A/N: I changed the rating to Mature, due to the use of the F word and possible future citrusy interactions. I'm erring on the side of caution.

Chapter Five

The next evening before work, Kiley was sitting on her couch. But, her mind was a million miles away. If she could just behave normally, she was sure that she could resist the pull of that vampire. The problem was that she couldn't. She had to continue working there. She didn't doubt that if she did disobey Shane and tried to make a run for it that he would harm her grandmother. Vampires were not very forgiving. And no matter what she did, she had to keep her gift a secret since, like all vampires, Sheriff Northman would desire her even more that he already did. Having a supernatural creature under one's command was something that literally made vampires drool. But, she had to stay here out in the open without any protection except for her wits. She wasn't meant for this type of work. She was a creature of stealth, a thief, better suited to staying hidden in the background. Her looks were a disadvantage according to her original boss, for they would cause her to be noticed and not forgotten. Shane had also agreed and he had never sent on this type of mission before. But, now, she was supposed to be noticed, wasn't she? She had certainly caught the Sheriff's eye. And Kiley suspected that he knew that she was a liar. Yet, he was careful to never do or say anything that she could interpret as a threat to her. He was toying with her. Perhaps, he was bored. In the brief time that she had been here, it seems like he should be bored, watching that parade of pitiful humans who came into the bar.

She wished that she could just tell him to fuck himself and vanish into thin air. But, she couldn't. And he certainly wasn't going to be fucking himself, now was he? Not when he had her. Why did his touch make her react like that? She was immune to the powers of vampires or so she had thought. She wouldn't have been sent here if she wasn't resistant to glamouring since the Sheriff could easily glamour a regular human and find out everything. Yet, something was going on and it had all started when he had fed on her that first time. Why didn't Shane warn her to avoid being fed on? But, Shane must have known that would happen because vampires associated sex and blood together. Maybe she should call Shane and tell him what was happening, except she was embarrassed to admit it.

It was at that moment that a knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. Kiley warily answered the door and found Pam outside. Pam was dressed in a pretty and conservative suit with lots of pink in it. Her hair was perfectly coiffed and she looked very different from how Kiley usually saw her.

"Hello, can I come in?" asked Pam.

"Um, what do you want?" asked Kiley.

"Eric sent me, honey," said Pam.

Kiley so wanted to refuse, but she knew that she would be in trouble if she did that.

"Come in," said Kiley, opening the door and allowing her to enter.

"Well, this is...plain," said Pam, looking around.

"It's a rental," said Kiley.

"It's a good thing that you won't be here too much longer," said Pam, turning to gaze back at her.

"Excuse me?" asked Kiley.

Pam pretended that she had never made the comment and said, "Eric has decided that you are to dance this evening. You've just been promoted."

"I...I don't want to dance," said Kiley and even to her ears, she sounded whiny.

"I don't think he cares about that," said Pam.

She had a large shopping bag with her which she sat down on the floor.

"He picked out these costumes himself for you," said Pam with a smirk. "You are to arrive by 10pm tonight."

Pam then moved back to the door but before she left, she said, "He's not the only one looking forward to your performance. It's a pity that he won't share you."

With a little leer, Pam left. Kiley walked over to the bag and looked inside. Well, the clothes weren't as nasty as she expected. But, she had her own costumes, thanks to Sondra. He was messing with her again. Knowing that he could push her around and that she would take it. Or he was seeing just how far he could push her before she lost her careful control and made a mistake. She decided that she would just give him what he wanted. Maybe that would bore him.

She arrived at Fangtasia in jeans and she wore her hair up in a baseball hat. Pam escorted her to the dressing room. Maybe, Eric thought that she needed protection from his little pet. She clutched her bag that contained the costume she had specially picked out for tonight.

"Kiley is dancing tonight," said Pam. "This is Eric's wish."

Pam motioned to an empty chair and departed. Immediately, Tasha advanced on her. This was all she needed, thought Kiley.

"I don't know what you are trying to pull here, but Eric is mine," said Tasha.

"If you really believe that then you are even dumber than I thought," said Kiley.

Tasha stepped closer to her and Kiley said, "If you think that you have influence over him, then use it. I don't want to be here any more than you want me to. Go tell him to send me back to waiting tables."

Tasha stared at her and was confused. Did the girl really not want Eric's attention? She had thought that Kiley was just smart and playing hard to get, and very successfully. Yet, she heard a note of truth in those words. What was going on between those two?

Tasha turned and left the dressing room. Kiley looked at herself in the mirror and wondered what she ever did to deserve this.

"She's too stupid to see the writing on the wall," said one of the other girls. "I bet she never thought that one of the waitresses would be her competition."

Kiley decided to ignore them. She applied a nude lipgloss and outlined her eyes. She took off her hat and her newly scarlet-colored hair cascaded down. It was a deep, rich red as close to her natural color that she could find. That shade of red screamed for attention and it could not be ignored. She dyed her hair either brown or blonde since she wanted to fade into the background most of the time. Not even Shane knew that this was her true color. She brushed out the silky waves and waited to see if Tasha would be successful.

Tasha marched up to Eric's chair and hissed at him, "Why is that waitress dancing?"

"Because I told her to," said Eric.

"As lead dancer, I should have been consulted first," said Tasha.

"When I last checked, I still make the decisions around here," said Eric.

"Are you fucking her?" demanded Tasha.

"Not yet," said Eric with a tiny smile.

"She's only a lowly waitress, how can you choose her over me?" demanded Tasha.

"She is so far out of your league that there is no comparison," said Eric.

"I wasn't aware that you liked the innocent ones," said Tasha.

"Then, you really don't know anything about vampires, do you?" replied Eric.

He turned in his chair and smirked at her and said, "Did she tell you to come here and plead with me? You are doing exactly what she wants and you don't even realize it. She is a devious little thing, isn't she? Now, go back and tell her that this was a nice try, but it didn't work."

"You can't just dismiss me like this," said Tasha.

"I just did. I didn't promise you anything beyond a job and good sex," said Eric. "If you want to leave, I will give you severance pay for your...devotion to duty."

He turned away and Tasha stared at him a few moments. She whirled away and departed for the dressing room.

"You do realize that she is going to take her frustration out on Kiley, don't you?" said Pam who had been standing behind his chair and listening to the exchange.

"That's why I did it," said Eric.

"Aren't you being a little cruel?" said Pam.

"Yes, but the question is who am I being cruel to?" said Eric. "I have a little feeling that Tasha is in for a little surprise."

"Are you serious?" demanded Pam. "Kiley is no match for her."

"You're wrong about that," said Eric. "She can lie very effectively. But, the truth is in the blood. She can't lie there."

Kiley was still in her chair, when Tasha came back in. Even though she believed Tasha did not have any influence over the Sheriff, she had found herself half-way hoping that he would have listened to her. But, from the expression of Tasha's face, she could tell exactly how much influence she had. None.

"I don't enjoy being played for a fool," she hissed at her.

"Now, here, I thought that you did since Mr. Northman has been playing you for one long before I came," said Kiley, staring unafraid at her. "And, if I were you, I would seriously think about finding another job."

"How dare you, you little bitch," exclaimed Tasha.

Kiley had enough of this entire situation. It was one thing to be harassed by Sheriff Northman, it was entirely something else to be harassed by his...his whatever she was, thought Kiley. When Tasha advanced on her to slap her, Kiley easily evaded the blow. She caught her and wrenched her arm behind her back and pushed her face first into the dressing table and held her there painfully.

"Do I have your attention?" asked Kiley.

"Let me go or I'll have you fired for this," hissed Tasha.

"As if you could," said Kiley. "I telling you right now that I have been pushed to the limits of my patience and you wouldn't like me very much when I'm angry."

Kiley wrenched her arm higher until Tasha cried out in pain.

"Now, I can understand that you are upset to find out that you don't mean anything to him. But, that is not my fault. If you ever so much as look at me funny again, I won't be this nice. Do you understand me?" asked Kiley.

"Yes, just let me go," said Tasha.

Kiley let her go and stepped away from her. Tasha cradled her hurt arm and gazed at her in fear. She then turned and rushed out of the dressing room. The other girls stared at her, their eyes wide in surprise at what they had just witnessed. When Kiley turned her eyes to them, they swung around to their mirrors and pretended that nothing had happened. Kiley sat back down and looked at herself in her own mirror. Great, she thought, that little scene would also find it's way back to his ear. Her temper had gotten the better of her. She had not hurt the girl except for hurting her pride. But, what was she supposed to do, let her slap her? Kiley then wondered if Sheriff Northman had made her a dancer for this reason as well. Knowing that the lead dancer would push her and cause her to make a mistake. He might be playing a game with her, but there were serious consequences for her if she lost this contest. She began to get dressed in her outfit. She was sure that he would stop toying with her soon. It would almost be a relief. Let him try to hold her against her will. There were few who could. Shane knew her weakness, that was how he had caught her in the first place. But, since this sheriff didn't even know that she was different, he could not be a threat to her. Could he?

Eric had wanted Kiley to dance alone and on the pole in front of him. He sat in his chair with a smug smile. She was so much fun, this little pretender. When he found out who sent her, he should send him a reward. But, when she strode out into the bar, she did not appear as he was expecting. Her hair was a beautiful, shade of deep red that matched with her pale skin so well that he was sure it was her true color.

"Ooh, a redhead," purred Pam.

Kiley was not wearing one of the outfits that he had selected for her. She was wearing a filmy dress of scarlet. It flowed over her body and concealed more than it revealed. It was short in the front and dipped lower in the back. She walked to the pole and he noticed her feet were bare. She had picked her own song and Garbage's #1 Crush began to play. She moved sinuously around the pole, teasing the crowd. And when she became airborne, she had everyone's attention in the bar, vampire and human. For, she displayed her lovely form as she slithered around the pole, changing positions seamlessly. It was not vulgar or nasty, but a beautiful performance of strength and grace. He felt his fangs extend of their own accord. He wasn't the only one so affected. The vampires gazed upon her with a dark desire. Those lyrics weren't helping, he thought. Perhaps, it had been a mistake to display her. But, he had not expected the little minx to give such a performance, loaded with sensuality. She had showed him, hadn't she? She had been taught by someone who knew what they were doing. Those moves had been modified to suit Kiley's personality which was sexy, but not nasty. If she had been taught so thoroughly, that showed that she was intended to be a dancer here in the first place. Kiley had deviated from the original plan. Their interactions had showed that it was not a secret that Kiley did not want his attention and he would wager that she was angry at being sent here to seduce him. They might have been able to teach her how to dance, but no amount of instruction could have made her into a slut. That was their mistake, to send something so innocent to him. And that anger she held at being put into this position was something that he could use against them.

As he watched Kiley, he knew that he would feed on her again tonight. He smiled in anticipation of sinking his fangs into her. He has been surprised at her response to him, perhaps, even more than she. But, sex with someone that you didn't like was sometimes the best kind, he thought. Of course, Kiley wouldn't know that. But, he would show her. He would show her all kinds of things.