2.
I was slightly baffled by the sound of the word, but I managed to pull myself together to turn towards the door. First I didn't really understand what they were staring at. Then I saw them. They had glided through the doors and stood leaning against the pool table. The woman was insanely beautiful, with long, blonde hair, big heavily painted eyes and pouting red lips. She was dressed in an insane suit of black leather, from top to toe. She had a blue, thin scarf tied around her neck. Billy grumbled something incoherent and I turned just in time to see his face had closed up in an angry frown, making his face look more defined and darker. He walked slowly towards the two. I followed him, more of curiousity than common sense. The other figure had been hidden in the darkness in the corner behind the pool table, but now I saw him. He was long and slender, dressed in black jeans and a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the two top buttons undone. His face was narrow and sharp, with dark brown eyes under bushy dark eyebrows and short, ruffled hair. His face had this permanent tormented look and his narrow lips were slightly pouted. He was standing, or more squatting on the edge of the pool table, snapping his fingers against the balls. He looked insanely bored.
"Pam." Billy said, his voice rumbling deep in his throat. The blonde, glamorous looking woman eyed him with a crooked smile.
"Billy! Always a pleasure." She said, the underlying distaste edging her voice like acid.
"How many times do I need to tell you. We don't want your kind here." Billy grumbled, crossing his arms.
"What, vampires or just Fangtasia-employees?" Pam rolled her eyes while chuckling like a bird would chirp.
"Fangtasia-employees, Pam. I have no personal problem with vampires." The tone of Billy's voice told me that was a tiny lie.
"Then resign your invitation!" Pam flung her arms out to the side and laughed heartedly.
"I never invited you in and this is a public place. You are free to enter as you please." Billy's teeth were gritting now.
"Then get of your high horse and get me a TruBlood." Pam said cooly, pulling out a chair.
"Franklin, get of the pool table before you dint Billy's balls." She said with a crooked grin towards Billy, who instantly turned red with anger and spun around on his heel. I had to dodge to avoid getting tackled.
"Hello." A voice spoke right behind me and I spun around, choking a squeal. I pressed my hand against my chest, as to keep my heart from pounding out of it. The other, dark haired vampire stood calmly in front of me, smiling like this was everyday for him. He was a few inches taller than me and I had to take a step back.
"Uhm. Hello." I mumbled, unsure how to act around him. He seemed a bit...off. Billy pressed the warm bottle of TrueBlood in my hand and I scrambled past the vampire, who followed me with his eyes.
"Ignore Franklin, my dear. He is just a bit off in the head." Pam said cooly and rolled her eyes, which right now seemed like a strangely human thing to do. It didn't sit right with me and I would've felt more comfortable if she was hanging from the ceiling by her feet.
"I most certainly am not." Franklin's slightly British accent throws me completely off, once again and I turn and look big eyed at him. He smiles again, cocking his head slightly.
"Hello." He says again and I can't help but smile lightly.
"Is something amusing?" Franklin asks, wrinkling his forehead slightly.
"Uhm, no. Sorry." I mumble and quickly turn my gaze to the floor before I hurry back to the bar. I quickly try and focus on the bartending and I do my best to keep from looking at the two vampires.
"He's watching you." Annie leans close to me while we're both serving beer.
"What?" I whisper as low as I can over the growing volume of the music.
"The male vampire. He has not taken his eyes off you for a single second. Could you tell him to stop, or move around or something? He's starting to freak me out, looking like a stone. A dead stone." Annie rolls her eyes and wrinkles her nose. I build up enough guts to throw a quick glance over at the table and I almost drop the full glass of beer in my hand. Franklin is staring straight at me. He's sitting on the edge of the pool table, convincingly scaring off anyone who wants to play, his arms are rested on his knees and he has a slight, crooked smile on his lips. He really does look like stone.
"Hey Luca!" I jump and turn to look at Billy who's calling me from the doorway leading to the back hallway.
"Could you take out these bags to the dumpster in the back? I need to go fix the damn TV again." He grumbled and I nodded quickly. Anything to get away from those burning, brown eyes and get some fresh air. Even dumpster air. I hand off the beer to the slightly baffled looking man and head out the door, grabbing the two black plastic bags on my way. The noise from the bar slowly glides away and I breathe a sigh of relief as I push the back door open and step outside in the cool, black night. The lights from the street just around the corner is throwing green and yellow shadows on the white dumpster. I put down the bags to be able to lift the lid, which hits the opposite metal lid with a loud bang. Bending down to grab the bags and put my weight behind them to be able to get them in I almost fall backwards as I straighten and look straight in to Franklin's eyes. I scream, drop the bags and tumbles backwards.
"What the hell do you think you're doing!" I scream at him, scared out of my mind. Franklin's face goes from being slightly smiling to sorry and serious.
"I am sorry, my lady, I forget I startle humans when I approach." He said calmly and I eye him angrily.
"How long have you been a vampire Franklin?" I ask between clenched teeth. For the first time I see him make a somewhat human movement, shrugging his shoulders.
"About 160 years." He says. I point an angry finger at him.
"Then, after 160 years you should've learned that you scare people!" My voice gets loud and Franklin actually backs up, looking startled, yet curious.
"You are very angry." He states calmly. I snort and toss the bags in the dumpster with an angry movement. I turn and Franklin is again standing close to me. This time I don't jump, I just stare back at him. His eyes glide over my face and a slight uncomfortable heat fills my chest.
"You..are beautiful." Franklin whispers and his eyes get a dreamy glaze. His hand reaches up and he gently brushes his thumb over my lower lip. I gasp and take a step back.
"Don't! I…I have a boyfriend." I breathe hastily. A twinkle glitters in his eyes.
"Okay." He says casually and before he gets a chance to say or do anything more I hurry past him and shot the door with a loud click behind me.
How silly was I, thinking shutting the door tightly behind me would keep a vampire out?
By the time I got back to the bar he was again sitting on the edge of the pool table, watching me with a curious look in his eyes.
"Hey." I jumped and turned around. Pam's voice was soft like velvet, but still hard and cold like metal.
"Hello Pam." I said as calmly as I could. Obviously it didn't fall through, because she smiled her secretive smile and leaned against the bar counter.
"This is for you." She said slowly and handed me a piece of folded, thick paper.
"What? What is it?" I asked, flipping the paper over. It was sealed with a red wax stamp. An F was pressed in to it.
"An invitation. Pleasure, of course. Not business. So you can get your prying nose out of here Billy." She said, loud enough for Billy to hear, who was standing against the wall in the doorway, his ears basically burning with curiosity. I looked over at him and his face flushed insanely and he hurried down the hallway.
"Be nice to him Pam. He means no harm." I said lowly while studying the folded invitation. In the corner of my eye I saw Pam raise an eyebrow in surprise and a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. I felt bolder for a minute and I looked up at her.
"And keep that "not right in the head" vamp away from me. He has some serious personal space issues." I said, eyeing her as best as I could. Pam laughed out loud and the light above the counter bounced of her perfect white teeth.
"I get it now." She said and tapped her long fingernails on the counter. She was smirking at me.
"Get what." I grumbled.
"Why Eric was able to notice you so quickly." With a grin she flipped her hair and walked away.
"What? Eric...who?" I said, though I more mumbled it to myself than anything. In a flash Franklin was in front of me again and I rolled my eyes at his puppy eyes.
"May I walk you home?" He asked and smiled. Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow.
"I don't get off work for another 5 hours. Go follow your mistress." I said sarcastically. It obviously didn't get noted.
"Then I will be back." Franklin said and gave me a light bow.
"What, no..." I started, but he was out the door before I could blink.
"Oh craaaaaap!" I moaned and rubbed my neck.
"Vampire bodyguard. Yay." Ilsa turned and looked towards the door. I think she was trying to make a joke, but when her face doesn't even give a hint of a smile, it's kinda hard to tell.
"More like vampire stalker." I grumbled. I would have to cross that bridge when I got there. Right now I had a bar full of thirsty citizens.
Five hours later I had all forgotten about the weird vampire with a strange sense of courtesy. Until he popped up just outside the bar, that is.
"Good evening." He said casually as he popped up out of nowhere at my side, strolling with his hands on his back.
"Oh my God!" I exclaimed, almost jumping out of my skin.
"I am sorry my lady, I forget." Franklin said, putting up a pair of sorry eyes.
"It's...okay, Franklin." I said with a sigh. Teaching a 160 year old vampire new tricks is practically...impossible.
"Please, allow me to walk you home. As compensation for scaring you all night." He said. It was the most I'd heard him say in one breath, all night. We walked in silence down the street, which was more or less empty now.
"Did you accept the invitation?" Franklin suddenly asked and looked at me curiously.
"Oh! I completely forgot about that!" I said and searched my bag for it. I gently pulled of the wax stamp and folded it up. It was written in white, smooth letters.
"Ms. Luca. I have the pleasure of inviting you to my bar, Fangtasia as a welcome to Shreveport. I have been told you are a distant relative of Sookie Stackhouse. A friend of hers is a friend of mine. You will be fetched and escorted on Sunday at 11 pm. Eric Northman." I read out loud.
"You know Sookie?" Franklin asked surprised.
"Well, we haven't spoken for years. We're not that close really. We're not closely related, at all." I said.
"Who is Eric?" I asked and wrinkled my forehead.
"Oh, he's the sheriff of this area. He owns Fangtasia, the number one vampire nightclub in town. He...knows Sookie." Franklin said and cocked his head.
"Oh this is me." I said and stopped outside my apartment building. I turned and looked at Franklin, who was watching me expectantly.
"Uhm...thank you...Franklin. For...walking me home." I said tryingly. Franklin took a step closer and I felt my back press against the wall.
"Don't you like me?" Franklin whispered and watched me with eyes that seemed darker now.
"I..." I stuttered and now I noticed I was dizzy. My ears were humming and my pulse was beating
places I didn't think possible.
"You're glamouring me." I moaned and pressed my hand against his chest. Franklin raised a surprised eyebrow.
"I most certainly am not. If I was glamouring you, you would be naked by now." Franklin's attitude had gone from childish smiles to testosterone smiles. His arms were tight and his lean muscles pressed against the sleeves of his shirt as he rested his palms against the wall behind me.
"Where is your boyfriend now?" Franklin breathed and his lips curved slightly.
"I don't have one." I muttered, trying to control my breathing.
"I thought so." Franklin's lips were dangerously close to mine now and I was fighting with every inch of me to keep from pressing mine against his. His hand found my waist and as he pressed his fingers against my skin I managed to snap out of the heavy trance and quickly duck under his arm and through the door. I hurried up the stairs and didn't look back.
I threw my purse on the floor and literally pressed my face against the hallway wall. I moaned loudly and pressed my eyes tightly shut. How in the world had I gone from "who's that weirdo" to "who's that hottie"?
I sank down on the floor and pulled my fingers through my undone hair.
"It's been three months. Anyone would react like that after three months." I told myself. I knew I was just trying to find an excuse. But for the most part I was lying. If he really wasn't glamouring me then I was only denying the truth, he was hot. He was so hot. I bit my lip and tried to push the mental pictures out of my head.
