Chapter 8:
Once I finally snap back to reality. I realize that it's getting close to midnight, which is a lot earlier that I expected. I make sure the mess is thoroughly cleaned, lock the doors, turn off the lights, and haul my ass up the stairs to get ready for bed. I finish my pre-bed time ritual and climb into bed, but, unfortunately, sleep seems to have eluded me. I was exhausted, and still am, but I had too many thoughts running through my head. What were the repercussions for Eric drinking my blood? Should I ask Sookie? If I did, she would want to know what happened and how would I skirt around what actually happened? She would be suspicious and listen to my thoughts. Would Eric try to black mail me with it? I know I can trust Sookie, but then again, I was doing it to keep her safe, but I don't even know what I am hiding us from. It was bad enough she knew I was telepathic and it's not like I'm lying to her. I'm just not telling her and I'm pretty sure she hasn't told me everything about her.
I try and clear my mind so I can sleep but then my thoughts drift back to what Eric had done. The thought of the way he kissed me sent shivers though my body and I turn to lie on my side and look out the window. The sight of the moon starts to induce drowsiness and my eyelids slowly shut.
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During the daylight hours of the day, everything was normal. I made pancakes for breakfast, we got dressed, and we ran errands to prepare for the trip. As we finished packing, it was a quarter to seven and we made our way to Fangtasia in Sookie's car.
"You nervous?" Sookie says, glancing at me then focusing back on the road.
"A little…This is my first time going to a vampire bar."
"I know what you mean."
We pull into the parking lot of the vampire bar. Since it was just getting dark, the line wasn't long, but Sookie walks to the front to the tall, blonde, female vampire at the front door.
"Hey Pam, this is Zoey, Eric's expecting us."
"Well, aren't you delicious." Her voice has a slight accent but is full of smugness, just like the smile that plays across her face. "No wonder Eric hasn't stopped talking about you." I feel the embarrassment flood my cheeks. Pam signals a vampire to take her place at the door he is there in an instant. Pam tells us to follow her and we silently comply. She takes us to a room in the back to see Eric at his desk, gazing down at some papers.
"Hello ladies." He says looking up from the contents on his desk to give us a mischievous grin. "Ready for the trip?"
"Yup," I say and adjust the cooler on my shoulder as Sookie nods.
"Good," He rises and takes the cooler from me.
"Thanks," I mutter and he nods in response, he still has a smile on his face, but it manages to recede into a grin. "Are you ready?" I ask him.
"Of course, follow me."
We follow Eric out the back entrance to see a windowless, except for the front window, black tour bus-like vehicle with the Fangtasia logo eloquently printed on the side.
"We have a long ride ahead of us," Eric says once we are on the bus. Sookie and I nod in agreement. "So make yourselves comfortable." With that being said, I take a seat on the couch and put my head phones in whilst Sookie goes to explore the rest of the bus and Eric talks to the driver to let them know we are ready. After Eric returns he gracefully sits down next to me on the couch, walking that fine line of being to close for comfort, and I give him a look.
"I'm allowed to make myself comfortable too." He says as he pulls one of my ear buds out. "What are you listening too?" He puts the ear bud he removed from my ear into his.
"Currently, 'Cold as Ice' by Foreigner." He nods then gazes into my eyes seductively. "What do you like to listen to?" I ask, quickly averting my eyes from his and to the screen of my MP3 player as color fills my cheeks.
"Mainly stuff from my time." Eric gently takes the MP3 player from my hands to look through the artists. "But I listen to some modern music."
"I mainly listen to older stuff, like from the 70's and 80's."
"I see…" He says and switches the song to "When I See You Smile" by Bryan Adams. I start to giggle. "What?"
"I just don't see you listening to something so mushy. I like it, don't get me wrong, but…" I giggle again.
"I can be quite surprising."
"You've proved that to me numerous times."
"As you have to me."
"I wouldn't count once as being numerous."
"That's not the only thing that you've surprised me about. Speaking of which, how did that bottle fall?"
"By the magical forces of gravity."
"Zoey, Zoey, Zoey," Eric says, his voice somewhat patronizing, shaking his head, "I may have been born at night, but not last night."
"Well, in a sense you, 'come alive' again every night. That could be considered being re-born; or, at least, what I'm going to say just to make this joke work in my favor. But seriously, I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Yes you do. I talked to your brother."
"And what did my brother say?"
"He told me everything about you."
"I'll just text him real quick then, ask him for myself." I say, pulling my self phone out of my pocket.
"That won't be necessary," he says as he takes my phone.
"I think it's very necessary," I say trying to grab my phone out of hand, but his vampire "powers" make him a lot faster than I am and He stands up, dangling the phone above my head.
"You are very short compared to me." The mischievous grin from earlier returns to his face.
"Eric," I warn, "Give me back my phone."
"Or what?" He teases.
"I dunno'," I say falling back on the couch starting to focus on the phone. To his surprise it falls to my lap and he stares at me in shock and I'm pleasantly surprised as well. "I'm going to call you butterfingers." I say with a slight smile and pocketing my cell phone and starting to feel tired.
"Are you going to deny it this time too?" His sky blue eyes staring down at me as he asks the question.
"Deny what?" I say, channeling my thoughts to Sookie to see where she was and hear that she is sleeping in the small compartment room. Eric just growls at me in response, I roll eyes at him and stretch out on the couch and pop my head phones back in my ears and shut my eyes. I feel Eric lift me off the couch, carry me off to another room, set me down and climbs in behind me, his long arms wrapping around my torso. "What are you?" The breath tickles the back of my neck as he whispers the question.
"Exhausted." I breathe and pass out with Eric spooning me.
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A/N: Hey, sorry it took so long for this chapter. I some writers block and I've been a bit busy with school. Stupid Projects. Thanks for all that read/review/favorite.