Strange Love
I often wondered how I ended up working at Merlotte's Bar. It was always so noisy, chaotic, to full of people. Not that I minded people, I just preferred them at a distance. "Hey sweet cheeks," I twist my body away from the outstretched hand, as I place the drink order on the table.
"There y'all go, now just call me if you need anything else," I say cheerfully, trying to ignore the leering eyes that gaze across my, what I liked to call, untouched body. And if this is what men who wanted sex were like, it was going to sure as hell going to stay untouched.
"Oh we will," the guy to my right says, attempting once more to place a hand on my thigh.
I grab it and place it back on the table, "Do I need to call you a doctor to see why you can't control your own limbs?" I ask him smiling as I release his hands. He shakes his head slowly, causing my grin to widen. It was a trick Lafayette had taught me after I confessed I was having a bit of trouble with a few of the men that frequented this establishment. He told me that if you call a guy out on his behaviour, unless he was really drunk or really bold, he'd leave you alone. So far it had worked wonders, but it still didn't make me feel much happier about working at a place filled with constantly complaining and sometimes downright judgemental people. "Alright then you lot have a good night," I encourage them, taking my tray and weaving my way back to the kitchen. I suppose that I was being a bit hard on the place, after all I got to work with some of my best friends.
First of all, there was Lafayette who I viewed as my gospel on all things sexual, dirty and just downright sinful. Then there was Sam, who may just be the best boss in Louisiana or at least Bon Temps. Or at least he was the first guy who hadn't fired me, for my inability to work the stop sigh between my head and my mouth. Ah and Sookie, the first girl to go out of her way to befriend me, I suppose it was thanks to her that these other people even liked me. Though I now know her reasons for this, had more to do with the fact she couldn't hear my thoughts, than my sunny personality. I still didn't understand how much better I was from other people, since I tended to say everything that entered my head, but she put up with me anyway. Because of this I got Tara as well, though she didn't work here, hell I couldn't even remember where she worked. She managed to go through more jobs than I thought possible.
"You alright girl?" Lafayette questions me catching my expression, from where he stands preparing somebody's dish.
"You know I don't get why people are so rude, I mean I'm rude sometimes but that's only because things can sometimes come out the wrong way, but these people intend to be rude which is just mean and stupid. How is touching up some poor girl going to make them want to go out to dinner with you?" I question him, unsurprised by his laugh.
"Oh honey they'd don't want to take you out to dinner," he begins, turning to face me one hand on his hip.
"Yeah yeah I know," I interrupt him, "they want to roll around in the sheets with me and touch parts of me that they ain't ever going to get close to," I tell him, rolling my eyes at the very thought.
"Alice," I hear Sookie exclaim as she comes to stand beside me, "you shouldn't talk like that," she scolds me, before turning to Lafayette, "you're corrupting her," she accuses him.
"That's because she needs to be corrupted, you both do," he responds, causing Sookie to shake her head.
"Onion rings, and if you drop a few on the floor that's fine with me," she tells him.
"Ooh, who pissed you off?" I ask her curiously, leaning closer as if she was about to tell me a secret.
"The Rattrays," she replies, motioning her head towards where the two of them were sitting.
"Eww," I say looking over at them, "they are just…gross."
Sookie raises an eyebrow, "And you don't even know what they think about," she reminds me.
"I pity you," I tell her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Lafayette gives Sookie a sideways glance, "Ooh Sookie, chicka-chicka bow-wow. You look like a porn star with that tan and pink lipstick. You got a date?" he questions her. I look Sookie up and down dressed in the same uniform as me, I'll admit she had more makeup on than usual but I highly doubted she had a date.
"Of course Sookie, doesn't have a date, Sookie doesn't date," I tell Lafayette before Sookie can get a word in.
Sookie laughs, "When I wear makeup, I get bigger tips," she replies shrugging.
"Interesting," I comment, brushing a piece of stray black hair from my eyes.
Lafayette laughs at the words, "Yes girls, that's it. Those damn rednecks are suckers for packaging."
I make a face at his words, "Why are men so disgusting?" I question, then quickly extend my hand towards Lafayette, "not you of course, you don't count. Well you can be a little disgusting but I tolerate it because you're amazing and fabulous, but other guys are so touchy," I complain, frowning just slightly.
"You won't be saying that once a man gets all up in you," Lafayette replies, half laughing as he says it.
"Lafayette," Sookie exclaims, like always unable to bear this sort of talk.
"Ooh, what are you talking about?" Dawn asks, as she saunters up to the order counter.
"Sex," I answer, giggling at Sookie's face, picking up the plates that corresponded with my order, and walk back to the tables passing Arlene on the way.
I continue taking orders and bringing orders, thanking god once again that I didn't have Sookie's gift or I suppose in most instances curse. It often surprised me that she could even function half the time. "Tara," I greet happily as I spot her nursing a drink next to Sookie at the bar.
"Alice, why you always so excited to see me, god you make me feel like your token black friend," she snaps.
I roll my eyes at her words, "What would that make Lafayette?" I question, taking a seat, "ooh my token gay friend. What are you doing here anyway? Did you quit your job again?" I ask, twisting in my seat so I was facing her, as she stares down into her martini.
"Bitch what makes you think that," she retorts, her eyes meeting my light brown ones.
"So you did? Tara that is so unfair on the rest of us who actually have to try and keep a job," I complain, drumming my hands on the bar.
"I know right, she had no idea what its like to be the rest of us," Sookie agrees from Tara's other side.
Tara gives both of us a glare, "You both are bitches you know that, and the only reason you can be is because Sam is your boss and he aren't an asshole," she snaps at the both of us.
I shrug turning to see Sam walking towards us, "That's very true Tara, maybe you should work here. It'd be great, all my friends in one place," I say excitedly.
"Because it always has to be about you," Tara replies automatically, making me laugh.
"How you doing, Sookie?" Sam greets the blonde girl, eyes lighting up at her presence.
"I've had better nights," Sookie tells him, her words soft.
"Anything I can do to improve this one?" Sam questions her, causing Sookie's eyes to widen. My eyes drift between Sookie to Sam as the silence continues, biting my lip to stop myself from trying to fill the awkward silence and make it worse. My eyes follow Sookie's as we both watch as a tall, dark-haired stranger step into the bar, and both our eyes follow him as he makes his way to seat at the booth in front of the Rattrays.
Sookie looks back at us, her face full of awe and excitement, "Oh my God! I think Merlotte's just got its first vampire," she exclaims happily.
"We totally did," I agree, sneaking another glance at the possible vampire in his booth.
"Can you believe it? Right here, in Bon Temps? I've been waiting for this to happen since they came out of the coffin two years ago!," she says, having no luck in containing her immense excitement, or maybe not even trying. She hurries off towards him, obviously eager to go and talk to him.
"Oh wow this is exciting," I say as I watch Sookie talk to him, "I mean a vampire, can you two believe it? Though I'm think I'm glad its Sookie talking to him, you can never trust people to be good citizens these days."
"Alice," Sam interrupts before I can go on, "shouldn't you be working."
"Oh right, yes, of course, won't let it happen again. Well might but definitely not on purpose," I promise him, jumping off the stool and heading back to the order counter to drop off an order I had completely forgotten about.
I went about my job, though keeping an eye on the vampire and Sookie. I was surprised when the Rattray's joined and I was so eager to ask Sookie about it, but every time I tried to I got a look from Sam. Which was so unfair because compared to Dawn and Arlene I hardly ever gossiped instead of working. "Hey, where did Sookie, Sam and that vampire go?" I question Tara who was now for some reason tending the bar, "and the Rattrays?" I add when my sweep of the room revealed they too were missing.
"None of your business," Tara tells me, pouring drinks for the patrons of the bar.
"I know its not, but I'm asking anyway and the fact that you don't want to tell me makes me all the more curious," I reply to her.
"Alice, just stay out of it," Tara warns me, her words short.
I frown at her words, "Is something going on? Stay out of what? Why would Sookie leave? And why the hell would Sam leave you in charge of the bar?"
"Hey," Tara responds offended by my words, though knowing the truth of them anyway.
"Somethings happened," I conclude, "and you need to tell me what it is," I demand of her.
She sighs, "Look Sookie went after the vampire, who she thought the Rattray's were going to drain, and Sam went after Sookie," she tells me, knowing I wouldn't let up, "and Alice you are not going after them." I roll my eyes already heading for the door, "Alice," Tara calls.
"Safety in numbers," I call back, opening the door and stepping out. I glance around the parking lot of Merlotte's, trying to catch a glimpse of a clue as to where everyone had disappeared to. Taking a few steps forward, I stop myself from calling out Sookie's name, somehow that seemed like a bad idea. My eyes caught sight of the old dog that hangs around the bar running towards the woods and I follow it, reasoning that maybe it had sensed something. The dog soon passes out of my sight and I stop, closing my eyes and concentrating on the sounds around me. The sound of voices meets my ears, its quiet but yet loud enough for me to follow. As I get closer I can hear Sookie's voice, risen in a tone of shock. "Sookie," I greet cheerfully, as I catch sight of her and the vampire.
"Alice, what are you doing here?" she asks me in confusion as both sets of eyes turn to look at me.
"Well I came here to help, since Tara said you had come out here to save the vampires from the Rattrays but clearly I'm too late, which couldn't be helped but I'd still like it noted that I at least tried to come and help the both of you, thank you very much," I tell them in a rush, and Sookie shakes her head at my words.
"Bill, this is Alice," Sookie introduces us.
"Bill, not Vladimir, I was really hoping for a Vladimir," I sigh, "I suppose it can't be helped. Oh nice to meet you," I add, extending out my hand to him.
"You too, Alice," he responds, taking my hand in his and placing a kiss on the back of it, before releasing it.
I stare at him in surprise, "Nobody around here ever does, well I suppose nobody around here is as old as you. Not saying that you're old, but you're a vampire so I mean you could be quite old. You know what, you're fine, Sookie's fine, Sam's god knows where, so I should head back to work," I inform them, deciding that it was best I left before I said something else regretful.
"I should to," Sookie says, "see ya Bill," she waves at him before she falls into step with me.