A/N: Hello my sexy sexies. Sorry for the delay, I am having lotso computer fuckery the last two days. Anyway, it was slow going, but I got it done. For some reason, it takes me forever to write conversation heavy chapters, even though I love writing that the best. Weird. Hope all my States readers survived Turkey Day and Black Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Oh yeah-had a PM from a reader that thought Sookie was too "hard" in this story. Yes, she is, that's my point. She's been training most of her life to fight and survive, vamps, fairies, other supernaturals, so she will have lots of hard tendencies-cursing, a sharper eye, better judgement (hopefully where it matters). And she hasn't had the stark Christian upbringing from full time Gran parenting, so a lot of those ideals don't weigh as heavily on her. Conversely, I have chosen to keep parts of her very virginal and feminine. She's still a virgin because there were too many more reasons not to have sex this far along (as she previously stated) in her life. She wears pretty dresses. But she keeps silver in the dress pocket. That duality is her draw. She'll stake a bitch but then blush if she sees a naked butt. That's my opinion, and since this is my story-well, you follow me. Anyway, I just wanted to answer that properly in case anyone else wondered about that. Also, this story has been classified as AU, it is an alternate universe or OOC, out of character. For any of you reading my other story, I apologize for the delay. With the puter slowness I could only get this one out. I will work on it and get a chapter on that one out in the next day or two. Thank you for all your reviews and favorites, etc. You guys make my day and night. As always, I apologize for any word and grammar F-ups, no beta. And I do not own these characters, I just tease them a little.

Chapter 4

"Hello, Suzie."

Oh. Hello. Shit.

Fuck me. I was not anticipating this. For him to seek me out, for him to know my (supposed) name already, for him to be so painfully hot.

His hair was shoulder length and a similar blonde to my own. It was a wonderful contrast to his eyes, which were blue oceans I wanted to lose myself in. His chiseled cheekbones framed them, his lips-full enough to be super kissable but not feminine, were curled up in something between a smirk and a smile. His fangs were down, though I wasn't sure why and I was intrigued by them-I wanted to touch them. I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. How nice of my cousins to fill me in on the tiny little fact that this vamp was sex on a stick. They thought I could handle this guy?! Think, Sookie. Focus! I couldn't be having these traitorous, pubescent thoughts on my own-he must be glamouring me.

It was definitely one of those moments where I hoped only mere milliseconds of actual time had passed, so as not to betray my mental chicanery. In a husky voice that belied any neutrality I was attempting, "How do you know my name?"

He laughed and squeezed my waist a little-when the eff did he grab my waist? Oh yeah, when I ricocheted off his deliciously rock hard bod.

"I know everything that happens here. Especially when a lovely temptress enters my establishment." His hands on my waist were making me feel warm in places below said waist, but I didn't want to break the contact. He was looking intensely into my eyes, like he was seeing into me. But I didn't feel the hairs on my neck or the invasive tingling, like I had with Forest Vamp the evening before. Trying to entice and woo me, yes. Sizing me up, yep. Trying to read my reaction to his attentions, uh-huh. But not glamour.

"Oh? Is that your eye in sky, over there?" I gestured to Pam, who had moved in to play interference, or was it wing man?, with Amelia. He threw his head back in a full on belly laugh, and I took the moment to moon over the musculature of his neck and lines of his jaw. She narrowed her eyes at me, to let me know she had heard my remark. She leaned in and whispered something to Amelia, running her hand up the slope of her neck, making her giggle. Yep, wing man.

After the rumbling of his laughter subsided-did I mention how fuck hot he was when he laughed, "Suzie, you have just made Pam indebted to you." At my quizzical look, "Usually when she summons me here, it is to look at a pair of breasts with an empty cavity for a head on it's shoulders. For that, I usually punish her. But for once, it seems" he leaned into whisper and I felt his lips barely brush against the shell of my ear at the same time both his hands splayed over the small of my back, "she had just cause."

Yeah. I was in trouble with this one. As I barely managed to prevent my eyes from rolling back into my head and my knees from buckling, "I've said no more than two sentences to you. What makes you think I'm not just a pair of breasts with an empty cavity for a head?"

Another belly laugh. "Those limpid, perceptive eyes of yours." I arched an eyebrow. "They tell me far more than your chest would. Though, I would love a chance to study that at length, as well." He had the finesse not to look down. I blushed the color of a pomegranate, I'm sure. He reached up to brush the backs of his fingers on the heat of my cheeks. "Another tell. Ladies who aren't very bright usually don't have the good graces to blush."

Recovering, "Ah. Good to know. Does that thought extend to men?"

He looked thoughtful and held my hands, rubbing the tops absently with his thumbs. 'The man that blushes is not quite a brute.' He whispered, almost to himself, still drilling holes into my eyes with his gaze. Note to self: he's into eye contact.

'But pleasure, full of glory, as of joy; Pleasure which neither blushes, nor expires.' The startled look in his eyes, that I had known his quote, was rewarding. I had just started to gain back some self-respect at my wit, when I stopped cold: I was more happy at the fact I had impressed him, than I was at myself for recalling his Edward Young quote. I was going to have a serious sit-down with my brain and vagina later, to figure out just who was in charge here. Seriously, I had a job to do. That thought sobered me a bit. Was I a woman on a mission or a star struck tweeny? "Well," I removed my hands from his "now that we've impressed each other with our knowledge of 18th Century poets, is there somewhere we can sit? I'm a little winded and thirsty from dancing."

"Certainly. We could continue this conversation in a quieter spot, such as my office." He began to lead me off the edge of the dance floor.

I stopped in my tracks and gave him a knowing look. "A table out here will suffice." He have me a shrug of his shoulders, and an evil grin, as if to say, 'Hey a guy's gotta try, right?' and led me to a large, curved booth with a table, facing out toward the entire bar. I assumed this was his table, since no one else was sitting there and this place was definitely now to capacity, people sitting and standing anywhere there was a spot. He let me slide in and followed behind, giving a proper distance between us. A soda appeared before me and a bottle of something called True Blood appeared before him. Ew-was that what I thought it was?

"Tell me, Suzie. Judging by your look of shock at my dinner" he lifted the bottle to his lips and gave an exaggerated swig, while staring me down, then licked his lips provocatively, "you don't often keep the company of vampires. To what do I owe this pleasure?" His fangs had disappeared for the time being, I assume to soften his image and allow for easier conversation?

"You seem to know my name, via your mole over there" Pam and Amelia were now dancing very seductively together on the dance floor "but I still don't know yours."

"Eric." He took my hand from the table and sniffed it, then my wrist. He brushed his lips across my pulse point which was doing, the loop-dee-loop, then across the top of my hand. Looking up at me, from the sex he was waging on my hand, I noticed his pupils were slightly dilated again

"Eric." I repeated, like a parrot. I shamefully felt the heat of that introduction down to my toes. Dammit. He needed to stop this Casanova shit and I needed to tighten my lady bits up and close them down for the duration. I pulled my hand from his and took a deep breath. "I came here with Amelia. She likes this place and obviously has history with Pam. I've never met a vampire before. I have nothing against them-you, I've just never had the opportunity, until now." They have a tendency to drain my kind.

"Where are you from, that you've had no opportunity no meet another vampire? We've been out for several years now." He said in not in a judgmental tone, just curious.

"Bon Temps. It's a tiny town about an hour from here." I gave him the shpeel my cousins and I had laid out for just this occasion. "I literally just moved here, this past weekend."

"Here, meaning Shreveport?" His eyes lit up a little, when I nodded.

"Yep. I'm about ten minutes from here, renting a family condo."

"What brought about the big change?"

"My grandmother passed away last year and I had that huge house, all alone, way out in the country. It was just time."

He nodded his understanding and we slipped into a brief comfortable silence. Well, my insides were doing jumping jacks, but other than that it was comfortable.

"Honestly, I did have another purpose coming here tonight." I ignored his eyes, narrowing at me in distrust. "I was curious to know if you were hiring." He said nothing, but looked a little relieved at my innocent motives, so I kept on with my practiced charade. "I had heard of this place, even in Bon Temps, so I figured it was a good place to make money. I think I was right, judging by the crowd tonight. And this is only Thursday!" I was playing with my glass."Anyway, I'm a good organizer, I can waitress and do some decent bartending, as well." I looked down at the table, to appear shy. "But, now that I've been here, I'm a little nervous, seeing how all the girls dress and act..." I trailed off.

"How is that, Suzie?"

"Well, no offense, they just seem a little...desperate." He had a gleam in his eye and I had no idea why.

"Desperate? For what, do you think?"

"They want sex, Eric." I'm not sure, but I think he shivered when I said that word. "Sex and to be bitten." Again, ghost of a shiver, as his gaze dropped down to my neck, then back up.

"Having never been around vampires until now, how do you know this?"

"I think one would have to be a fool not to notice it. Watch." I gestured to a waitress nearby. She walked right past a table of humans that were calling out for refills, to a table of two vampires, who had full True Bloods in front of them. She leaned in, way more than was necessary, rubbed her thighs together as she did so and let her hand graze her neck that sported old fang marks. They whispered something to her and she glided away, dazed and happy. "That. I don't like that behavior and would have a hard time working here if it was expected of me. Plus, it would kill me to see how poorly your staff treat the people in favor of the vampires. That's not fair. Not to mention, howmuch money you're losing. Your real money is being made on humans, Eric. Tourists who come to see the dangerous show and drink so they don't look too obvious and attract their real attentions. And the ones who thrive on being bitten, so they drink a lot to get up some liquid courage to approach and proposition them. So, yeah, I would have a hard time being okay with all of that." He looked at me, his expression unreadable. I reeaaallly hoped I hadn't gone too far. But ruse, or no ruse, if I was going to work here, I wasn't going to act like that.

He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Pam and Amelia, presumably taking a break from dry humping each other on the dance floor. "Master. I see you and our new friend, Suzie are having an arousing conversation. You can't keep her all to yourself. Any chance we could join in for a four-way?" She eye fucked me again, and I blushed. Again, dammit. "Well, aren't you sweet." She fanged at me, pleased she could shock me.

"Not especially." I snarked back quickly and Eric choked on the blood he was sipping. Pam narrowed her gaze on me, indignant and pissed I dared sass her. He scooted towards me, protectively. Hmm. I'll stash that thought away for later. "Pam." He leveled her anger with a look and she turned away, sulking.

"Miss-you have never told me your last name."

"Stackhouse" Pam supplied. When I looked at her with a start, "Eye in the sky, Suzie." She smirked. Assuming she read that from my Driver's License, I crossed my fingers she hadn't memorized my temporary address, as well.

"Miss Stackhouse is looking for a job. Are we hiring?"

Still giving me a milder version of the stink eye, "We need bus boys." Bitch.

Was there a low growl coming from him? Did vamps growl? "Pamela. I need to see you in the office for a moment. Excuse us, ladies." They zipped off, down the hall, before I could even blink. Okay.

Amelia, who had been quiet this whole time, finally spoke up, "Havin' fun yet Suuuuzie?" She drunkenly overemphasized. Shit-with her big mouth, drunk was not a good thing. I didn't trust her not to slip up at some point. Or during private time with Pam, if that was in the plans for tonight. "Let's go to the bathroom." I dragged her off with me. When we got there, we waited in line. Every time she tried to talk I shushed her. We waited until the handicapped stall opened up and I dragged her in.

I grabbed her by both shoulders and pushed my thoughts into her head. Amelia-I need you to stop this shit, stat! I do not need you slipping up and saying my real name or any other info they don't need to know. That defeats the purpose of you 'helping' me.

She looked hurt and thought back at me, I'm sorry I'm a little slurry and your name came out funny, but I warded myself, Sookie. Against actually saying your real name, but also so Pam or anyone else can't glamour me. Not that she's ever had to glamour me before-eyebrow waggle-but don't you see? That shows it worked. I tried to say Sookie, but I couldn't. Okay? I swear. Trust me. Or at least my magic.

I let her go and she had the decency to look sheepish. "Guess I should've eaten more before having three glasses of wine, huh?"

"Hmph" That waylaid my fears for the moment. "You're switching to water now, Amelia."

"Definitely. There are many more hours left to this night, if you know what I mean." She made a vulgar motion with her tongue. "Ugh, you're as bad as Claude." But I laughed.

"Who me? If by that you mean I like having sex, then yes. But, the similarity ends there. The last vagina he saw was on his way out of his mother's. So...It looks like tall, blonde and handsome is in to you. If I were you, I'd be all over that."

"Foof-it's not like that. I need a job and I was hoping there was a position to fill, nothing more." I wasn't sure how much she knew. I was hoping very little.

"Psht! Oh I bet he has a position he wants filled." I swatted at her head. We reapplied our lipstick, fluffed our hair and headed back to the table.

Eric and Pam were there waiting for us. Eric stood as we approached. "Everything okay, ladies?"

"Yep, just some human business to take care of." Eew, Amelia, filter! I doubt they wanted to hear about our bathroom particulars and blushed a little, which, of course, both Eric and Pam picked up on. Eric looked at me like I was a cute puppy and Pam looked at me like I was an alien. If nothing else, I've entertained them.

"Suzie, there is a position I have been looking to have filled" Amelia snorted "for quite a while, but have not had the time, nor the patience required to conduct interviews. I think you would be well-suited for it." He folded his hands together and leaned forward. I felt his thigh brush mine under the table and I almost swooned. But not before giving myself a mental slap. "In case you are not aware, I own the bar and Pamela, here has a share in it. If you could not predict by her sugary sweet demeanor" I would swear she kicked him under the table, but he gave no sign of it "she has issues when it comes to dealing with the human staff. That's where you would come in. I would like you to oversee them, handle hiring, firing, etc. There is the added benefit of how much you entertain me" heated look "and irritate Pam. The perfect mix."

Wow. Could it really be this easy? Did I really make that much of an impression on him so soon? Don't get too cocky, kid. Getting a job is a far cry from being privy to any information he would have that could help me. God, getting him to trust me was going to take forever. What if they didn't have forever? What if Breandan makes a move before I can learn anything? I started getting a little panicky, then realized they were both staring at me.

"I'm sorry. Did I not say yes? Because I was thinking yes. And thank you, very much. But, I have to ask, what makes you trust me and have faith in my abilities without even seeing my resume? In fact, we met all of a few minutes ago. So, not to sound ungrateful but what gives?" He smiled an appreciative smile at me and again I had to fight with my inner tween not to jump up and down, clapping in excitement.

"I've learned to trust my instincts over the years, Suzie. While our interaction here has been brief, I have heard enough from you to know you're intelligent, observant, honest," ouch "a no-bullshit type, which is exactly how we like to operate. You ask the right questions, speak when there is a need, without running off with, as Pam likes to call it 'diarrhea of the mouth', like many people often do. As for as your resume-I don't need the opinions of humans who previously employed you about your skills, which I can plainly see with my own eyes." Good because it was all a bunch of made up hooey on a piece of paper.

"Huh." Well, that was eloquent.

"I may increase some of your tasks, like meeting here during the day with our vendors, organizing events and the like, but we will see when the time comes."

"Wow, okay. That all sounds good."

Before I could finish, Pam interrupted. "Now that's all settled and we can all high five each other, I'm bored and want to dance." She entwined Amelia's arm through hers. "Tell me, dear, do you know how to Lambada?" She had her up and out on the floor, grinding her thigh into Amelia's crotch, with sexy Latin music playing, in a flash.

"I apologize for my partner. She doesn't care to know the fine art of subtlety when it comes to dealing with people. Now then, I would like to go over salary, benefits, detailed job description, etcetera. Would you mind getting this settled tonight? I would like you to start as soon as possible. Is this agreeable?"

"Eager, are we?" I couldn't resist teasing him a little.

"Oh, Miss Stackhouse, you have no idea." Shiver. Uh-oh. Well, I started it. He ran his eyes down the slope of my neck and back up again.

I cleared my throat. "Uhm, sure. I can start as soon as you need me. If it speeds things up to fill all the paperwork out now, that's fine." He slid out of the booth and held out his hand to help me out.

As we took two steps forward, Pam stepped in front of us, hissing at Eric, "Master. Compton is here."

"Ha! Finally. This should be interesting. Send him over." She disappeared and he turned to me, "Excuse me, Suzie, I need just a moment to deal with an acquaintance. Pam will take you to the office and get you started on the new employee packet."

"Sure thing." I saw Pam in my periphery and turned. She had a vampire with her. It was the experimental vamp from last night! He didn't recognize me, but as I passed him, he turned his head in my direction, sniffed then stopped, his eyes narrowing at me. I forced myself to keep moving and not run, but also willing my knees not to quake in fear. Shit. Damn. Now what?

A/N2: The few brief quotes are from Night Thoughts by Edward Young. It's good stuff. Kind of has some supernatural/nocturnal/goodery in it. It is long and a little eye-crossing in it's wordiness, but still very pretty, as is most poetry from that period.