Clad in a lavender tank top, skinny jeans and her sexiest pumps, Chepi entered the still-closed night club through an employees-only door. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the dark atmosphere; all read and black and so much what she expected to see. The music called her to the front of the club, where she saw a few waitresses prepping for the night. A rather fidgety woman in her thirties spotted her and waver her over.
"You must be, oh what did she say your name was?" The woman searched her mind for it but the blank look on her face showed she couldn't find it.
"Chepi," the younger woman finished. "And you're Ginger?" Sookie had filled her in on Ginger, saying she had been glamored to the edge of insanity.
"That's me!" Ginger replied, glancing around nervously. Pam had just told her about the girl coming to apply and she already forgot her name? She was glad the female vampire wasn't around to see that slip up. "They're waiting for you in the office, back this way." She motioned for Chepi to follow.
As they walked down the hallway Chepi played with the silver chain around her neck. She hoped it would be enough to keep the vampires at bay. Before Ginger could open the black door they had stopped in front of, it was pulled open abruptly, revealing a beautiful African-American vampire, fangs out. Ginger shrieked in surprise and scurries down the hallway. Chepi took a tentative step backwards as the vampire—Tara, she was assuming—advanced. She was dressed in leather from head-to-toe and Chepi suddenly felt vastly under-dressed. Tara had in her nose up slightly and was smelling the air around Chepi like her life depended on it. It was making Chepi increasingly uncomfortable.
"You must be Tara," Chepi said, trying to break the awkwardness of being sniffed. She held her hand out for the young vampire to shake. "Your cousin told me you were beautiful." Maybe flattering her will make her stop looking at me like dinner.
"My cousin's an asshole," she spat back, smirking as Chepi's hand dropped back to her side. Okay, well that didn't exactly work.
"Tara, cut the shit and let the girl through," she heard come out of the office from a very annoyed sounding woman. Tara backed into the office, arms folded across her chest. She looked like a child throwing a tantrum to Chepi.
The human stepped into the office and closed the door behind her. Other than Tara there were two other vampires, who she was assuming were Eric and Pam. Eric was seated behind his desk with his feet propped up, dressed to the 'T' in a black suit with a black shirt and tie. He said nothing, but his eyes shifted to Pam in silent appreciation. Chepi's eyes slid towards the older of the two female vamps. Pam was dressed in head-to-toe leather, much like Tara, but instead of black hers was a deep red. The three of them made quite the impressive pair and it caused Chepi's heart to pick up the pace in both excitement and fear. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Tara licking her lips, making Pam shoot a glare that said 'don't even think about it' loud and clear.
"So anxious to close yourself in with three vampires?" Pam asked with a smirk. Chepi smiled in response and stepped forward with her hand out. Let's try this again.
"It was closed before I came in; I thought it polite to close it behind me," Chepi explained. "My name's Chepi Bedeau. I'm here for the bartendin' position."
"I know what you're here for. I'm not an idiot." She took Chepi's hand in her cold one firmly. "A human with manners: such a rare entity these days." She held her hand up in the air, Chepi still in her grasp, and motioned for her to twirl. Chepi did so slowly and was rewarded with what resembled a purr from the vampire. "I'm Pam, by the way. And are you absolutely sure you want to be a bartender? You'd make a great dancer." Pam let her hand slide down Chepi's arm deliberately, her eyes locked with the half-Fae's.
Before Chepi could answer there was a low growl from Tara. The mortal looked over at Tara and if looks could kill she'd be stone cold. The only thing keeping Tara from attacking was the pointed glare she was earning from Pam, silently telling her to calm the fuck down. Chepi took a step away from Pam as she recalled Sookie telling her that the two vampires had a 'thing'. The last thing she wanted to do was get on Tara's bad side right from the start.
"Pam, please remove your hot-head progeny," Eric finally spoke as he stood from his chair. Chepi could properly admire his immense stature now; he looked like a giant compared to her own five-feet and four-inches. Even with the added three inches her pumps gave her she had to admit that he was the most intimidating creature she had ever encountered. And she'd seen a mountain lion right up close, too! "Jag tar hand resten av intervjun." ("I'll handle the rest of the interview.")
Chepi caught the slightest hint of a smirk as he spoke in a language she didn't recognize. Being from the middle of nowhere definitely had its disadvantages; one being she wasn't exposed to many other cultures or languages. She dreamed of traveling abroad someday, meeting new people and learning as much as she could. But for now, she served drunks their alcohol and happily took their money. Or at least, she hoped she could continue to do that here, in Fangtasia.
Pam frowned as she grabbed Tara's arm and shoved her out of the office. Obviously, whatever Eric had said didn't please her. "Du lät mig aldrig ha något kul," ("You never let me have any fun," she mumbled over her shoulder, glancing once more at Chepi before leaving. Eric chuckled lowly as the door closed.
The tall vampire made his way slowly around his desk, eyes freely traveling over Chepi's body. Chepi was very proud of her body, though she had to thank her mother's fairy blood for it mostly. But she did keep care of herself: working out daily, tanning, dressing to flatter her best assets. Those happened to be what his eyes settled on the longest, her tank top hugging her ample breasts tightly. She cleared her throat to get his attention but that only made him concentrate on her neck. He really has no shame, she thought to herself. Being impatient made her raise her hand and wave, finally bringing his eyes up to her face. That's right sweetheart, I do have a face. She thanked whatever powers-that-be that she was able to bite back that remark before it slipped off her tongue.
"Please, sit," Eric said, breaking the tension that had started to take over the room. Chepi did so as he leaned back against his desk, hands in the pockets of his tailored slacks. "You're quite breathtaking. If you were merely human I would have hired you as soon as you walked through the door, if only to satisfy my own needs." His bluntness surprised Chepi, but she respected his honesty. "But, as it stands, you are not completely human. I'm sure you understand the risks involved with someone with Fae blood working in a vampire club." She nodded before he continued. "You smell absolutely delectable. Not all vampires will have my self-control and those chains," he gestured to the silver chain looped around her neck, "Will do little to protect you. There are many other places to feed from."
Chepi crossed her legs and sat up straighter, confidence radiating from her the same was sex radiated off him. She had rehearsed this speech over and over on the drive to Shreveport. "Mr. Northman," she began.
"Call me Eric," the blonde vampire interrupted.
"Eric," Chepi started again, smiling up at him. "I do understand the risks; I'd be a fool not to. But I also understand that we both have a lot to gain from my employment here." Eric raised his eyebrows slightly, showing interest. "Think about all the vampires that would be linin' up to get a wiff of my scent. Think about the cover charge that you could double and know that they would still pay it. And with the increase of vampires will come the increase of humans, who will pay ridiculous amounts of money on cheap liquor, tryin' to get the courage to talk to the vampires." Her smile turned into a smirk when she concluded, very proud of herself. She usually wasn't the type to toot her own horn but if it could help her get a job that promised huge tips, she'd do it.
Eric mulled the idea around in his head, weighing the pros and cons. "It could still prove to be a security nightmare, but I like the way you think."
"So I have the job?" Chepi asked hopefully, literally crossing her fingers.
"On a trial basis, yes. Pam's in charge of the bar so go talk to her."
A half hour and one insanely tight black corset later, Chepi was behind the bar with Tara and Pam, getting the rundown on the way things worked. Fangtasia was a few minutes from opening and there was a small horde of butterflies in the half-fairy's stomach. She was nervous and excited all rolled up into one. She ran a hand over the bottles of alcohol, taking a mental note of their location so she could grab them quickly. In addition to the hard liquor, wine and alcohol there was a cooler full of every kind of Tru Blood. She had never served one before seeing as the bar she had worked at didn't carry them and asked Pam how long to microwave it for.
"Doesn't matter, sweetheart. As soon as they smell you the last thing on their mind will be that fake shit," Pam purred, once again letting her hand trail down Chepi's arm.
"We put all our tips in here," Tara said loudly, breaking the gaze that Pam had locked on the mortal. Chepi saw she was pointing to a large hurricane jar on a shelf under the bar. "Don't think about stealing any, either."
Chepi couldn't help but laugh, which could have been fatal if Pam hadn't been there to restrain Tara. "I'm sorry," Chepi apologized quickly. "I wasn't laughing at you, I swear. It's just that the whole reason I'm here is because I beat the shit outta my boss's daughter for stealing my tips. I would never steal money from someone."
Tara and Pam looked at each other in amusement, apparently also seeing the humor in the situation. Chepi let out a sigh of relief and went back to checking out the large amount of booze. This was definitely the most well-stocked bar she had ever been in.
"Time to open," Pam announced, sending all of the waitresses to scurry to their places. Fear seemed to be a common factor in this place, but oddly Chepi felt none. Maybe that was her first mistake.
"Think you can handle it, fairy?" Tara asked, obviously having serious doubts. "It can get real crazy, real quick in here."
"This isn't my first rodeo," Chepi quipped back, grinning like a crazy person. It was enough to make Tara bow her head to hide to laugh that wanted to break out. It was way too early to show her soft side to a girl who probably wouldn't live through the night.
When Tara had said it got crazy in Fangtasia she wasn't kidding. Chepi had a gleam of sweat on her tanned skin merely an hour after the doors opened. It was Saturday night and everyone and their mother was out looking for a good time. She and Tara settled into a nice rhythm, staying out of each other's way while making sure everyone got their drinks. It only took ten minutes for Ginger to spill a tray of pina coladas on the floor and the look Pam shot her made Chepi shiver. She quickly started another batch and had them made before the mess on the floor was even cleaned up. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Pam and Eric exchange an impressed look and it slapped a permanent smile on her face.
As soon as the vampires entered the building they were drawn to Chepi's scent. She had an army of vampires lined up on her side of the bar, calling out questions and compliments to her. She merely smiled and answered politely, refusing all offers to buy her a drink and the offers to make a drink out of her. Unlike what Pam predicted, a few of the vampires eventually settled on the blood substitute, while others went searching for a human donor. And others were more persistant, sitting at the bar and continuing their attempts to 'woo' her. She sent a few eye rolls over her shoulder to Tara, making the female vampire smirk. But what all of the vampires had in common was that they were leaving HUGE tips, even if they didn't buy anything. Most of them were accompanied with phone numbers, of course, but those got tossed in the trash as soon as the vampire who had left it walked away.
"Excuse me, miss?" Chepi heard from the far end of the bar. She turned and saw a young-looking female vampire waving her over. She looked to be no more that twenty, but obviously in this case looks were very deceiving. Chepi set the rag she had been using to wipe the counter down and made her way to the vampire.
"Can I get you something?" Chepi asked politely.
"I saw your bracelet and I just had to get a closer look!" The vampire said, sounding very excited about Chepi's choice of jewelry.
Around her wrist Chepi wore a gold charm bracelet her daddy had given her when she turned eighteen. There were ten charms on it all-together, including a small set of fairy wings she had just recently added. "Oh, this?" Chepi held her wrist out in front of the vampire, who gently but firmly grasped it. "I just love collecting new charms for it."
"It's divine," the woman replied, bringing Chepi's wrist closer to her face. But instead of admiring the charms, the human quickly noticed that the vampire was admiring her vein! Before she could react the vampire's fangs were exposed and ready to sink into the soft flesh like warm butter.
Chepi squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the pain, but instead felt her arm being released just as quickly as it was seized. Opening her eyes she came face-to-face with beautiful blue eyes. Another vampire, this one looking like a boy in his late teens, was holding the female vampire roughly by the throat. Eric and Pam were just behind him, fangs at-the-ready. The noise in the bar stopped, albeit the thumping music, as all eyes were on this new face. Chepi kept hers eyes on his face, taking in the beauty that it was. He was sculpted perfectly and he radiated immense power.
Chepi's gaze was momentarily shifted as, one-by-one, all of the vampires in the bar bowed in his presence. She looked back at him and was surprised to find his eyes still locked on her. She could see a mixture of fury and intrigue in his crystal blue depths, though the rest of his face remained completely composed. Her eyes finally shifted to the vampire in his grasp and he followed her lead, looking like he had almost forgotten he was even holding her.
"We do not feed in public. Nor do we feed from unwilling humans," his voice was steady, calm and completely terrifying. He had a slight accent but Chepi couldn't place it. She found that it sparked her curiosity and any fear she should have felt was pushed down.
"I apologize, your majesty," the female vampire choked out, her hands grasping at the stronger one around her neck. Chepi knew that vampires didn't need to breathe but she could only imagine that having your windpipe crushed was still painful whether you used it or not. 'Your majesty'? the half-fairy mused, looking back to the eternally young male vampire.
"I'm not the one you need to apologize to," he replied sharply, eyes moving back to Chepi. "You need to apologize to the woman you tried to bite. And you need to apologize to my progeny for disrupting the peace in his establishment." Chepi's eyes widened as she glanced back and forth between Eric and his apparent maker. It was surprising, to say the least. One would assume, because of the way they look, that it was the other way around.
With obvious fear in her voice, the female vampire apologized to both Chepi and Eric. Chepi nodded her acceptance while Eric remained still, eyes ablaze with fury. "Eric," his maker started, getting the former-Viking's attention. "This is your district and your business. I will let you handle any punishment you see appropriate for the crime." The female vampire was thrown to the floor, only to be scooped up again by Eric and led into the back of the club. Chepi shuddered slightly at the thought of what was about to happen.
"Please, everyone return to what you were doing," the powerful vampire commanded, waving to everyone who was still staring. Chepi began to turn away when he called her over to him. She had expected him to vanish as quickly as he had appeared, so when she saw him take a seat at the bar the little swarm of butterflies returned to her stomach. Was he going to chastise her for being so dumb? Was he going to tell Eric to fire her?
"Can I get you somethin'?" she asked, a smile on her face despite her nerves. Now that she wasn't distracted by his hand around another vampire's throat she could see he was dressed very simply, but expensively. He had a dark blue silk dress shirt on with the first few buttons undone. She could see part of a tattoo on his chest and wondered how many tattoos he had. She had a few herself, being addicted to the sweet pain. It was a satisfying feeling when you got a new design permanently imprinted on your body.
"No, thank you," he shook his head slightly. "I wanted to ask you what your name was."
"Chepi Bedeau," she replied, holding herself back from presenting her hand. She would definitely think twice before letting a vampire get a hold of her wrist from now on.
A smirk formed on the vampire's perfect mouth, his eyes alight with amusement. "'Chepi' suits you quite well. I must say, I'm surprised my child hired a fairy as a bartender."
Chepi laughed lightly, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, my daddy has a good sense of humor." Her smile faded a bit at the last part. "Tonight's my first night, and probably my last. I should have never believed her." She crossed her arms over her chest, hating her naivety.
"No, you shouldn't have," he reprimanded, though he didn't sound incredibly mad. "But she should have had the self-control to restrain from biting you. Unfortunately not all vampires want to better themselves. They remain savages even after decades and centuries of being undead." His voice was remorseful and she had to wonder how old he really was.
"Who are you?" she wondered aloud, letting her arms drop and her hands rest on the bar between them. "I mean, I figured out that you're Eric's maker but why did that woman call you 'your majesty'?" She may have been overstepping her boundaries by questioning him but she was curious. You know what curiosity did to the cat, she reminded herself.
He tried to hide his smile at her child-like inquisitiveness. It was refreshing to meet someone who didn't already know who and what he was. So often he was met with vampires and humans alike who would do or say anything they thought would please him, but it was never genuine. They always had ulterior motives behind their fake kindness. "My name is Godric," he introduced himself. "I am the vampire King of Louisiana."