A/N: AU/OOC - My first fanfiction which was inspired by the 2010 Yuletide request.
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris. No monetary compensation is gained. For entertainment and creative purposes only.
Chapter 1 : Poaching
Closing the door behind himself, Eric made his way down the corridor of the Silent Shores Hotel in downtown Dallas. Nostrils flared, mouth slightly agape, he drew a deep yet unnecessary breath savouring the flavor of Sookie's blood still fresh on his tongue. He had successfully sampled the telepath whilst tending to the wounds she secured during her captivity and escape from the Fellowship of the Sun's headquarters earlier in the day. Advantageous as it might be to have a telepath in one's service, Eric previously saw no reason to explain why Bill would go through such an elaborate charade to secure Sookie's devotion, until this moment. Eric was beginning to make sense of Bill's obsession with the blond telepathic barmaid, after having only a few drops of her blood.
Not one to pass up an opportunity, Eric pivoted and made his way towards the elevators. His thoughts drifting back to conversations that took place in Bill's room earlier in the evening when the frightened bellhop nervously answered the barrage of questions posed by Bill regarding Sookie's whereabouts. The doe-eyed boy confessed to receiving a cry for help from the buxom blond who claimed to be in eminent danger as she was being held against her will in the basement of the church. It did not escape Eric's attention that this admission had exposed the fact that the bellboy shares the same telepathic ability as Sookie. Instantly the cognitive mechanism, which has served Eric so well these past one thousand years, began to devise plans as how best to capitalize on this information. He was fairly certain that in Bill's agitated state to rescue Sookie, he had overlooked the discovery of the rare gem they had found in Barry. Eric was quite certain the Dallas vampires were unaware of this talented young boy, else they would not have needed the services of the Area 5 sheriff and his servants.
Pressing the button to summon the elevator, Eric smiled to himself as he recalled how the young boy who sat on Bill's couch earlier had greedily jumped at the few hundred dollar bills he had tossed in his direction as payment for his time and information. Further cementing the fact that this telepath was unclaimed and living off the meager earnings as a hotel concierge staff member. When there was no further information to be learned, Bill rushed out the door in pursuit of Sookie. Eric remained behind to test a theory he had been harboring. Walking across the room, he took up a seat on the couch directly opposite from Barry, leaning back and crossing his legs, resting his ankle on his knee in a deliberate act to project an image of ease and comfort. He picked up the remote control, and switched on the television. Purposefully, Eric gave the boy a reassuring smile as he pushed his thoughts towards Barry's mind. Youaresafe. Youcantrustme. Whilst appearing to be engrossed in the news broadcast on the television, Eric observed as the boys eyes roamed over his profile and travel down the length of his body as he reclined on the furniture. He could hear as the boy's heartbeat slowed, his intake of breaths became more even and deeper, and the color began to return to his face as his fear began to abate. This human telepath appeared to be responding to his glamouring technique. Apparently Barry had not developed the protective shields or barriers that Eric had encountered when trying to glamour Sookie. Wanting to ensure that this was accurate, Eric pushed another thought into Barry's mind. Youshouldreturntowork.
"Can I get you a drink?" Eric asked smoothly, as he unfolded his tall frame from the couch. He heard Barry swallow and reposition himself on the couch as Eric glided towards the minibar. The boys heartbeat picking up tempo.
"No...no thank you," Barry stammered getting to his feet. "I really should get back to work. I've been away from my post for so long...people might start to wonder."
"If anyone questions where you have been during your absence, tell them you were busy providing a service for me. If they press you for any further explanation, you can direct them to me with their questions," the vampire replied with a lopsided smirk on his face. "I have a further proposition for you, and would like to discuss this with you after you get off."
"Um, okay. I have to work until 9 tonight. We can meet up for a drink or something, then." Barry reached into his pocket, clutching the crumbled hundred dollars bills he had stuffed into his pants earlier, and thanked the handsome vampire as he made his way out the room to return to the hotel lobby.
Stepping into the elevator a few hours later, Eric wondered if Barry would still be downstairs in the lobby, finishing up his shift. He pressed the "L" button and the elevator began its descent. Still wearing his business suit, he pulled the lapels together to button up his suit to hide the wrinkles from the dried tears left on his shirt by Sookie. When the doors opened, he stepped out and scanned the lobby, locating Barry who was at the concierge desk, talking with a slight young boy who was dressed in a similar uniform, presumably his replacement for the evening. Eric caught Barry's eye, and tilted his head towards the bar, indicating that he would wait for him there. Barry nodded and returned to finish his conversation with the other bellhop.
The bar was relatively quiet for this time of night, Eric noted as he made short work of finding a secluded table away from other patrons so he could have a private discussion with Barry. A heavily made-up waitress sauntered up to his table, her shoulders back thrusting her breasts forward, her head tilted to one side as she exposed her long neck. On her face she wore a smile that he supposed was meant to be seductive, but Eric found to be lewd. No doubt, she was hoping to catch his eye for an invite to his bedroom and a large tip.
"Can I offer you a drink?" the desperate girl asked, a glimmer of hope making her eyes light up, as she clearly had placed herself on the menu.
Eric was not in the mood for this game. "You can fetch me a pure Royalty while I wait for my companion for the evening."
The girl pouted slightly, and turned quickly to head to the bar. A few minutes passed before Barry entered, having changed from his work uniform into a pair of tight dark denims and a slightly faded fitted black t-shirt, his erect nipples visible under the thin cotton.
Arching an eyebrow, Eric greets him with a smile. "My, what a change from the naive little bellboy I met earlier. You look good enough to eat. Were you planning on going down on The Strip later this evening?" Eric inquired, referencing the popular gay district in Dallas.
"These aren't my clothes," Barry rushed to explain. "I didn't have anything to wear, aside from my uniform. I had to borrow these off Chris, the guy that just came on shift."
Eric held up his hand to prevent Barry from talking any further. "I approve, no need for all the explanation. I just might have an additional proposition for you to consider for tonight. Please have a seat," he said with a wink, indicating the seat next to himself. Barry sat down, his eyes darting around the bar anxiously to see if anyone was watching them.
"Relax. Would you like a drink?"
"Um, yeah. A gin and tonic, if you don't mind." Thetelepathicdrinkofchoice, Eric thought to himself.
As the waitress returned, placing a warm bottle of Royalty in front of Eric, he snapped his fingers, his eyes remaining on Barry, ordering a "Tanqueray Ten and tonic, for my friend." In a huff, the waitress departed, glancing enviously over her shoulder at Barry. "Tell me Barry, how long have you been working here, at Silent Shores?"
"For a couple of years now," Barry answered hesitantly.
"Would you say that you are earning a fair wage provided all that you have to offer?"
"Of the hotels in the area, the pay is better here than at any of the others. I only have to deliver luggage and assist guests in making arrangements for entertainment, theater, sports, stuff like that. Aside from today, the job is relatively quiet and routine."
Eric leaned in towards Barry, as the waitress approached with Barry's drink. In a voice loud enough for the waitress to overhear, Eric asked "Would you like to earn $500 an hour for your service this evening?"
The girl cleared her throat, her eyes wide and fixed on Barry. She put the drink down with force, causing the clear liquid to flow over the lip of the glass. A frown distorted the red line of her mouth, as she glared at Barry for the missed opportunity that she felt should have been hers. She turned on her heel, and stomped back to the bar, eager to fill the other waitresses in on what she just heard about the bellboy and his "services."
Barry's eyes returned to Eric, his face bright red with embarrassment. "She heard you! You made it sound like I was prostitute you were buying for the night!"
"I do not pay for sex," Eric scoffed. "What you have to offer is much more valuable. Again, would you like to work for me this evening?"
"I don't know. I don't want to be in danger like that blond girl was today," Barry hedged. "What do you want me to do to you...er, for you?"
Eric barked a laugh, enjoying Barry's slip of the tongue. He could feel Barry's suppressed desire coupled with his greed for money sway him towards submitting to his will. "I want you to accompany me tonight, as my guest, to an event. There will be few humans in attendance, but as my guest, you will be under my protection, and no one would be able to harm you. I simply want you to observe and listen in on others, to provide me with information. Do you think you could do this?" Eric seized that moment to push his thoughts into Barry, Youcandothis. Youwillbeprotected. Trustme.
"Well, I'm not exactly dressed appropriately for anything fancy."
"In that outfit, you could pass as my date for the evening. It would not be questioned. So is that yes?" Sayyes. Comewithmetonight.
"Ok. But I want an hours wage upfront before we go."
"Done."