Disclaimer: I own nothing. It all belongs to CH and sort of to AB.
In the end, she left.
After nearly an hour of sitting in that uncomfortable desk chair Sookie was no closer to a decision. Part of her wanted to stay, but a part of her also screamed to run and run as fast as she could. She decided she needed to get her head together before having to talk about what had happened last night. Although…maybe they wouldn't end up talking at all? Would that be such a bad thing? Long term it was not the answer, but for the short term?
Once she had decided to go she wanted out as fast as possible. A quick look in the mirror confirmed that she desperately needed to shower. She had no brush and there was no way she could make her sex-hair look anything other than what it was. Sookie took the quickest shower ever, which was a shame because like the rest of the suite, the bathroom was first rate. The Meridian really knew how to put together a bathroom. The oversized shower had multiple heads, benches and enough room for a small orgy. It was a shower meant to be lingered in an enjoyed and not just by oneself. As she closed her eyes to rinse the hotel conditioner from her hair, the thought of taking a shower with him crept in her head. They had done that before in her home and her shower was a fraction of the size of this one. She was sure they could make use of this award worthy shower, but sometimes being forced to maneuver in a tight space wasn't all a bad thing either. They had managed just fine back in Bon Temps. Just damn fine. A blush stole up her cheeks at the thoughts of what they could do here. Enough Sookie! She turned the water to ice cold with a quick slash of her hand to finish her rinse.
Since she had brushed her teeth earlier, a quick towel dry and a finger comb and she was done in the bathroom. She started to gather up her clothes but could not find her panties. Where could they be? She tried to think back on where exactly she had been when they came off. They should still be in one piece. Where were they? After exhausting all the options except for the bed she gave up. She was not going to start checking the sheets and unmaking the bed. Nope. She was not going to peel back the covers to see if they were wedged anywhere near his body. She walked around to the side she had slept in and dropped to her knees to look under the bed. No luck. "Don't even think about taking another peek Sookie," she muttered. After another quick pass around the room she gave up. They were only panties after all.
She had already decided she was going to leave him a note. Really she felt she had too. After all Sookie was willing to admit that she was being a bit of a chicken, she just couldn't face him again … so soon, especially when he'd be so….so naked.
A half hour later she finally finished with what she had deemed an acceptable note. It was really pretty pathetic, but she couldn't stare at the blank white paper any longer. She really didn't know what to say, how to explain what she was feeling. She carefully placed it in the center of the desk where he would see it when he awoke. She looked around once more to make sure she had everything, not that she had much to begin with. Shoes and purse in hand she reached for the doorknob, she glanced once more over her shoulder at the bed. Softly dropping her things she padded back to the bed to do what she sworn she wasn't going to. She perched on the edge close to his body.
Without thinking she reached up to straighten his hair. She wasn't going to be the only one to wake up with a raging case of sex hair. Sookie found herself smiling at the thought. Her fingers combed through his hair softly coming to rest on his cheek. She was close enough that when she sighed, her breath caused his hair to move a little. She simply got lost in looking at him. He was an incredibly good looking man. Honestly she had always been drawn to him ever since she had first seen him at the bar. Giving herself a little shake she pulled up the bedding a little, smoothing it over his chest. She couldn't resist running her finger through the front of his hair one more time and then she leaned in to give him a soft kiss on the lips.
"Goodbye."
She forced herself up and off the bed, walking backwards towards the door. Her eyes never left him. Slipping her shoes on, she grabbed her purse and was out the door before she could turn around again. The heavy door with its very complicated locking mechanism shut with a loud firm thud. She was out and now there was no way back in at least not without him.
Before they had gone to Dallas and she had stayed in her first vampire hotel, it had been explained in great detail to her. Security was of utmost importance in a hotel that catered to vampires. Only a vampire could open the door to the room. Some sort of sensor would verify that they were a vamp and then there was a key card and a numeric code. It had been made clear to her that she could leave the room during the day, but that she would not be able to get back in. After all a vampire was most vulnerable while in their daytime rest and needed to be protected.
So now that she had let the door close she was out…no going back in. She couldn't give in to that nagging feeling of just wanting to ease back into that heavenly cloud of a bed and let him ease back into her. Now she should be able to relax and unclench her stomach muscles, right? But those muscles which had been pulling tighter and tighter as the afternoon progressed stubbornly refused to loosen and her knees suddenly felt a little weak. She leaned back against the door, sliding down slightly fighting back a fresh round of tears. How in the world does she get in these situations? Once again she found herself leaving this man only to cry once the door was shut between them.
You did it once Sookie, you can do it again. Get a move on.
The chime of an arriving elevator brought her back to reality. Sookie quickly straightened and went searching after the sound. She needed to get out of this place and get some air. Where was that elevator? She had absolutely no memory of where it was. She quickly walked around the bend of the hallway and found the waiting lift. The elevator was one of those fancy glass ones. Sookie walked in pressed L for lobby and kept her eyes on the doors, waiting for them to close. She had no interest in the view the three glass walls would display, Sookie had seen it last night. She just wanted out of this hotel.
Finally the doors began to close. The inside of the doors were mirrored from top to bottom. Sookie couldn't help but look herself over as the elevator began to descend. So this is what the 'walk of shame' feels like she mused. Here she was leaving a hotel with only her purse; her sundress was wrinkled and clearly had not spent the evening hanging daintily from a hanger. Nope, her dress had spent the night wadded up on the floor and that is exactly what it looked like. The worst part was her panty-less state. Whenever she moved she was freshly reminded of her bareness down there. Her hair was still slightly wet and she had zero makeup on. Walk. Of. Shame.
While the upper floors were almost eerily quiet the lobby was practically a hot bed of activity. The cleaning staff was hard at work and what she guessed to be other hotel guest were milling around. Once the doors slowly opened Sookie practically took off like an Olympic sprinter. She forced herself to slow down as every step sent a brisk breeze up her skirt. She quickly realized that she needed to walk or she was going to give some unsuspecting person quite a show as her skirt bounced around.
She did however stop when she saw the complimentary coffee cart for the human guests of the hotel. I guess they can't just cater to the vamps, she thought. "Their" humans would probably need to suck down a ton of caffeine after being up late at night. Sookie knew. She was craving some coffee in the worst way. Hot damn! It was Starbucks too. Sookie filled the largest paper cup she could find.
With caffeine in hand Sookie felt a little more equipped to face the rest of the day. The mental voices surrounding her seemed extra loud and her shields weak. She hadn't needed to keep them up last night and she almost felt a little rusty. Her day of contemplation had worn her out; all the time she had been spending by herself was not helping either. It was just one more reason to get out quick. Where in the world was the exit? There it was. The glass revolving doors to freedom were on the far side of the room just past the concierge desk.
As she strode through the posh lobby with her eyes on the prize, she caught the eye of the concierge. He was a decent looking man with a friendly smile. However Sookie quickly realized that his insides did not match his pleasant, if slightly unremarkable exterior. As each guest passed the desk, he would call out a friendly greeting. "Welcome to the Meridian," "good afternoon," "have a nice day," and mentally he would call each one a fangbanger or something equally unpleasant, his mind spitting out the words like dirty curses. Sookie got the extra bonus of being a fangbanging whore along with his ideas of what he would like to do with her, to her. His mental images were so graphic, so vivid that she very nearly dropped her coffee. She picked up her pace, lack of underwear be damned, and kept as far away from him as possible. Say what you will about vampires but humans could be ugly, so very ugly.
After revolving through the large glass door she stopped to take in the sunshine. Lifting her face to the sky she enjoyed the warmth on her face. Sookie looked around to get her bearings and figure out where she had left her car yesterday. She had parked down by the mall which was just a short walk away. She had to laugh; she had driven all this way to come to the mall and hadn't even made it into one store. The parking garage was as close as she had gotten. Well, she could shop now…but she found that really didn't interest her anymore. Her body urged her to keep going, so she did.
As the sun began to descend for the evening the vampire in room 463 awoke. Instantly he knew that she was not there. His hand still snaked out, reaching across the bed to where she had been sleeping when he had died for the day. He inhaled deeply taking in the pleasing aromas that filled the room; sweet fairy woman, arousal, and sex. Lots of sex. He wanted more, not just the remaining aromas. He wanted the real thing. Her side of the bed was cold; she had not been there for quite some time. Yet her smell was still strong in the room. She may have left his bed, but she had only recently left the room.
He rolled over to where her scent was the strongest and briefly allowed himself to lie where she had. Leaving the fragrant sheets, he found his pants on the floor and located his phone hoping for a message. He quickly scrolled through his inbox; twenty-nine unread messages and texts, but not the one he wanted to see. Plenty of things to do, meetings to attend and the usual vampire political bullshit, not to mention several 'Where the fuck are you?' type messages. Apparently he couldn't just disappear for an evening unannounced.
He smiled, oh yes, he had already decided. He needed to do just that and do it more often. It was time for a little more shakeup, time to redefine what he would be doing and where he would be spending time….a lot more time if he his way. He was immortal, damn it, all he had was time. Glancing back down he searched through the list of waiting messages again. Fuck. She hadn't replied to what he had sent her.
"Sookie, Sookie, Sookie….what is going on in that pretty head of yours?" He wondered out loud. And more importantly, why did you leave?
He licked his lips and could taste her sweet kisses. Closing his eyes he breathed in again; glorying in her scent. He lost track of time as he stood there. As much as he wanted to chase after her he knew that would not be wise. His Sookie apparently needed still more space. He was determined to stay true to his vow to honor her request to let her walk away. No matter how wrong he felt she was being, she had to work this out for herself. Things would be better in the long run if he could be patient, so he would. He had been forced to be patient before; he just needed to be again. However Sookie's mortality weighted heavily on him; she didn't have time for him to be too patient. He knew she would be back. She would be his again.
Shaking himself out of his revere he entered the bathroom. He needed to shower, it was a shame really. He would have loved to bask in the scent of their lovemaking for days, but he knew it would be noted. Tongues would be wagging - especially one. He was not willing to tip his hand to his unworthy opponent; at least not yet. As it was, enough questions would arise from last night's activities.
Sookie had also showered; her scent still danced in the lingering warmth and moistness in the air. As he reached for the soap and the washcloth she had used he noted the irony. They each may have washed the others scent from their skin, but in using the same little bottles the hotel lined up on the counter they would still leave smelling the same. The thought oddly comforted him. As the warm water began to rain down he was reminded of a more satisfying shower they had shared at her house. He quickly grew aroused at the memory. Damn her for leaving! Damn her ability to get him hard without even a touch, without even being there. Damn her.
Soon he was dressed and found the note placed square in the middle of the desk. It simply said:
Thank you for everything.
Please don't be mad – I had to go.
I need to think.
~ Sookie
He barked out a laugh, more thinking! She wants to do more thinking.
"Un-fucking-believable!"
Before he knew what he was doing he had crumpled her note. Stubborn girl, she is going to think away her life. One day she would wake up and realize her life was practically over and that all she's done is think. She needed to live her life, not sit on the sidelines. Sookie needed to act. She needed to do something, anything had to be better than the sad, uncomfortable path she seemed to be currently on. Sookie was a passionate woman; in the relatively short time he had known her he was often surprised at how brazen and bold she could be. Why was she so timid now? Why was she being so content to sit and watch the world go by?
She had not held back last night, at least not after the initial shock of seeing him. Her passion had roared to the surface and he had more than enjoyed answering its call. They had been insatiable, each pushing each other with their desires. It had been amazing. After she had finally fallen asleep, he had watched her. He had found he couldn't take his eyes off of her; the curve of her hip, the rise and fall of her breathing, the slight movement behind her eyelids, her hand as it slightly gripped his chest.
He wondered how she had felt this morning; the proverbial morning after. He knew that she hadn't immediately bolted out the door as the reality of what they had done set in. He took comfort that she had stayed…at least for part of day. He glanced down at the ball of paper in his hand, smoothing it roughly against his thigh he folded it neatly in half and tucked it into his shirt pocket.
"Damn." He despised these feelings. He was not accustomed to this feeling of weakness.
Her first kiss had practically ripped him open. It seemed like forever since he had held her, kissed her, made love to her. He honestly had wondered if he had been remembering correctly. He had never doubted his memories before but surely she couldn't have tasted so sweet, her body been so smooth and her thighs so welcoming. She couldn't be that perfect for him…could she? But the moment her lips touched his again, he knew that his memory was flawlessly correct. She was everything he had remembered. Sookie with her tempting sun kissed body and sassy warm mouth had offered him a slice of nirvana last night…but he wanted the whole damn thing.
Slipping on his suit jacket he allowed himself one more deep breath before leaving the suite. He caught a good look at himself as the elevator doors closed. He took in his appearance with a critical eye, scowling at what was revealed. His suit was a mess, his jacket in particular. Sookie's hands had really done a number on his lapels. He knew there was no way to smooth those wrinkles out without a trip to the dry cleaners. Luckily, his shirt was more presentable. He had found that on top of the couch so at least it hadn't been stepped on like the rest of his clothing. As the elevator finally started to move he reached into his jacket pocket for his keys, wanting to remove the wrinkled mess before he arrived in the lobby. Instead of keys, his fingers unexpectedly ran into something decidedly softer; a creamy scrap of cotton. Looking down he realized he was holding Sookie's panties. Unbidden, his fangs ran out.
How wildly appropriate that he had discovered them while still in the elevator. This is where they had been when her panties had first been placed in his pocket; right after he had helped her remove them. Looking up he couldn't help but smirk at himself in the mirror. The reminder of their previous ride in the elevator had him pivoting around to closely exam the glass on the opposite wall. Yes, upon close inspection he could see what appeared to be Sookie's smudged handprints from where she had pressed them against the smooth surface. He hoped he hadn't left similar finger prints on her hips. Although on second thought, maybe he hoped he had.
So Sookie had left wearing nothing on her delectable little bottom. Every step would remind her of her lack of underwear and exactly how she had ended up that way. He couldn't have planned it better if he had tried.
Sookie finally turned her car towards home. It was late and she had to be at least a little responsible today. She was out of clean uniforms and needed to do some laundry before work tomorrow. She had successfully managed to flit away the entire day. Well okay, at least the part of the day that she had been conscious for. She really hadn't done anything of measure, except for burning up a lot of gas and putting even more miles on her car. It was pitch black when she finally unlocked her back door and let herself into the house.
Dropping her keys on the counter, she headed for the shower. She wanted to smell like herself again, like her own bath products. Perhaps a little Peach Bellini body wash would help reset her mind and body back to normal. It wasn't that the smell of the hotel soap was unpleasant. The smell was just another constant reminder of what had happened. Sookie only wished she could just as easily wash away the pleasant soreness she felt in her body, especially in some areas. She had forgotten how the day after a sex-a-thon could feel. While the hot water felt wonderful on her slightly stiff and sore muscles, it did sting a little on certain spots that were a little tender. She had found several areas that must have been repeatedly rubbed by stubble or sucked upon or both.
Sookie quickly dressed for bed and finally put on a pair of panties for the first time today. Halleluiah – that was more like it! She was drawn to her phone once again. Re-reading the texts she had found. He had sent them. He must have found her new phone after she had fallen asleep and he programmed himself in. The nerve. The message was one word, one simple word. It had stopped her cold in her tracks. She glanced down at the small letters on the screen once again.
He had sent her a series of texts. Sookie had no idea that her phone could even do that. She had just gotten the blasted thing last week. Jason had needed to show her what the funny green light had meant. She could still see the confused look on her brother's face as he asked, "Who's this Sook? You got a new…um a new... friend?" when he had seen who sent the message.
She guessed she should be glad that he didn't actually enter his name into her contacts. She had been forced to bite her lip while attempting to shrug Jason off. She didn't want to lie; but wasn't ready to open up that can of worms, especially with Jason. She thought she had been reasonably successful in deflecting her brother. Well at least for now. Thank goodness that Jason had respected her privacy enough to not actually read the messages.
He had put her on alert; sending her a message - the same message - every two hours, until she either responded or cancelled it. She figured the incoming chime was what had woken her up at 10:00 this morning and then again at noon. She must have been in the shower when the 2:00 one had arrived. Sookie had been driving when she heard that same noise again at 4:00. She realized it was coming from her purse; digging through the contents she finally figured out that it was her phone. She had stopped by Jason's house to have him explain it to her. After all he was the one that insisted she get this new fancy phone that was just like his. Thankfully Jason had been able to show her how to turn off the alert before it had gone off again.
She refreshed the screen again and stared at those four little letters. STAY.
The sky was dark as coal now; the sun had set hours ago. What was he doing? Where was he? Was it back to business as usual; just another night spent with a willing bed partner? She hoped not. Had he found her note? Was he disappointed that she had left? If only she had found his text messages before she had left the hotel. Would she have stayed then? She didn't know.
She plugged the phone into its charger without deleting the messages. She found she couldn't do it. Sookie crawled into bed wondering if he would come to her or would he stay away. She closed her eyes and couldn't decide what she wanted him to do. And more importantly, what was she going to do?
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