Author's Note: I started this chapter 7 different ways before coming up with this one. I hope you enjoy it.
"Hello, Lover." Eric said, caressing each word.
"Hello. I'm calling because Alcide just killed my would-be attacker." I said without infliction. There was short silence.
"Are you okay? Did this attacker harm you?" His voice was full of concern with an underlying anger.
"I'm physically unharmed. I'm just in shock." I took a deep breath before explaining. "He was my brothers best friend." I took another deep breath to try to hold off the blush that threatened to invade my face. "He saw us in the parking lot. Did you know? Is that why you hired bodyguards for me?" I asked as it suddenly donned on me.
"I'm sorry that it was someone you knew. To answer your questions, no I did not know he was there. It was merely coincidence." He seemed sincere in every word.
"Okay." I said lamely. The shock was finally starting to wear off.
"I will call Pam. She will clean up the mess." We uttered 'goodbyes' and hung up.
I turned to face Alcide, he was a few yards away. I closed the distance and put my hand on his forearm and looked him in the eyes.
"First thing's first. Thank you for saving my life." He told me it was his job. "Second thing, before Pam gets here, I have some questions. I will know if you lie." He looked away sheepishly before agreeing to answer my questions.
"Did you see me naked on purpose or accidentally?" I couldn't think of a better way to ask what I wanted to know.
"I was not trying to be a peeping tom. For that I apologize. I happened to look up and see you drop the towel. I looked away as soon as I realized what I was doing." He blushed. I knew he was telling the truth. I could also tell that he was extremely ashamed of himself for not immediately turning away.
"Next question." I said still touching his arm. "Are you attracted to me?" I asked. I wanted to see if I could be comfortable around him, or not.
"Not really. Don't get me wrong, you are gorgeous, nice and polite. But there really is no chemistry. Like I said, you remind me of my sister." I smiled at how he put this. He liked me, but more like a friend than anything else.
"Good!" I let go and saw his face settle into something more relaxed.
After sitting outside for a few minutes I saw a blur cross the yard, heading straight for me. I instinctively crouched down and covered my head to avoid injury. Pam stopped two feet away from me and started laughing.
"Alcide." She inclined her head in his direction. "This him?" She asked as she kicked the corpse. I nodded. She looked Renee over, squatting to do so. "Is there a reason we cannot just dump him somewhere?" She looked up at me.
"This is the man committing the murders my brother is in jail for. I want to be able to clear him." It came out as a whisper. I did not think we could tell the cops that he was killed by a werewolf. As though hearing my thoughts Pam pierced the tip of her finger and wiped her blood over the puncture wounds on his neck. I watched as the holes disappeared. I gave her a quizzical look.
"I have a plan." She picked him up and took off. Alcide and I just sat in silence until she returned. She was not gone long. "You're brother should be out of jail sometime tomorrow." She told me she glamoured a local fangbanger to believe Renee had attacked and that they killed him.
"How are the cops going to believe a woman could break such a fit man's neck?" I asked thinking it would be a give away. She smiled at me like I was missing a possibility.
"I never said 'woman.' I said 'fangbanger,' and this particular fangbanger is a male weight lifter." She smiled, proud to have thought this through. I just said okay, trusting she knew what she was doing.
She handed Alcide his bonus check and he left.
"You ready for girls night?" She asked. I looked at her in shock.
"After everything that happened you still want to go out?" She smiled and nodded. All I could do was roll my eyes.
"No matter what the day brings, life will go on." She said in a prophetic way.
"I kind of like that. Who are you quoting?" She let out a giggle.
"It's from a fortune cookie. Now get your ass in gear." She swatted me playfully on my rear-end.
"What do I need to wear?" She looked me over thoughtfully.
"Invite me in and I will pick out something." She smiled.
"Pam, would you please come inside?" I said in the sweetest voice I could muster up. I started laughing and she joined in.
As soon as I showed her which room was mine, she started going through my drawers and closet, at vampire speed.
"On second thought," she said having searched through everything. "Let's go shopping!" She said with much enthusiasm.
"Okey Dokey. Let me grab my wallet." I said hesitantly, I didn't have much money and didn't want to spend what little I did have stashed back.
"No need. It's on Eric." She said it like spending his money would make me more comfortable, it had the opposite effect.
"I can't spend his money." Pam rolled her eyes.
"Sookie, you will come shopping with me if I have to drag you, kicking and screaming." Somehow, I believed her.
"Fine." I put all the attitude I could into the one word.
We pulled up outside of a high-end boutique that normally wouldn't be open past six.
"I have arrangements made with the owner." She didn't elaborate further.
Once in the store she began browsing the racks with a thoughtful look on her face. I began looking around trying to get into the spirit of our girls night. Pam heard me gasp when I found the first price tag.
"Are you okay?" She asked concerned.
"I'm okay, but this one dress is over five hundred dollars!" I looked at her expecting to share my outrage.
"Yes, and what's your point?" She asked seeming confused.
"That's more than I make in a good week at work. Hell, that's twice what I make in a regular week." She eyed me for a moment.
"Why does that matter? It's not your money." She seemed genuinely confused.
"I don't spend this much money on anything unless I have to." I was pleading her with my eyes to understand.
"I understand completely." I started feeling relieved. I shouldn't have. She was only a blur as she came over to me and ripped my shirt down the front and tore the zipper out of my shorts. "Now you have to." She said with a smug smile. I quickly tried to cover myself. She started laughing at my futile attempt.
I ran to the dressing room to get out of sight. "Pam. You are, so, not funny." That just made her laugh even harder. "Find me something to wear, since you're so damn adamant." I said in near rage.
"You need to loosen up. You're such a prude." She said throwing a dress over the door.
"I am not a prude, I'm just... okay, so I'm a prude. At least I respect other peoples personal space." I said frowning at her through the door.
"Personal space is overrated." She spoke with so much conviction that I could not hold back a giggle. "Oh, good. You don't seem too mad anymore."
"Yeah, I'm just a big softy." I said unenthusiastically. I stared at the dress she threw to me. It was see through. I tossed it back over the door. "Nice try. Get me something I would actually wear." I sounded like a demanding bitch so I quickly added a 'please' in the sweetest tone I could muster.
"Open up." I cracked the door enough to see out. She was holding a corset in one hand and a knee length skirt in the other. Both seemed to be suede, in varying shades of brown, with thin white fur trim. I eyed them suspiciously before accepting.
I was shocked to find it was a real corset, complete with laces. "Pam, how do you wear this thing? I may need a manual." I laughed.
"Open the door and I will help you put it on." I put on the skirt and resigned to letting Pam see me in my bra and opened the door.
She stepped in and immediately started undoing the laces. She had me turn around and she wrapped me in it. "This isn't designed for a bra. You need to take it off." Since my back was to her and my chest was hidden by the corset, I carefully pulled off my bra. She pulled on the laces. I could tell she was being careful to pull snug, but not tight enough to break my ribs. When she let go of the laces she covered my eyes.
"No peeking!" She led me from the stall and let go. "I want to do your hair and makeup before you see yourself!" I rolled my eyes but agreed.
She handed me a brush, so she wouldn't hurt me if she hit knots. Once it was brushed I felt some light tugging for just a few minutes, I knew she was moving with her vampire speed. She slowed down as she applied the makeup to my skin, I noticed she used very little.
I was amazed when I saw the final look. She had braided the top section of my hair into an intricate net and left the bottom straight and flowing down my back. Except for the gloss on my lips, I couldn't even tell there was much makeup on. The clothes showed off my curves in a sexy way.
"Wow." I couldn't peel my eyes from the mirror.
"I got an eye for this kind of thing." She shrugged it off, but I saw the corner of her mouth twitch up a little, ruining her nonchalance.
"What are you going to wear?" She took off at vampire speed, not bothering with a dressing room, and pulled on a royal purple, knee length, silk dress with spaghetti straps. The bottom was cut asymmetrically. She looked stunning. I liked the contrast of her pale skin and purple dress. She grabbed my hand and led me to the shoes. She glanced at my feet before selecting a box and handing it to me. She grabbed a box for herself aswell.
Inside the box were a pair of brown strappy sandals. I put them on and was amazed at how well everything went together. Pam had a pair of black knee high boots with neckbreakingly high heels.
"Come on let's go dancing." She led me out of the store and we headed to the most popular night club in this part of Louisiana.
I was shocked when I saw the length of the line, just to get in. She bypassed everyone and headed to the door. The bouncer saw us approach and inclined his head at us and opened the door to let us in. I couldn't help but smile when I heard the outrage of the crowd behind us.
We went straight to the bar and ordered drinks. Pam asked for a True Blood. I wasn't in the mood for my usual gin and tonic, so I told the bartender I wanted something that tasted like kool-aid. I took an experimental sip. It tasted like I was sucking on a Jolly Rancher candy. We sat at a table and listened to the band on a stage set up across the dance floor from where we sat.
Before the first song was over, I had finished my drink and grabbed Pam's hand. "Dance with me."
We danced to a few songs before I went to get another drink. On my way back to my seat I stumbled into someones chest. "Excuse me." I said before looking up. "Eric?" I said confused. He was staring at me with shock clearly written against his masculine features.
"You look like the goddess of my people." I blushed and bit my lip as a smile pulled up the corners of my mouth. I took a huge drink from my cup. I didn't know what to think of that, or of his being here.
"See you later." Pam said walking past us. She gave me a significant look. I smiled back.
"Did you guys plan this?" I asked Eric. He still had an awed expression as he shook his head.
"She told me to come to this club." He reached out and grabed my hand. He pulled me to the dance floor. He gave a roll of cash to one of the band members as he whispered something to him. The guy nodded. It was interesting to hear a waltz performed by a rock band. Eric twirled me around and tossed me up then catching me barely before I hit the ground. I was laughing and having so much fun. He led me off the dance floor.
I was having such a great time that I barely noticed as the knife slid between my ribs and lodged in my heart. The last thing I saw was Eric backhand that unknown murderous bitch making her neck snap like a dry twig. I closed my eyes and thought 'Good' before I allowed the darkness to sweep me away.
Author's Note: Please let me know what you think of this chapter. There seemed to be some confusion, this story is to be continued.
