Bob had started hanging around the house again, but in human form, obviously. He came up from New Orleans and apparently, he and Amelia had kissed and made up. I really didn't know the details, or want to know them. I figured what was between the two of them was really none of my business. He'd stayed upstairs with Amelia for awhile, but I seriously doubted if anything was going on between them. She was still reeling from Tray's death and needed a friend and Bob was there. Was anything sexual happening between them? Who knows? I never saw the attraction in the first place, and so I sure couldn't imagine it after all that she'd been through.

Bob was very inquisitive about my relationship with Eric. I suppose it was kind of interesting. We were bonded--married, really, in the eyes of the vamps. I could see how that might be kind of fascinating. But I never felt comfortable enough with Bob to discuss my relationship with my vampire husband with him. He asked to go to Fangtasia with me a couple of times, but I really was too busy with work to go to Shreveport bar-hopping with Bob. It was just too weird. And Amelia certainly was in no mood for dancing. I just kept blowing him off.

If I really thought about it, I didn't like Bob. I felt guilty about that because he'd spent a fair amount of time as a pet cat in my care. The whole thing was so odd. I wanted to like him, but there was something kind of creepy about him after I'd had a chance to get to know him a little as a human. I never said anything to Amelia about it because—guilty again, I felt like she needed all the friends she could get. And so, I ignored my gut feeling and let Bob stay at my house.

I never read Bob's thoughts when he was at the house. Amelia was such a strong natural broadcaster and I had developed the habit of keeping my shields up when I was at home, which was exhausting, but not as exhausting as hearing every single thought in Amelia's head. As a result, my shields were always up when Bob was around. I got an occasional general view of his brain if my shields slipped a bit, but didn't give it much thought. He seemed just like any other human man with boring thoughts.

I was relieved when Amelia said she was going for a visit to New Orleans. I knew she needed a change of scenery and I'd be rid of Bob for awhile.

The night I came home from work and found Bob in my driveway crying, I was genuinely afraid of him. I was alone and he should have been long gone, and yet, here he was in my driveway. He was reaching out to me and crying like a child and I wondered what was wrong and felt like maybe he was mentally unstable. I asked what he was doing and he just cried harder.

I backed into my car door and started to wonder if I could out-run him when he spoke between sobs. "Sookie, it's me, Eric."

My fears were confirmed at the realization that he was completely nuts, but I didn't want to spook him. "Okay. Just calm down, Eric. Now, tell me what's wrong."

He stopped crying and stared at me. "This is so embarrassing. Am I still crying?"

"Uh…no."

He took a deep breath. "Good. So, you believe me then."

"Sure."

"Fuck. No, you don't. I can always tell when you're lying." He had a creepy half-smile on his face. "You cock your right eyebrow."

"Really?"

"God, you're so beautiful. You give me a hard-on." He dropped a hand down and felt his own crotch. I wished I could back away further, but my butt was flat up against the car.

"Okay, stop that."

"Sorry. Shit. That was inappropriate, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

He put his hand into a pocket. "I'm sorry. Let me start over. That witch friend of your roommate's cast some sort of spell tonight and switched bodies with me. I'm Eric. The little fruitcake took off in my body and left me with this." He looked down at his own chest, then his hands. I peeked into his brain and saw an image of Eric's body clad in dark jeans and a navy t-shirt but from the perspective of his own eyes, looking down at his body. It was most unsettling.

"Okay. If that's true, then tell me, when were we bonded?"

"Rhodes. In the hallway. Andre was there. Then the fucking tiger."

"What pet name do you call me?'

"Easy. Lover."

"Okay. Um…what color underwear were you wearing when I found you running down the road?"

"Red. And they were very small. I think you called them tiny."

"Oh my god." I slumped against the car, my shoulders fell. I put my hand over my mouth. "What happened?"

"Can we go inside? I'm freezing, lover."

I fixed a fire in the fireplace and made Eric…Bob…whatever…some toast and scrambled eggs. He told me in vivid detail how he had puked in the parking lot at Fangtasia and needed some food in his stomach. As soon as I started the dishes, he excused himself "to defecate." He emerged twenty minutes later apologizing for the smell as though we were discussing the result of a scientific experiment. I probably blushed and he finally stopped and said, "This is uncomfortable for you. I'm sorry. It's been so long. I'm not sure what's appropriate conversation and what isn't regarding bodily functions. I think I discussed such matters with my wife, but…well, it's been a long time. Would you prefer that I keep such things to myself?"

"It's okay, Eric. I'm just not used to it, that's all. I've never had a human husband, remember?"

"Right."

I was exhausted and went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. When I emerged, Eric was under the covers waiting for me. "Please tell me you're not naked under there."

"I am. I'm sorry. Is that wrong? I prefer to rest in the nude."

"I'm sorry, but this is all kind of hard for me to take. Just stay on your side of the bed, okay? I'm tired. I need to sleep."

"Okay."

I turned the lights out and smoothed my nightgown down before pulling the covers over me. I turned away from Eric and closed my eyes. "Good night. We'll figure this all out tomorrow, okay?" I waited for an answer but all I got was a jiggling of the bed and rapid breathing. "Oh my god, are you jerking off?"

"I can't help it. You smell so good and I have this ridiculous little erection."

"Stop it!"

"I can't. It feels too good."

I sprung from the bed and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I waited for what seemed like an eternity and then tentatively opened the door. "Are you finished?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, lover. That was rude. I'm just not sure how to handle this body. I promise I'll behave. Come back to bed."

I climbed into bed and got settled and soon heard Eric's steady breathing beside me. I was too tired to think about what all I had learned since I'd gotten home and soon found myself drifting off to a dreamless and restful sleep myself, lying dangerously close to the stranger that was my husband.