Chapter 5
Lafayette grinned like the Cheshire cat when I knocked on his office door and announced that I wanted to dance. "I knew it wouldn't be long before I'd get you on that stage".
"Yeah well, it's just long enough so that I can earn some extra cash", I said sitting down in the chair in front of his desk.
"Whatever you gots ta tell yourself honey", he said with a swish of his hand. "I ain't mad at cha, sweetness we all gots to get our coins", he said rubbing his fingers together making the universal money sign, while sitting on the edge of the desk.
"The thing is, I don't know where to start, It's hard enough being objectified as a waitress. Once Pandora's Box is opened, it can't be closed again".
That conversation was a week ago, tonight is the night, 9 hours until Sookie Stackhouse's debut on the main stage. This is not how I imagined my first dance performance. Radio City, Carnegie hall maybe, but alas Rhapsody it will be. I always thought the first time that I performed would be memorable, under completely different circumstances, of course. I would be in a ballet or dance troupe and Gran would be in her finest dress. Sitting in the audience with tears of joy and a sense of pride knowing that she did a good job in raising me. I want so much for tonight to be that way. I wish that I could confide in Gran my fears and uncertainty. But I can't tell her that I've been omitting the truth about my job, even though, that's not really lying right? Who am I kidding, it's like Gran always said "A lie of omission, is still a lie".
Laci and I have been working on my routine all week, and it even got the seal of approval from Lafayette. My outfit is sexy yet tasteful and my music is classy and soulful. So why am I feeling so…., I don't even know the word. Numerous scenarios are running through my head as I think about the potential disaster tonight could be. I'm jolted out of my pity party from a knock on my bedroom door.
"Sookie, sweetheart may I come in?" Gran askes softly.
"Just a minute Gran", I say as I scramble to put my outfit and shoes for tonight in the closet.
I open the door and Gran is standing there with a tray, there's two cups of tea and two big slices of pecan pie with a huge dollop of thick homemade whipped cream, with butterscotch-toffee crumbles on top. Oh, no this must be a serious, Gran only brings out the big guns (pecan pie with homemade whipped cream and butterscotch-toffee crumbles), when things are at their worst. When mama and daddy died, when Aunt Linda was diagnosed with Cancer and when the doctors said Jason would never play football again.
"What's all this?", I asked trying to keep the fear out of my voice, as Gran walked into the room, sitting herself and the tray on my bed. Gran patted the bed for me to join her.
"Oh, nothing much really, I just feel like we never see each other, let alone talk anymore"
"Oh ok…., what do you want to talk about?" I said all of a sudden feeling like a little girl, when you're sure she knows something. But don't know how she knows, what she knows.
"How's the job going?"
There it is, she knows but how!
I clear my throat a little, "the job is good, I've made a few friends and the atmosphere is totally different from Merlotte's"
"So you don't miss working for Sam?"
"You know Gran, I thought I would regret it but, no I really don't"
"Well I'm glad to hear it, from what Maxine tells me he's been real un-gentleman like since you quit. I wouldn't want you continuing to socialize with a person like that".
I frowned, a little taken back, "yeah he definitely wasn't happy with me quitting, but I thought he'd gotten over it by now"
"Well I guess not", Gran said taking a sip of her tea. "Now tell me what's got your bloomers in a bunch, and don't tell me nothing", she said placing her cup back on the tray.
"I….I don't know what you mean", I said trying to deflect the question.
"Don't give me that deer caught in the bramble bush look, you've been pacing around up here for a better part of the morning. Sounding like a mischief of rats going back and forth across the ceiling, now spill it!"
"I, I can't tell you"', I stammered
Gran grabbed my hand, "you can tell me anything, baby girl you know that".
"It would disappoint you and I couldn't stand to be the one to break your heart", I said dropping my head with tears pooling in the corner of my eyes. Just the mere thought of my only supporter no longer supporting me is soul crushing. I begin to lose it, what have I done what have I decided to do.
Gran lifted my chin and swiped the tears from my cheeks with her thumb, "nonsense, you can never do anything that would make me stop loving you. Besides broken hearts mend, and disappointment fades". She said giving me a compassionate look.
A few minutes pass and I still can't find the words. However Gran surprises me with her next words.
"Does this have anything to do with that little lacy leathery number I found in the bag stuffed under your bed?" She said with a bemused look.
My face was totally flushed, "Gran!"
"What? I was looking for extra clothes to put in the laundry. So you have a gentleman caller who likes things a little spicy, I was young once you know. Your grandpa Earl, was especially fond of ankles". She said while smiling fanning herself.
"Gran!" I yelled again not wanting to see romantic images of my grandparents, as she was clearly broadcasting my grandpa rubbing her ankles while they were tangled up in sheets.
She frowned and became serious, "However, I am more than a little hurt that you kept this fellow from me. As the matriarch of this family I do expect respect on this matter. I know, it's a little old fashion, but tradition is tradition, and I didn't expect you to not have sex forever".
"Gran there's no sex, there's no gentleman caller", I admitted, just a little embarrassed.
"Oh….. well, there is also no shame in feeling good for yourself, looks expensive though." She said with a thoughtful look. "I never understood why people spend so much money on things only your sheets and blankets are going to see".
Here goes nothing, you can do it Sookie. "Gran it's not for sleeping either, it's…. for work." I wait for what I said to sink in.
Gran doesn't miss a beat, "It's nothing illegal is it?"
"No of course not!"
I go on to tell Gran about Rhapsody, about meeting Lafayette and Laci and how Dawn is still mean. About my car and most of all I tell her about tonight's performance. To my surprise she seems excited at the prospect of me actually doing something so out of character.
"There is nothing to be ashamed of, you're dancing not stripping. But even if you were, you are an adult making a conscious decision to provide for yourself and the one's you love. There is nothing wrong with doing whatever it takes to make ends meet". Said my Gran, my hero.
"Just tell me one thing, are you doing this because you think you have too? Are you working there only because you feel you owe something to me? Because if you are we can find another way to make ends meet. As far as getting the money for your car, it may be time to just let it go."
I thought about what she said and initially it was all about putting more money in the house. But I really do like working at Rhapsody and I actually do want to dance. As long as my Gran is on board I can confidently do this and make a little extra money to boot. Besides letting go of my car is not going to happen.
EPOV
It has been far too long since I've been in my own area. That fucking child queen and her childish antics are going to have us all fucked up the ass. I know I should have taken over this territory years ago being one of the oldest not to mention deadliest vampires on the North American continent. There aren't many who can stand in my way. But I never wanted to rule, Sophie Ann knows this and for that reason she mostly leaves me to my own devices. But every now and again she demands an audience, and as a loyal subject who am I to say no. However, these urgent meeting have become too far and in between for my liking. But every monarchy the world over is preparing for our "Coming out" party so to speak. The great revelation, is what they're calling it, when we vampires announce our existence to the world. I still haven't decided whether this a good or bad idea.
I have many investments tied up in human markets, if the news doesn't go over well many of my businesses might suffer. I am all for integration, but when it fucks with my dividends there's going to be a problem. In a nut shell this is what this latest meeting was about. Sophie Ann wants a diligent account of all assets in her kingdom, and since my area is the most profitable she saw it fit to assign the kingdom investigator to my area. His supposed fucking job is to go over my books of area business, make a mockup of my strategies and devise a way to implement the same or similar strategies in all territories of the kingdom. However that is complete bullshit, she knows it, he knows it and they both know that I know it. Compton is a sniveling bootlicking son of bitch, better known as "The Royal Errand Boy" and his position in my area is to spy. Never the less I have nothing to hide, I do however hope he does something to piss me off so I'll have a reason to show him just how we do things in area 5.
My child informs me that everything has been well in my absence, I trust my child with my life but with my businesses and money, she is on a short leash. If I let her, my enterprises would look like the fucking Walt Disney franchise. With unicorns, rainbows, pink taffeta and other bullshit. She does however have the occasion good idea, it was her idea to capitalize on adult entertainment and also to hire a human to oversee the other humans. That keeps them the fuck out of my face. Especially the desperate ones who vie for my attention. A few are most definitely fuckable and I have partook on several occasions. But that's just it, all I desire is a feed and fuck, I don't need a lap dog snapping at my feet. We try to keep glammering at a minimum. But sometimes it's the only way to escape those vermin. My child promises me a treat for when I arrive tonight. I couldn't begin to imagine what it is or what she has in store, but if I know my child and I do. Tonight is bound to be something in deed.
Determined to get some work done be for I make it to club, I open up my laptop to go over the payroll invoices, I stop at a name I don't recognize. "What the fuck is a Sookie?"
