I was say this until I'm blue in the face. Thank you treewitch703 for you expert eye. You have made a good story, better! Awesome Beta work! Happy Valentines Day to all my readers out there! I feel your love!
Eric made it clear that Clancy and Pam had worn out their welcome. Pam graciously kissed my cheek on the way out the door, but Clancy…Clancy grabbed for my tits and tried to pull me in for a disgusting kiss. Eric smirked when I yelled out,
"Clancy! Get out! You're not welcome in my house!" It was funny seeing his reaction. An invisible force pushed him out the door and smack into a puddle at the bottom of the porch steps. He fell flat on his ass. I laughed myself breathless at the sight. Eric looked down at good old Ginger Jerk with disdain.
"I told you that she can rescind your invitation at any time. Next time I suggest that you show our human a little more respect," Eric said and Clancy growled. He stood up totally mud spattered. Clancy gave us both a scowl before disappearing into the woods at vampire speed.
"Good riddance," I mumbled. Eric gave me a smile.
"It is nice to know that I have at least one strong human working for me," Eric said as I shut the door.
"If you think so."
"I have never seen a human in their right mind stand up to Clancy like that. You know he's one of the modern Celts. Stubborn group of fools. I've had my issues with him ever since moved into my territory. The other Sheriffs like to dump their problem vampires on me. It's just as well," Eric said with a shrug.
I had surmised that Eric was more than just a bar owner and my boss. I began to think that he was also a boss in the vampire world. He rested his hand on the small of my back to guide me away from the door and towards the living room. He sat me down in my favorite chair and then perched on the large ottoman. He scooped up my legs and proceeded to pull off my sneakers and gave me the best foot massage ever. I melted into the chair while his talented hands went to work. He stopped and leaned over to pull the clip out of my hair. My wild red curls tumbled around my shoulders. He gave me a gentle kiss on the cheek.
He looks at my glasses for a moment, debating whether he should take them off or not.
"Please, leave them on," I said.
"You trust me now?" he responded.
"Izzy is still in her room. Still awake."
"My Little Valkyrie? How could I ever forget about her?"
"Heat of the moment," I moaned out as he began on my feet again. He gave me a smirk.
"You know, I still owe you a bonus," he said in a seductive tone.
"Maybe later? Can't have hanky panky with Izzy still awake," I said. Eric lays a blanket over me. "You have been way too good to me, Eric."
He tangles his fingers in my hair. I looked into those haunting blue eyes. He looks at me in a way a man hasn't looked at me in years.
"You are an amazing woman," he whispers. I blushed.
Izzy came into the living room. She had on a heavy purple winter coat I have never seen before. Faux fur lined with toggle buttons and embroidered flowers around the edges. A hat with a large white pom-pom on top. She looked like a little Swedish girl.
She ran to Eric like a little guided missile. He caught her and tossed her in the air.
"Eric, you promised," she said to him after she kissed his cheek.
"So I did, my Isabelle. I told you that I would show you my special talent, since you have shown me yours," he said and returned her kiss.
"Where did you get that coat, sweetie?" I ask her.
"Eric gave it to me," she answered. But of course, I thought to myself.
"The other coat she has will not do. I don't want Isabelle getting sick," Eric said and smiled at my little girl. She giggled at him.
Eric pulled his hair back in a loose ponytail and secured it with a leather strip he pulled out of his pocket. He put his leather jacket back on. All the while, I'm itching to know about this mysterious talent the vampire possessed. "The night air is much colder where we're going. I wasn't sure if a little human could handle it," Eric said, looking down at me. Eric looks down at Izzy's bare hands. "Where are the gloves and scarf that go with your coat?" he asked her with a playful smile.
"I forgot," she said and ran back to her room as fast her little legs could carry her.
I got up out of the chair and pull my shoes back on. As I am tying my shoes, his large hand grasps mine . He gave me a sincere glance. "If you truly trust me, you'll let me do this," he said. I wasn't sure what he meant.
What was this 'talent' of his that he needed my trust? Why did Izzy need to dress up for a blizzard? I know it's late fall, but we don't get winters like they do in the north.
"I trust you, Eric. I just want to know where you are going with my daughter," I said.
"I promised that I would show her my talent. That is exactly what I'm going to do. I am not one for breaking promises," he said and kissed my hand in a tender way. "Especially if I make them to little girls."
"What is your…talent?" I asked. Afraid to even know.
"Would you believe me if I told you I can…fly," he said in a dramatic way.
"Horse feathers!"
"But I can."
"You mean like Dracula," I said and he laughed. "You turn into a big ole' bat and…fly," I then said, which only caused him to laugh harder.
"No my dear, only shape shifters and werewolves can change form. I can just fly," he said, giving me an amused smile. "You have a lot to learn."
"You mean more like Superman?"
"Dearest, I am no Superman. I am vampire," he said still amused by my wide eyed reaction. "Maybe later I can show you Superman," he then said, wiggling his eyebrows. I blushed again.
Izzy came back with a white and pink striped scarf trailing behind her. Eric smiled down at her. He helped her with the scarf. She giggled as he gently wrapped it around her neck. Then he helped her with her rosy pink mittens. He playfully kissed her cheek and hoisted her up into his arms. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Trust me. Pam will be right outside, watching over you."
"I have got to see this," I said as I followed Eric out to the front porch. Eric carried Izzy to the bottom of the steps while I leaned against the porch rail.
"Ready, my little Valkyrie?" Eric asks the bundle in his strong arms. Izzy giggles as Eric hovers a few feet in the air. I stared in astonishment. He looked as though he was suspended from an invisible wire.
"That's all?" Izzy said in disappointment. Eric laughed.
"No, I need you to hold tight, my little one. It's just that I don't think your mother believes me," Eric said, giving me a smirk. I just stood there in shock. "Wave to your mother. We won't be gone long."
Izzy's little hand waved at me. "Be careful, baby," I managed to say. Eric floated closer to the front porch.
"I will hold on to her for dear life," Eric whispered in my ear and kissed my cheek. Before I knew it, Eric was nowhere to be seen. I looked up into the sky and saw nothing. I turned around to go back into the house and there to my surprise stood Pam. I didn't even hear her coming up the porch steps.
"Your child will be safe. Eric is quite fond of her," Pam tells me. "In fact, that is all he ever seems to talk about these nights. I have never seen him so happy."
"Do you want to come inside?" I asked Pam. I didn't think Pam was dressed for standing outside in the woods. She definitely wasn't dressed for fighting if any danger was lurking. Pam gave me a grateful smile and followed me inside.
Pam sat down on the couch. I offered her a TrueBlood and when it had warmed, put it on the coffee table in front of her. She watched me as I picked up the cross-stitch I had been working on. Something I learned when I was in rehab. It soothed my nerves if I kept my hands busy. Pam wasn't very talkative at the moment. She just sat there and watched me.
Finally she broke the silence, "I remember doing such a thing when I was human. The ladies of the house had hobbies. My sister liked to paint," she said, sharing. I had a strong feeling that vampires aren't the 'sharing' type. "Our housemaid taught me how to do embroidery. I enjoyed it so."
"Would you like to try it again?" I asked her. I pulled some cloth and thread out of my bag and laid them out on the table in front of her. I even gave her my extra set of needles. She rewarded me with a fangy smile.
"I'd love to," she said as she helped herself. She secured the cloth between the hoops and began. I offered her a pattern, but she refused. "I have an idea of what I want to make," she said and started threading her needle through the cloth. Pam decided to get chatty. "You know, I have read your Dear Abby. She is a wise woman. I can learn a lot from her," she said and I gave her a small smile.
"I'm glad," I responded.
"I think I'm going to start reading your human newspapers. I have found they contain more than the usual murder and mayhem. I really like the lifestyle section. Those humans they call celebrities are quite interesting."
"If you like that, you might like these," I said, placing Cosmo, People and The National Enquirer on the coffee table. So sue me! My secret vice is tabloids.
"My, these do look quite interesting. I could probably learn a lot from this one," Pam said, looking at Cosmo.
"You can keep them. I've already read them," I said, holding back a giggle. I couldn't help but smile at the vampire.
"Eric told me that you have been in what is called rehab. He told me that you used to pollute yourself," Pam said and my inner laughter subsided. I never liked having my old skeletons brought out of the closet.
"Yes I was," I simply answered Pam. Doing my best to keep my voice calm.
"Humans haven't changed all that much then. In my day, opium dens were quite popular. One time I even went to one against my parents wishes. In fact, they had no idea I would even sneak out of the house. I was a bit of a wild one in my day. A lady is not supposed to be seen in pubs or even know about opium dens, but that never stopped me. It wasn't hard to get hooked in. In fact, one night I met a man while I was at the opium den. He was an aspiring writer. I was so foolish then," Pam reminisced. "I probably could have used this rehab if we even had such a thing then. If it wasn't for Eric, I could have been dead. Well at least a different sort of dead," Pam then said with a small giggle. Despite the moment of levity Pam had, I could see that her eyes told me otherwise. She looked sad and even regretful. The same look I saw when I looked in the mirror once in a while. The look that tells you that you might have been something if you hadn't been wasting your brain cells .
"Andy saved me," I said. Pam looked at me for a moment.
"Your little pup saved you?"
"He did. If I hadn't gotten pregnant with him, I know I would have been dead," I said. Pam put down her cross-stitch and reached over to take my hand. She gave it a gentle squeeze.
"I am far from the motherly sort, Belinda. Even as a human, but I do envy you," she said. I give her a smile. Strange, I never thought I would ever have anything in common with Pam, but I guess I have more in common with her than I realize.
Pam and I bonded over cross-stitch, herbal tea, and TrueBlood. We discussed everything from the latest Hollywood gossip that Pam had recently read about to fashion. Pam seemed to like fashion. I, myself live in a mom's world, I like to keep my look basic. Then she dragged out another old skeleton.
"Eric told me that you used to work at a werewolf bar."
"I did," I simply answered. I could see that Pam was trying to choose her words carefully.
"Awful creatures if you ask me. I'm sure your son isn't that way, but most are just dirty animals."
"I raised my Andy with love and to have a courageous heart. My boy is a fighter. I don't consider him a dirty animal, Pam. The Weres I used to work for are awful, nasty animals and a few other things a lady shouldn't say. It upsets me that Andy is a werewolf. He never asked for it. If I weren't so stupid," I said, tears falling from my eyes. Pam was unsure how to take the emotional human before her. She gives me the same blank look that Izzy usually gives.
"Please don't leak, Belinda. I am not used to this," Pam said, looking stoic.
"I'm sorry, Pam. It just upsets me when I have to hear my boy put in the same category as those types of werewolves. Andy isn't like that," I said, feeling kind of bad for my outburst. It's probably been a long, long time since Pam has had to deal with people. From now on, I'll think of her as an adult version of Izzy. At least until she learns how to act more human.
"I understand, Belinda. I would be very upset if anyone spoke ill of Eric. I don't think I would leak though. I'd probably just kill them," Pam said in a matter of fact way. One lesson I learned tonight above all; don't make Pam mad.
The front door opened. I heard crying. Izzy's crying. I got up to see what's the matter. Eric stood there holding my daughter. Izzy's face buried in his chest and holding on to him for dear life.
"It's not what you think it is, Belinda," Eric said quickly. "She laughed and we even got to see your son running with the pack. It wasn't until…." Eric looked over at Pam. They both looked concerned.
"I saw the bad man," Izzy sobbed. "He's a werewolf! Just like Andy and his dad!"
My heart sank. Pam caught me as I stumbled. Izzy clutched at Eric. Eric spoke something foreign to Pam. It sounded Swedish. Pam nodded and headed out the door at vampire speed.
I managed to pry Izzy from Eric's arms. I got the coat off of her. I even took her to her room so I could put her in her nightgown. She shook the whole time. She refused to leave my side. After I took care of Izzy, I was exhausted and ready for bed. I told Izzy that she could sleep with me for the night. I crawled in next to her. She snuggled right up against me. Then Eric decided to join us. Instead of stripping down to just his underwear. He only took off his jeans, shoes and socks. He had on a pair of conservative boxer shorts and his t-shirt. I'm sure he did this out of respect for Izzy. He slid in next to Izzy so she felt protected. He held both of us in his arms. Izzy fell asleep. "No harm shall come to you," he whispered to me. "Pam and Clancy are guarding the house. I will be here if he tries to break in. Now get some sleep."
I fell fast asleep despite the situation. I opened my eyes sometime before sunrise. I thought I saw Eric go inside my closet before going back to sleep.