I WRITE THE SONGS ~ CONTEST ENTRY
TITLE: Do You Wanna Dance? (The Ramones)
CHARACTERS: Eric/Sookie, Amelia, Sam, Pam
DISCLAIMER: Characters belong to Charlaine Harris, lyrics for "Do You Wanna Dance" written originally by Bobby Freeman, covered by The Ramones
PEN NAME: Belleviolette
BETA NAME: evenflo78
VIRGIN WRITER : NO
TEASER: It's 1979, and Sookie hits the town one night with Amelia for a Ramones concert. What happens when she meets a dashing stranger?
SPOV
The sound vibrated in the air as the record player blasted the awesome punk sounds through my bedroom. I bopped along in front of my vanity, belting out the lyrics while trying to apply copious amounts of black eyeliner. It was tricky.
My best friend Amelia was hopping around the room, rocking out while she waited for me. Amelia was a little taller than me, but where I had long, wavy, blonde hair, she had choppy, kinda spiky, red locks. What we both had in common was our absolute love of punk music. It was something that was still relatively new to the world, although it was catching on. Especially in a city like New York, a place considered fairly modern, it was becoming quite popular. Thank God for that, now that shit-tastic disco was finally on it's way out. I shuddered a little. Ugh, disco.
It was 1979. A brand new decade would be upon us in a couple months, and I couldn't be happier about it. It had been a tough few years for me, needless to say. At the ripe old age of nineteen, I was adjusting to life in the big city. I had taken a chance and moved out here a year ago with Amelia, shortly after my parents were killed in a car accident.
Before then, I had been living an idyllic, yet uneventful life in Bon Temps, Louisiana. I was just finishing my senior year in high school, where I excelled, but longed for something more exciting. I had been dating the quarterback of the football team, Bill Compton, for two years. He was alright, but boring as all hell. When I found out he had been cheating on me with the head cheerleader, Lorena, I was shocked, but not all that upset. I took it as a sign that I was meant for a bigger, better life.
Money around my house had always been tight, and I knew there wouldn't be funds for college. Nonetheless, I was determined to make something of myself, and get out of Bon Temps.
When my parents died, I knew I had to start living. I no longer had anything, or anyone holding me back, so when Amelia offered for me to join her in New York, I jumped at the chance. We moved in together, into a tiny, yet cozy apartment in Soho.
We both worked our butts of as waitresses at a bar and grill called Merlotte's. The owner, Sam, quickly became a close friend and confidant, and we were fortunate he gave us all the best shifts. It was nice to have help when we needed it.
In our spare time, Amelia and I would party and have the most fun we could. One of our favorite places to go was a club called CBGB's, which was only a few blocks away from our apartment, on Bowery Street. From there, we watched in awe as the punk movement grew more and more popular.
So many amazing bands took the stage there, but tonight was our favorite. In a matter of a few hours, The Ramones would be performing, and we were beyond stoked for it.
Amelia, decked out in skin-tight jeans, a fitted purple tank and black boots, bounced up and down on my bed singing along to "I Wanna Be Sedated".
I laughed and sang along with her, examining myself in the mirror once my makeup job was complete. Tousling my hair to achieve a messier look, I was satisfied. I looked myself over. I had messy waves down my back, thick black eyeliner around my blue eyes, and light pink lipstick. With my white, v-neck t-shirt, tight black jeans, and bright pink Chucks, I thought I looked like a sexy punk princess, if I did say so myself.
Amelia seemed to agree. "Meooow, look at you missy! You won't have any problem getting noticed tonight!" She winked and nudged me suggestively, as she landed beside me from off the bed.
"Amelia, need I remind you who in the room is the pickup artist? Besides, your target audience is wider, I only go for guys." And I was a virgin, but that was beside the point.
"What can I say, I like to share the love. You, however, need to get out there. Seriously. You can't save yourself forever! Promise me, tonight, if the moment, um, arises, that you'll at least think about it. Who knows, the man of your dreams could be waiting out there for you and you don't even know it..." She trailed off dreamily as she gestured out the window.
"Oh yeah, like I'm gonna meet Prince Charming at a punk show. In a sweaty bar. Honestly, Amelia, you need to pull your head out of the clouds!"
She rolled her eyes at me, and threw her hands up in frustration. "Once again, I tried. But mark my words, one of these days, you'll listen to me. Now let's get going! I'm starving and we still have time to grab something at Merlotte's!"
I stuffed some money in my jeans, and after grabbing my leather jacket, we were out the door.
It being the end of October, there was a bit of a chill in the night air as we walked the block and a half to Merlotte's.
The bell on the door chimed as we entered the bar. Sam was behind the counter, filling a few pints of draft beer. He greeted us warmly. "Hey ladies, you're looking good tonight. Where ya off to?"
Amelia chuckled. "Sam, we've been talking about this for weeks, you know where we're going!"
Sam just rolled his eyes and laughed it off. One thing you could never accuse Sam of was being a punk fan. We was still a down-home country boy from Texas, cowboy boots and all. He certainly shared the Southern thing with me, and I think that's partly why he was attracted to me. He, in no uncertain terms, had proclaimed his feelings for me on more than one occasion. But he was like a brother, and I couldn't think of him as any more. While I think I broke his heart, he never fully gave up. I couldn't fake it, though. He just wasn't my type.
The bar was busy, but we managed to snag a booth in the far corner. I sat opposite Amelia, facing the door. I was completely ravenous at this point, so we quickly ordered burgers and fries, devouring them without much conversation once they arrived.
While we were waiting for the check, the bell on the door jingled once again, and I looked towards the sound, out of habit. What I saw made me choke on my Pepsi.
Amelia burst out laughing at my dorkiness, turning to figure out who had – literally – taken my breath away. When she turned her head back toward me, her eyes were wide, and she mouthed, "Prince Charming!" to me.
That he was. The stranger who was standing at the door, taking a look around, was everything that could possibly make me swoon. He was incredibly tall, I guessed at at least 6'5". He had a lean, muscular body, which was obvious from the clothing he was wearing. He had on tight grey jeans, accompanied with black motorcycle boots, a tight black t-shirt and leather jacket. I could see the outline of his pecs and abs through the t-shirt, and it was making me drool. The jeans he wore were hung low on his hips, emphasizing the V that trailed from his hips to down under the waist of his pants.
The best part, however, was his face. He had a chiseled jaw, with a dimpled chin. He had a 5 o'clock shadow, though it wasn't all that noticeable because we was so fair-haired. In fact, his hair was the same color as mine. He had full lips and a perfect nose, and his eyes were the most beautiful ice blue I had ever seen. They kept getting obscured by his shaggy hair. He kept flipping his head to the side, trying the clear his vision of the wisps of hair that got in the way.
I was hypnotized. So much so, that I hadn't noticed Amelia snapping her fingers in front of my face. I watched the stranger approach a stool at the bar, remove his jacket, and sit down.
I barely noticed our check being dropped off at the table, nor did I see Amelia drop some bills down to cover it.
Only when she yanked me up from the booth by my arm did I snap out of it. "Ow!"
She only laughed harder at me. "Let's go, Sookie, or we're gonna be late! I told Pam we'd meet her at the front door at nine. Move it!" With a quick slap to my ass, we turned to leave.
We waved to Sam on the way out, Amelia yelling over to him, "We'll say hi to the Ramones for ya, Sam!"
I could hear him mumbling, "Yeah, my lifelong dream..."
I shook my head. As I turned back to look at my handsome stranger, I noticed he had turned and was looking right at me. He had a smirk on his face. I didn't know if that was a good thing, or a bad thing, but I brushed it off. A guy like that would never go for someone like me.
With a defeated sigh, I walked out the door.
EPOV
Pam told me where I might find them before the concert started. My sister had been nothing but hospitable since I had moved back to the east coast from California. I loved to surf, but after a few years, I had grown tired of the scene. I wanted to come to New York to start a new venture with Pam. Opening a bar seemed like a good fit for us, but it was only in it's preliminary stages. So, needless to say, I had a lot of time on my hands.
Not to say there weren't plenty of, uh, people to meet. Pam certainly knew a lot of amazingly hot girls. She, unfortunately, had also slept with most of them herself.
I couldn't quite figure it out, but around the time I grew bored of life in Cali, my interest in casual sex waned. It just wasn't as satisfactory as it once had been. I longed for something more. At this point, I wasn't above admitting that it was possible I wanted to settle down. The need had come a lot sooner than I expected – I was only twenty-five, after all – but I wasn't against it. But finding a woman to be serious with in New York is sometimes like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
When Pam started to mention that her latest lover had a very available roommate, I was a little apprehensive. Knowing Pam, her taste could be a little... off. She would range from punk princess to quiet country girl and back again. When she said this girl was actually a cross between the two, my brain started playing out all the laughable outcomes. But she insisted she was perfect for me.
Finally, I gave in. What was there to lose? Pam said that she and her friend Amelia would take care of everything, and I just had to be at the Ramones concert at CBGB's. That way, if there was a problem, I could just let myself get lost in the crowd, and be done with it. Fair enough.
In the days leading up to it, Pam talked more and more about Sookie. She told me everything she knew about her, and when she explained what she looked like, I found myself more than a little curious about her. So, I asked Pam to let me have a look at her before the concert started. Knowing she'd likely be at the bar Merlotte's for dinner, Pam gave me directions, and told me to "act natural" and to "just look".
That's what I did.
When I walked in to the little bar, I stood at the doorway, casually looking around to find her. I saw her right away. And she far exceeded my expectations. I couldn't help the instant stirring I felt in my suddenly too-tight jeans. She was gorgeous, with warm blue eyes and wavy blonde hair, the most kissable pout I'd ever seen, and curves for days. I immediately wanted to take her in my arms and worship her just as she was meant to be worshipped. She was a goddess.
Pam had outdone herself for me.
I had to look away quickly, for two reasons. One, I saw her staring at me. And two, her friend, I was assuming it was Amelia, turned and saw me standing there. She was definitely in on the setup, even though we'd never met, she knew what I looked like. If she was sticking to the plan, then so was I.
I nonchalantly went to the bar and sat down, carefully draping my leather jacket across my now-bulging erection. I couldn't help thinking, way to be discreet, jackass. But damn if that woman didn't have some kind of power over me. It was intoxicating.
I quickly ordered a beer while eavesdropping on my little vixen, and chuckled softly to myself when I heard Amelia trying to get her attention to leave. It would seem as though I had the same effect on her as she did on me. I supposed that was a very good thing.
As she was walking out the door, I turned and smiled at her, just to make sure she saw me. She did. She also blushed furiously. It was fucking adorable.
She would be mine. I just knew it.
SPOV
When we got to the club, Pam was already waiting, and looking stunning as usual. I always thought she looked like Deborah Harry, only a lot hotter. And hell, I was straight. So that's saying something.
I noticed right away that she and Amelia were whispering quickly to each other, so I commented. "Hey, rude, I'm right here, no secrets!" I pouted a little for emphasis.
Pam cackled, and put her arm around me. "Oh, my darling Sookie, we would never keep anything from you. Now, let's go in and get a table."
The place was already filled with patrons, but we managed to find a table directly in front of the mixer booth. It was a little more than halfway to the stage, on the left-hand side of the bar.. I was glad we found this table because that way, we had a sort of wall behind us, which meant no crazies bumping into us from behind.
Pam immediately ordered us a round of beer, and I sat back to people watch as Pam and Amelia conversed with each other.
It seemed to be the usual crowd I saw every time we're here. A variety of different people, young and old, in an array of different outfits and hairstyles, all here for the same thing. I couldn't help but appreciate that.
When I turned to glance towards the entrance to the club, my breath caught in my throat. Standing there, once again scanning the crowd, was my beautiful stranger. I nearly spewed the mouthful if beer I had when his eyes came to rest on me. That smirk appeared on his face again, as he started towards me.
I felt like a deer in the headlights. I spun around to face Amelia and Pam, not quite finding my voice but instead opting for a series of cavewoman-ish grunts and gestures to grab their attention.
Noticing my wild eyes, Pam played dumb. "Amelia, she's trying to speak! Wait, I think we may be able to decipher the primate's gestures if we study her long enough!" She laughed at me, highly amused at my frustration.
All I could do was glare at her, but it was too late. I felt his presence next to me after a moment. I couldn't help blushing.
What took me entirely by surprise was that he greeted Pam first. And not the way I ever expected.
"Well, if it isn't my darling sister! Fancy meeting you here." He walked around to give Pam a quick peck on the cheek.
SISTER? Well I'll be damned.
Pam gave him a little slap in the arm as he sat down on my left. I couldn't suppress a small shudder from the electricity that jumped between us. Wow.
"Ladies, this is my big brother, Eric. Eric, this is Amelia, and this... is Sookie." He politely shook Amelia's hand, then turned to me to take mine. It was like a jolt ran through my body, touching every wonderful nerve I had, in such a delicious way. And from the expression on his face, I knew he felt it, too.
Without releasing my hand, or his intense gaze on me, Eric said, "It must be a small world. I just saw both of you at that quaint little bar. What are the odds?" I could tell by his deviously amused expression that it was no accident he had been there. I realized what was happening immediately. I was the victim of a setup!
Did it really matter, though? Eric still hadn't dropped my hand, and instead brought it up to his perfect lips. Funny, I never knew the back of my hand had a direct link to my girly bits. Yowza.
Suddenly, the lights went down, and the band took the stage. Eric didn't seem to want to let go of my hand. I didn't argue. He stroked his large thumb in circles on my palm, and I thought I would keel over from the feel of it.
Joey Ramone took the mic in his hands and started wailing as the band launched into their cover of "Do You Wanna Dance?" Pam and Amelia directed all their attention to the stage, while Eric and I were tucked into the corner.
Eric leaned into me, and and spoke into my ear, "Sookie, my dear, I do believe you've been set up. I hope that doesn't disappoint you. Pam couldn't stop talking about you, and I had to see you for myself. But I'll understand if you want me to back off." Without moving his head back, I turned to gaze into his gorgeous blue eyes.
"Not on your life. How about we just go with it? I'd hate to disappoint the girls." I smiled at him, and he looked relieved.
Suddenly feeling bold, I threw caution to wind and leaned into him to close the distance between us. I graze my lips against his, lightly at first, then more feverishly. I felt everything at once as we melted into each other. His tongue silently begged for entrance, and I happily obliged him. He tasted wonderfully sweet and warm. He felt right.
It was an assault on my senses, in the most wonderful way. I could feel immediately that there was something magical between us, and Eric felt the same way, too.
As Joey Ramone belted out the last chorus to the song, I looked up at Eric once again, and he smiled knowingly at me.
Wouldn't you know it, "Do You Wanna Dance?" was what we played as our song two years later.
At our wedding.