I do NOT own any True Blood or The Southern Vampire series characters, just my own. Read and review, if you would kindly do so.
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Hayley Jackson stood on the front porch of her new apartment, her hands shoved into her denim shorts. She looked around at the small street in front of her, and behind that to the trees. It was a hot day in Bon Temps, Louisiana. She brushed her bright red hair back with one hand and turned her neck to the side as she sighed and closed her eyes. Moving. She hated it. This time she hoped that it would pay off, and she opened her indigo eyes as a truck pulled up. "Miss Jackson. I am sorry that I am late." The man got out and strolled over to her with a warm smile as he spoke the words, and she eyed him. He was a handsome man that was a few feet taller than her 5'2" frame, and he had longer hair that curled a little naturally that was a pleasing shade of strawberry blond that he brushed back with his own hands.
"Please call me Hayley." She hated the term Miss when she was only twenty one, and it didn't seem to fit in this small town. It reminded her of a few years before when she had lived in a small town in Tennessee. She smiled and he pulled some keys out of his pocket.
"Here are the keys to your place, and you should be set. Did you need help unloading your stuff?" He glanced at the small U-Haul trailer behind her emerald green truck, and she laughed.
"I am pleased that this place has a few pieces of furniture for a reason, Mr. Merlotte. I brought very little, since I travel light these days." Hayley assured him, and he looked at her curiously.
"Now you can return the favor and call me Sam. Pardon me for asking, Hayley, but why is a girl as young as you traveling so light?" Sam said slowly, and tilted his head as he stared down at her.
"I have just been moving around for a time. I am hoping this works out for me to stay awhile." Hayley replied vaguely, and he nodded as if he understood. "Before you head off, I was wondering if there was someplace that I could grab some dinner when I meet some friends later? I need to grocery shop, but I doubt I'll have much in the way of time after I unload and head out to find them."
"I own a place down this main road." Sam told her, gesturing with his hand to the stretch of road in front of him. "It's simple food, but it'll do." She nodded and grinned at him, and he bowed his head to her. "I just might see you later."
Hayley watched him drive away and took a deep breath of hot air. She opened the trailer and got out her things as she let the air conditioner cool off the cute one bedroom apartment. She was careful with her keyboard and guitar and she set them inside of the hallway closet where they would be safe and out of sight. They were important to her and her future. Hayley locked up the trailer again and figured she would take it back to U-Haul in the morning and she headed into the simple bathroom to take a shower. It was a pleasant square shaped room and she managed to fit her above normal amount of make up and girl stuff into the cabinets under the sink. She brushed her thick hair out and put on a light amount of make up to even out her skin. It was pale and she hated when it looked red or flushed. She really had to wonder why she had moved here at that moment. She pulled on a denim skirt and a skinny tee, finishing with some simple sandals as she grabbed her Phone. "Hey Tegan." Hayley greeted her friend and new band mate, smiling as he expressed his joy to hear her voice. "I totally want to meet up with y'all and talk shop, but I am starving. I haven't gotten any food yet for the fridge. My landlord says that he has a place here in Bon Temps that serves food, and I was hoping to meet there." Tegan knew of it and they guys agreed to drive from Shreveport to meet her, and she thanked him profusely. She had looked to move into Shreveport, but it had been a bit more expensive and she had saved money in more ways than one by moving to Bon Temps instead. She knew it would take them a few minutes to drive there, so she clipped up her hair and drove the truck around to check out the town.
Hayley pulled into the parking lot of Merlotte's, guessing it was the place Sam had mentioned. She got out and raised an eyebrow at the dirt parking lot, but kept walking to the front door without worrying about her sandals. She walked in and looked around, seeing a few tables that had people in them within the simple room. She saw Sam behind the bar and he tipped his head at her, and Hayley grinned back. A smiling blond approached her, and Hayley focused on her as she blinked. "Hello there. You must be passing through, or new here." The pretty waitress glanced Sam's way, and Hayley saw him approaching them.
"This is my new tenant in the apartment. Hayley Jackson, meet Sookie Stackhouse." Sam said, and the women shook hands. Sookie looked at Hayley with a curious glance, and Hayley smiled at her as she saw the look in Sookie's light blue eyes.
"It's nice to meet you, Hayley. Welcome to Bon Temps." Sookie said, and glanced around the room. "Can I get you a table?"
"I am actually meeting…." Hayley's eyes scanned the room until she grinned. "Them. Thanks a lot for offering." Hayley gave them a grateful smile as she walked to the table, and the four guys jumped up to greet her. She hugged them, holding onto Tegan a little longer. They had been friends for a few years, and he had talked her into moving here to sing for his struggling band from Texas, where she had been staying for the last three years. She settled into the booth between Tegan and his close friend Jackson, while Nathan and Danny sat across from them at the big table. "It's good to not be flying here like I have been for the last few months. I live her now." Hayley told them, and grinned around at the table. She liked them a lot just from the little time that she had spent there, and she was feeling positive about the band.
"Can I start y'all off with anything to drink?" Sookie asked them, smiling around at the table. Hayley ordered a cold beer as did the guys, and she eyed the simple menu as Sookie walked off with a promise to have them lickety split.
Sookie brought them a pitcher, assuring them it was on the house. She winked at Hayley with her melting blue eyes, and Hayley grinned her thanks. She looked at Sam with the same grin, and then the five placed their orders. They talked about the area for awhile, and Hayley tried to remember all of it as her tired mind attempted to keep pace. She moved a lot, but always had trouble in new places despite that fact. She felt better when they got around to talking music, and they discussed ideas as they munched on their easy dinners of chicken and salad. Once the table was cleared, Hayley took a long sip of beer as Tegan tossed an Ipod on the table. "It's a bit loud in here, but this is an idea of a song, and here are the words that I wrote." She put it to her ear and listened to the music, and read the words as she sang along casually. She did this with a few songs and the band got excited as they heard her voice matched to the words and music. Hayley felt eyes on her halfway into the impromptu practice, and glanced towards the door where Sookie was greeting two men that had walked in.
One was a shorter and stockier one with brown hair and eyes, and skin paler that Hayley's own. He was handsome, and his eyes and smile were meant for the blond as he gazed at her warmly. The other was tall and muscular and painfully handsome as well, with thick golden hair that hung to his shoulders and piercing deep blue eyes that met hers as she looked at him. He didn't look away, and she finally glanced back at the Ipod. She knew what they were. Vampires. It was almost the norm, since they were out now, so to speak. She glanced at the guys at the table, and they looked at her with almost a warning in their eyes. "What?" Hayley asked them, her question directed at anybody that would answer.
"Watch out for him. He's the player of the vampire world, so it is said anyway. He owns some bar near us that is a huge tourist trap and he has quite the rep all over Shreveport." Nathan told her, and she laughed out loud. She glanced at the vampire, and his face had set to an angry stare as he met her gaze.
"I am not here to find some vampire. Trust me on that." Hayley assured them, catching Tegan's look as she looked around the table with another chuckle. Inside, she was shaking and her heart was racing. She played another song as she held the Ipod to her ear, and sang along easily since it was a cover to calm herself down. The guys told her about some of the gigs that they had lined up around town and about the studio where they planned on recording some demos. Hayley showed her enthusiasm on both subjects and when the pitcher was empty, the guys started to get up. They all planned on meeting in Shreveport at Danny's place to jam together for awhile, and she was left alone at the table. She glanced forward and saw the blond vampire sitting across from the brunette one, and she had been fully aware of his eyes on her the entire time that she was sitting there with her band. He turned his head to meet her eyes, and the hard look changed to an inviting one. She would acknowledge that he was good looking and seemed to know his game well, but it was not a game that she wanted to play. Sookie came over to ask if she needed anything else, and Hayley looked up. "What's up with Blondie over there? He can't seem to keep his eyes to himself."
Sookie shook her head with a smile and looked into Hayley's eyes. "He can't seem to resist the pretty new face in town. He also thinks that your voice is amazing."
Shit. Vampire hearing. How soon one forgets. "Ah, yes. He heard me." Hayley said, and felt annoyed when she looked his way to see him shaking his head with a smile.
"Is that a band that you were with tonight?" Sookie asked, and Hayley nodded. "What are y'all like?"
"It is a work in progress. I just moved here to really focus on it, and they named it Linger Longer. I personally do not get it, but I joined them and it is what it is." Hayley responded, and smiled. "It will be interesting."
"What are you doing for work in the meantime?" Sam asked her, coming to sit down at the table across from her.
"I have no idea. I was hoping to become famous the first week and travel the world." Hayley quipped, and he tilted his head as he gazed thoughtfully at her.
"I need a bartender. I know that you'll need time off to do your other stuff, but we can figure something out." Sam offered, and she considered for a moment. She had some money, but it would not hurt to have a small flow coming in to protect herself.
"Sure. Why not? I have not bartended specifically, but worked a few places here and there. It does not look too difficult here to learn." Hayley replied, glancing around the half filled room as her eyes flicked over the blond vampire again. "Can I start in a couple of days? We need to catch up on gig prep now that I am here for real."
"Sure thing. Five on Friday?" Sam suggested, and she nodded. The gig was not until Saturday, though it seemed a bit soon. They had not worked together that often as a group, but she had been on the phone with them and Tegan a lot in Dallas. She was familiar with their sound and figured she could pull it off somewhat well.
"I'll be here." Hayley agreed, and he smiled as he got up and went into a room. He handed her a shirt and some shorts, and she checked the size with curious eyes on both. "I'm impressed."
"You're an itty bitty little thing." Sookie told her, and Hayley laughed at her drawn out accent. She was very petite, and she often wished to be a bit taller. "Just wear sneakers to work. You'll be standing on your feet a lot and they tend to ache."
"I will. Thanks a lot, Sam. You guys have been great so far." Hayley told them, and sighed. "Guess I should head back. I need to stop for something for breakfast in the morning."
"Come to my house for breakfast. Gran cooks something yummy every day." Sookie offered, and Hayley looked at her in surprise. "I am just down the road from you, on Hummingbird. End of the first long driveway on your right."
"Ummmm. Thanks." Hayley responded, and Sookie smiled widely. "What time?"
"It'll be on the table at eight sharp." Sookie replied, and Hayley agreed to be there. She headed out to her car and breathed in the slightly cooler air as she did. A new place and new friends. Hayley could handle this. She saw the movement of someone leaning on her truck, and the height gave the identity away.
"Leaving so soon?" The voice was like smooth silk in the dark night, and she reminded herself what was behind the seductive sound.
"Guess so." Hayley replied, and looked up as she stopped a few feet away from him. "Could I get to my car?"
"Perhaps if I can ride home with you." Hayley shook her head at his words, and he stepped forward to stand in front of her in one fluid movement. She tilted her head up and gazed some feet above her with steady eyes.
"Back off, vampire." Hayley told him, and he raised an eyebrow above his mesmerizing blue eyes. "I don't play."
"At all?" His voice challenged her, and she considered her answer for a long moment.
"Anymore." Hayley stepped around him to get to her door and open it, and she started the engine as she stared forward. He made no move to stop her, and she drove home in a hurry and went to lock the apartment door. She knew very well the allure that they held, but she would never fall for it again. It was a dangerous path to follow, and she shuddered slightly. She hoped that he got the hint and she could just live her life. Hayley dropped her small purse on the table in the dining room and took her guitar out of the closet to play for awhile and practice some band songs.