Chapter 5
Sookie's POV
It was a long two days before I came home from working the middle shift (11 – 7) to find a note by the phone: Gran had written: Sookie, Eric called this evening and wants you to call him back. I'll be home late; I went to play bridge with Mrs. Fortenberry. If you're hungry, I left you a plate to warm in the oven. Love, Gran
I squealed. I jumped up and down. I may have done a little dance. I hadn't figured him for a one-day caller, but I will admit that when he hadn't called me on Thursday I had gotten a little anxious. And, since he had made me wait for two days, I decided that making him wait until I had eaten my dinner wouldn't hurt him a bit. Seriously, it wasn't like he would be going to sleep anytime soon.
At least, that was the plan. Halfway through my meatloaf and mashed potatoes, I couldn't wait another minute. As I walked over to the phone, I caught myself patting my hair and running my hands over my clothes to smooth wrinkles. What had gotten into me? It's not like he could see me through the phone!
I carefully dialed the number Gran had written at the bottom of her note. "Fangtasia, the bar with a bite," a female voice answered, sounding as bored as can be.
"Hi," I said, trying not to sound so excited, "This is Sookie Stackhouse, and I was returning Eric's call?"
"I'm sorry; my master is indisposed at this moment. Can I take a message?" the woman replied, still no inflection in her voice.
"Um," I answered cleverly as I twisted the phone's cord around my finger. I had not expected him to be busy. The woman on the other end let out an exasperated sigh at my obvious intellect.
"He should be out of his meeting in a few minutes, I'll have him call you back," she said, then disconnected before I could muster a thank you. Well. Nothing to write home about where vampire friendliness was concerned, I guess.
The twenty minutes it took Eric to call me back may well have been the longest twenty of my life. I finished my dinner halfheartedly and then changed into a pair of soft cotton shorts and a tank top for lounging. I tried to lounge in the living room with the book I was reading, but I'd read the same line at least fifteen times when the phone finally rang. I sprinted to answer it and tried not to sound out of breath when I said, "Hello?"
"Sookie. I'm sorry I was busy when you called."
I knew I was smiling like a fool, but I didn't care. "Hi, Eric. It's okay."
"I want to see you again. When are you next off work?"
I barely contained my urge to do a jig. What was wrong with me? I hadn't even gotten this excited about dates in high school for crying out loud. You can't hear his thoughts my brain reminded me kindly. And he makes your nether regions dance. So glad that was cleared up. "Um, I'm off Sunday. I know that's soon and I'm sure you're busy, but then I'm off again on Tuesday."
"May I see you both days?" he asked, much to my surprise. And delight.
"Maybe," I hated to say. Sometimes Gran had things she needed me to do on my days off, and I said as much to Eric.
"Of course, Sookie," he replied.
"But, let's say yes for Sunday, and I'll let you know about Tuesday then. Is that all right?" I vowed right then to do anything Gran needed before work Monday night – I could sleep all day on Tuesday, I just needed to be awake for the evening.
"That is perfect. I know just the restaurant for our dinner. I'll pick you up at eight."
"Okay," I said.
"I must go for now. I will see you Sunday," Eric replied.
"Okay. Good night."
"Sleep well, beautiful Sookie," he said, then disconnected.
I hung the phone up then sat on the stool Gran kept close for long calls. In my head, I calculated how much money I had to spend and deduced I had been frugal enough recently to earn a new outfit for my first real date in quite some time. My childhood friend Tara had a small clothing shop called Tara's Togs in Monroe and was really good about holding things back for me that she knew I would love. I would have to pay her a visit tomorrow before work and see what I could afford. My mind made up, I went about getting ready for bed – I'd have to be up early to get to Monroe and back before two o'clock, but I knew it'd be worth it.
Eric's POV
I flipped my cell phone shut and grinned. Pam gave me a wary look and rolled her eyes. "She better be worth all of this trouble, Master. Although, I must admit, you've been very easy to please since she came around," she observed.
I raised an eyebrow. "I believe that we should be ready for her to visit Fangtasia on Tuesday evening. Sunday I will be taking her to Bella Vista. Call and make reservations for 9:00. Arrange for Compton to be present Tuesday, and Felicia. We'll have the contract drawn up by then. Is there other business for me to see to tonight?"
Pam smirked. "No, Eric. You should put in an appearance on the throne, though. The vermin get restless if they don't see you often enough."
I dismissed her and went out into the bar. It was harder than normal to control my expression; the patrons come to see broody vampires, not happy ones. I guess it's good I've had over 1000 years of practice. I thought about my plan for Sookie's contract negotiations. The initial proposal Sophie-Anne's lawyer, Mr. Cataliades, had drawn up was good, but I'd added a couple of provisions – insurance coverage and mileage. I was confident these would be the things Sookie could not refuse.
I wanted my new charge Compton to be present because he was a part of the plan. He seemed to be trustworthy, and his close proximity to Sookie could be useful if she ever needed help. I wanted her to know that if she was working for us, we would take it as seriously as she would. I felt like if I could get her to take the deal with Sophie-Anne, I would have more time for her to accept me. Accept you as what, Viking? That's the million dollar question, I suppose.
When I thought I had been seen on my throne long enough, I left the bar in Pamela's capable hands. I drove my car to my closest home, parked it in the garage, and took to the air. What started as a leisurely flight to clear my mind turned into a trip to Bon Temps. I was honestly surprised to find myself above Sookie's family home, and landed lightly in the shadows of the wooded area.
I crept up to the windows on the back, thinking I would advise Sookie to get a dog. They had no idea I was here. I peered into the window that I guessed would belong to Sookie's room and was rewarded with a glimpse of her sleeping in her bed. Her golden hair, practically the same shade as mine, was strewn across her pillow. One arm was flung above her head and the other was resting on her belly. Her graceful legs were tangled in the blanket and bare; a light blue nightgown barely covered anything else I wanted to see. I allowed myself one deep breath of her sweet scent and reluctantly took to the air again. There was nothing to be gained by becoming a peeping Tom.
I flew home and ran a hot bath to help me relax. How was it possible that a simple peek at Sookie had left me wanting yet again? I slid down into the hot water and slid my hand to my aching erection. How long would it take for me to gain her trust and access to her luscious body? Too long for comfort, I was sure. For some reason, since I had sampled her hot kisses two days ago, I hadn't felt compelled to take any woman who was offered to me at Fangtasia; only TrueBlood for me, no feed and fucks. Hello, old friend I thought wryly as I took my troubles into my own right hand. Somehow I knew she would be worth it.
Sookie's POV
I woke up slowly the next morning when my alarm went off, but then remembered why I had set it. Shopping today! was enough of a mental shove to get myself out of bed and into a pair of denim shorts, a tank top, and flip flops. Gran was already in the kitchen and washing last night's dishes when I walked in.
"You're up early, Sookie. You want me to cook you some breakfast?"
I shook my head no as I made a bowl of cereal. "I'm going over to Tara's shop this morning before work. Is there anything you need from Monroe?"
"No, I don't believe so. Are you shopping for something special?"
I couldn't help the goofy smile that spread across my face. "Eric's taking me out tomorrow night. I thought I might find something to wear."
Gran smiled. "That will be fun for you," she said. "Where's he taking you?"
"Some restaurant in Shreveport. I'm so excited, Gran! Boys around here just take you to Merlotte's for a date!"
She laughed at my enthusiasm, and by this time I had finished my quick breakfast. I walked over to the sink to wash it but she shooed me away with a hand. "Let me do that, you go see Tara. Tell her I said hi!"
"I will, Gran. Love you," I said, kissing her on the cheek. I gathered my purse and went out to the car. The drive to Monroe wasn't terribly long, but it was always nice to be driving somewhere other than work. I blasted my favorite country music station and sang along loudly. And maybe a little off-key. I was more of a dancer than a singer, but who could hear me alone in my car?
About 20 minutes later, I pulled up to Tara's Togs. She wasn't supposed to be open until 11:00, but it was only five more minutes, so I walked up and tapped on the door. I saw Tara's head poke out of the back room and she smiled when she saw it was me. She gave me a great big hug when she opened the door. "Sookie! It's been too long, how are you?"
"I'm great, Tara! Gran says hi. I came to see what you've got – I've got a date tomorrow night!" I said as I followed her back to the counter.
"Anyone I know?" she asked, curious about the town gossip as ever.
I shook my head. "No. I just met him a few days ago, but he's real nice. He's taking me to a fancy restaurant in Shreveport!"
She smiled as we walked over to a rack of dresses. "What's his name? What's he look like?" she asked.
I stopped perusing the clothing and looked at her seriously. "His name is Eric, Tara. He's the most handsome man I've ever seen! And. . ." I hesitated. She made a 'go on' gesture with her hands. "And he's a vampire, Tara. He came into Merlotte's the other night."
I knew she was surprised; I could tell by the look on her face and the thoughts in her head. "What makes you want to get mixed up with a blood sucker, Sookie?" she asked out of true concern.
I shrugged. "I can't hear him, is one thing. But he came over and had dinner with me and Gran – he's such a gentleman," I said as lightly as I could and returned to browsing.
Tara's eyes widened in understanding. We'd been a sort of pair of outcasts in grade school, which accounted for our close friendship. Her parents would never win a parenting award – they had sent her to school hungry and in dirty clothes, and spent the money they had on booze. She ended up staying with me at Gran's more than she did at home by the time we were teenagers. She totally understood, as much as she could, anyway, about my disability and the problems it caused me with the opposite sex; it had been hard enough to keep girlfriends. "Oh my goodness, Sookie. What did Gran think of him?"
I grinned. "She says she likes him and that I ought to be happy. If he's the one that makes me happy, it's just a coincidence he's a vampire."
Tara laughed. "That sounds just like her."
It felt so good to talk to her – I could get out all my troubles. "I'm worried that I'm counting too much on it. Like he's the only chance I'll ever have for a normal life." I laughed. "Listen to me – normal life, with a vampire!"
About thirty minutes later, I decided on a new dress. It was a halter with white chiffon covering a white sweetheart bodice and a black chiffon skirt that fell at my knees. There were a few little details at the empire waistline to break it up. It was just what I was looking for – simple, elegant, and comfortable. It looked great against my tan, and Tara picked out the perfect pair of black satin pumps to match. The total was a little more than I'd planned for, but it was worth every penny.
Satisfied with my purchases, I chatted with Tara for a few more minutes but had to scoot to get back to Bon Temp and then to work on time. As I hung the dress in my closet, safe in its plastic garment bag, I contemplated the possibilities for Sunday night. Whatever happened, I knew I would be drop dead (ha!) gorgeous.