The Procurer

Chapter 5

I did my best to keep going, keep my pulses even and not look back. For some reason, though I hadn't felt the need to all night, I slipped my hand in my hidden pocket and palmed the silver chain.

Once we got to the door of what I assumed was the office, I could relax a bit more. I wasn't in the clear yet, but felt better separating myself from the goon, Compton, Pam had called him. She escorted me in and quickly went to work, pulling things out of cabinets and file folders. She copied my (fake) drivers license, while I filled out the basic application and made me sign a non-disclosure act. All in all, it took a total of maybe ten minutes and that's only because I had the annoying habit of reading what I was filling out. I could barely sign each paper before Pam was whipping it out from under me.

We were mostly silent during the whole process, but I had a few things I wanted to know from her, since we would be working together. "So...I can tell I annoy you. Will we be able to work together, without getting into it every five minutes?"

"Human, I would love to get into it with you" she purred and ran her hand up my arm.

"That's not what I meant and you know it." I refused to blush or get flustered by her flirting. "And, you will be calling me Suzie." I leaned forward and looked right into her eyes. We had ourselves a stand-off for a good minute.

Finally, she gave a "Hmph" and broke her gaze. "Despite how it may seem, you don't really annoy me. I am annoyed you have the gall to speak to me the way you do, since I usually invoke fear in most humans. Which I do enjoy. You are...interesting. I have not encountered someone like you in a long while. Nor has my Master. As you can probably tell, brains are in short supply around here, as far as humans go. Most of our employees, those that keep their shit together long enough to work here more than a month, just want to be fangbangers and get paid for it. Not exactly stimulating, at least mentally speaking." She gave me a meaningful look, alluding to the other ways they stimulated her.

While I mulled that over, she filled out her end of the paperwork, created a file folder with my name on it and filed it in the cabinet. Several minutes passed. Just when I thought I would have to put a quarter in her, to get her to speak again, she continued. "For this reason, I think I will enjoy your presence. As far as your original question; if by "get into it" you mean, teasing, goading and overall fuckery, then we will be, yes. That is, as the kids say, how I roll. I enjoy messing with you, it's entertaining. I also enjoy messing with Eric. If we get to know each other better, I think it will be fun to gang up on him. I haven't had a woman as just a friend in a very long time." She looked thoughtful for a second. Then, "Does this arrangement suit you?"

I had a feeling not many people got to see this side of her. "It does, Pam. And thank you."

"Good. Stay here, I believe Eric will be wrapping it up with Compton" and she was gone. Damn, I had forgotten about him. I hoped he had forgotten about me.

I looked around the office. I was a little surprised at the décor. While the bar was hokey and cliché, this was modern and elegant. Instead of blood red and black, it was tan and mahogany. It was sparsely decorated so as not to appear too comfortable, just enough to be stylish. The desk was huge, with clean lines. The couch against a far wall and the chairs facing the desk matched and were a warm tan. The only thing on the walls were two well-forged swords and one very old looking drawing of a Viking ship. I was drawn to it and stepped within centimeters to get a closer look. It definitely had some age; it looked to be on vellum. It reminded me of the Illuminated Manuscripts I had seen in my great grandfathers library. I traced the modulating, bold colors and heavy outlines with my fingers along the glass and marveled at the gilding.

I was so into my observations that I didn't notice anyone coming up behind me until he spoke, "Do you like it?"

After I peeled myself off the ceiling, "Shit biscuits! Don't do that!" I had my hand clutching at my heart, while he laughed one of his beautiful, hearty laughs, yet tried to look contrite. I tried to regain my composure.

"I'm sorry, Suzie, I didn't mean to sneak up on you."

"It's okay, just-Jesus, shuffle your feet or something." He snickered at that.

After I calmed down, he repeated his question. "The Drakkar, do you like it?"

"The painting?" He nodded. "It's stunning. Drakkar-what is that?"

"It is the Viking long boat or vessel, those that have the dragon head adorning them."

"Is it as old as I suspect it is? It reminds me of an Illuminated Manuscript."

"Ah, you noticed."

"I have seen pictures of them from the Middle Ages and Renaissance and this is such a perfect example."He looked pleased at my response. I didn't say any more.

If he wanted to talk more about it, he would, so I returned to studying it's intricacy. "I can't imagine the time and dedication it took to making something so lovely. I picture some poor artist, commissioned by wealthy Scandinavian royalty to create this majestic long boat, bent over his parchment, with a single candle lighting the room, taking such pains to make every stroke, every line perfect..." I forced myself to stop talking, realizing he was staring at me. "What?"

His voice was very quiet, "You have surprising depths, Miss Stackhouse."

"I do, don't I?" and I stuck my tongue out at him. His eyes crinkled and he threw back another big laugh. His laughter was addictive.

I had to get us on track again, or I might just spend the rest of the night concocting ways to make him keep laughing. I did not like the things he was making me feel one bit, but right now, I had to focus. "So, paperwork is all filled out, now what?" He gestured for me to take a seat and he leaned up against his desk facing me, with his legs stretched out. We went over my pay, benefits and the like-none of which I cared a lick about; I was here for a one purpose; to infiltrate. Not to mention, I had no idea what was the norm in the human world, when it came to salary and other compensation. I wasn't expecting the ball to get rolling so quickly, or I might have asked Claude, Claudine or Amelia. But here I was, so I nodded and responded when it seemed appropriate. Mostly I stared at his arms and lips and eyes and any other part of him I could ogle while he wasn't looking.

"You've been awfully quiet. Do you have any questions, or should I continue talking so you can keep taking inventory of my body?" My eyes must have gotten big as saucers and I'm sure I blushed beet red down to my toes.

"Me? No, I wasn't-I do not-"I stuttered over my words. The look on his face preemptively called any bullshit I could possibly come up with, so I stopped. I stuck my chin out. "And if I was?"

He smiled, "You'll get no complaints. You can eyeball me all you like. May I have the same privilege?"

I cleared my throat. Damn it was hot in here. "That does bring me to a point. Mr. Northman. If I am going to be working for you, our relationship must be purely professional. Do you think you can manage that?"

He looked me over for a moment. "Interesting that you bring that up, since it was you who was just eyefucking me seconds ago." He leaned over me, grabbing the arms of the chair. His nose was almost touching mine, his eyes boring into me. "I will make no such promise, Miss Stackhouse. There may be a time, in the very near future, when you are begging me to provide more than...professional behavior. And, I would very much like to provide that. I do not like to start out our relationship with a lie, so I won't promise that. The best you will get is that I will do my best to not tempt you. And from your pulse rate and scent," to my absolute horror, he took a big sniff and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he had a lusty look and his pupils were dilated, "you are very easily tempted."

Ooooh, that pompous ass! I scooted the chair back, breaking the light hold he had on it, so I could stand up to him. Crossing my arms over my chest, "Well, you can ease your concern then, Mr. Northman. If your sense of smell is so sharp, I'm sure you smell the bile rising in my throat at your very untempting display of ego."

His eyes crinkled again, stepping back and leaning onto the desk as he was before while his laughter gripped him. "Suzie, I have a feeling my life just got a lot more interesting. You intrigue me more than any human has in decades, possibly longer."

Sigh...he might be a cocky ass, but he also knew how to say the right thing at the right time. Dammit-I would rather be mad at him. Why was that again? Oh yeah, I'm here for information. I was in serious deep shit if I kept forgetting my goal every five minutes.

"Not to get off a topic as nice as this one, but I did want to ask you; the vampire who came earlier to talk to me, do you know him? His name is Bill Compton."

Gulp. Fuck. Shit. "No. You and Pam were the first vampire I've ever met." Technically not a lie. "Why do you ask?"

"He asked about you, who you were. I told him it was none of his business. But he was a little overly interested. He does have an ancestral home in Bon Temps, possibly you've run into him before and weren't aware he's a vampire."

"It's possible. I do remember a neighbor across the way with the same last name. Though if I recall the house properly, it was in atrocious shape. I can't imagine he would currently be living there."

"I can" he smirked. He walked around to a locked drawer in the desk, opened it and pulled out a key ring. Pulling one off, he gave it to me, but not before putting it on a Fangtasia key ring.

Taking it from him, "We never really discussed hours, what time do you want me to start tomorrow? What hours, what days, etcetera?"

"For now, I would like you to start around 4pm. That way you will have a few hours to work on schedules and paperwork before anyone gets here. The human staff arrives at 6pm. Pam gets here usually within an hour of sunset and I usually get here around 9 or 10, depending on what I have to do that evening. You can leave when I get here, if you choose, or you can stay, if there are other tasks. Some days we may need you here later, if it's going to be busy. And some days we may need you here earlier. That is where we see how the first week or two goes to see how many tasks you'll be in charge of. Does this sound agreeable?"

"Absolutely!" That sounds great, actually. I was prepared to be working waitress or bar hours of 6pm to 3am, so that is way better. I'm pretty flexible, and quite honestly, don't have too much of a social life, so staying late or coming in early won't be a problem."

"Good. We will know in a few days how easily you take to your job. As previously stated, Pam can't stand dealing with the staff. Most of them are fangbangers and getting them to mind their manners and stay focused on their jobs is like pulling teeth."

"I've heard you and Pam both use that term-fangbanger. Though I'm afraid to ask, and I can probably guess what it means, what is a fangbanger?"

"Humans who are obsessed with fucking vampires and giving them their blood."

"Okay. The-sex-I can understand, but why the obsession with giving their blood?"

"Our bite can be quite pleasurable. We can make it as gentle or painful as we like. That alone is often said to equate to an orgasm for most humans. Care to experience it for yourself?" He looked hopeful.

"Ha. No thanks."

"Would it make the bile rise up in your throat if I said I plan to one day convince you otherwise?" I said nothing, just raised my eyebrow at him. He got the hint. "Pam will leave you a list tomorrow of things we will need done. Now, if you will excuse me. I have some things to attend to and some calls to make. I would like it if you would stay a little longer. I hate the thought of your first visit here to be taken up with all work and no play. And I would love to have a dance with you-professional only, of course." He put his hands up in innocence at my sideways look. "Fine. You can wait at my table. Pam and Amelia should be there. I won't be very long."

"Okay, that sounds good." I shut the door behind me and started down the hallway. Halfway there, I checked my phone. A text from Claudine, Howd it go? Still alive? I'd rather talk to her briefly, than text back and forth twenty times, so looked around for a possible quiet spot to do so. Seeing a door that looked like it lead out to a loading area, I headed through it. It was a much quieter, well-lit area. There was a red Corvette and a silver minivan parked just out of the light. That's a weird mix. I took a few deep breaths of night air and breathed them out. It was very easy to get distracted while dealing with Eric and I didn't realize how much I needed a breather, now that I was having one. I'd have to remember that for later.

I dialed Claudine and she picked up on the first ring, "Hey, cousin. You are well and alive, I am guessing."

"Yes, I'm fine. I got a job." We had agreed to be vague with each other on the phone.

"You did? Wow, you work fast. This is great news. I will tell Grandfather. He will be pleased and proud, I'm sure."

"There are so many things to tell you, but I'll wait until I get home, okay?" I couldn't wait to lay into her about not giving me the head's up on Mr. Hotter than Hades. "I'll probably stay a bit longer, but not more than a few hours. If you're sleeping when I get there, I can talk to you tomorrow, before work."

"Ooh, I can't wait, cousin. Be careful and- have fun." She said the last part in a smarmy tone. Yeah, she knew damn well what he looked like and how hard it would be to keep my wits about me. Fairies.

The call ended and I turned to head back in. But I couldn't. There was something blocking my path. But, instead of the delicious brick wall from earlier, it was the annoying, bothersome frame of Bill Compton. In a flash he had his hand very tightly around my wrist, twisting it painfully. Fangs down, he hissed, "Hello, Suzie."