Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.
An extra big thanks to Treewitch703 for helping with this chapter even when she wasn't feeling well. I am sure you will all join me in hoping she feels better soon.
Thanks as always for the reviews and tags. I hope you enjoy.
We had been sitting there more than half an hour, with Pam chatting and Eric testing the boundaries of how far I would let his hand slide up my leg before I'd stop him, when Clancy nodded to Eric. Eric started nuzzling my ear again so he could speak without being overheard.
"My visitors have arrived. Pam will stay with you while you listen to the staff. Be careful. And say nothing in here, tell us later what you hear. I will be back as soon as I can." He gave me quick kiss and rose gracefully from the booth. All eyes followed him as he strolled casually across the room as if it were empty. Vampires and humans alike moved out of his way.
Pam scanned the room after Eric left, presumably looking to see if anyone was planning to take advantage of his absence. After a moment she returned her attention to me.
"It is such a pain when work gets in the way of a date. I remember …" and she launched into the same story she told me the other night about a bad date. I realised she was giving me the opportunity to eavesdrop on others while seeming to listen to her. Brilliant, I would be able to comment on her story since I already knew it.
Keeping my eyes on her and an attentive expression on my face I reached out with my mind. For a moment the mass of thoughts overwhelmed me and I felt Pam grab my hand. I focused on her for a second and realised she had managed it in such a way that would look as if she was emphasising a point in her story. Using her silence to focus, I reached out again.
The first staff member I picked up on was serving a table nearby. In her mind I could read she was watching Pam and me as she worked. She was being paid by Victor to report everything she saw or heard in the bar. Especially regarding me and Eric. Victor had been pleased when she reported that I had not been seen there since I returned. She was worried he would be angry I was here tonight and was hoping to have something useful to tell him so he wouldn't take it out on her.
I listened a while longer but there was no plan there. Or even any malicious intent. She didn't not like Eric, or like Victor, they were all just vampires to her. She didn't know why Victor was so interested in another vampire's human but figured she was only reporting what was out in the open anyway and she needed the extra money; it was going to take years to pay for her daughter's braces. I moved on.
The next two I tried were focused on their work. I would check them again later. Then I listened in to a guy picking up an order from the bar. I was surprised I hadn't heard him earlier, he was a strong broadcaster. I realised that this was because he was confident that he was untouchable,and felt no need to keep a low profile. He was one of Victor's people too. Victor had clearly given him the impression he was very important. He simmered with hatred for Eric but only because Victor had told him to, there was no justification for it, even in his own mind.
This guy's faith in Victor's protection was a little too strong for his own good though. Tonight was his first night working at Fangtasia and his task was to watch the interaction between Eric and the vampires under his authority. But he was much more interested in lining his own pocket. He was skimming from the money he handled and intended to lighten the till. He figured he had Victor wrapped round his finger and could get away with anything. I knew he was not likely to live long and despite his greedy and hateful thoughts I wondered if there was any way to save him from his fate.
Before I could think too much on this though a flash of thought caught my awareness . Actually it was an image. Of a stake. I traced the picture to its source, trying to look as if I were simply taking in my surroundings as I glanced around the bar. Once I located the woman I looked back at Pam. She was still chatting animatedly but I felt her toes touch mine under the table and I knew she had noticed the change in me and was urging caution. I smiled to reassure her and then focused back on the woman.
She was at a table with three others. One was the woman she had come with, the other two were the men that had just bought them drinks. I clamped down carefully on my emotions as I listened to one woman then the other. I felt Pam grab my hand again and caught her saying something about getting me some food. I guess I had gone a little pale. I nodded to her and sipped at the third gin and tonic that had appeared a short while before. The drink gave me an idea and I took a moment to plan what I was going to do.
The two women were from the Fellowship and were there posing as tourists. The plan was to look for ways to spike the bottled blood supply with a silver solution that the fellowship had developed. Security at the supply depots was too high so they were looking to see if they could access the stock within the bars. They were only on a reconnaissance trip but they felt daring anyway. The older woman was the senior member and being in her mind was worse than the few times I'd accidentally dipped into vampire thoughts.
She was full of hate and had little sense of self. The sort of person that was always going to belong to a hate-group of some kind. Who the hate was directed at was less important than the feeling of belonging, and superiority such a group gave her. She had studied romanticised war stories from a young age and had a vision of herself as a tragic heroine. She loved the idea of being part of an underground network and, in her youth, had toyed with the idea of going to a war-torn country to join a resistance group. Then the vampires came out and the Fellowship of the Sun allowed her to indulge her 'heroic' fantasies right here at home.
That was what she tried to tell herself. That she would be a big hero, that history books would be written about her and her brave fight against overwhelming odds. That she would be listed as one of the few that rescued the human race from almost certain annihilation by the evil vampires. But really it was about the feeling of power the idea of killing gave her. Especially as killing vampires was something she thought she could do without any guilt at all, since they were already dead. Though she was worried it was not going to be as satisfying.
Sitting there in Fangtasia she was totally focused on her mission. To identify a way to get into the stock room. She was even, she bragged to herself, willing to go as far as flirting with one of the 'vile creatures' if that was what it would take. She was that committed to the cause. She thought of the girl with her as weak and unworthy to be a true warrior of the church, but was willing to try to guide her, as was her duty as a leader.
The 'girl', Jenny, really was just that, only 19 years old and filled with determination, fear, anger and grief. The only reason she had joined the Fellowship at all was because of her grief. Her older sister, her idol, had killed herself after her vampire boyfriend left her. Jenny had always seen her sister as perfection. Older, wiser, stronger, more beautiful. She couldn't believe the confident, laughing woman she had looked up to, had turned into the miserable mess she had seen the last time Jenny saw her alive. She convinced herself that somehow the vampire had done something more that just leave her. Maybe that glamour she had heard about, or maybe the reverend's sermon about vampires sucking the life out of people wasn't just talking about blood.
Even so, she had become disenchanted with the Fellowship. She had come to realise that rather than protecting people like her sister, they viewed them as worse than the vampires. The attack on the mall, and the comments from the other Fellowship members about the humans that had died there had been the final straw. She wanted to leave. Only her fear that they would think she was a sympathiser made her go along tonight. She planned to get out as soon as she safely could. But now everything had changed.
She had spotted the vampire that had dumped her sister In her purse was the stake Fellowship members were given. They were expected to carry one at all times, especially when on assignment. She would use it on the vampire that was responsible for her sister's death. She knew she would probably die, but she hoped she could kill him first. The vampire pictured in her head wasn't one I knew. I had to find a way to stop her without making a big scene. She was watching the vampire in question carefully, looking for an opening. I needed to act quickly, without giving myself away.
Thankfully, years of working in a bar meant I knew how to act drunk. Putting my glass down a little forcefully so it sloshed over the sides, I slid to the edge of the seat.
"I'm just going to the ladies room." I said to Pam "Too much to drink." I smiled at her. I could tell she was suspicious as to what I was up to, but I set off before she could say anything. Weaving between the crowds I made sure to stagger slightly a couple of times making sure my route went right past their table. When I was beside her I slid my foot sideways in my heeled shoe and fell clumsily into Jenny's lap.
"Oh. I'm so sorry." I grinned at her. "Not used to walking in heels, I'm afraid. Are you all right?" I breathed gin into her face, invading her personal space while keeping my mind on her companion who was luckily using the distraction as an opportunity to check out the store room entrance across the room rather than looking at me. Lickity-split I slipped my hand into Jenny's purse, grabbed the stake and shoved it down the back of the booth. I pretended I was trying to push myself up off her as I rammed the sharpened wood deep into the crevice between the bench and back-rest cushioning.
"Hey, you OK?" asked one of the guys with them, hauling me back to my feet.
"I'm fine." I grinned manically "Really sorry, I'm so embarrassed." I turned back to Jenny, the guy wasn't looking at my face anyway. "You sure I didn't hurt you?" she looked a little shocked, but I got straight from her head that my act had had an unexpected effect.
She was suddenly not so sure of her plan. By falling onto her I had shaken her out of her focused surveillance of the vampire and she seemed to remember where she was and why.
"No, I'm not hurt. Don't worry, that sort of thing happens to me all the time." she smiled gently at me. I was surprised to realise she pitied me. She thought me a bit simple and out of my depth in a vampire bar. I shrugged internally, it was better that than having her being suspicious like her companion. I decided I'd better move on before the older woman could ask any questions or recognised me.
"Well, I'll just get on to the ladies room." I nodded at them and extracted myself from the guy who had helped me up who was now thinking it would probably be easy to get me to go home with him since I was so drunk. I moved on, careful to wobble a couple more times, but keeping my mind focused on the two women at the table.
The older woman had forgotten me as soon as I moved away and was studying two human employees that had emerged from the back room with cases of TrueBlood to restock the bar. Jenny was looking at her sister's ex-boyfriend again. She had reached her hand into her bag, looking for her stake to trying to get back on track. When she couldn't find it she was almost relieved. She wasn't suspicious though and figured she had been so nervous about tonight that she had forgotten it. On finding her purse stake-free she decided it was probably for the best. She would finish the assignment tonight then take off to visit her cousin in Illinois for a while.
I pushed into the ladies', pleased with my little escapade and wasn't surprised to find Pam waiting for me with an unhappy look on her face.
"Later" I mouthed to her and headed into the stall. She had narrowed her eyes at me, but I knew she'd wait until it was safe to talk. That wouldn't stop her glaring at me though. I rubbed my temples and locked my shields tight for a moment of peace. Thankfully Pam had already left by the time I came out. I washed my hands and took a few deep breaths. I was exhausted from listening to minds and still shaky from Jenny and her companion's thoughts. Both the grief from the one and the hate from the other made me feel sick, though in different ways. I just wanted to go home and curl up with Eric on my bed or perhaps let a shared shower pound the tension from my body.
I shouldered my way out of the rest-room and paused to glance at Eric's closed office door. As I did I heard two familiar raised voices. Without thinking about the wisdom of the move, I quietly edged closer to the door and listened carefully.
"I do not see what you are so upset about. I was here for the meeting as requested, on time I might add, unlike you who were nearly an hour late, though I am not so stupid as to suppose that was anything but deliberate. I have acquiesced to your requests for my paperwork regarding some of my business associates and I have supplied you with invaluable advice regarding your current project." I could pick up from the bond that Eric was torn between irritation and amusement.
"Northman, I will arrive at our meetings when I see fit." I now knew who had been on the phone earlier, at least that explained why Eric had been so angry about the call. "The King has decided that you will answer to me in all matters concerning the two-natured. I know you are used to just taking whatever you want, but this is a new regime now. I have no option but to report this to his majesty." The way he said 'this' suggested he was indicating something in the room. "Any arrangement between you and the Shreveport pack should have been negotiated by me. If you persist in ignoring my authority you will have to take the consequences. I am negating whatever arrangements you two have made as of now."
I was frozen in shock as I took in the voice and the implications of what he was saying.
"You wish to leave Sookie without daytime protection?" Eric's voice was very calm considering the conversation he was having and with whom, but I could taste the venom in it even from the other side of the door. "I know she rejected you but I didn't realise you were so bitter about it you would risk her life."
"If you cannot protect her, perhaps I should arrange for her to be removed from your care to a more secure location."
"An empty threat Quinn. Sookie is mine. She is my wife and my bonded, you cannot take her from my care unless she and I desire it. Unless you think your authority goes beyond that of the AVL?"
"Maybe not, but my authority goes far enough that you cannot make deals with Weres unless I negotiate them." Quinn was unable to keep his voice as calm as Eric had. His growls shifted to something much nastier as he went on "I'm sure I can come up with something more suitable than sub-contracting her care to a lone wolf, especially since I will be in the area for the foreseeable future." I had heard enough. Taking a deep breath, I pushed my anger down and the door open, pasting my crazy Sookie smile onto my face as I entered.
Eric was sitting behind his desk with his feet up and his hands behind his head. Alcide, who I had not realised was in the room, was sitting in one of the guest chairs. His look went from uncomfortable to surprised as I entered. Quinn who had been standing in front of the other guest chair before I entered, spun to look at me with a growl on his lips. Realising who it was he recovered quickly and smiled at me.
"Babe" He opened his arms as if expecting a hug. Eric was suddenly between us looking down at me and blocking me from the others.
"I'm sorry to interrupt sweetheart." I said politely before he could speak. I reached up to give him a quick kiss. It was a good job he had his back to Quinn and Alcide as the shock actually showed on his face for a split second at my greeting. "But I was coming out of the ladies' room and couldn't help but overhear what Quinn was saying."
I rubbed my hand down over Eric's butt where I knew Quinn would see it before stepping round him to face the two weres. "Alcide, I am surprised you have not clarified the situation for Quinn." I chided gently. "Quinn, my protection is an arrangement strictly between Alcide and myself. It is possible because of my Friend of the Pack status, as you should recall having called upon it yourself once." I kept my tone brisk, racking my memory for my word-of-the-day terms and channelling 'Eric in Sheriff mode' as much as I was able.
I continued "I wasn't aware such an arrangement was any business of the King's at all. If you have a problem with the idea of me being protected you should take it up with me personally. Though as you are the King's …" I paused as if looking for an appropriate word, Alcide nearly choked on the glass of water he was drinking and Quinn turned red "representative" I finally settled on delicately "and are so intent on following protocol, I suggest you arrange the conversation through my husband like any vampire would." I glanced back at Eric as I mentioned him. His face was carefully blank but I knew he was enjoying the rainbow of colours and mix of emotions dancing across Quinn's face as he reacted to my words.
Quinn's brain was even more of a snarly mess than usual but I picked up enough to know my carefully chosen points had hit home.
"Sookie. I didn't realise you were here tonight or of course I'd have asked to speak to you babe." He said recovering himself once again. He was lying though. He knew Eric and I were supposed to be on a date tonight, knew I was in the bar waiting for Eric to come out. He had planned to keep Eric in his office as long as possible. He had come tonight specifically to interrupt our date and to see our relationship for himself.
"I was only concerned about the arrangement because I know how much you hate it when vampires perform acts against your will" he said pointedly glancing at Eric "but I should have remembered that your interactions, with us two-natured at least, have always been by choice." he added getting in as many of his own digs as he could and being sure to align himself with the weres rather than the vampires.
As I gave him a look to let him know I knew he was lying, I noticed his eyes had changed from their usual purple to bright coppery gold. I felt a stab of fear as I realised he was barely keeping control of himself, but I didn't let it show and continued to hold his eye until he looked away. He didn't look down though, he looked up, at Eric, with an expression like he could smell a bad stench.
"Northman, I will expect your recommendations on the part the vampires in your area can play to assist with the were-reveal by next week. I am willing to overlook this current infraction for Sookie's sake but I expect you to toe the line in future." Quinn puffed up his chest and clearly expected me to be impressed with the way he was ordering Eric around. I realised that making Eric answer to Quinn was just another of Felipe's ways of annoying Eric as much as possible.
Eric however didn't seem the slightest bit fazed. I could only feel amusement from him through the bond and I felt proud of him for handling what must be an unpleasant situation so calmly. But then I suppose with a thousand years of dealing with who-knows-what kinds of people Quinn's posturing probably didn't rate that high on Eric's list of difficult meetings.
"Of course. I am happy to offer my experience and expertise in any area you feel your own is lacking." he replied smoothly "I have already given the situation some thought, seeing as Alcide and I have worked together before on account of my wife." he added putting his arm around my waist and nodding to Alcide. Behind Quinn's back I was surprised to see Alcide wink at Eric. Thankfully years of practice enabled me to keep my face blank.
"Was there anything else you needed tonight Quinn?"asked Alcide "These last minute meetings are not really convenient you know and we already wasted an hour at the Hair of The Dog before we came here. I've a business and a pack to manage, not to mention the Reveal to prepare for. If you had simply told me it was regarding Sookie's protection you wouldn't have had to waste your time." Alcide kept his voice innocently bewildered, as if he didn't really understand the undercurrents of what was going on here, but I didn't miss that he had managed to confirm Eric's theory that Quinn had deliberately kept him waiting after insisting he get to Fangtasia immediately when he called.
"No there is nothing else tonight. But you should remember that our cooperation is just as important to your pack as to anyone else." Quinn snapped.
"Of course I realise that Quinn, I'm here aren't I?" said Alcide agreeably.
"I'll see you out." Said Eric politely, breaking up the spat. "Lover, I'll see you back in the bar in a moment and we can continue our evening." he gave me a quick kiss and he and Alcide left.
Not really wanting to be alone with Quinn I turned to follow them.
"Babe wait." Quinn called. I stopped, took a breath, and turned around to face him. "You don't need to look at me like that." he said with pain in his voice. "I am not your enemy."
"Why are you here Quinn?" I asked cutting to the chase. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times as he considered his answer then surprised me by telling the truth.
"The King has Eric answering to me because he knows it will annoy him, both because I'm a were and because of you and me. It's better than the pits. If I'm stuck working for vampires again at least in this role I feel I'm helping my own kind. Most of my work here is with the two natured." I knew all about the problems with his family and the debts he'd had to pay before and was now paying again and I did feel bad for him.
"Well I guess that makes sense, but why are you here tonight?"
"I wanted to see you." I looked at him. "I wanted to gatecrash your date." he admitted with a small smile.
"How did you even know about it?"
"You're kidding right? The King knows every time one of you so much as farts." I blinked at his expression, but I was also worried about where the King was getting his information from.
"Eric had told others at the bar you were coming tonight and that he wasn't to be interrupted." he clarified seeing my distress "It is good to see you though. When I heard you'd gone I thought that was it, I'd never see you again. I admit was surprised when I heard you'd come back. Why did you? Did he force you?"
"No Quinn, he didn't." I wasn't as angry as I might have been at his question as I could tell there was some genuine concern behind it. But my voice was still a little sharp as I also knew he would be reporting back to Felipe either way.
"You said you wanted to cut him out of your life, if you did, why come back?"
"That was before, Quinn, things are different now."
"But babe wasn't it better before? When it was you and me?"
"You and me? We barely saw each other."
"Yeah, well, as I remember it that's because Eric kept getting in the way. He showed up before our first date, then again in New Orleans and then what he did in Rhodes. He was determined to have you and just kept pushing until he wore you down." he said. There were several things wrong with his statement but I was distracted by the strange combination of anger, concern, sulkiness and a begrudging respect that coloured Quinn's tone and expression. I was offended by all the above and slapped him before I could think better of it. He didn't flinch.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." He said seriously, softening his face and stance, I noticed his eyes had returned to purple, though I wasn't sure just when they had. I suspected it was when Eric had left the room. "I just hate seeing you with him. I know the bond was forced on you, that he forced you to take his blood. I warned you what it could mean. That he would use it to have power over you."
"Damn it Quinn, you are just going to have to get over the whole bond thing. I have. It wasn't exactly Eric's choice either as you well know. And he doesn't control me, he never has. I don't even think it would work if he tried."
"He's better than I thought. He even has you thinking you chose this. But I remember before. You said you weren't his. You wanted to be with me."
"That was a long time ago Quinn. A lot has changed since then. For all of us. The stuff between Eric and me … well I'm not going into it with you, but I know a lot of stuff now I didn't know then."
"Really, you think Eric's told you the truth about himself?"
"I know more about you too." I shot back, I wasn't about to discuss details about Eric with Quinn no matter how many times he asked.
"You weren't exactly forthcoming with me. And I know it wasn't your choice, but you helped Victor and Felipe take Louisiana. You showed up at my house on their side, you have no idea how much it hurt me when I realised you were out there with them."
"I sent Frannie, I tried to warn you." he was defensive for a moment but then returned to the attack "Besides we were only at your house because that's where Eric was, it was him they were after."
"You think I'd be safe from them if I had stayed with you?" I said keeping the focus on him. "We'd both be locked up in Vegas now if I weren't with Eric and you know it."
"You deserve better than him. Even if you can't forgive me, you should be with someone living, someone who can give you the life you deserve."
"Look, I know you don't want to hear this Quinn, but I love Eric." I spoke softly and simply. It was only the truth after all.
Quinn went very still suddenly. His eyes glowed gold again for a moment. Then all the fight seemed to go out of him and he moved back and sat in one of Eric's chairs. Nodding to himself he finally spoke.
"Yeah. Well I guess I always knew that."
"What?" I was genuinely surprised.
"Why do you think I was so worried about him? You should have seen the way you were around him, or even if you just talked about him. You'd start buzzing with energy, like you were suddenly more alive. Plus how you were with each other. Like the two of you were on your own wave length, separate from everyone else." Whoa! I remember thinking that Eric was someone who really 'got' me but I didn't think it was something anyone else had noticed.
"So. You really married him huh?" he asked clearly not wanting to believe it.
"He's a good man Quinn. Really he is."
"He's not a man Sookie." he said sadly.
"No I guess he's not. He's a vampire, a good vampire, in every sense, which is so much better and harder to be. You know you really should listen to him on this whole were-reveal thing too. He's really good at stuff like that." I said trying to get the conversation onto less personal territory.
"Wow. You really are his now."
"It's not like that Quinn. I don't say this stuff because I'm his. I'm his because of this stuff, because it's true."
"Well. I guess I'm done here. I'd better go." I could tell he'd accepted it, even if he still didn't like it. "Hug before I leave?" he suddenly asked opening his arms with a grin.
I had to laugh, mainly because I could see he didn't expect me to agree but wanted to try pushing his luck anyway.
"I don't think so Quinn. Especially as I'm about to go back out into the bar and I don't think it would be good for the Sheriff's wife to be smelling like weretiger." Quinn gave me a look. "Hey, it's not my fault all you supes spend so much time sniffing everyone. I think it's a little creepy myself." We started to walk out to the bar. I smiled at him. I wanted to leave things on good terms. It really wasn't his fault he'd ended up indebted to the Vegas vamps. And I certainly believed in standing by your family even when they mess up. Besides, I had enough enemies.
"I hope Frannie is doing OK." I said as we entered the bar. Eric was back in the booth we had been sitting in earlier. He looked completely relaxed as he sprawled in his seat with a wire hanging down from his ear and disappearing into his pocket where I assumed he had his phone.
"Yeah. She's doing good actually." Quinn smiled proudly "She liked working for E (E) E at the summit, except for getting blown up, and has decided to do a business management course in school while working for me part time."
"That's great. I'm really glad she's doing well." We had reached Eric by this time who took the ear-bud out and smiled at me. I nodded to Quinn as Eric stood to allow me to slide to the inside of the bench. Quinn nodded back and then turned to Eric.
"Sheriff." he nodded formally. I felt a small jolt of surprise and then pleasure from Eric though his face gave nothing away. "I look forward to reading your recommendations." This seemed to be as much politeness as Quinn could manage though, since he spun on his heel and left quickly.
Eric slid into the booth after me and, tucking his arm around my waist, he pulled me against his side. Squeezing my butt, he gave me a kiss that, from anyone else I might describe as enthusiastic, by Eric standards was holding back, I guessed because we were in public. He lifted his head from mine and smiled down at me after a moment. I tried to get my breath and shot a questioning look at him at the same time.
"You look all proud and smug." I said when I could speak "What have you been up to?"
"I am proud of my wife and I am smug because she is mine." he said simply.
"Why would you be proud of me?" I asked. I hadn't had a chance to explain anything to him, so I figured from his point of view I'd acted drunk in his bar, gatecrashed his meeting then spend alone time in his office with another man, and an ex-boyfriend at that.
Eric leaned in and kissed me again, then ran his lips over my cheek to my ear where he murmured very quietly.
"I heard everything." As he pulled his head away he glanced at the headset sitting innocently on the table. I called on the years of masking my face as I realised Eric had clearly bugged his own office and had been sitting out here listening to Quinn and me the whole time. I wanted to be mad that he'd been snooping, but then again it was his office and we had been talking about him. Before I could decide how I felt about that he stroked my cheek and looked intently into my eyes.
"Thank you." he said taking me by surprise again. Then I saw the playfulness enter his eyes "I think that might be the first time you have admitted you were mine without … encouragement." he added with a self satisfied grin. By which he meant without him holding me hovering on the brink of release then demanding I tell him what he wanted to hear.
"I was surprised by what Quinn said." I decided to change the subject before he could gloat too much. His ego didn't need any help from me.
"About what? Surely you knew he would not be happy about our relationship."
"Not that. About knowing about us before. Before Rhodes even."
"Oh, that. Yes we were the focus of all the gossip by the time of the summit." said Eric with a shrug.
"We were? But why, and why didn't I know about it?" Oh, no, I thought, blushing furiously. Eric chuckled at my colour and brushed my cheek with his finger.
"Vampires are extremely good at reading humans." he said soothingly "But it was not your behaviour so much as mine that was causing a stir." I searched his eyes asking for an explanation "It is not considered very vampiric to show as much interest in a human as I showed in you, especially as you were not officially mine at the time." Eric didn't seem bothered by it though, which he went on to explain "But I have never been one for behaving a certain way simply because others say that is what vampires do. I am vampire, therefore whatever I choose to do is what vampires do." he said imperiously.
"Yes, you are definitely more of a leader than a follower." I said laughing at him "I remember right after the mess with Longshadow, Bill said you were considered a rogue vampire." Eric laughed loudly at that as his eyes danced with delight. "But how did I not know about it? About the gossip I mean. You'd think with my little quirk I'd have picked up something from one of the humans there." Eric grimaced at the reference to my telepathy but answered my question.
"Well the talk was almost exclusively among the supernaturals. The other vampires didn't want their humans getting ideas." he threw in a smirk before becoming serious again "Plus you had rather a lot on your mind at the time. To be honest though, I thought you realised when the weres who cared for Quinn, after he took that arrow to the shoulder, were so rude to you."
"I just thought that was because you were standing there." I said picturing the scene. "Oh I didn't mean it like that." I said putting my elbow into his ribs at the mock affront on his face. I put my hand to his cheek "I really didn't know. About me I mean."
"I know." he said putting his hand over mine. "We cannot talk here. Besides, you are tired, and you look like you have a headache." he brushed my hair back tenderly. "Shall I take you home?"
"But I don't feel like I've done what we came here for." I said trying to remain cryptic in case anyone was listening. There were still more staff members I hadn't listened to at all.
"Then we will simply have to come another night, when you are not so tired and I am not called into pointless meetings." Said Eric firmly.
"Are you sure?" I felt like I was falling down on the job, not having done what he'd brought me here to do.
"Yes." he said with certainty and a look that brooked no argument. "But there is something else I want to do before bringing you back to Fangtasia."
He suddenly looked excited and apprehensive at same time "Sookie will you come out with me tomorrow night?" A big grin spread across my face and I was practically bouncing in my seat.
"Like on a real date?"
"Yes lover, on a real date." I could tell Eric was amused by my excitement but I didn't care.
"What will we do?"
"I take it that is a yes." he said with a pleased smile "And I am sure I'll think of something." he added with a leer.
"Eric, just sex, is not a date. We have to go out somewhere or do something date-like." I said seriously.
"So sex at your house is not a date, but sex at the movies is?" he teased, I swatted at him.
"I am not having sex at the movies. Or anywhere else public. You'll just have to come up with something else to do." I said with a challenge in my voice.
"Don't worry lover, I have everything planned."
"But you only just asked me." I said with no real surprise. "Oh wait. I have to work tomorrow night." I suddenly remembered, genuinely disappointed. I was tempted for the first time ever to call in sick.
"No you don't. I already spoke to Sam. Amelia's protection is arranged as well." I knew Tray had stayed at the house with her tonight. Eric grinned at me. "I may have been a little, what-do-you-call-it? High-handed." He broadened his smile as he moved his hand higher up my skirt.
Pleasure and excitement at the thought of the date (as well as his creeping hand) were at war inside me with disapproval at his behaviour (and that of his hand). To make matters worse, I could see he was enjoying the battle. Eventually I decided to let the behaviour slide but not the hand. He let me stop him and I gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"You'll have to give me some indication of what we are doing. How will I know what to wear?" I said angling for information.
"Pam will take care of it." he said matter of factly, clearly prepared for this approach.
"Fine." I pouted slightly knowing I wasn't going to get any details before the actual event. "But tell her I am not going to become her personal Barbie doll." I added feeling the need to win at least one point.
"You are worried because she recommended your dress tonight as well?" said Eric with amusement.
"Not so much recommended, as simply ordered me to wear it. Though I admit it is a nice dress." I said glancing down at it.
"I agree." Why was it when Eric was admiring my clothes he always made me feel like I wasn't wearing any?
"But still, I'd rather dress myself most of the time. Except when, like tomorrow, it's a surprise." I conceded.
"I will inform her." Eric agreed. "Dance?" I smiled at him and we slid out of the booth onto the dance floor, my headache completely forgotten.
So up next – the date 'yippee'.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. As always all comments welcome, please review, I love to hear from you all.