A/N: Hi! As always thanks to everyone that is reading and reviewing. I'm still sort of insecure about the AH-world, so the feedback is really, really welcome. A couple of things I wanted to let you know. First, I'm probably going to move this story to the M section. This may be kind of a surprise to those of you that have read my other two stories because I'm not much with the lemons, but am working to correct that. Also, this story is going to deal with some more mature themes. Second, I know you are all waiting for a certain tall blonde to show up and I swear he's coming…just not this chapter. But instead, I give you Pam…

Also an enormous thank you to my beta, chiisai-kitty!

Although Sookie wasn't that impressed with the movie she made with Bill – she knew "screwball" comedies were popular, but she didn't think Bill could pull it off – it was a great opportunity to learn everything she could about the movie making business. And she did. Acting was a job – and now it was her job. Sookie understood everything it could give her – it could mean a lifetime of financial security. It could mean a real life in a beautiful place, doing something she found fun and interesting. Luck had thrown something her way and she was going to do everything she could to make it work for her.

She made friends with the make-up artists, the hairdresser and the wardrobe consultant. She asked thoughtful questions and praised their efforts. When she saw that Mr. Dawson was open to her questions she learned as much as she could about what made a good shot and scene. She talked to the men who worked the lights.

And she learned a lot about how the studios and movie making worked. She learned that this movie was essentially a take-off of the wildly successful, It Happened One Night. It had taken a lot of effort for her not to snort at the idea of Bill carrying the "Clark Gable" character. She also learned that this picture was a B-movie. It would run as the second part of a double feature. The studio had been resistant to B-movies for a while, but so many movie houses were adopting them that they were following suit. Even though it was a B-picture, it was important to the studio. First, it could make the difference between financial success or failure of the package and second, it was a test for her and for Bill to see if they worked.

They were working on a quick schedule and often spent twelve hours a day on the set, but Sookie had never been happier. She was learning something new. She was accepted. And she felt secure. On the day she received her first paycheck, she drove to the bank with Jason and opened her own account. Jason had laughed at her pride in the bankbook, but in an affectionate way. He was proud of her. She held the bankbook in her hand as they drove home that night. Every week Sookie would walk to the bank and put her money in the bank – always taking out about half of it to keep hidden at home, just in case – and sometimes at night, when Jason was out with his friends, she would take out the book and touch the numbers softly with her fingers.

The final frames of their picture had been wrapped that afternoon and Bill was waiting for Sookie outside of her dressing room. When he saw her looking well beyond her eighteen years in a floral dress and picture hat, he smiled and held up a large bouquet of flowers. Really, she was the perfect shot in the arm for his career…a new partner, a new romance, and a spate of publicity. He could see it unfolding in front of him, finally, grasping the success that had been eluding him. Bill Compton saw no reason why he should not be at the top of the Hollywood heap. He was smart where many actors were idiots. He was ambitious, although all actors were. He was a hard-worker where others simply assumed their good looks would carry them through, but something was missing. And he thought perhaps that something was Sookie. Not in a "something is missing from my life" kind of way, but more in an essential step in my career path sort of way. "I was hoping you would join me for early dinner at the Brown Derby?"

Sookie sighed a little internally. She wasn't certain how to handle the situation with Bill. She sensed that he was interested in her, but she wasn't clear as to his motives. She suspected that the studio might have been encouraging a romantic relationship in order to increase the interest in their movie. She thought he was just trying revive his flagging box office numbers with a romance. He was always asking her to go places with him and she often wondered if she should say no, but she had very few friends in Hollywood, well, if she were honest, she didn't have any. And well, she loved the Brown Derby – even if she did think that paying almost two dollars for a steak was a crime! What was the harm?

She slid into the booth they were led to and immediately started looking around. "Do you think there are any movie stars here?"

Bill smiled at her indulgently, "You mean other than me?"

Sookie tried hard not to roll her eyes, and she succeeded, but she couldn't stop her eyebrow from rising slightly in amusement. "Yes, of course, other than you," she said hoping Bill wouldn't hear the laughter in her voice. From the look he shot her she figured that he had.

And if she'd had any doubts his next comment would put it to rest, "Behave like a burgeoning talent please, not like someone just off the bus from Hicksville…if you don't mind."

She glared at him and bit back several comments that her upbringing kept her from saying out loud, although she desperately wanted to. And besides, she didn't feel like a movie star, she felt like a fan lucky enough to make it to the other side of the velvet rope. She smiled instead, "Oh, I don't mind."

Ignoring Bill's disapproving look, she continued to search the restaurant and finally came up with both a person she knew and something to say to Bill, "Oh look, there's Mr. Dawson."

She waved to Tray Dawson and noticed Bill rolling his eyes.

Mr. Dawson, however, returned her wave and leaned over to say something to his dinner companion – an attractive woman with stylish brown hair and a slim build. The woman looked over at Sookie and Bill for a moment before grabbing the director's hand and pulling him from their table toward Sookie and Bill's booth.

Tray Dawson was young to be a director but he had been very successful so far. Known for bringing in stellar performances from new or failing actors and delivering movies on time and under budget, he was a rising star at MGM and had been put in charge of this picture with the hope of reviving Bill's flagging box office status. Sookie knew nothing about what made a good director, but she liked Tray Dawson.

"Don't sit here," the woman stated in a forceful but pleasant way. "Join us. Tray has been talking about you non-stop and I've been dying to meet you," she stated smiling widely at Sookie.

Tray smiled at the woman indulgently, "Allow me to make introductions first before we hijack their dinner. Sookie, this is my fiancée Amelia Carmichael. And of course you know Bill."

Bill nodded coolly while Sookie extended her hand, which Amelia grasped and shook firmly. No wilting Southern Belle here. "I'm very pleased to meet you," Sookie said, which was the truth. She hadn't met a single girl her age since she'd been here. Well, she had, but none that seemed interested in being friends.

"Join us please," Tray repeated Amelia's invitation. Bill rose without consulting Sookie, not that she wasn't fine with it, and started over to the director's table. Amelia flagged down the headwaiter and explained. Then she looped her arm through Sookie's and began to speak, "Tray says you're newly arrived."

Sookie shrugged was a year new? "We arrived a little more than a year ago."

"That's new," Amelia stated. "It can be hard to make friends in a town like this especially when you're an instant success."

Sookie had to acknowledge that she was lucky. But now that she'd been lucky, she was working hard to keep her luck going. "Do you work in the movies too?" Although her sense was that Amelia did not, otherwise she would have already been talking about whom she knew.

Amelia smirked at her as they sat down, "Heaven forbid! I'm trying to write a book, but it's going very badly."

Sookie had no idea what to say to that or why it was so funny because both Amelia and Tray seemed to find it very amusing.

"Amelia has an artistic soul," Tray Dawson explained smiling at his fiancée like she had just turned on the sun and then at Sookie. "She was writing plays for awhile, but then her father got hold of one and thought it could be turned into a movie…that ended that." He patted Amelia's hand and said, "He was right. You really could write screenplays."

Amelia laughed, "Of course he was right. He's always right. He's Copley Carmichael."

Sookie sat up a little straighter. Even an outsider like herself had heard of Copley Carmichael, he was a producer. She still wasn't really clear what that was, but she knew he had a lot of power. And she knew not every producer was the same, some were just backers and others were like Copley Carmichael…although from what she had heard Mr. Carmichael was in a league of his own.

Tray shook his head at her, "Maybe you just need a muse. You could write for Sookie."

Amelia looked at Sookie with interest, "You know I like that idea…"

Bill looked on with disapproval, "Amelia, you can't ask your father to waste his money on an unknown like Sookie."

Amelia turned to Bill with her brows knit together looking for all the world like a spoiled child, "I think I can do what I like with my own father!"

A silence fell over the table as Bill and Amelia frowned at each other. Bill said nothing for fear of angering, or further angering, the great Copley Carmichael's daughter and Amelia said nothing because she wasn't used to having people talk back to her and was still a little astounded. Sookie was still searching her brain for a subject-changing topic, she doubted the weather was going to do it, when Amelia's mood shifted like the wind as she said to Tray, "Oh look! There's Pammy!"

Amelia rocketed out of her chair to greet someone that Sookie could not see. She reappeared moments later dragging a small woman wrapped in an enormous fur.

Sookie's main impression was that the woman seemed to be mostly silver - pale skin, ice blue eyes and hair so blonde it looked like moonlight all wrapped up in silver fox furs. She exuded such calm and poise compared to Amelia's bounce that it seemed impossible that they knew each other. When the woman arrived at the table Sookie gaped, "You're Pamela Ravenscroft."

The woman gave her a bored look, "So I am." Her pale eyes gave Sookie a once over before moving onto Bill, "Bill Compton. Haven't seen you in awhile."

Bill nodded, "Miss Ravenscroft."

Tray leaned back in his chair and looked the famous actress up and down, "Little early for you to be having dinner isn't it Pam?"

She shrugged, "It's actually lunch for all that it's after five. Besides, Eric has commanded my presence at a partners meeting tonight. I had a publicity shoot all afternoon, so it's eat now or starve." Sookie thought it was kind of amusing that anyone was "forced" to eat at the Brown Derby – just grab a sandwich at home.

Tray fingered his scotch glass and looked at Pam, "A meeting?"

Pam smiled coolly, "You know Eric, ruling the world, one movie at a time." She considered Tray for a moment, "You should come. He has a lot of respect for your work and he needs a director. He just fired one."

Sookie couldn't help but notice that although Tray took the invite in stride Amelia looked both surprised and pleased.

Pam looked around and sighed, "How long do you think I have to stand here before the staff notices I need a chair?"

Since no one was really talking to Sookie, she stood thinking she might be helpful, but Pam turned to her and said, "No, you sit. I want to talk to you. Compton, go find the staff and explain that people need chairs to sit in. Your career is pretty much over anyway."

Sookie was shocked when Bill actually started to rise. She placed her hand firmly over his and snapped, "I'll have you know that Bill and I just finished a picture and I think it's going to be a big hit."

Pam smiled at her sinking into a chair that had appeared behind her once the headwaiter had realized that Pamela Ravenscroft was standing in his restaurant waiting for a seat, "I think its going to be a big success too darling, but not because of Bill. You really are just a little piece of the sunshine on earth aren't you? You even get all hot when angry! Look, her face is all flushed."

She smiled at Sookie in a way that made Sookie feel like she should back away slowly. She held Sookie's eyes for several more moments and all Sookie could say was that she was proud she didn't look down. But she'd had plenty of old biddies staring at her in Bon Temps thinking their daughters or granddaughters would be a better match for Sam Merlotte than poor white trash Sookie Stackhouse, Pamela Ravenscroft could stare away…Sookie wasn't going to flinch. Finally, Pam turned to Amelia and started chatting amiably about Amelia's latest project.

An hour later they were sipping coffee and Sookie had to admit, she liked Pam in a reluctant, somewhat guarded way. She was funny. Pam glanced at her watch and looked at Tray, "We need to leave if we're going to be on time."

Tray smiled at Pam, "Well, we wouldn't want to be late!"

She laughed, "Yes, lateness is one of the deadly sins in Eric's mind. It's practically next in line behind ugly and slovenly." And then she looked at Sookie again, but addressed Tray, "The dailies are good?"

Tray turned to look at Sookie too. She was starting to feel a little bit like someone's prize hog at the county fair. "Great," he replied. "Just like you said, sunshine personified on film."

"Eric would love that," Pam commented more to herself than anyone else.

But Tray frowned deeply at Pam and responded, "Pam, no disrespect intended, but Sookie…"

Sookie didn't know what was going on, but she knew she hated being talked about like she wasn't in the room even though it seemed to happen all the time in this town.

Bill chose that moment to add to the conversation with a caveman-esque comment that Sookie would have expected from the boys back home, "Sookie is my partner."

Pam looked at him with contempt, "Please, Eric does not do partner films. He needs a lead, an actress –"

Bill shrugged, "Call it what you will. She is mine."

And with that Sookie had had enough, "You're talking about my career right? That means it's my decision." She didn't really know what was happening, but she wasn't going to let Bill take the decision out of her hands. Now that she had some control over her life, she was learning to like it. Bill was glaring at her, but Sookie just smiled at him.

Pam was talking to Tray in a low voice, "Eric is a professional, Tray. He's not going to jeopardize a major picture to chase some Southern virgin. Besides a lot of that stuff is just talk. There's just kernels of truth in it."

Tray looked skeptical as to whether or not Pam was telling him the truth and distinctly nervous about which kernels were true.

Sookie blushed hotly. She might not have realized what they were talking about before, but she sure as heck got the picture now.

Tray looked at Sookie realizing she had heard them and cleared his throat looking uncomfortable, "That was unnecessary Pam."

She shrugged, "I'm just trying to reassure you. Besides, it's a valid concern I suppose, but he has Belinda or Ginger for that kind of thing after all. He's back with Belinda right now so that should divert his attention, wouldn't you think?" Tray's look of discomfort deepened as Sookie's mind started to spin…Eric…Belinda…Oh Lord!

"Are you talking about Eric Northman?" she blurted out.

Pam was gathering her gloves and bag, "Welcome to the conversation, darling. I'm surprised you've heard of him. I thought the South equated Eric with Satan."

Sookie opened her mouth to protest, but then shut it again. She'd had to sneak out to the and take the bus to Shreveport just to see the last Eric Northman film – 'too suggestive' the movie houses near her had said. "What would Eric Northman want with me?"

Pam pulled her gloves on, "Eric's casting a new movie and I think he'd be quite taken with you."

This information was so staggering to Sookie that she was up out of her chair, propelled by ambition, just as she rudely asked, "Why would he want me and not you?"

Pam laughed her lovely laugh, "I know you're from the South, but no one wants to see a brother and sister play romantic leads and I can barely stand running a studio with Eric…acting with him would be impossible. He's such a perfectionist. He's working me into an early grave as it is. You'd never know I was only nineteen! Look at the bags under my eyes." Sookie saw nothing but skin that looked like it had been carved from ivory.

Pamela Ravenscroft was only a year older than she was? It seemed impossible.

"Nineteen?" she repeated, still not able to believe it.

"I know," Pam drawled. "It's shocking isn't it? So intelligent and successful and not even twenty, what will I do for an encore?"

It might have been offensive except that Sookie felt like Pam was laughing at herself a lot more than she was laughing at Sookie. She smiled at Sookie, "I'm glad you're coming with us." And then glancing at Bill couldn't seem to help but stir the pot, "Don't worry about Bill. He always seems to land on his feet. I have no idea how. It certainly has nothing to do with being talented."

Sookie glanced at Bill and didn't really agree with Pam's assessment about either thing. She thought Bill was talented, he just couldn't find the right outlet. And she doubted he was going to land on his feet if this picture failed. He was looking at her like she was taking the last life vest and he wasn't at all certain he knew how to swim. But despite the nervousness in his eyes, He waved his hand as though giving Sookie permission to go. She might have stayed if he hadn't done that. But Sookie had had quite enough of men telling her how to live her life. That's how she'd ended up here in the first place. She picked up her wrap and followed Pam out.

As they walked away from the table Pam leaned in and confided, "I enjoy your spunk. Even in Hollywood, it's hard to find."

Sookie eyed her, "It seems like you have enough of your own to spread around."

Pam shrugged, "Being spunky on your own isn't really that much fun."

Tray kissed Amelia on the cheek and whispered something to her and she waved him away laughing before he followed Pam and Sookie.

The waiter dropped the check on the table and it sat for a moment before Bill looked away. "Oh let me, really," Amelia said laughing.

Bill simply stared at her. What did she want him to say, what everyone knew? His mansion was about to be foreclosed on. He had nothing. If this picture with Sookie wasn't a success, he was finished. Obviously, he wasn't paying for dinner at the Brown Derby if Sookie wasn't there for photographers to catch them together. What was the point?

A/N: So…Pam kind of made up for lack of Eric right? Personally, I always think Pam is worth a read, but they're on their way to Eric's house…stay tuned…