Sam was annoyed at himself for having slept most of the day. He didn't like keeping vampire hours. He was a morning person. However, the late nights, rich food, and huge amounts of alcohol were wearing him out. He was starting to miss Bon Temps, and work, and they had only been in New Orleans for five days. They were supposed to stay another week. He wondered if Anne Marie would mind leaving early… assuming they could find a rental car.
By the time he and the girls were all up and dressed and had had a very, very late lunch it was near dark and they had to go back to the hotel to meet the vampires. The Krewe of Ancients parade was rolling at nine p.m. so they didn't have much time for their interrogation of Kinkerbelle the drag queen. Eric and Bill had to be Uptown to change into their costumes by eight. Sam had to admit he was looking forward to seeing the costumes, just based on the looks on Peggy and Sookie's faces whenever they mentioned them, and their giggles.
Eric, Bill, and Pam were just stepping out of the elevator into the lobby of the Prince Conti hotel when Sam and the girls arrived. He could not mistake the looks of joy on Sookie and Peggy's faces when they saw their lovers, and Bill was only a bit more reserved when he greeted Sookie. Only Eric seemed almost passive… But no. Sam looked closer. Eric's kiss, dropped coolly on Peggy's brow, was just a tremor masking an earthquake. There was something possessive in his posture, and something feral in his eyes that Sam knew because it existed inside of himself… for Anne Marie.
"We will walk to Mr. Santiago's establishment," Eric said to the lot of them as he led the way, his arm linking through Peggy's.
"All this walking is ruining my shoes," Pam complained, causing Eric to chuckle.
"I will buy you some sneakers," he said. Pam looked mortified.
Sam took Anne Marie's hand. She squeezed his fingers. He looked at her and saw that she was excited, but tired.
"You all right, cher?" he asked.
"M'fine, dawlin'," Anne Marie replied. "Dis jes all a lot, you know? Be glad when we head back home."
Sam grinned. He couldn't help it. He was so glad that they were on the same page. Half way through the French Quarter, Bill dropped a hand on Sam's shoulder.
"Pam and Margaret are going to watch the parade on a private balcony with the queen," the vampire said softly. "You are invited, of course, but if it is no trouble to you, I would prefer that perhaps you and Anne Marie would take Sookie somewhere else."
Sam nodded. "Sure thing, Bill," he said agreeably. Sookie was his friend, and taking her somewhere that meant she wouldn't be around even more vampires would be his pleasure.
"Thank you," said Bill. "I owe you a great debt."
"No," said Sam, "You don't. That okay with you, Sookie?"
"Yes," Sookie said, then she glared at Bill, "And thank you for having the courtesy to ask me, Sam."
"It's for your own good, Sookie," hissed Bill.
"I know that, Bill," said Sookie. "And I'm capable of figuring that out for myself."
Sam tuned them out, knowing they would bicker all the way to Bloody Mary's. He wondered again whether their getting married was a good idea… yet there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.
When they arrived at the club, it was closed. A handsome young African-American human man was waiting for them at the door. He let out a girlish squeal when he saw them.
"Miss Pam, you look gorgeous, girl."
Pam smiled faintly. "Tata, where are your heels?" she drawled.
"Tata, where is your Master?" Eric asked, sounding faintly menacing. "We do not have time for games."
Tata didn't look scared of Eric, or threatened in the least, which told Sam that he was foolish. No matter how much time you spent with vampires, it didn't do to get complacent.
"Forgive me for having manners," Tata said. "Come on in. Master Santiago's waiting for you." She let them down the hallway towards the now-familiar red velvet curtain that led into the body of the club.
"Doesn't it gall you, as an African-American, to call someone Master?" Sookie asked, sounding disgusted.
"He's a vampire master," said Tata, as if this was perfectly obvious. Maybe she was smarter than Sam had thought. "And you ain't an African-American."
"My friend Tara—"
"I don't see no Tara here," Tata cut Sookie off.
"But—"
"Honey, just hush yourself. You got no idea."
Sookie gasped with outrage. She looked at Bill, and Sam felt his stomach sinking as he waited for her to demand that he do something. But Bill didn't have to. In a swirl of red velvet and satin cape Christopher Santiago appeared and Tata found himself seized by the throat and dangling from a gloved hand.
"You will be polite to my guests, Tatatiana," Santiago hissed.
"It's okay," Sookie said, now looking worried. "Please put him down."
Eric chuckled and Santiago released the young man, who rubbed his throat silently and failed to look very contrite. "Why don't you fetch us some drinks?" Santiago sighed. Tata nodded and swept the curtain aside, stomping off to the bar.
They went inside to find the bar populated by only three or four young, pretty male vampires, sitting together at one of the tables drinking glasses of thick, red liquid. Sam didn't know if it was regular True Blood, or the House Special, or something else. He realized then that these were the vampires who performed in drag in the bar. He did not see Simone Boudreaux among them.
Christopher ushered them to a table and urged them to sit, then turned to Sookie. "Tell me, my dear… what was Tata thinking?"
"He was thinking that you're an a-hole," Sookie said honestly. Eric laughed out loud. Pam rolled her eyes and Bill looked nervous.
"He right," said Anne Marie.
Christopher Santiago did not look offended in the least, and for that Sam was grateful. "And what else?"
"He wants to be a vampire," Sookie said nervously.
"They all want to be vampires," Santiago sighed.
Sookie looked over at Tata. "He wonders if you'll notice if he spits in your drink. Now he regrets it. He loves you, and he's jealous of… of your lover."
"Which one?" Anne Marie asked sarcastically.
"Spit in my drink?" Santiago looked slightly gleeful, as if the thought of having someone befoul his beverage pleased him.
"He would never spit in your drink. He wonders if you will allow Pam to bite him. He loves her shoes." Sookie sighed. "Now he's just thinking about shoes."
"I don't want to bite him," said Pam.
"Pam does have excellent taste in footwear," said Eric, "But this is not the person we came here to see. Where is Kinkerbelle?"
"She should probably talk to all the humans who were here that night," Peggy said.
"I agree, Margaret," Eric said, "But it still seems logical to start with the one who fled."
"Have you found her?" Bill asked.
Santiago smiled sheepishly and spread his hands. "Someone ought to be bringing her in any minute now."
"You really should learn to keep your people under better control," said Eric.
"Like you did with… what was his name? Long Shadow?" asked Santiago. "News travels, you know."
Tata brought the drinks over to the table and set them out on Bloody Mary's logo coasters. They were just like the ones they had been served here on their first visit; rum for the humans, House Special for the vampires. Sam wanted to say no, but he picked up his glass and took a long swallow. The rum and fruit juices burned his throat, but it felt so good. Peggy drank as well, but no one else seemed inclined. As Tata set Sookie's glass down in front of her, she grabbed his wrist.
"Do you know what's in these drinks?" she asked. Everyone froze, including Tata, whose mouth dropped open in surprise. "No, do you know the formula for the House Special, what's in it?" She looked at Christopher. "He doesn't know. He couldn't have stolen it."
"Somebody stole the formula for the House Special?" said Tata. "Wait, are you reading my mind?" He tried to pull his wrist away from Sookie.
"Have you ever been on the riverboat dinner cruise?" Sookie asked.
"No!"
"He's telling the truth. Were you friends with Lady Pickle?" Sookie was spouting off the questions rapid-fire and Sam knew it was a good tactic to use before Tata realized that all she had to do was not think about what she was being asked, or realized she could think a lie.
"Friends, not with that bitch, no," said Tata. "I'm glad she's dead."
"Did you kill her?" Santiago demanded. His sudden anger jolted Sam and reminded him of how dangerous angry vampires were.
"No!" said Tata. "I didn't… I swear!"
"Sookie," said Santiago, looking right into her eyes. "Is he telling the truth?"