AN: Hello readers. I have another chapter here for you. I hope you enjoy. Please read and review. I am now on spring break so I am hoping to write a few chapters a head for the coming weeks. I am going to be horrifically busy at the end of the semester and I don't know how much time I will have to write. With that said I will still try to post every two weeks. Now on with the chapter and please review.
Disclaimer: If at this point you don't know that this is make believe then you never will.
Chapter 43
The ride to Godric's house was interesting. I had not seen a lot of interaction between him and his older brother. The dynamic of their relationship was hard to follow. At times it seemed as though Godric admired Victor and in the next he hoped the world would spilt open and swallow him up. The more time I spent with Victor the more he rubbed me the wrong way. He was too smooth and falsely kind. Even his complements were backhanded. "That in a nice dress, if a bit simple." He commented when I first entered the car.
"Thank you?" I had not been sure how to respond. I stayed quite for the rest of the ride.
"How is school going?" He said looking at us in the rearview mirror.
"Just fine like it always is. I will be painting a portrait for my final in art." Godric answered meeting his eyes.
"Oh, have you chosen a subject?" He questioned with little interest.
"No but I have someone in mind." Godric replied glancing towards me.
"I suppose she is pretty enough." Victor said noticing Godric's glance. They both joined me in my silence after that.
When we pulled up to the house beautifully lit. Godric steered me into a large sitting room lit by candles and a glowing fire. We mingled and talked with the other guests. I quickly figured out that this was more of a business dinner then a family get together. Most of the guests were business associates or trying to be. A little bit before dinner Godric left me in the hands of Sandy and his mother. Sandy was wearing a dark navy cocktail dress that glittered in the dime light. Mrs. Hyde was in a violet long sleeve gown. It had a high neck line with a plunging open back adorned with crystals. We were sitting on a sofa near the grand fire place. I had felt extremely out of my element.
"Sookie dear I must say that is a lovely dress. You and Godric make such an adorable pair. I am so glad that you came tonight." Mrs. Hyde gushed taking a sip of her wine.
"Thank you." I blushed looking down. I had not thought that this was a date sort of thing.
"What have you been up to recently?" Sandy asked making small talk.
"Uh … I well… I have been at school. I have also been spending a lot of time watching my cousin's son Hunter." I fiddled with the hem of my dress.
"That's nice I am going to be student teaching next semester so I have been at several meetings with my supervisor. One of my placements is in New Orleans and the other is over in Monroe. I am so excited. Do you know what you want to go to school for?" She paused to take a breath.
"I would like to go for music or art maybe get a degree in art history with a library of science degree so I could work in a museum. My dream is to go to Julliard but I don't know if that would ever happen." I rambled still playing with my dress.
"That is a charming aspiration. I know that Godric would just love to have you there with him. He is going to be a concert cellist." Mrs. Hyde simpered waving a waiter over for another glass of wine.
"Excuse me I need to use the restroom." I said standing. Mrs. Hyde pointed me in the right direction. I made my way down the hall past the dining room. I was just about to the powder room door when I heard hushed voices. I stopped short when I heard Victor's voice.
"I don't know what you see in her she is a nobody from a small town. She will only hold you back. Not to mention the fact that she is only fourteen. What are you going to do when you get into Julliard? There is no way you are going to want a girl like that." He was leaning up against the wall standing across from Godric.
"It is not like we are dating no matter how much I wish we were. She only sees me as a friend. When I go to school who knows, she wants to go to Julliard too and she is an amazing cellist, dancer and artist. Mother likes her and she is not a nobody. She has more connections than you would think." Godric defended me.
"What do you mean?" Victor scowled distorting his handsome features.
"She is friends with the Herveauxs, Pardloes and Northmans. She is also related to the Cranes and her Grandmother is Adele Hale." He stated simply.
"So her grandmother was a dancer and is related to someone from Crane Inc. How does she know the rest?" Victor asked stepping closer.
"Alcide is friends with her brother, Preston is friends with her and the Northmans are her neighbors and as much a part of the family as the rest." Godric answered proudly.
"So she is friends with their children it is not like she has any pull over them." Victor countered taking a step back with a smug look on his face.
"She has all of them wrapped around her little finger she could ask for the moon and they would figure out how to get it to her. The best thing is though she never would she doesn't try to manipulate the people she cares about." Godric smiled brightly.
"I am starting to understand why mother is so adamant about having you pursue this girl. Do you think you could get her to introduce father to any of them?" Victor probed conspiratorially.
That was the last of what I heard. I turned around and went back to the sitting room forgetting about my need for the restroom. I could not believe that I was only a means to a business connection. I had thought that they liked me for who I was not what I could do for them. I felt used. It is not like I even knew what Mr. Northman did or any of the guys parents really. I mean Alcide's dad did something with construction but after that I had no clue. I was a friend of their sons nothing more. A tear had started to make its way down my cheek. I whipped it away and found a seat in an emptier part of the room. I plastered on a fake smile when Sandy made her way over to me.
"Did you find the powder room ok?" She asked taking a seat near me.
"No I just got turned around so I came back." I lied looking down into my lap.
"Well that won't do, I will just take you myself." She replied kindly standing to show me the way. I followed her back to where I had just been. Listening to her talk about how when Victor first brought her home to meet his parents she ended up turned around several times in this big old house. We approached where the guys had been to find them silently still. I guess they heard Sandy coming.
"Sweetheart what are you two doing back hear?" Victor asked noticing his fiancé.
"I am just showing Sookie to the powder room. She got a bit turned around the first time trying to find it on her own." She explained leading me past them. I could tell in by the look on his face Godric knew that I had heard at least some of their conversation. I brushed off all of his attempts to speak to me privately the rest of the night. I maintained the same fake smile though more meaningless chit chat and dinner. I honestly don't remember anything that was on the multitude of plates. I was beyond relieved when dinner was over and guests started to leave. It meant I only had to keep it together for a little longer. When it was my turn to escape I was as polite as I could be.
"Thank you for having me. I have a nice time." I said with false gratitude.
"I am so glad that you could come. And you will just have to come back over the holidays. We always host a holiday and New Year's party." Mrs. Hyde simpered pulling me into a hug.
"I will have to ask Gran if I can. Goodbye." I pulled away.
"Make sure you get her home safe boys." She instructed turning to her sons.
"We will." Victor said leading us out to his car. I sat in the front this time as to not be too close to Godric. I looked out the window on the way home ignoring every attempt of theirs to draw me into conversation. When we pulled up to the house I all but leapt from the car in my haste to escape. I tripped over my heels in the gravel driveway. Godric helped me back to my feet.
"Thank you. I will see you at school." I said making my way to the steps.
"Sookie will you please look at me? I know you heard something that upset you tonight I just want to know what it is so I can fix it." He pleaded matching my steps.
"I think you already do." I answered sadly made my way to the door without looking at him. I opened it and stepped through. He did not try to follow.
"Goodbye Sookie." He sounded so dejected as I closed the door. I know it was rude but I just did not want to talk to him. Most of Gran's guests had left by the time I got home. Only Eric and his father, Hadley and Hunter were left. They were all sitting in the living room watching It's A Wonderful Life. It was one of Gran's traditions we would watching in black and white on Thanksgiving and in color on New Year's Day. It was her way of starting and ending the holiday season. Hunter was passed out on the love seat next to his mother. Gran was sitting in her chair and Eric and his dad were on the sofa. Gran looked up at me from her perch when I came into the room.
"Did you have a good time?" She asked smiling at me.
"Yeah it was nice. I am real tired I am just going to go up to bed." I said leaning down to give her a hug.
"Alright dear sleep well." She returned my hug. I made my way up to my room. I dug in my draws for a pair of lose yoga pants and an old t-shirt of Jason's. I put them on my bed and went to take a shower. I did all of this on auto pilot. When I reentered my room I found a very sleepy Hunter sitting on my bed in his pjs.
"Mommy made me change so I could go to sleep." He said rubbing his eyes.
"Let me get changed and we can go to sleep." I told him picking up my clothes. I went back to the bathroom, changed and brushed my teeth. I turned off the light and got into bed behind him. He snuggled into me and we went to sleep. I did not dream that night which I was thankful for.