It was almost noon as I stumbled into the kitchen. Not a mind was paid to the voices as I bent, leaning in the fridge. Sookie cleared her throat, trying to catch my attention. I yawned, leaning back to look at her.

"You got home late."

I shrug, too tired to talk as I opened a can of Pepsi. Sam was holding in a laugh. I downed most of the can, yawning again as I moved for the stairs again.

"Should I make coffee?" Sookie calls.

"Lace it with speed," I call back, voice still thick from sleep.

"I'll start the grill."

I came down later, this time out of the jeans and blouse I'd fallen asleep in. I came out in a pair of jean shorts and a tank. My feet, as usual were bare to the grass. Sookie and I both matched, tanks and shorts. Her tank was a bright yellow. Mine was black. My damp hair hung down as I glanced at the grill. Sam must have started it.

"Where'd the SUV come from?"

My shoulders sink as I place the meat on the grill. "Yeah, about that."

"Is this about that call last night?" Sam speaks up, joining us again in the yard.

"You called Sam?"

I glance at her. "Yeah. We call and message a lot." I shrug. "Not like I had much else to do in this town."

"Not sure I take that as a compliment."

I sigh, head falling back. "Getting off subject."

"Oh, yeah. The SUV."

Sookie sat in her lawn chair, looking at me with her lemonade in hand. I cleared my throat, glancing with a wince at Sam.

"Yeah, I lied about the promotion."

"You didn't get the promotion?"

Sookie frowned, a bit confused. Sam stepped up, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, Sookie. I guess it could be seen as a promotion."

"I'm Eric's new day runner," I huff, tired of beating the bush. "I'm too hung over for this shit," I grumble after.

"Eric? As in Eric Northman?" Her voice was picking up, becoming a bit more agitated.

I looked to Sam as if that would some how help. Nope. His look said I was on my own. Sookie rounded on Sam.

"You knew?!" She looked at me, jaw hanging open. "You told Sam before me?!"

"Well, Sam doesn't freak out and hit these really high pitches," I calmly say back.

"Fae!" She yelled that one as a near scream.

"For the love of GOD!" I bellow out, over her elongated scream. "If I wanted my fucking name screamed out it wouldn't be from my cousin!"

Her cheeks lit up, my goal reaches. Prude Sook shutting her up. Sam just let us at it, used to our arguing by now. She sat back down, frowning at me.

I flipped the meat, speaking after a very long moment of silence. "You wont want to come to my new place, either of you."

"What do you mean? Where's your place? It's not like Eric would have you stay with him."

Sam's head whipped to look at me, shaking his head as if to ask if I was lying. "Well…" I draw out. "Apparently I get a guest room over the garage."

"What?!"

I flinched, rubbing my ear to help after that shriek. Sookie nearly spilt her lemonade. Sam had one hand on his hip, the other rubbing his head.

"So… Don't tell Jason?"

"You want me to lie to him?"

I shrug, turning the meat again, pausing to brush on sauce. "Wouldn't be the first time anybody here did."

"The SUV?"

"Apparently that's mine, as long as I work for him."

This caused me to glance at the time on the phone. I would officially start tomorrow. Though, Eric would nag me tonight, I knew it.

"Look what happened to the last few day men, Fae," Sookie pushes.

I glance at her. "You mean the one who was using the job to find vampire resting places? Or the one who stole from them?"

"It's not a safe job, Fae," Sam pushes. "It's never safe when vampires are involved. That goes double for Northman."

"Well, Northman just happens to be older than the vampire I'm trying to keep off my trail."

"Bill will-"

I shot her a look. "We both know Bill is busy keeping you out of trouble."

"Why weren't you going to tell me?"

"You hate Eric. Simple as that."

"I don't hate….Alright. I do. But you would keep it from me?"

I shrug. "I'm only telling you so you don't give me more trouble."

Sam chuckles into his drink. I kept up my work with the meat. Sookie looked a bit hurt, but thinking it over. She deemed it best to change the subject.

"I found those shoes," she tries.

"Yeah? How were they?"

"Gorgeous!" she gushes. "Let me pay you back. It had to have been a pain to get them."

I took a drink of my soda, glancing to her. "Thank my hero. Their taking it from my first pay check."
"Pam?"

Sam looked a bit confused. "You have a hero?"

I shoot him a grin. "Yeah, this lesbian vampire. Eric's underling."

"I can see why you idolize her," Sookie admits. "They look great."

"I thought so."

We carried on idle chatter between us all, Jason and Hoyt joining later as the food finished. Jason was happy for the free meal, bringing some home to Crystal. Hoyt took some back for his mom. Sookie helped me pack up my few things. Sam was more than willing to stay and help load the SUV with them. Needless to say, the back of the SUV and passenger seats had been filled. My front seat held a few packed foods that Sook wanted me to take.

"You'll not act the stranger," she orders as we hug.

I smile at her, the sun starting to set. We pull apart, glancing toward the sky.

"I'll try not to. Keep messaging and calling like normal. I'll only be a short bit off."

"You'll come for dinners too," she commands, just like her gran.

I shake my head, turning to Sam. That gumbo was in the front. I leaned in, hugging him. He chuckled, leaning in to hug after a moment. I pulled back, hands on my hips as I gave him a stubborn look.

"You keep me updated on Sook. We both know she wont."

"Yall are acting like this is some kind of goodbye," Sam teases, putting his hand on top of my head and messing up my hair.

I beamed. "It will be. Until I can get used to the scheduling. It's a bit all over."

"You'll manage," Sam states as he pushes me toward the car. "Get moving."

I flash a smile at Sookie, waving a hand. "Have good day tomorrow, Sook. I'll try to stop by once or twice."
I backed the SUV in as I pulled up. Sun was finishing its descent as I shut the SUV off. Hardly a moment was wasted as I slid out, all my food in a box. It was while I was crouched before the open fridge, putting things from the box away, that I felt it. I hardly batted a lash, hand lightly swinging to the side.

Jessica cried out, hissing as she flipped over the island of the kitchen. I continued humming, hand lifting another jug of Sook's homemade lemonade.

"Damn it," Jessica huffs, getting up and slapping the counter. "You smell so good."

"So does chocolate," I state, glancing over at her through my hair. "You don't see me hunting it down."

"Just a taste," she whines, both hands on the counter top, slunk low.

"Said the spider to the fly," I mock, standing up. "I'm willing to rip your head off," I offer with a hand held out.

"I would love to see that," Pam says while stepping in. She was putting the finishing touches on her spandex attire for the night, a red belt. "You smell like smoke, sweat and wet dog."

I grin at her. "Been hugging on a deal of men. Bit of a party."

She lifts a brow, looking over the outfit I had on. My feet were still bare, I'd not even bothered to put them on to drive.
"You're dirty."

I wink, turning away to snatch up the box. "Happens."

"Get dressed," Eric orders as the door swings open to allow him in.

I glance back at him, breaking down the box. "I'm not naked, Eric," I huff.

"It could be arranged," he says with a smirk.

I roll my eyes, putting the box behind the trash can. "Yall leaving?"

"Yall?"

That was clearly one that deserved mocking in his view. I lifted one brow back at his singly lifted left brow. Jessica stumbled off, Pam dragging her after her.
"Don't be late," Pam states before leaving through the door to the garage.

"Coming?"

"To? Fangtasia?"

"It does have to open."

I let out a breath, hand brushing hair from my face. "Probably not. I've got homework and unpacking."

"It can wait."

I glance at the clock. Yeah. He was right. It wasn't a bad idea, going to laugh at the fangbangers. He could tell my answer before I'd had a chance to word it.

"Then change."

I glance over my tank and shorts. "What? Not good enough?"
His eyes glance over the, clearly, well worn items. His eyes pausing at the flash of flesh between the tank and shorts.

"Change, you can fill in for Ginger."

I roll my eyes, moving for the garage door. "And here I thought it looked good," I drawl.

"Your wardrobe lacks a great deal. Good, is one of those."

"Oh, shut up, Eric. It's not like I'm made of money. I buy practical things."

I opened the back of the SUV, dragging a box to me. I'd hardly unpacked much at Sook's. Eric stood next to me, looking in at the small amount of things I'd brought.

"There was less than this at Miss Stackhouse's."

I didn't give him the pleasure of looking at him, digging in the box still. "I left most of it at Jason's. Her car only holds so much."

"I'd forgotten you had been staying with the brother."

I pulled a black bundle from the box, shoving it to the side as I grabbed another. This one was smaller, open top. My bathroom things.

"Would you like some help?" Eric offers with that perverse smirk.

"Tempting," I call, heading up the steps. "But, I'll pass."

I came back down in a clack of my heels. I'd settled on a black dress that fit my upper body tight, belling out to flow loosely from mid rib to above the knees. I'd added a thick white ribbon like a belt to bow in the back, ends hanging down. Eric lifted his eyes from his phone, pausing at the black heels from the other night. Sheer white sheathed my legs, a dashing of black up the back like a pinstripe.

I had my wallet under my arm, trading things from it to a clasp wallet of black lace. "Do I still get free drinks?"

"Perhaps I spoke too soon," he says with a bit of a purr, eyes roving over the dress.

I'd added a thick lace headband, pulling my bangs from my face. A light add of make up on my eyes to draw attention to the color, the smokey effect. I smirk, giving a small twirl. The skirt belled up with the twirl, flashing the black lacey tops of the thigh highs.

"Not my usual club wear, but it works," I admit, passing him for the other door to the Corvette.

The short ride was in silence, me spending it trading the things to the new wallet. Eric was pulling to a park as I lifted the left side of the skirt, putting my phone in the band of the thigh highs. No thought was paid to him as I slid out.

"I wonder if I can con a few drinks out of people," I ponder, striding for the door, wallet clutched in one hand.

"You'll be working."

I pause, partially facing him as I block the door. "I'd almost forgotten."

I stuffed the wallet at him. "Keep that for me." I started walking in, rolling my shoulders in the dress after messing with the collar.

"Good," Pam purrs as I step out of the back and into the club. It was quickly filling. "I had wondered if you would join us."

"I get paid for this," I call before slipping into the crowd around a poll with a twirl, finger pointing to Eric.

I wove in and out of the crowd, flirting and getting orders. I'd found a group of college kids, all ready for a real party. All were close to my age as I leaned on the wall, close to a girl with bright orange hair. She was heavily flirting, hand playing with some of my hair as I looked to the male next to her.

"Fae."

I glanced a bit behind me, hip thrusting against the crotch of the girl fawning on me. Pam looked down at me, brow lifted in a silent question.

"Taking my fifteen, Pam," I say with a purr to my voice.

"I hadn't been aware that you had the option," she says while glancing over the way the girl's hand slid from my hair by my shoulder to run up and down my back.

I wink, fingers drumming the wall in a quick line. "We were talking about our free time."

I shift, hips crashing hard against the girl as I shifted us so I had one hand cupping her face, eyes still to Pam. "Ginny, here, likes blood play. She's been asking if I was a vampire," I state, voice dipping to purr. "Thought I'd prove I wasn't."

"Is that so," Pam purrs as she looks over the girl. She was a petite thing, small in frame and build. Though, she stood a few inches taller than me.

"I should head off," I state, letting the girl go abruptly.

"We still on for later?" the girl calls, a bit over eager.

I grin, winking as I wiggle my fingers back at her. "I'll look into it."

Pam remained behind while I danced around a group, head nodding to the beat of the song playing.

"Fae," Pam calls out before I got far.

I leaned around a male, hand placed on his chest as I looked back at Pam. The male, a vampire, seemed a bit surprised by my action.

"Eric was asking for you."

"Did he get my food?"

Pam waved me off. I pull back from the vampire, winking at him before slipping my trey back under my arm. I wove under a man's arm, popping up out of a crowded group to the side of Eric's raised dais. He was texting on his phone, not looking at me.

I turned my back, jumping back to land on the edge of the dais. My legs were crossed at the knee, hands on my knees as my foot tapped the beat. I was looking over the crowd.

"Chow says you have been keeping busy."

I glance over my shoulder at him. "I'd not realized how busy it was. Good tips."

"Including phone numbers?"

I lean back, elbows resting behind me as I looked at Eric upside down. I had a shit eating grin. This showered off my figure well, allowing him to see how I'd shifted the dress to flash cleavage.

"It does seem to happen."

His eyes flicked to my neck, stretched out to allow me to see him.

"I've found a meal for Pam while I was at it," I state, rolling my head to look toward where I had been. This caused my pose to shift, my hair falling to cover my neck from his view. I'd caught the line of his sight. Pam was gone, as was the girl.

"I hadn't been aware that she'd asked."

I shrug. "She hadn't. The girl was trying to pick me up. I slipped it off onto Pam." I leaned back to the position of before, neck exposed as I looked at him. "I'll need off next Sunday. Last I checked, it was clear."

"Plans?"

I sit up, moving to stretch my legs across the stage. His feet were just short of touching me. He could have easily reached me with his long legs. I shrug.

"What'd ya need?"

"There you are," a southern voice says happily as they come up beside me. Ginger.

"Ginger will take over for the rest of the shift," Eric states, looking back at his phone, fingers typing too quickly.

"Oh, thank God," I all but cry in joy. "I'm dancing."

Ginger took off, taking the trey from me. I rose to my feet, sweeping the back of the dress off.

"Sit."

I flipped my hair, looking at him like he was crazy.

"Sit?"

He glanced up at me, right hand separating from his phone to motion the chair there. He didn't look away, heavy gaze on me as I shifted my weight. I glanced back at the crowd, wishing to dance in honesty.