all his crabbing.
Jason rushed round the truck to offer me a hand out of the truck when he parked. A boy was outside smoking with an older man with an eccentric attire, gold eyeshadow dusting the lids of his eyes, a vibrant contrast with his dark skin.
"Ooh, Jason. Got another one already?" the man teases, eyes flicking over me.
I lift a brow at Jason as I pass him toward the bar, Merlotte's. It was new to me, new to the Bon Temps I remembered from when I left years ago. I made my way over to the males, they stood next to the door inside, hips swaying with the walk, a teasing look in my eyes as I neared them. The younger one was watching hungrily, the older one didn't seem affected. I sidled up to the older on, slinging an arm around his ribs, too short to get around his shoulders with ease.
I gave a bright smile up at him. "You must me Lafayette. Sook told me about you a long while back."
"Ya? And what Sook say?"
"That you're the best dang order cook she's ever met," I laugh and pull my arm back, eyes looking over the area around the bar. "She also said you were a true friend, not one for the back stabbing all these red neck, back wood smucks like doing." I give a bright smile at him as Jason heads on in to the bar. I hold out my smaller hand, on hand on my hip. "I'm Faelyn Lynwood. Call me Fae or Lyn."
"So how you know Sook? You don't look dumb enough to date Jason." He was looking over my outfit.
I laugh again, hand covering my mouth as I do so. "He's my cousin. No way in hell would I date him. I'm more into the serious and dangerous type." I give a wink. "It's nice to have a guy that's not as emotional as a girl. Hard to find, but there are one or two."
Lafayette laughs, dropping his finished cigarette. "Girl, you got some spirit."
I smile at him. "I got other things too," I say in a purr with a wink before bursting out in another laugh. "Got me the case to go with a spirit, just like all other humans."
He gives a chuckle as he follows me in. I tap his arm without thought as I go to speak.
"So I hear you got some amazing burgers here." I hang my thumbs in the front belt loops of my skirt. "Can ya, hook me up?"
"Want fries with that?"
"And your shake too," I tease with a wink before heading over to Jason's table.
A lot of eyes were on me when I entered, but more so when I leaned over Jason and took him mug of beer, taking a deep sip of it. The bartender threw his rag on his shoulder, frowning at me. A blond waitress stood in stunned silence for a moment, scrutinizing me from head to toe. I give a laugh with Jason as he pulls over the other mug of beer, the one ordered for me.
"Always wanting mine," Jason laughs as I sit next to him. His friend sat across from him. "This is Hoyt, he's my best bud."
"Hello, best bud, Hoyt. I'm Fae." I lean over the table to shake his hand.
"I'm sorry we don't serve minors here. You should know that Jason," a male says from behind me.
I look up and behind me, stunned for a moment by the ruggedly hansom man. I light up with a smile as I pull my wallet out. "I'm not a minor, sir. Fully of age."
I hold out the ID with my photo. "Name's Fae," I greet, offering out a hand.
"Fae?"
I look up quickly, jerking to my feet, heart beating too fast in fear. I jump as arms grab hold of me, squeezing me into a tight hug without warning. The feel of her was enough to calm me, she had the same aura.
"Sookie," I whisper as I hug her back just as hard, neither wanting to let go. "Gosh, I've missed you so much."
She pulls back to look me over. "You quit dying your hair."
"Yeah, grew out of it I guess. You're still the same ol' same ol' Sook." I laugh again as I realize something. "You're taller than me."
"You're still short. How long you been in town?"
"A few weeks?" I give a guilty look, pretending to wince.
"What?"
"Yeah, Jason's letting me stay with him and use his truck for work. He was worried about what might happen."
"You've had time to practice since then."
"Exactly," I pointedly say to Jason, eyes challenging him. "Years."
"How long you staying?"
"As long as I can. I'm currently getting a work van."
It was clear that I was excited about the idea of getting my own van. She smiles again while letting me sit down.
"Order up!" Lafayette calls from the kitchen.
Sookie rushes off to get it, frowning as she looks at the burger and fries. "That's fo' your home girl over there."
I smile at her, eyes shutting with the laugh as Jason and Hoyt talk about something.
That night, I had fun, getting to know the people Sook and Jason grew up with. I laughed with many of them, just talking about anything and nothing. It was nice to seem normal. A week later and I was still coming in every night, laughing with the locals, now a local too.