Eva had woken up briefly to say goodnight to Bill, and then she had promptly fallen back asleep to try and get in a couple more hours before her first shift at Merlotte's. She started at ten, and by one o'clock she had already fallen into a satisfactory rhythm. And then he came and threw it all off.
"I need to talk to you."
Eva glanced at Lafayette who had suddenly appeared beside her as she set down two plates of burgers at one of her tables. She ignored him briefly to finish with the guests. "Is there anything else I can get for you at this time?" When they declined, she started walking towards the kitchen for her next order. "What's wrong Lafayette?"
"I need to talk to you," he repeated.
"So talk."
"Not here."
"I'm sort of busy right now." They reached the kitchen and Eva took two plates from the counter. "Can this wait until my break?"
"No, it can't."
"I'm sorry Lafayette, but I need to finish with these orders. It's my first day. If Sam sees me taking a break early, he's going to lose all faith in me."
He followed her to the next table. "When's your break?"
"One hour."
He sighed. "Fine. Meet me out back in one hour."
"Okay, I will."
Lafayette left the bar quickly, leaving Eva completely unsettled and unable to recover her nearly perfected serving rhythm. Her break couldn't come fast enough, and she spent the next hour distracted and forcing friendliness to her tables. At one o'clock, she dropped an order at the appropriate table and then darted out back without a word to anyone. Lafayette was waiting as promised.
"What's wrong Lafayette?" She asked him immediately.
"Is he trustworthy?"
"What?"
Lafayette was pacing back and forth, rubbing his hands up and down his arms, and trembling visibly. "Can he be trusted?"
"Who?"
"You know who!" He nearly shouted at her. "That blonde vampire bitch."
"Eric?" Eva tried to keep up with the conversation. "Can you please sit down? You're making me dizzy!"
He kept pacing. "I know he's a bastard, and a freak, but is he trustworthy?"
"I don't understand what you're asking…"
"It's a yes or no question!" He snapped.
"Yes then," she snapped back. "My instinct is to say yes, Eric is completely trustworthy. I would trust him with my life…but after what he did to you…I don't know how you could ever trust him."
"He came to me."
"When?"
"Last night. He came to me here, and he apologized."
"He did?"
"He told me he was wrong for what he did to me and a bunch of shit like that, and then he told me he could break the connection between us if I wanted, and if I chose to keep it, he would protect me." Lafayette finally stopped pacing. "He gave me his word."
"He did?" Eva repeated quietly.
"So I want to know if I can trust that lying son-of-a-bitch."
"If he gave you his word, you can trust him completely." Eva smiled. "He really came to you and apologized?"
He nodded. "What did you say to him?"
"A lot of mean things," she answered truthfully. "I sort of lashed out at him, but it was necessary. He was so far out of line…"
"I think he meant it."
"His apology?" Eva nodded. "If Eric apologized, you can be certain that he meant it. He doesn't take humbling acts like that lightly."
"Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me."
"After everything he did to me, I didn't think I'd ever get over it all, but somehow hearing him apologize like that actually made things better. Not completely mind you, but I think it's starting to be okay."
"Good."
"So, he'd really protect me?"
She nodded.
"But I'd have to put up with the connection between us."
"If you want to keep it without all the side effects, I can help you."
"Help me how?"
"With the dreams and with the attraction factor."
He looked away from her. "I didn't say anything about that."
"It's normal. When you feed from a vampire, his blood is like a toxic aphrodisiac targeted towards that specific vampire, constantly running through your veins. It causes increased desire for that vampire and erotic dreams. It's unavoidable, unless you can force yourself to ignore it."
"And you can help me ignore it?"
"I can."
"How do you know about all this?"
"Eric taught me actually. Bill helped, but he was never as good at it as Eric was. He didn't have the patience."
"Why would they want to help you with something like that. You'd think they would want to keep as much control over their humans as possible."
"I was only fourteen. They didn't want me to be connected to them in that way."
"Oh." He frowned. "I'm surprised it made a difference to them."
"I told you Eric used to understand respect better."
He nodded. "So you really think I can trust him."
"I do."
"Okay. Thanks." He headed away, but stopped to offer her a slight smile. "I think you're gonna be a good addition here."
"I hope you're right." She waved to him as he left, but took a few more moments to herself before returning to work.
The rest of the day, she worked in a slight daze, only focusing enough to accomplish her tasks. At five o'clock, she took a brief moment to say 'goodbye' to Sookie and double-check that she had another way to get home before heading out into the parking lot to Bill's car. She had only just exited the restaurant though when she was again detained.
"Sorry, I didn't see you…" she apologized quickly to the young man she had collided with in her haste.
"That's okay," he grinned wide, "I never mind it when pretty girls bump into me."
Eva tried to offer him a smile, but she was too distracted with her own evening plans to be concerned with this guy's flirtations.
"You're new here, aren't you?" He wasn't prepared to let her leave so quickly.
"At Merlotte's?" Eva remembered she was still wearing the uniform.
"Yea," he nodded. "I've got a pretty good eye for the waitresses here, and I would've remembered you."
"You're right," she told him, "I just started today actually."
"Welcome then." He continued grinning, and she was becoming a little impressed with how well he could hold his smile. "I'm Jason." He held out his hand.
The moment she took his hand, however, she couldn't stop herself from seeing into his life. She tried to fight it, but the emotions he was suppressing overwhelmed her, buzzing through her brain like an entire hive of angry hornets. She shut her eyes tightly and clenched her teeth together until the images ceased their bombardment. Then she took a shaky breath and withdrew her hand from his.
"You okay?" He asked cautiously.
She nodded. "I have to go though."
"Oh…okay…well, I'm sure I'll see you around…"
She headed to the car immediately without giving him another word, and drove back to Bill's much more quickly than was likely safe.
There was still at least an hour before the sun died for the day, so there were no distractions for Eva as she hurried upstairs to change out of her work uniform and into something more appealing. After rifling through her luggage, she settled on a red silk dress she had found at an Italian boutique. It had a plunging V-neckline and reached to just above her knees. She left her hair down and slipped into a pair of black stilettos. She knew Bill would worry when he woke up, but she didn't want to waste another minute, so instead of waiting for him, she left again in his car.
Though she'd never been there before, Eva was able to find the club easily using the GPS system on her cell phone, which the guys had given her for her last birthday that she had spent with them. It only took thirty minutes until she pulled into the parking lot and parked Bill's car near to the front door. She straightened out her dress and ran a hand through her hair as she walked to the door. The club hadn't opened yet, but Eva found the front door unlocked and walked in.
"We're not open yet." A short woman with a blonde pixie-cut and slightly wild eyes stopped Eva just inside the door. You can't be here."
"I'm here to see Eric," Eva told her.
"He won't be here until after dark. You'll have to come back later."
"He's always here," Eva corrected. "I know he has an apartment upstairs."
The woman shook her head quickly. "I can't confirm that."
"I don't need you to confirm it. I just need you to step away and let me finish what I came here to do."
"No," the woman continued shaking her head. "No, no, no. I can't let you do that. Eric won't be happy if I let someone in while he was still sleeping."
"Trust me, Eric won't mind this time."
"I can't let you," she persisted. "No."
"Listen sweetheart. I respect that you are trying to do your job here, and I understand that under normal circumstances, you wouldn't be able to let anyone in until Eric was awake, but I promise you, this is a special situation. Eric won't be upset with you. If for some crazy reason he is upset, you can blame me entirely."
She continued to shake her head.
"If you don't tell me where Eric sleeps, however, you're going to have to deal with my anger. And trust me, you don't want to face that."
She still seemed hesitant, but the woman finally pointed to the back of the bar. "There's a staircase through the office. Take it upstairs. His is the last room at the end of the hall."
"Pam sleeps here, doesn't she?"
The blonde nodded. "She's in the room next to Eric."
"Of course she is," Eva smirked. "Thank you for your help." Leaving the other woman alone, and still a little nervous, Eva followed her directions to the back of the club, into the office, and up the staircase to the private living compartments on the second floor.
At the second to last door at the end of the hallway, Eva stopped and turned the doorknob with a little too much excitement. A single coffin stood in the center of the room. Eva shut the door and made her way towards the coffin. She opened the large purse she had packed specially before leaving Bill's house and withdrew a long silver chain and padlock. Draping the chain around the coffin, Eva secured it with the padlock and smiled at her handiwork before returning to the hallway and continuing to Eric's room.
Like Pam's, the coffin stood in the center of the room, but his was on a raised platform and the rest of the room was decorated much more elaborately, with black velvet draperies over the windows and candelabras standing tall around the room. Eva located a book of matches on the top of his marble dresser and lit all the candles in the room. Leaving her purse by the dresser, Eva hurried back down to the bar where she found the blonde pacing frantically.
"I really shouldn't have let you go up there!"
"You really need to calm down," Eva told her. "What's your name?"
"Ginger."
"Okay Ginger, I don't know how to make you understand me, but I give you my word that Eric won't punish you. If it makes you more comfortable, I could knock you out and you can tell him that you tried to prevent me from going up." Ginger seemed to consider it for a minute, but Eva rolled her eyes and moved behind the bar, going about her plans without giving Ginger any more thought. She found two champagne glasses and filled one with True Blood and the other with champagne.
"What are you doing now?" Ginger demanded. "You can't just help yourself like that!"
Eva ignored her and returned upstairs to Eric's room. She set the drinks on a small table beside the coffin and lifted the lid. She smiled down at Eric's sleeping form and, leaning down, pressed her lips against his cold forehead.
His lifeless form stirred instantly in response to her touch. She perched on the side of his coffin and held up the glass of blood. His eyes blinked open and he gazed at her curiously.
"Good evening," she smiled.
"Well this is different." He sat up slowly and glanced around the room.
"The drapes are still drawn," she told him. "You're perfectly safe to be up now."
"Experience has made me skeptical of unexpected wakeups. Though I must say, this one is definitely much more appealing than the last."
"Hungry?" She offered him the glass, and he accepted it, but didn't drink immediately.
"Not that I don't appreciate the wakeup, but may I inquire as to your intention?"
"First, an apology," she explained. "I was an ass earlier."
"I deserved it," he assured her.
"Well, yes, but I didn't have to be quite so…intense. I was reckless. The sun could have hurt you."
He shook his head. "You've known the sun's dangerous hours since you were thirteen. You knew it wouldn't have harmed me."
Eva nodded. "It made you nervous though, didn't it?"
"As I said before, I deserved it."
"You did," she agreed, "but now you deserve forgiveness."
"Lafayette came to you," Eric understood.
"He did."
"That should have been private."
Eva laughed. "Like hell you wanted that to stay private. You were hoping he would come to me instantly so I could realize how wrong I was to overreact and come crawling back to you."
"Please," Eric smiled, "as if you would ever crawl for anyone."
"Are we ready to makeup yet?"
He held up his glass and clinked it against hers. "Cheers."
"To friendship," she completed.
"One that survives forever."
Eva smiled and took a sip from her champagne, while Eric drank from his own glass.
"Now that that's settled, I suppose I should prepare myself for the evening. The club opens soon." He motioned for her to stand so he could open the lower half of his coffin, but she hesitated.
"Are you clothed?"
"It's nothing you haven't seen before."
"Eric, that was one time…" she hesitated. "Maybe twice. But getting drunk and skinny dipping in the Hudson River is one thing…"
"Shut your eyes then if it makes you uncomfortable."
Eva turned her back to him with her eyes shut and waited for him to put on clothes.
"All right." He swiftly pulled on a pair of black slacks and told her she was "safe." He had begun to sift through his large closet for a shirt when he paused and tilted his head. "Evangeline…"
"Yes?"
"Where's Pamela?"
Eva smiled.
"Evangeline."
"I didn't hurt her."
"I know, but she is panicking. Why is she panicking?"
She shrugged.
"What did you do?"
"I didn't want to be bothered for a while, so I made certain that we wouldn't be."
He waited.
"I chained her into her coffin," Eva finally told her.
He pulled his lips tight, and Eva knew him well enough to realize he was fighting a smile. "That wasn't very nice of you."
"The bitch deserves whatever she gets."
"I know you two have never gotten along well, but could you try and be on your best behavior?"
"No," Eva answered promptly. "I refuse to stay in the same town as that lying, cheating whore. She is destroying you, and if she stays…"
"Calm down." He moved to her side in one fluid movement. He put his hand on her shoulders and stared down into her eyes. "Does it really bother you that much to have her here?"
Eva nodded. "It's more than just the silly little things she and I would fight about years ago. You're different when she's around."
"Different how?"
"I don't like the way she influences you," Eva told him. "She makes you different, and not at all in a good way. I don't like who you become with her."
"I'm the same as I always am."
"You're not though."
"You have never liked Pam," Eric reminded her, "but that doesn't mean she's a bad person. I see no reason why we can't all get along. You made me stay with Bill last night."
"That's different. Bill's not evil."
"Neither is she."
Eva was clearly not convinced.
"Evangeline, please go let her out of her coffin. I'm about to open the club, and I need her to be there with me."
"No you don't."
"Evangeline."
"Fine." Eva took a quick sip of her champagne and handed the glass to him. "I'm not happy about it though."
"Just promise me you'll play nice."
"I always do." Eva left his room and returned to Pam's room next door. She stepped inside and shut the door before heading over to the coffin in the center of the room. It took her a moment to do what she had been instructed, but finally gave in and removed the heavy silver chains from around the coffin.
Pam sprung from her coffin faster than Eva had ever seen her move, and she had her hand around Eva's throat before she could get out of her way.
"Who the hell do you think you are bitch?" Pam snarled with her teeth just an inch away from Eva's face.
"It was a harmless joke, Pam," Eva tried to laugh, but Pam's anger fueled her strength, and her grip was tight.
"I thought we were rid of you for good. You should have known better than to come back where you weren't wanted." Pam's sharp teeth grazed the edge of Eva's chin. "You have no idea how much I've always wanted to taste you…to know what it was about you that kept my Eric so enthralled…"
"He's never tasted me," Eva gasped out.
"I know, but I'm sure he's thought about it." Pam sighed. "I warned you about coming back here, Evangeline. You should have listened to me."
"Pamela!"
Eva smiled when she heard his threatening tone.
Pam dug her nails into Eva's neck briefly before slowly releasing her hold. She turned around to Eric who had appeared behind her. "Hello love."
"No," he growled. "You're finished here."
"Oh Eric, we were just having a chat. Girl talk, you know?" She glanced back at Eva and winked. "No worries." She trailed a finger down Eva's nose, but Eric grabbed her hand and pulled her away quickly.
"You don't touch her."
"Come now Eric…" she laughed.
"You're finished," he repeated his earlier statement.
"Fine." She stepped away from Eva. "I won't touch her."
"No, you're finished here," he explained, "permanently."
"What?" She frowned.
"You have until midnight to be gone from here. I want you out of this town—out of my life."
"Eric…" Pam shook her head. "You're overreacting. You don't know what you're saying. You aren't seriously going to let this human thing fly into town and turn everything upside down. Things were going well, weren't they? We're happy?"
"We aren't anything," he corrected her. "We never were. You've always been delusional about that, and I've let it go on long enough. Goodbye Pam." He put his hand on Eva's back to guide her away. "Oh, and if you ever even speak to Evangeline again, I will end you."
Pam's upper lip curled into a snarl as her eyes darted towards Eva. "No promises."
"Well it is a promise from me Pam," he warned her. "Gather your things and go." He held his hand out for Eva and led her from the room.
"Eric…" she spoke quietly as they returned to Eric's room. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I know how long Pam has been in your life."
"She's never been a positive aspect of my life," he assured her. "I changed her in a moment of weakness, and she's been a constant source of agony ever since. I should have removed her from my life years ago. Thank you for giving me the shove I needed."
"Do you mean that?"
"Every word."
Eva wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his cheek. "Thanks. Of course now you're going to need someone to replace her at the club, won't you?"
"It would be nice," he agreed. "Pam may not have been good for much, but her contribution in running the club did provide me with substantial time for myself."
"We'll find a replacement," Eva decided. "You won't even notice she's gone."
"Who could possibly replace her? I won't let just anybody work with me."
"We'll find someone," she repeated. "And until we do, I'll fill in."
"Like hell you will!"
"Why not? You know I could do it!"
"Do you think I would honestly let you work at a vampire club, surrounded by hungry and horny vampires all the time?"
"Oh please. No one would ever touch me. You would see to that."
"That's not exactly my point."
"Eric, you know I am more than capable of helping you run this place, and I'm also plenty capable of taking care of myself around vampires."
"You don't have to convince me of that."
"Then why are we still arguing?" She used the large mirror hanging on his wall to fix her hair and dab clear gloss onto her lips. "Come on. Take me down and introduce me as your new partner. No one will question you, and if they see how serious you are, they will respect me."
