A/N: Dear readers, I have made a banner to celebrate my 500th review, which can be seen on my profile.

Thank you all so much! I am hugely appreciative of your support, and I am especially grateful to my Beta All About Eric for all her dedication and hard work. If for some obscure reason you haven't yet checked out her stories, I strongly advise you to take the plunge (Immortal Beloved is serious crack, be warned).

For this chapter, I have borrowed my favourite line from one of my favourite scene of TB. You'll know it when you see it. Also, please forgive me a bit of anachronism: at some point, I make a reference to a book that was published years after the events in this chapter. Call it artistic license.

Pardon the way that I stare
There's nothing else to compare
The sight of you leaves me weak
There are no words left to speak
But if you feel like I feel
Please let me know that it's real
You're just too good to be true
Can't take my eyes off of you

I need you baby, if its quite alright
I need you baby to warm my lonely nights
I love you baby. Trust in me when I say it's okay

- Can't take my eyes of off you by Lauryn Hill

Chapter 11 – A DATE WITH A VAMPIRE

EPOV

"What is this?" Sookie asked, looking around the room in awe.

"It's a restaurant. I'm reliably informed that humans sometimes come here to eat especially prepared foodstuffs," I replied dryly.

Sookie stuck out her tongue before quipping:

"Let me guess: you own it."

My only reply was a self-satisfied grin. I had had the restaurant - one of the best rated in Shreveport - completely closed for the night, and the dining room was deserted, except for the central table, which was elegantly laid. Apart from a waiter and the chef, we were the only people in the place.

I helped Sookie settle down then took my seat right next to her, and we made small talk while she drank from a glass of water. I had fed earlier, as to avoid putting her off her meal by sipping from a blood bag while she ate.

The waiter brought the entrée, a plate of oysters, which Sookie eyed rather suspiciously at first, but soon took a shine to once she sampled them. She did seem a bit self-conscious about making unladylike noises while savouring the molluscs but, unlike some Vampires, I had no issue with watching humans eat.

The second dish, pan-seared salmon with mushrooms and spinach, was served soon after she polished off the last of her oysters. The menu, which I had especially selected for her, wasn't unnecessarily complex or pretentious, as I knew Sookie was a woman of simple tastes. Beside, I recognized that the most humble ingredients could be elevated to unsuspected heights, when handled by the right person. Sookie proved to be an enthusiastic eater, and her love of food was self-evident. She was very vocal about her appreciation for her dinner and kept unwittingly making little sounds of pleasure, which I found utterly charming; not to mention dead sexy.

While she was dining, we chatted. In the past I had often enjoyed conversing with humans, but I deplored the fact that they had lost the art of conversation, in recent decades. While Sookie's conversation was not comparable to the kind I had enjoyed in the Parisian Salons or in the enlightened courts of the past, I very much enjoyed her company. She was unpretentious, direct, charming and funny.

"So, how long is Pam here for?"

"My child has already returned to Seattle. She only came to deliver a message from her new King, who is offering me a position at his court."

Sookie made an unsuccessful attempt to conceal her sudden bout of nervousness, so I hastened to reassure her:

"I'm not going anywhere."

"OK, that's good," she said with a smile.

Changing the subject, she declared:

"I was worried for a while there that Pam would be getting seriously involved with Scarlett. Thanks again for forbidding her to bite my friend, by the way."

The reticence Sookie had shown toward my child's interest in her friend bothered me.

"Would it be so bad to be bitten by a Vampire?" I asked quietly.

"Oh, no! I didn't mean it like that. I wouldn't mind being bitten by you for..."

She caught herself mid-sentence, but not before she had let slip that most interesting piece of information. I made no effort to hide my grin, which caused her to roll her eyes.

"What I mean is, I have all the data I need to make an informed decision about that kind of thing; Scarlett doesn't. I would have felt terrible if I'd let her be used in that way."

"Sookie, Vampires constantly feed off unsuspecting humans," I reasoned.

"I know that, but she's my friend; I can't help being protective of her. Also, I've seen what glamour can do to a mind and I'm not a huge fan."

"You can tell when someone has been glamoured?" I asked, startled.

"Yeah. Sorry, I should have mentioned that. I usually notice it when I meet your… 'friends' at Dragon House," she explained, while nervously glancing at me.

"My friends?" I repeated in confusion.

"Well, yes, your women," she clarified. "I do run into them sometimes, when I walk up to your office."

"You've met them while using the backstairs?" I inquired, straining to keep my rising temper in check.

Sookie noticed my sudden tense demeanour and looked at me with unease.

"Eric, what is the problem? I hardly see how I've done anything wrong, here."

Her tone was mildly accusatory, and it was clear she resented her encounters with my feed-and-fucks, but she was not the cause of my upset. After the events in my office two months ago, I had explicitly instructed Soledad to have my meals escorted from the premises via the main stairs once they had served their purpose, precisely in order to spare Sookie's sensibilities. The fact that my directives had been continually ignored was unacceptable, and I would have to have a 'talk' with my second about the consequences of disobeying a direct order.

While I was embarrassed by the mishap, I elected not to dwell on the subject. I wished to avoid blatant displays of callousness but I was, after all, Vampire, and Sookie had to know what that entailed. Instead, I choose to question her on her ability to detect glamour.

"You have done nothing wrong, Sookie; but I'm curious: how can you detect glamour?"

"Well, a tampered-with mental image is blurry at the edges, as if somebody had smudged the contours of the memory. And if I concentrate enough, I can see the concealed part. It a bit like looking at something through a foggy window: you can tell something is there but it's not readily distinguishable."

"Can you access the original memory?"

"If I concentrate enough, yes. I only did it once, though."

I nodded my understanding. This was most interesting, and the applications of this particular skill could be wide-ranging. However, it was also a dangerous ability to have, as Vampires thrived on secrecy, so I would have to tread carefully.

While we were waiting for the cheese board to arrive, the waiter brought a tall glass of a drink I had especially ordered for the occasion. Sookie gazed at the golden liquid with curiosity and inquired:

"What is this? Cider?"

"Not quite. Mead."

"You mean like, Viking mead?"

"I cannot vouch for its authenticity but, judging by the smell alone, it is close enough to what I used to drink when I was still human. I remember enjoying it immensely."

She took a tentative sip.

"Hum, it's sweet. I didn't expect that," she observed, before taking a larger gulp. "I like it."

After a pause, she added with a glint in her eyes:

"You do realize that you're serving alcohol to a minor, don't you?"

"It's only one glass, and I won't tell if you won't," I replied with a wink. "I wanted you to sample a bit of my culture. All the dishes tonight are made from ingredients that would have been part of my diet."

"Oh, I hadn't realized that. That's a wonderful attention, Eric," she declared, seeming genuinely touched.

When the cheese board arrived, Sookie keenly sampled the selection then, after she had tasted everything, she spoke:

"You've never mentioned your family before. Is it OK to ask about them?" I nodded. "What did your father do? And what did you, for instance?"

"I was the second son of the village's chieftain and, after the death of my elder brother, I became his heir. When my father wasn't raiding, forming alliances with other clans or taking care of official village business, he was a farmer, as was I. There wasn't such thing as a leisured class in my time. We had help from slaves, true, but we all worked very hard for everything we had."

"Did you have a wife?"

"I was wed to my brother's widow, when I was 15."

She raised her eyebrow but did not comment otherwise. I was mildly amused that she was more shocked about my domestic arrangements than by the fact that I owned slaves.

"Did you love her?"

"Love is a very modern invention, Sookie. Or, more accurately, marriages of love are the invention. When I was human, you married for political reasons and you sought love in the arms of willing mistresses. But I cared for Aude, in my way. She was strong and clever, and she gave me sons."

"Aude, that's what she was called?" I nodded. "What happened to her, and to your kids?"

A dark mood momentarily overtook me and Sookie must have noticed the change in my features because she hastened to add:

"Oh, God! Eric, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to pry."

"Your questions are not unwelcome, Sookie; I have good memories of my human life. But thoughts of my mortal years inevitably bring thoughts of the one who cut them short in such an untimely way. I have already told you of my Maker, and I do not wish for his sinister ghost to tarnish our evening."

"I understand, of course. Let's talk about something else."

Her eyes were full of concern and that bothered me. I did not want her sympathy or, even worse, her pity.

"I do not regret having been turned, Sookie. Being a Vampire has brought me many joys and triumphs, and I am very good at it. In many ways I was born for it. Never pity me my fate."

She nodded and finished the last of her mead.

"I'm glad you were turned as well; I would never have met you otherwise."

"Yes, the last 1,000 years were worth bearing just to experience the pleasure of being routinely sworn at, yelled at, infuriated by and, in a recent development, molested by a delectable little Fairy."

"I'm only part-Fae and I'm not little, I'm 5'9 ½," she huffed. "And I haven't sworn at you lately."

"True, you have been too busy smashing up my presents in my absence," I retorted.

"Present, in the singular; and that was a low blow, you bastard," she grumped, and I burst out laughing.

"Ah, it's good to be home."

I could see her fighting a laugh as she attempted to hold down to her outrage.

"You haven't been complaining much about the so-called molestation," she observed dryly.

"No, I haven't," I replied quietly.

Our eyes met and I could see my own lust mirrored in her eyes. The waiter chose this moment to re-appear with the dessert and a cup of apple tea.

"Oh, Eric, thank you! I love ice-cream, and this looks delicious," she pronounced excitedly.

"It's a special order, all made from scratch," I informed her.

"Really? Is it from Brocato's?" she inquired, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "I went there once with Gran, it was so awesome!"

"No, this is from Berthillon's. Do you know of them?"

I wasn't surprised when she shook her head no, as that particular brand was, shall we say, 'exotic', but I had been reliably informed that Berthillon ice-creams were the best available, and I would only have the best for Sookie.

She eyed the colourful balls greedily and scooped at a red one with her spoon. As soon as the frozen chunk hit her tongue, she slumped in her chair.

"Oh my goodness! This is heaven!" she purred, closing her eyes and making obscene little sounds with her mouth.

My pants were getting quite uncomfortable, even though she was oblivious of the effect she was having on my libido.

"Where did you find that Berthillon shop?"

"Paris."

"Paris? As in Paris, Texas?"

"Paris as in Paris, France," I replied neutrally, keeping my smirk in check.

"You flew ice-cream from Paris?"

"Of course not!" I exclaimed in simulated shock, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "I flew an ice-cream artisan from Paris."

I grinned at the astonished look on her face; it was all so easy to get a rise out of her.

"You did not!" she protested.

I bent down to give her a peck on the lips then murmured in her ear:

"Only for Sookie."

Her skin took on the most delicate shade of crimson at my words. I could spend all of my time finding ways to embarrass her just to enjoy her delightful blush. She finished her dish in silence, except for the moans and other orgasmic sounds she uttered every time she took a mouthful, and I quietly observed her while attempting to get my erection to subside. When she was done, I bent my head down to look at the time on my watch, which caused my hair to fall in a curtain around my face. As I felt Sookie's hand brushing a strand of hair behind my ear, I looked up and was met by eyes filled with tenderness.

"You are so beautiful," she declared.

Her comment took me by surprise; not that I hadn't had received many compliments on my appearance over the centuries (some of them very elaborate, such as the sonnet Oscar Wilde once wrote solely about my lips). Standards of beauty had evolved over time but, somehow, regular features, a great stature and piercing blue eyes were always in vogue for men. I was perfectly well aware of the effect I had on both sexes, but the way Sookie uttered those simple words touched me unexpectedly. I knew she wasn't stroking my ego; her compliment was, for lack of a better word, completely candid.

She let her fingertips graze my cheekbone and down to my jaw, and I responded to her touch as would a tulip to the sun, swivelling my head to seek more contact, more warmth. My reaction created a shift in her, and a fresh wave of lust flooded the bond. She bent over the table and brazenly claimed my lips.

Our kiss was luscious, as I could taste the sweetness of the tea and the ice cream still lingering on her tongue. I growled as she nipped at my lower lip, before suckling at the swollen flesh. I was careful not to breach her with my extended fangs but was almost overcome with pleasure as she licked at the sharp teeth with her wet tongue, one fang after the other. Gods, this woman knew how to drive me insane with lust.

I was thankfully spared the humiliation of climaxing in my pants, like a teenager, when she broke the kiss. Ghosting her lips over my skin until she reached my ear, she whispered:

"Yield to me, Eric."

I almost burst out laughing, not because her words were ridiculous, but because they were so unexpected. Those were words I routinely spoke to my most recalcitrant conquests. To have my own utterance turned around and used on me was, well, one of the most erotic things I had ever heard. I turned to meet her eyes.

"Sookie, are you trying to seduce me?"

"Is it working?" she asked kittenishly.

"You are playing with fire, Sookie," I warned.

"Hum, I think I can handle the heat" she whispered, brushing the tip of her nose against my cheek.

I was painfully aware that Sookie was willingly offering herself to me and, despite all my instincts screaming at me to claim her right this moment, on the table… on the floor… against the wall… over the bar counter… I could not; I would not.

I did not fully understand my reluctance, as it was deeply uncharacteristic of me. Sookie was a gorgeous creature, and I desired her with every fibre of my being. Usually, I was the kind of man who would simply take whatever he wanted - especially when it was so enticingly offered – and damn the consequences. Sookie would not be the youngest girl I had lain with, nor would she be the first virgin I had deflowered; but with her, somehow, it was different.

The undeniable truth was that I cared.

Maybe for the first time in my life, I cared about what mark I would leave on a woman. Ordinarily, my only concern was to bring pleasure to my conquests. I was not a brute, and I wanted my partners to enjoy our carnal encounters as much as I did but, beyond that, I remained oblivious. Would they regret yielding to me the next morning? Would they be heartbroken by my leaving? Would they shed tears over my indifference? None of those questions ever troubled me. Like Julius Caesar, I came, I saw, I conquered. And then, a few hours before dawn, I left. Such was my modus operandi.

But looking into those unaffected blue eyes, I knew I could never subject Sookie to such treatment. It wasn't only the fact that I valued her friendship; it was also the fact that I knew with certainty that, with her, once would never be enough, and sex would only be the beginning.

And that scared me.

I was afraid of not doing things the right way; of bruising her, of losing her. I never wanted her to look at me and see a mistake.

After a pause, I spoke:

"Sookie, you're 17…" I began.

"And based on what you've told me earlier, if I were a Viking woman, I would already be a mother and pregnant with my second kid, as we speak," she cut in.

I chuckled. Clever little minx.

"That is true, but you must understand something: when I was human, there was no such thing as teenage hood, or young adulthood. One day you were a child and then the next you were a man. Even if I've never experienced it, I can see that what you have now is special. This is your youth, Sookie, your golden age of innocence; and you're never getting these years back. Are you certain you want to hand such gift over to me? You might think me exciting, but I come burdened with a lot of darkness."

Sookie shook her head.

"You don't understand Eric, you're not stealing anything away from me. On the contrary, you have given me so much, and I can't even begin to imagine what my life would have been if you hadn't found me that night 11 years ago. You are a gift to me, however I look at it."

She paused to smile at me.

"I can see you're not really taking me seriously, and how can I blame you? I've behaved less than maturely in the very recent past but, I can assure you, I know what I am asking of you and I am certain of what I want. This is not a girlish crush for me and, let's not forget, I come with some darkness of my own. Fairy, remember? Normal is only ever going to be a word for me, not a reality. Even if I had a shot at my own white picket fence utopia, I wouldn't want it. I don't want normal, I don't want conventional. I want you. I want all of you."

Sookie's declaration left me reeling with an emotion I could not quite identify. I had been desired by many women - and men -, I had had treasures laid at my feet just for a night of passion, and I had been fought over; but never had I been loved. And I was certain that this was what Sookie was offering me. Love, as humans defined it: the complete and total acceptance of another.

Unlike thousands of others before her, she wasn't merely lusting after my body, my wealth or my power; she was not looking for a walk on the wild side or a taste of the forbidden fruit. She claimed she wanted all of me, and I could read the truth of her words in her eyes and feel the intensity of her sentiments through the bond. She knew me better than anybody else - with the exception of Pam - she knew what I was, who I was, and who I could be. And she wanted it all.

Sookie brought me out of my reverie

"That was too much, wasn't it?" she asked, shaking her head. "I wasn't planning on scaring you away with my… intensity," she scoffed at herself. "You must think I'm some kind of crazy stalker or something…"

She was worried that her openness had frightened me. Coming from any other woman, it would have, most definitely; but her words had been a caress to my cold, dead heart. I cupped her warm cheek in my hand and rubbed circles on her cheekbone with my thumb.

"No, Sookie, it was… just enough. But I need to think. I have wanted to protect you almost from the minute I saw you, and this is no different. You must be patient with me while I ponder the implications of walking this road with you."

What I needed to do was to talk to Pam, as she was the only one I could discuss my doubts with. She had been a human woman, after all, a long time ago, before her blood turned into ice and her heart into coal. And damn her and her Dear Abby nonsense, but she was as close to a confidante as I would ever have. She would probably never allow me to live it down but I would swallow my pride and take it upon myself to call the sarcastic witch and ask her for relationship advice.

Sookie nodded and, with a small smile, she declared:

"I'll wait, Eric; but not forever. I want you, and you'll always be my first choice; but I need to start living for me, not for what could be."

"I understand that, Sookie, and I won't leave you dangling indefinitely."

"In that case, I'll give you the space you need to reach a decision. Whatever you decide, know that you'll always have my friendship."

She took hold of my hand to kiss my palm and I welcomed the caress. This was good, this was right, this could be mine.

Mine.

After I had escorted Sookie back to her home, I drove to my lair and, after settling on my bed, I dialled my child.

"Pam," came the unmistakable bored voice.

"Child, I need advice."

"Master. Is it about the curvy blonde?" Damn my child and her flawless intuition.

"Her name is Sookie."

"Are you calling me to ask for some sex tips?"

"I know all there is to know about fucking, as you are well aware of, Pamela."

"Oh, I don't know about that. I've learnt a few tricks since the last time we…"

"And I probably taught whoever showed you those tricks everything they know," I cut in. "Pam, let's cut the crap. I did not call for advice on how to seduce Sookie. She is quite willing and eager to come to my bed of her own volition."

"OK, so what is the problem?"

I paused, not knowing how to formulate my question.

"Master?"

"I'm still here," I grumbled. "I… I need advice on how to… court Sookie. Properly court her, I mean, as she would expect a human male to do."

The line went silent for almost a minute.

"Pam?"

"Yes, sorry, Master. Are you saying you want to seriously date Sookie?"

"I suppose this is the modern term, yes," I conceded.

Another pregnant pause.

"Who are you and what have you done with my Maker?"

I rolled my eyes at the receiver.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Pam, if you have nothing relevant to say, I will hang up and seek counsel elsewhere."

"No, Master, don't go! You cannot imagine how long I have waited to have the opportunity to use my Dear Abby-acquired wisdom."

I groaned.

"Spit it out, Pam."

I could hear the rustling of sheets down the receiver as Pam shifted on what I assumed was her bed.

"Pam, are you in bed?"

"Yes, Master."

"Are you alone?"

"Do you think that likely, Master?" she snarked.

"Do not tell me that you are discussing my personal affairs while your latest plaything lies within earshot!" I bellowed, incensed. It was humiliating enough that my child knew of my emotional incompetence, but I would not allow a human to become privy to that piece of knowledge.

"Oh, calm down, Eric! She's out for the count and glamoured to the hilt, anyway." She paused. "It seems our little telepath has you wound up quite tightly."

"Advice, Pam!" I commanded, and I heard my child chuckle down the line, which was rather disconcerting: Pam wasn't the chuckling type.

"Forgive me, Master. I haven't had this much fun since you wore bell bottom pants in the 70s."

"Pam!" I growled in warning.

"Fine, fine! Dear Abby says that to win the heart of a woman, you first need to invite her out for a date, to get to know her."

"Already done, and I have known Sookie for years."

"You had a date with Sookie?" she asked, startled.

"This very evening."

"I really need to get to know that telepath," Pam remarked after a pause.

"Let's stay on topic, shall we? Is that it? A date?"

"No. If the date goes well, Dear Abby says that you should ask the woman to officially go out with you. Possibly, you should wait after several successful dates but, as you've pointed out, you've known Sookie for years, so one date should be enough."

"Sookie has already made it clear that she wishes us to become… official, so to say."

"What did you answer?"

"I said I would think about it."

Silence.

"Pam?"

"I do hope Sookie hasn't read the book He's Not That Into You, or you might find yourself dateless very soon, Master."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means you need to ask her out."

"Already did, this evening. Pam, are you listening?"

My child groaned in frustration.

"No, Eric! I mean you need to ask her to be your girl-friend." She over-pronounced the last word, as if addressing a simpleton.

"Do not be preposterous," I snorted.

"Dear Abby is categorical. Human women are most attached to this ritual."

"I am a 1,000 year-old Vampire Sheriff, Pam. I do not have 'girlfriends'."

"Fine. Then ask her to be your pet, and see how well that goes down," she chuckled.

"You are fucking useless, Pamela," I snapped, and slammed down the receiver.

Well, that was a waste of time, I thought. And yet, I couldn't help replaying my child's words in my head, over and over again.

A/N: I forgot to say that before but while I know that in the books Sookie's birthday is on July 1st, for the purpose of this story it's on June 1st. I'm only saying this for the two other people who care as much as I do about pointless trivia.

Next chapter Mine will be published early next Saturday.