Again, Thank You to all who are reading, alerted and set my story to favourites – I am really pleased that some of you are enjoying it and I hope you continue to do so.
I know, I am begging again, lol, but please, please leave me a review – good or bad I really love to read them and means a lot to me.
Well, here goes the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it....
Chapter 4
Sam held the door of his office open for Lillie to enter and he shut it firmly after her. He ran his right hand over his face and through his short, brown, slightly greying hair. Lillie knew immediately that he was agitated.
"What is it Sam?" She asked, concern clear in her tone.
"Just what the hell are you doing going to a fuckin' vampire bar?" He shouted.
Lillie was speechless, she had never heard Sam sound so angry, at least not to her.
"Arlene – yes, Amy – yes maybe even Tara at a push, I would have expected it but not you!" Sam continued, this time with his hands on his hips.
"It was what Arlene wanted!" Lillie said, attempting an excuse.
"But a fuckin' vampire bar?!"
You said you don't have anything against vampires". Lillie said, still defending her actions.
"No, I said I don't have anything against them having their own bars. I just don't think people should go in 'em!"
Lillie felt increasingly angry – how dare Sam speak to her the way he had!
"Sam, this is none of your business!" She said, her voice raised.
"Yes, it is when you bring vampires into my bar!"
" How dare you say that! I had 'nothing' to do with him coming here tonight! I don't even know him!"
"So, you're saying it's a complete coincidence that the night after my waitress's go to a vampire bar, Merlotte's gets it's first vampire?" Sam replied, his tone full of sarcasm.
"I'm not arguing about this any longer!" Lillie said, and attempted to grab the door handle to get herself out of the now heated, office atmosphere. Sam grasped her arm to try and prevent her from leaving but Lillie pulled herself, harshly from his grasp. She gave him one last look of infuriation and left the office, slamming the door shut behind her.
"Fuck!" Sam said, as soon as Lillie had left. He immediately regretted the confrontation. Lillie was the very last person he would have wanted to upset and all over a god-damn fang!
Sam gave a long, hard sigh and made his way back to the bar, who knows, maybe the vampire would antagonise him enough so he would have an excuse to throw a punch at him and relieve the anger that he now felt.
Lillie got back to the bar and instantly looked to the table where Eric had been seated – it was empty. The bottle of True Blood still full, left on the table.
"He's gone". Amy said as she stood beside Lillie. Lillie went to the table and grabbed the still warm bottle of blood and took it to bar.
"Tara, this can be thrown – the customer's gone." Tara quickly picked up on Lillie's disappointment.
The rest of the evening at Merlotte's was strained. Lillie and Sam weren't on speaking terms and the other waitress's noticed the awful atmosphere.
Since Eric's departure Lillie had thought about nothing but her invitation to Fangtasia. What offer could he possibly have for her?
"Amy, is there anyway you can do my shift tomorrow night and I'll do yours the day after?" Lillie asked.
"Er....yeah, sure." Amy replied."How come hun?"
"I've got some stuff I need to sort out". Lillie replied, pleased that Amy had agreed to the shift change.
Lillie had decided that she would go to Fangtasia Monday night, just to prove to Eric that she wasn't at his 'beck and call', and if he wasn't there then tough – it would be his loss!
The next evening when Amy turned up for work at Merlotte's, Sam was confused.
"I didn't think you were working tonight?" He said.
"I wasn't. Lillie asked me to swap with her".
"How come?"
"I don't know Sam, she had some stuff to do or something".
Sam sighed, he had a feeling this 'stuff' would involve a certain vampire, and he was concerned that his behaviour the previous evening may have pushed Lillie to it.
Lillie spent almost all day pondering over what to wear to Fangtasia – and not for the first time. She wanted to go understated this time, so she decided on a black 50's style skirt with a lemon, short sleeve v-neck top. Her look was complete with a pair of black, round toe shoes.
As she drove to Fangtasia, Lillie began to feel apprehensive. She really didn't want to go alone but she had no choice. If the argument between her and Sam hadn't happened the night before she may have asked him to accompany her.
What was disconcerting for Lillie was the way Eric had made her feel – again. She was attracted to him in every way but weren't vampires supposed to be like that – to be able to entice you? But with Eric, she hated to admit it to herself, but it felt oddly natural. The feelings terrified her and also what was the business proposition he intended to offer her? Lillie had a feeling that this trip to Fangtasia, to Eric would change her life.
By the time Lillie parked her trusty Datsun outside Fangtasia it had just turned ten. There were no vampires on the door tonight. Lillie was unsure if this was a good or bad sign?
Before she entered the bar she took a deep breath.
The bar wasn't as busy she she thought it would be. She had a quick look around but didn't see any familiar faces from when she was last there. She made her way to the bar and ordered a coke. No alcohol this evening as well as driving she definitely needed a clear head.
As she stood at the bar deciding what her next action ought to be, she was unaware that Pam had already seen her and had gone to inform Eric.
Pam knocked on the door of Eric's office.
"Yes". Came his curt reply.
Pam entered. Tonight she had decided to wear her pink-mix Chanel suit. Which consisted of a box jacket and knee length skirt. The outfit had given her the opportunity to wear her brand new pink pumps.
"Your pet is in the bar". Pam relayed with her hands on her hips.
"Lillie"
"Who else?"
"Has she asked to see me?"
"No. As far as I'm aware she doesn't even know I've seen her".
"Escort her here Pam".
"As you wish". With that, Pam made her way back into the bar.
Lillie was standing at the bar, she was more than a little surprised when Pam appeared to have come out of nowhere.
"Eric would like to see you".
"OK". Was all Lillie said and she placed her half drunk beverage on the bar and continued to follow the female vampire into the corridor at the back of the bar.
For those few moments before meeting Eric, Lillie was unsure of her feelings – she felt afraid yet euphoric, she knew that it may not be safe in her environment right now, yet she didn't want to leave. She felt that she should have this meeting with Eric. All her life she wished she had taken more chances and right now this was one.
She stepped into the office – Eric Northman's office. Eric's desk was situated in the centre of the room. On the right there was a black, leather sofa and to the left were a rack of around half a dozen shelves, each with several brown, cardboard boxes of alcohol and Tru Blood.
There were numerous other boxes around the office and Eric's desk was scattered with paperwork. Lillie was drawn to the painting that was hung just at the back of the desk. It looked old and it was what looked like several Vikings sat around a long table.
Eric looked different. Most noticeably was his new haircut. It was now short and slicked back – much sexier, Lillie thought and then mentally scolded herself. His attire was a lot more casual than their first meeting at Fangtasia – he was wearing black sweat pants and matching zip up top, which had two electric blue stripes running down each arm.
Eric beckoned for her to take a seat at his desk, which she did. He moved from behind the desk and leaned against it – he was now only a couple of feet away from Lillie. Pam closed the door leaving the two of them. Eric immediately noticed Lillie wringing her hands together. He had seen the faces of fear more times than he cared to remember , and he saw it again in this young woman sitting before him. The one person who he genuinely didn't want to scare, but Eric would have rather given his life up than let 'anyone' know that information.
"I thought our meeting was tomorrow evening?" He said, as he folded his large arms.
Lillie could see the material of his top stretched to it's limit at his broad shoulders and well toned arms.
"I couldn't make tomorrow".
"So......you assumed I would be able to talk with you this evening?". Eric continued his interrogation, not allowing his eyes to leave Lillies.
"I...I didn't assume, I didn't ask to see you".
The room echoed a palpable silence for several moments. Eric moved back into his former seat behind the desk.
"Let me tell you a little about my er........situation". Eric said, taking his ease and leaning his large form back into the chair.
"My name is Eric Northman and not only am I the owner of Fangtasia but I am also Sheriff of Area Five"
"What is area five?" Lillie asked.
"It means that I am Sheriff of not only your little town of Bon Temps but also the entirety of Northern Louisiana".
Lillie took in all the information, but still found herself attracted to the dangerous, and as she had discovered important, vampire which she knew was probably not a good thing. What Lillie was completely unaware of was the way 'she' made him feel, which is why he was about to offer her employment at Fangtasia.........