A/N: This next chapter is a straight follow-on from Chapter 3, written by Riatree and beta'd by lacrimatra. We had originally put this as one long piece but felt like it could be broken down some. So, still on a Pam POV (we just love her too much!).
Hope you enjoy!
That was eight weeks ago, and we've been good friends ever since. I'd been looking for a human friend for a long while, not content with reading my agony aunt columns and fashion advice in whatever trashy magazines I could find. To my disappointment, however, most of them just did not see beyond the façade and common belief of Big Scary Vampire to even dare to try and have a conversation with me (which is, to be honest, how I preferred it in most situations. Wouldn't want to be too much of a softie, would we now?). But her warm countenance meant I just had to be pleasant back to her, and you know what? I'm glad I never gave her flat, sarcastic, scary Pam, because for once, I could just be a regular girl around her.
Sometimes, when she was free, she'd come around in the evenings to visit, and we'd get to catch up on everything; she'd fill me in on events that took place in daylight and places she'd visited, occasionally bringing me stuff I'd asked for, or lending me a book she'd read. If we couldn't see each other then she'd always stay up late so I could call her, and we'd discuss just about everything, from new menu specials I was planning for the club (always good to have a human opinion on that one) to the latest serial killer story, and she'd ask me all sorts of things about being a vampire; what I'd seen in my time and so on, her intelligence and curiosity wowed me. I even flew her back to her flat once and she said I should stay (we watched 'Pan's Labyrinth', which even I have to admit was an excellent movie) until dawn. I simply loved her company.
Which is why when I saw Eric glaring at her, watching her for minutes on end, his gaze never wavering, when I heard his fangs come out ever so slightly in arousal, I was furious.
I knew he was determined to seduce her, and, if that failed, to glamour her into submitting to his will. But I also knew what would happen if he did: my friendship with Kat would come to an end, and she would feel hurt, betrayed and shocked by our ruthless capabilities. This was something I desperately wanted to keep her away from – although I knew she did not mind, I was enjoying my interaction with an intelligent, level-headed, non-prostitute human (and a human with a wide knowledge and appreciation of gothic couture, no less).
'"Yes, Eric, for the first time in your life, you're going to have to control your lust."' That's what I told him straight. Not that I believed he'd ever listen to me, stubborn so-and-so that he is, just as I knew I couldn't let his insane libido affect me seeing Kat. In fact, I asked her back a couple of nights later to look at some new stylish (and rather humorous) cocktail recipes I wanted to introduce.
I was already modelling the new heels she'd brought me earlier than I expected.
"My studies are going so well, you know! The likelihood of me finishing my PHD this year is very very high."
Oh, and did I ever mention that I found out about a week after we met that she only moonlighted as a metal singer? And that in daylight hours she was, in fact, one of the most talented young scientists in London, working in Kensington, writing a thesis on extremely complicated...what did she call it? Oh yes, particle physics. She'd been doing it for years now, how she found the time to sing, and rehearse, and visit the bar, and live a regular life, I'll never know.
Reclining now in a back room I had claimed as my own, we discussed the latest romance novels we'd embarked on reading.
"So do you think Jane's going to go back to Mr Rochester, Kat?"
"Ooh, well I know what happens, saw it on the Beeb, couldn't spoil it! God though, that Jane Austen loves to drag on, doesn't she? I remember dozing off after Mr Collins' proposal in 'Pride and Prejudice'…"
"Yes well, back in my human days they were all pretty much like that. Weren't actually sticklers for short sharp thrills."
"Hell, Pam. How did you even cope?" Well, that could have got me started on the most massive rant about being freed from my mortal torment by Eric, but there was no way I was gonna make him look better than he already was. So I resigned myself to saying -
"I didn't. I knew I had to break out of the shell. I guess being a vamp kinda did it for me."
"Mhm, I guess. So, did Eric single you out especially? You must be quite grateful to him, I'm sure he's really quite lovely, isn't he? I mean, not like you expect someone like - "
"Yes, well." I did not want to digress onto that subject. "Anyway Kat, I wanted your opinion on some new cocktails I'm thinking of introducing into the bar. Change is the key to a trendy life - and profitable business - and so on. Also, I wanted to...er...tailor our choices according to the clientele. Would you mind?"
"I'm sure I can be of some help! But don't you have barmaids and waitresses working here already? Why not get them to advise you?"
"What? You mean get those airheads to make important business decisions such as this? When all they're worrying about is which out of lilac, mauve or violet bedroom walls will make their boobs look biggest?"
"I'll take your word for it! Where do we go then? Out to the bar?"
"We don't want to be heckled the minute we get out there, no, we'll go into the office where there's a whole cabinet full of alcohol for us to experiment with."
"But I thought you guys didn't drink anything except human blood? So why not keep everything in the - "
"Don't ask me," I said, leading her down the corridor, "take it up with Eric." Easy reply, because I didn't know the answer why we kept bottles and bottles of liquor stacked up in there, amongst all the other crap Eric hoarded. Although the second I said it, I chided myself, because I truly believed her completely capable of marching up to him and requesting an explanation.
"Here we are!" I announced, and for the first time, I wished that the inner sanctum hadn't been laced with Essence of Eric. The whole room reeked of his cologne and whatever lotiony product he had taken to using these days, and jackets were up hanging on the door. A bottle of Tabasco sauce sat on his desk, along with an untouched bottle of Southern Comfort, various comics and...other periodicals. Even his little collection of 'exotic artwork' was hung up by his desk. Yes, this was Eric territory, alright, and I didn't want Kat getting too familiar with it.
"I take it this is Eric's office?" Kat walked up to the desk, flicked through a couple of pages of the latest edition of 'Maxim' that Eric had 'hidden' under a few letters, and giggled, "Ooh, who'd have thought really old vampires would still behave like teenage boys! He and Marat have more in common than I thought, they need to get together, I mean, how fun would that be?!"
"I'm sure Marat would soon get bored of Eric, Kat. Anyway, I was flicking through this book of cocktail recipes and I've highlighted a few that sounded good. At least for our... target market."
Kat replaced the magazine, trying to reassemble the 'disguise' Eric had for it, walked up and took the magazine from my hands, gazed over the recipes and resumed her giggling.
"Adios Motherfucker?!" She kept reading. "Pam, what is this! You've only circled the ones with swear words and sex references in. Target market, indeed."
She obviously found this more amusing than me. I personally thought it was a great idea.
"Oh God, Pam, have you any idea how much booze we're gonna be piling into this? You're sure you're ready?" I poised myself by the shelves. "Vodka...make sure you've got the proper stuff now, gin, Tequila, rum, Blue Caracuo and a load of that sweet and sour mix stuff. Oh, and lots of lemonade." I got to retrieving the ingredients.
"Did I mention yet, Marat's having a concert this Saturday down in Camden, I wouldn't plug it like this normally but he really wants a good audience and, well you're very welcome to come, we'd love to hang out with you there."
"Will there be complimentary refreshments?"
"I'm sure you'll find something to your satisfaction in that part of town..." She winked playfully. "It can get crazier than this place, would you believe it."
"It's just for one night, I'll get by on just about anything nice and fresh. How about you though? Any long-tern human companions?" I knew Kat was straight, of course, but she'd never mentioned any boyfriend, so I was curious.
"Nah, not for me." Kat had begun filling a tall glass with the ingredients, referring to the recipe book every so often. She walked over and put the Tequila back before continuing. "I'm pretty much done with men, I mean, some of them really are so stupid. Thinking they can impress me in some way when really they're good-for-nothing morons trying to fuck their way through the whole of London in a month. I mean, you should see the pricks that turn up to the lecture theatre some nights!" (She lectured in her free time, to help her studies, I was given to understand) "Just sitting there, brain-dead and dreaming, until the end of the lesson when they come up with the intention to screw me on the desk. I find the whole thing pathetic! Of course, I wouldn't mind if a man proved to be a worthy partner, and I mean proved over a long time, but for now, I'm not going down any routes."
As much as I was lacking in it, her moral resolve actually impressed me. I let her get on with measuring out all the alcohol, and topping it up with some Schweppes Lemonade that had been in a crate in the corner of the office. I watched anxiously as she smiled and took a big gulp, her face contorting slightly when she swallowed. She held the glass in front of her and looked at it, half in disgust, and half almost in amazement.
"Okay, this is NOT called 'adios' for no reason! Pam, all people need is three of these and they're gonna be out like a light! I mean it, I've put more liqueur in here just now than I would drink in a month. I think you've gotta be careful on this one, you could get all sorts of violent behaviour ensuing if - "
"Any sort of violent behaviour, I will personally attend to, Miss." Oh, great. Eric's big blond frame filled the doorway as he stood, eyes widened in lust his eyes roamed over Kat's body, currently perched on the end of his desk.
"Nice to see you again, Eric. Cute office you have here, very, uh, equipped." She got off the desk to continue putting away bottles, and I saw Eric's eyes glance over to mine, and over to the gap between the low cut V-neck of Kat's kaftan, taking in the view she probably didn't realise she was giving him, or really felt conscious about, but I could tell that Eric's trousers were certainly very aware of it. I quickly moved to stand in front of her.
"So, Eric, did you take another look at those new menus I was planning on putting in the bar?" I crooked a smile at him, seeing his eyes narrow in frustration at me.
"Yes, Pam, I did. In fact, I thought I'd ask Kat to give me a second opinion, so if you wouldn't mind, we'll just -"
Oh no, he didn't. "Actually, Eric, I've taken up so much of Kat's time tonight that she deserves the rest of the evening free. Kat, you don't want me to fly you home or anything, do you?"
Eric's face lit up at his eureka moment. "Oh, Kat, you don't want Pam to fly you, she's too crazy up in the air, what you need is a big, experienced - "
"Now look, both of you." I hoped this was Kat's no-give attitude come back to bite his sorry butt. "I'm quite alright driving in a car, yes, a car, all the way back three miles to my flat. And I'll be perfectly safe, don't you worry!"
By this point, Eric had strategically bypassed me and was leaning casually against the wall next to his desk, shoulders fully back and biceps flexed slightly too much. Now he started his not-so-scary-and-very-accommodating-and-welcoming-vampire speech:
"Kat, why don't you come back tomorrow night, you know you're welcome any time. The barmaids all recognise you, just come in to say hi to me and Pam, you can have all the drinks you want, completely on my account…"
She looked apologetic. I hoped it was because she couldn't see me tomorrow and not because she would be missing Eric. "I'm really sorry, but I'm lecturing tomorrow night. Got an important particle interactions session all set up that I simply have to deliver, couldn't miss it."
Eric cocked an eyebrow. He didn't know Kat was a secret genius. Probably assumed she'd have the IQ of a McDonalds worker or at least be nothing more than a cocktail waitress in a sleazy bar, because she sang in a band entertaining the weirdos who frequented his club.
A thought suddenly occurred to me. I knew obviously that sooner or later Eric WOULD make her submit to him in whatever way he could find, but perhaps - what had she said earlier? Something about the men who came to her lectures merely to get mental images of her for later use in their bedrooms, and how she'd be put off by one straight away? Yes that was it. Oh well, 'if you can't beat them' and so on. I knew I could land Eric in it with this one.
"You know, Kat, Eric's studied particle and molecular physics extensively in years gone by. He would be a renowned expert if he had a beating heart." I glanced across to Eric at this point, smirking slightly as I saw his angered face and rigid body, right now doing all he could to restrain himself from throttling me.
"Really?" I loved seeing excitement on Kat's face. "Well then Eric, you're very welcome to attend the lecture tomorrow night! It's at Imperial College in Kensington - you got that? Make sure you sit at the front because we'll be asking for lots and lots of input from you! It's not often we get another expert coming in to listen..." She turned to Eric and grinned.
With my super-duper vampire senses, I heard Eric curse profusely in Swedish under his breath before he looked back up - or should I say down - at her.
"Yes, erm, well, providing Pam hasn't got anything planned -" He looked at me pleadingly.
"Nope, nothing at all. Go along Eric, it'll be fun for you to share your expertise with another person so high up in the field." I sneaked another snarky grin at him.
"It's settled then," Kat interjected, by now gathering up her coat and heading for the door. "Tomorrow at 8pm. Don't be late!" With that, she hugged me and took off.
Eric took a few steps towards me, fists clenching in rage at his realisation of the total embarrassment he would soon be facing, but I dismissed him with my hand.
"You can't have anything against me, Eric. You wanted to be closer to her, didn't you? And what could be better than you just happening to be an expert in the field she spends half her life working in?" He grimaced, but I could see he was considering the idea.
"Okay, fine, I'll go. But if I come out there with her thinking I'm a fucking maniac, there will be NO mercy. Got that?"
"Absolutely. Now, maybe we could go and dig out that flowery shirt again for you to wear..."
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