Chapter Four

The New Assistant

"All I can say, both Bill and Eric can sense me," Sookie looked thoughtful. Something was bothering her, I was sure of it. Either it was the fact that she had tasted the blood from two different vampires, or mentioning Bill's name had awaken the memories – both the wanted and the unwanted ones. Bill wasn't only her first vampire; he was also her first man. It might sound odd, not that it is odd to stay a virgin until the day you get married, but it isn't the case for Sookie.

She had the ability to listen to other people's thoughts. Of course it wasn't very convenient for her if every man she had ever dated was mostly thinking about her breasts. Heck, she had two really huge and beautiful breasts. She wasn't a never eating enough, almost starving and borderline anorexia looking kind of girl, but I wouldn't call her fat either. She was proper. Her garment size was around 8 or 10. Once or twice, she managed to wear a 6, but very rarely. Still, as much as she was proud of her breasts, she wasn't very happy either if the men thought only about her breasts.

Bill was different. He was a vampire, first of all. Bon Temps had never been visited by any vampire before. Then suddenly, out of the blue, he was there. I didn't believe in coincidence. People don't just show up for nothing. He must have been up to something. But like always, nobody listened to me. Sookie had been very excited to know that she couldn't hear his thoughts. A new beginning, she told me, a chance to finally live a normal life.

Hah! To live a normal life with a dead one, something was wrong in that sentence. First, to live, you need somebody who is actually living. Yes, Bill could talk, walk, sing and fuck. But there's no beating heart under that skin. And as it turned out, not only that he didn't have a biological heart; he also didn't have a heart in romantic sense. He had dumped her coldly for his maker. His maker, a beautiful Latina lady - skinny like a model, jet-black hair, bright green eyes, and loads of money, who had been with him for more than a hundred years and conveniently never mentioned by him.

Then, along came Eric. Tall, blond, handsome and not only looking like a rock star, but also acting like a rock star. His sense of style could only be matched by Lafayette. The way he carried himself was confident and cold. He wasn't the kind of person whom you could put in the middle. He was a kind of these extreme types. You either liked him or hated him. And when everybody could see how tender he was when he looked at Sookie, Sookie was the only one who didn't see and even refused to believe when I told her that he wanted her.

We had finished having breakfast about an hour ago. Instead of cleaning up, we returned to bed and lay down. I was too lazy to sit down and Sookie seemed more than willing to do it. I realized, we rarely did that anymore – simply laying beside each other and telling each other stories of simple things that happened in our lives. We had been too occupied by our jobs. The time had never been fitting for us. I had worked in the day time and she worked in the evening. By the time I had finished my job, she had just to go to work.

Some weeks ago, I still had worked in a supermarket. I had been fired. The manager said I had been too rude and unfriendly to the customers. 'Service, Miss Thornton, is our power. You have chased every customer that ever entered this place out. I am sorry, but you have to go.'

Well, the job had been lousy anyway. It had long hours with a small salary. There had been few customers and most of the time; I dozed, waiting somebody to come. Sookie asked if I was willing to work as a bartender at Merlotte's. What the hell, having a mother who was able to drink like a fish, mixing booze was one of my gifts.

"Did you also dream about them?" I tried my best to keep my tone as neutral as possible.

"Yes," her face was suddenly blushing. "Did you dream about him, Tara? What did he look like – your vampire, I mean? You don't say anything about him."

"He is not my vampire," I said. "Well, I didn't see him, to be honest. I only saw his eyes. They were huge, really huge! Did Eric tell you anything about him? He seems to know him."

"We don't talk about it," Sookie shrugged. "He seems reluctant to talk about him. I asked him once; he said it'd be better if I didn't know him."

"Wow! What is he? Is he some kind of fugitive or something?" I grinned. The idea that my savior was a trouble maker in the vampire world sounded very well to me, I loved when somebody 'stirred' their world a little bit. And if that somebody happened to be somebody I knew, the better it would be.

"You really don't like them, do you?" By 'them', Sookie meant vampires.

"No."

"Even when one of them has saved you?"

"That's a different matter!"

"What about your dream?" Her blue eyes shone brightly. "Tell me, please!"

"Nothing important," I hesitated.

"Oh come on, Tara! I dreamed about them. I know how it is!" her face was reddish from blushing, but she kept staring at me.

"It's just…," I took a deep breath, "He wanted to come in…," and he wanted to kiss me.

I continued in my head, and cursed myself knowing that Sookie still could hear me, but it seemed she respected our agreements that she would never enter my head, unless I asked her to, because she said, "I thought you would dream something sexual."

"Was that what your dream was about?"

"With Eric, yes. With Bill, it was more like that he wanted to hurt me."

"You should have listened to your dreams. How many times did you drink Eric's blood by the way?"

"Once."

"And how many times did you dream about him?"

Sookie didn't answer. It was enough for me to understand that she's still having dreams about him. Jesus, how many times would I have dream about that gray eyed vampire? Now that I had invited him in my dream, did that mean he would be able to enter my house?

"I don't know," Sookie said when I asked her. "I never ask either Bill or Eric. Maybe you should get to know him, you know. That's the very least thing you should do."

"What do you have in mind? Making my dream comes true?"

Sookie laughed. "Oh, I want to see that! Tara Thornton takes a vampire as a lover. That will be a sensation in Bon Temps! Imagine what the Miller Sisters will have for a subject!"

The Miller Sisters – Imogene and Savannah Miller, Bon Temps' very own queens of gossips. I wondered from where they had gotten all the news they always brought to anyplace they went, but they seemed to know everything. Yeah, what would they say if they saw me and a vampire walking hand in hand on the street of Bon Temps? It would be priceless, and just for the sake of my curiosity, I was dying to do that!

Sookie got down from the bed. "I think you'd better have a shower," she said. "Gran always said, even when we feel miserable…"

"We should not look miserable," I continued. Gran – that's the way we called Sookie's grandmother had been a warm hearted woman, a truly great lady, who had sheltered me from harm – during my mother's heyday of drunkenness. I would never forget her.

Xxxxx

Around noon, Callisto Lyssa knocked down my door. Wearing a dark blue and soft yellow summer dress, with her black hair opened, she looked more like a rich woman doing a charity job, than a social worker. I didn't want to think anything bad, but the golden bracelet with red stones on it, it must have cost more than my whole month salary! She had sun-kissed skin and dark brown eyes, so dark, that I swore they had been black. Her make-up was perfect and her smile was also perfect. Jeez, either I was lucky, or this lady had nothing better to do at home.

"Tara," her voice was soft and melodious, "you have been through a heavy trauma." Even it was a bad news that she was speaking of, it didn't change the fact that her voice was as beautiful as her face. "And I am here to help you. I want to help you go through the horrible accident," she touched my hand, but then like touching something hot, she took her hand off. What happened? She smiled. "I am sorry," she said. "It's all right for you if I am getting a bit familiar with you, not too familiar I hope…well, as a matter of fact, I do. But of course, if you don't mind."

I didn't know what she meant, nevertheless, "No, not at all."

"Perfect. Now, Tara, in order to be able to help you, I – we have to see each other a lot. You have to share everything that you remember or feel about the accident. Only then, can you get a complete recovery from that horrible accident. Do not hesitate, my dear. I'll be there for you, no matter what it takes."

That was sweet. Nobody ever said that to me, not even Sookie. Yes, she helped me a lot, but she hadn't always been there for me. She had always disagreed with something …well, most of the time.

Callisto (she had insisted to call me that way) took a card from her beaded handbag. A beautiful handbag, which I remembered seeing it on a famous designer's website. "This is my business card. Call me at any time. In fact, if you're willing, you can come and visit me."

The name and address on that business card was written in golden ink, with an old fashioned font style:

Callisto Lyssa

Social and Spiritual Conversation Partner

South-West Street 16, Bon Temps-Louisiana

Tel. 318-233-9100

"Nobody lives in South-West Street 16," I said. "I thought South-West Street ended with number 15. There's only an empty lot with a high fence on it.

"Oh, I bought the land beside the number 15, two years ago. There is a house on that land, Tara. It's a little bit deeper to the forest. I like secrecy." She bowed her head closer to mine. "You know how the people of Bon Temps are."

I snorted. "Unfortunately, Callisto, too well. Just too well. And I don't blame you if you built a thick wall. But then again, I'm not sure if whatever happens in your house won't be known by the entire Bon Temps society in a matter of seconds."

Callisto smiled. "I hope not. I have been searching for a quiet place to live and to work for a long time. It would be a pity if I didn't get it here."

We promised to see each other again tomorrow, around the same time at my place. "You are welcomed to come to my house, at any time, Tara," she said again before she left, "At any time."

By the night fall, I got weary. I got bored sitting and doing nothing at home. As much as what Internet could provide me, it was cold and dead. I wanted to talk to people, yeah, I could go to a chat forum and talk nonsense with the 'people' there; still they were faceless. I wanted to see some faces. Something, somebody I could touch. I just didn't want to be alone.

I decided to go to Merlotte's. If Sam didn't allow me to work, I would just sit and watch him mixing drinks. Or perhaps, I could watch Big John cooking. Not as sassy as Lafayette, however, it's worth it to learn one or two tricks of cooking from him.

"Tara!" Big John took me in his big sweaty body as he saw me. "Don't you think you should stay in your bed, Girl?"

"And missing the chance to see you making your famous gumbo? Not a chance!"

Big John released his hug and laughed. I loved seeing him laughing. His big muscled body would shake and his chest would move up and down. The sound that he made was deep and warm, as if it came from deep inside his soul. "I wanted to visit you, Tara, but then I heard you were already sent home."

"I was cured fast."

"Not too fast, I hope." His eyes were twinkling. "People could assume something."

I rolled my eyes. "People of Bon Temps do not assume, they believe, Big John. Don't you know that?"

"That's what I miss, Girl. Your to-the-point point of view."

"Where's Sam?" I looked around. Normally, when it's still early, Sam would be busy arranging stock in the store room, but I didn't hear anything there.

"You wouldn't believe," he bowed a little. "Sam hired a new assistant."

"What? What did he do that for?"

"Not exactly his assistant, an assistant, who helps anybody who needs a help."

"An all around assistant?" I shook my head. "That doesn't sound like Sam! Where is he anyway?"

"In the small kitchen, explaining how the things should be done to the new assistant. But I wouldn't go there, if I were you."

"What? He has his periods again?"

Sam Merlotte – the owner of Merlotte's Grill and Bar; my boss, had a very strange mood when the full moon was reaching its time. We called it 'Sam Merlotte's period days'. But the full moon wouldn't come in the next fourteen days. Why was he having a bad mood?

"No, but…" Big John lifted his both hands. "Trust me; it would be better for you, if you didn't enter."

That's tempting. I had to go to the small kitchen.

"Tara!" Big John's voice warned me, but I didn't care. Almost running I entered the small kitchen and…bang! The small room was filled the sound of crashing dishes and rolling pots hitting the floor.

"Tara? What are you doing here?" Sam sounded shocked, but it was me, who was under a total shock. On the floor, white as the colour of the wall, a young man was sitting on his ass. Around him were some pans and pots. The broken white shirt which its sleeves were folded showed some blue tattoos on both arms. Two buttons were open and showed also some blue tattoos on his chest. His hair was dark brown and wavy. His jaw was square and his lips were pink. He must have never touched a cigarette in his life. As our eyes met, I felt my body go limp. My head was spinning and everything blurred.

Those eyes were pale grey and big, as big as I could remember. And his voice was just as soft as it had been before. "Sam, I think she will collapse."

And that was the last sentence I heard.

xxxxx