Author's Notes: Doesn't belong to me, you know the drill. The song mentioned later doesn't belong to me either...I know it is difficult to read about someone dancing, so I'm sorry if I don't portray it properly. I once saw professional salsa dancers dance to this song, and it was HOT! It stuck with me forever, and I had to use it here! Eric's been alive for 1000 years, the man had to pick up dancing somewhere! As always, please read and review!
Two and ½ weeks had passed by since that night and we were now in the early days of September, when the weather was finally starting to cool down a bit. I had moved into the home Eric had acquired for me, located not more than 15 minutes from Fangtasia. After I had unpacked all of my things, I went through the same routine since I started working on the club's books: wake up early afternoon, do work on the club's books, go to Fangtasia around 10 pm to look for receipts and track down invoices and paperwork that was missing, come home around 4 am and start the cycle all over again. Eric stayed out of my hair most of the time, checking in on me on occasion. Pam was a little more talkative to me and we got a few minutes to talk almost every night. She was very interesting and very kind to me, and tried to talk to me about my gift and theories on how to block it from Eric. Though since starting on the club's finances I hadn't a chance to practice on Eric and most of the time he made himself scarce around me for some reason.
It was just another normal day for me in my new career, it was around 7 pm and I was finally putting the finishing touches on Fangtasia's books. Pleased with myself in so many ways at everything I had done and discovered, I closed up the leather-bound book that was Fangtasia's financial portfolio, put my laptop in my briefcase along with the book, some CD's, and a few jump drives and gave myself a mental pat on the back. Eric would be so pleased with the news and I was excited to be delivering it to him. I had worked my ass off to impress him, and it was in that moment when everything was completely done that even though I wanted to swear Eric off like last week's laundry, I couldn't lie to myself anymore. I was attracted to him, but unfortunately, he didn't seem too damned interested in me. Sighing, I sat my things on my desk and got dressed, not feeling the need for business attire so I slipped on a black dress for celebrating, as I was sure tonight was a night for it.
I put on my makeup, careful with the dark eye shadow to not look overdone, and did some light curling to my hair before pulling it up on my head to hang to my shoulders. I slipped into some black satin strappy stilettos, adorned the dress with a long white gold chain necklace with a circle of diamonds on the end to sit between my breasts, and put on some matching earrings and a bracelet. I took a good look at myself and was pleased: the dress was very Marilyn Monroe style that reached right above the knee and the neckline plunged to mid-torso and mirrored the same in the back. Hopefully I could arouse some interest out of Eric tonight and get him out of the foul mood he seemed to be in ever since we arrived to Shreveport.
It was past 9 when I had finished getting ready, and I knew that Eric and Pam would be there by then. I grabbed my black leather briefcase on my way out the door and drove over to Fangtasia. Going through the employee entrance, I found Eric's office empty and was slightly disappointed. That meant I would have to go into the club to get Pam and Eric to tell them the good news. Walking out the front office door, I was pleased that the music playing was a slow and sensuous tune and I scanned the area for Pam or Eric. I couldn't find Eric anywhere, so I went towards the main entrance to see if I could spot Pam. I weaved through the crowd of grinding bodies and made it to Pam at the door.
She handed some guy back his I.D. and looked over at me,
"My my my, aren't we just looking ever so delicious tonight. What's the special occasion?"
I couldn't help but blush and smile at Pam's compliment, "I have good news to share with you and Eric. Do you know where he is?"
Pam snorted and wrinkled her nose, grasping my elbow and heading over to Eric's booth,
"Yes, he's off in the little town of nowhere chasing after Sookie."
For some reason I felt a surge of jealously. I wondered why he would need Sookie when I thought he had hired me because he thought I was more skilled than she. Not to mention Pam had filled me in all about Sookie and her boyfriend Bill, making me dislike them even more.
I wanted Pam's help, her advice, so I opened my channel to her and allowed her to feel what I was feeling.
There was no denying as we sat down across from each other in Eric's booth that she had felt my hurt, my jealously, my anger, and my disappointment surge through the grip she had briefly had on my elbow.
Her eyes seemed to register what I was feeling and I looked down at my hands that sat in my lap, no longer feeling beautiful and excited like I had earlier.
I felt Pam's finger under my chin, "Honey, don't you dare let Eric get you down. He can be kind of thick headed, and he doesn't realize what he has in front of him. Eric was ecstatic when he first met you; I couldn't make him shut up about you. Hell, he made me want to jump through hoops just to meet you."
My darker eyes met her beautiful blue eyes and I managed a small smile at that,
"Really? Then why's he going after that telepath?" I couldn't even bear to say her name I already hated her so much.
Pam leaned over the table closer to me, "Sookie's loyal to Bill, and Eric can't stand or believe that Bill is so devoted to a human. So, he's been chasing after Sookie to try to prove to himself that there's no way a vampire could ever be so devoted to a breather. In short, he's been trying to see if he could split them up."
Well, I guess that's why Eric didn't really look at me twice anymore. Sure, he was flattering and said nice things, but Eric didn't seem to believe that humans were good for more than sex, food, and apparently running his business for him. It was in my mind now, to prove to him differently and to get his mind off of the telepath.
I felt a mischievous grin plant itself on my features, "Well, I suppose he needs to be shown the light then, eh?"
Pam chuckled, "Eric likes surprises and he keeps his interest when he's thrown off his game. And that's all the advice I'm giving you tonight. I'm ready to just sit back and watch as you work your magic on him. I'm sure he won't be disappointed, gorgeous."
Pam stood up and motioned me to stand as well, "Tell me, do you like to dance?"
If there was one thing I was good at, it was dancing, as I had many years of training.
"I am a very good dancer."
Pam smiled, her fangs starting to run down, "Tell me what music you prefer and I'll give you something to move your body to and something for Eric to enjoy watching."
I thought momentarily: I would be dancing alone trying to seduce a vampire and I was in a dress. "Play me something sexy...something latin." Pam was next to the DJ in a flash and said something to him and then looked up at me and nodded, and as if right on cue, the music started and Eric walked through the front door. Pam had impeccable timing.
Thankfully, I knew the song, El Beso Del Final, by Christina Aguilera and walked to the dance floor as sexily as possible. I closed my eyes as a space let up on the dance floor, probably to Pam's doing, and I began to move my hips to the music. Once I started riding the rhythm, rolling my hips and spinning, I opened my eyes to find Eric on his throne, his own eyes already locked onto mine. His face was serious, in deep concentration, and I felt my heart pounding as I had never danced like this for a man. I rolled my hips again and ran my hands lightly down my body and then up my neck. I scanned Eric's body up and down and stared right at him as I trailed my hands over my throat.
I turned around so that I was no longer facing him and put my hands into the air, grinding my hips left and right to the slow beat. I felt a presence behind me and I knew it was Eric; I knew his smell and I could recognize his energy without ever touching him. He was at my back, running both his hands lightly down my sides and I leaned back into him instinctively, my raised hands coming down, one stroking the side of his face as I turned my head to look up at him. Then he quickly spun me in his arms, and the song hit a strong beat and he had me bent halfway over at the hip. His right hand gripped my waist against him, and the other trailed down from my throat to between my breasts before he had me back upright and pressed against him. I felt like I couldn't breathe and that Eric's touch was so light it made me shiver with anticipation.
He took my hand and I rested the other on his shoulder, and he led our slow dance, pushing my hips back and forth, never saying a word to me as his smoldering blue orbs stayed on mine. The song died down and was replaced with a faster tempo of a rock band and I felt Eric grasp me hard around the waist and in moments we were in his office. I couldn't say a word, as I knew Eric was feeling everything I was feeling, and so I opened myself to feel him as well. Apparently my ploy worked, as his desire matched my own, but I could tell something else was on his mind as well. I didn't know what to say and I was so relieved when Pam walked in the door and Eric released me to walk behind his desk and sit down.
Pam winked at me and leaned against the door, "Why our Evelyn here is quite the dancer, isn't she Eric?"
Eric was eying Pam as if he knew she had something to do with it, "Yes, that you are Evelyn."
He locked eyes with me again and I felt my face flush, "Thank you. I was just enjoying myself and doing a little celebrating."
I wanted to get refocused at the task on hand and get one thing accomplished before I was bombarded with a load of feelings I was not prepared to handle.
"Celebrating? And what is the occasion?"
Knowing he would ask, I opened my briefcase that was on his desk and handed him the black leather portfolio,
"Your books for Fangtasia are complete and everything is updated and in order. That in your hands is your financial portfolio for this company and these," I pulled out a large black binder, "Are your completed books." I set the binder down with a light thump and pulled out some CD's and flash drives.
Pam had joined us at the desk and was looking through the things as well, "These CD's are back up discs for all the current information on Fangtasia should anything happen to the originals. And these jump drives are all the working papers, invoices, and P.O.'s for the club, which are all backed up on the CD's as well. Everything can be tracked on your accounting software now. No more mile high stacks of paper."
I let them soak that in as Eric scanned through the portfolio and Pam delved into the binder. I gave them a few minutes as they switched and looked over everything.
Eric couldn't help but offer me a small smile, "You have done outstanding, Evelyn. I am quite impressed."
Pam put the portfolio down and nodded her head, "Yes, Evelyn, everything looks quite wonderful. Better than before I might add."
I smiled and was bursting with enthusiasm to tell them the next part. I opened my briefcase back up and held a small notebook in my hands,
"Well, that's not all. Not only are all of this company's financials finally in order, but I have located your stolen $60,000."
I handed Eric the notebook and he looked shocked, as did Pam, and they both looked at the notebook together,
"You see, it took me a bit of time to piece it altogether, but I finally did. Long Shadow had kept payroll open on employees you had fired for a few months after they had left. He was diverting the direct deposit into his own bank account, which as stupid as he was, was the same bank account he used for his own payroll. I'm assuming the old accountant wasn't noticing the money leaving through the old employees. Everything was pretty much buried in the salary account. But, the money was still there when I had checked, so I had it all transferred back into Fangtasia's account."
The room was silent as they looked through the proof I had handed them and the final bank statement which reflected the new balance of Fangtasia's account. Eric sat the book down and leaned back in his chair.
"Very impressive Evelyn. I am very glad that you were able to locate the money Long Shadow had taken from us. And as such, since we had already assumed the money would not be returned, you may cut yourself a check for the full amount and keep it for yourself. Think of it as, a signing bonus of sorts."
I think my jaw must have hit the floor because I was speechless. Was he kidding? $60,000, no way!
"Umm…thank you Eric, I really appreciate that, but you don't have to be so generous. I was just doing my job."
What was I saying, take the money and shut up!
"No, it is yours to keep, I insist upon it. I have yet to compensate you for all your troubles, and you have finished the work here before I even had you scheduled to start working, so I am quite impressed. You deserve it, and we must celebrate your job well done."
I nodded and looked to Pam, smiling at her as well, but we were interrupted when the office door opened and a blonde girl and a vampire with dark hair stepped into the office. Tension suddenly filled the air.
Author's Notes: Next chapter...looking forward to a bit of flying and a tiny glimpse into Evelyn's troubled past as Eric & Evelyn grow closer still...
