I'd like to apologize to everyone for a post that is not only late, but short. I want to say that I appreciate all of your reviews and encouragement, and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story. I plan on updating Monday-Friday, but depending on my schedule, I may have to move to a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule at some point. Please enjoy the latest chapter, and once again I apologize for its brevity.

Michele Court

ONE WEEK LATER

The two women entered Fangtasia for the first time in a week. They were both nervous, but for different reasons. Lily was terrified. She had built up a well of anxiety over the past week, and now that it was time to actually work in a vampire bar, she was ready to shake herself to pieces. Rowan was nervous also, but there was less fright in her. She was more anxious to find out what Eric wanted with her. She had run through many different scenarios in her mind over the past several days. She was certain (and she had had little luck convincing Lily of this) that he did not merely want to feed on her. Why go through all this pretense if that was the case? No, he did not merely want to feed. But what then? What could he possibly want with her? She was hopeful that it would not take her long to find out.

They had come by early, at Eric's instruction. They had dressed scantily, also at Eric's request. Rowan wore a knee length strapless black dress with black heels. Her unruly hair was corralled into a side chignon, and the rebellious curls at the front were held down with a thin black headband. She wore little makeup, but it was more than she usually wore. Lily was nearly her twin, but wearing white, and her hair was straightened so that it fell down her back in a blonde waterfall. The two girls stood just inside the door, not certain what to do.

Pam suddenly spoke from just behind them. "Well now, don't you both look a treat? I swear, I could just eat. You. Up." She lowered her face toward Lily's shoulder, stopping just short of the skin and breathing out huskily rather than biting. Then she straightened with a smile as the two girls whirled around to face her. "But of course I won't. Wouldn't want to have to hide a body so early in the evening. Eric's waiting for you in the office." With that strange exchange she walked around the girls and over to the bar to speak with the bartender.

Lily rubbed her shoulder where Pam's breath had left goosebumps. Strangely she was not (too) afraid. She had rather...liked Pam's attentions. She shook off her confusion and followed Rowan back to the office. Rowan knocked politely, calling out, "Eric? It's Rowan and Lily."

The words had barely left her lips when the door was opened. The tall Viking stood smiling in the doorway, devouring the girls with his eyes. "Ladies. It is good to see you. Please, come in."

The girls entered and sat themselves on the black leather couch. Eric stood at the desk for a moment, looking over some papers, then turned to them. "So, are you ready for your first night?"

"What exactly are we supposed to be doing? I know you said we'll be dancing, but what exactly does that entail?" Lily asked. She was terrified of this mountainous man, but this question had been eating at her.

"Do not fear. You will not be stripping. All you will be doing is dancing with patrons, getting them to buy you drinks, and sometimes you will be required to go to other venues and pass around fliers. Basically you will be luring people into Fangtasia, then getting them to spend money while they are here. After we close, we may ask you to help clean up. Nothing more. Is this acceptable?"

Rowan and Lily glanced at each other, an expression of relief blossoming in Lily's eyes. Rowan looked back up at Eric. "Yes, that's fine. Thank you for setting us at ease about that. What about...the patrons. The um, vampire patrons. If they try...well, what if they try to bite us?" Rowan was not terribly concerned about this, she was sure that if Eric had a genuine business license, he probably had measures in place to ensure the safety of his human customers and workers.

"They will not dare." Eric growled menacingly, and Rowan was reassured. Eric himself was their protection, and she found that that would be sufficient for her. It may have been her insight from the week before, or perhaps it was just in her nature, but she found herself trusting Eric. Eric shook off the intensity in his eyes and smiled again, but Lily noticed that the smile did not touch his eyes. "Now, I had asked you early tonight so you could get any questions out of the way, but in the future, you will not need to come in until 9 or 10 at night. We do not get busy until around that time. You may take the next hour or two to do what you wish."

With that acting as dismissal the two girls exited the office. Rowan felt his eyes sliding over her body, and almost began to doubt her theory that he did not want to eat her. But when she glanced back as she reached the door, she saw no hunger in those eyes. There was some lust, and she accepted that as a consequence of her attire. But mostly it was curiosity and interest. Rowan developed her first inkling that perhaps she was not the only one who did not know what they wanted from this situation.