Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns all.
Rated M for several reasons.
Chpt 18 Dress Number Two
SPOV
I knew I shouldn't have been looking forward to this trip. Knew it.
Briefly I sink down, submerging myself in the foamy tub.
I told Alcide what I'd heard but we both agreed there wasn't much we could do about it, better to wait and tell Eric, someone who would believe it and probably know what to do about it.
Eric. So not looking forward to seeing him after last night. At least I've got a bit more time to soak and get ready for it since he's got vampire stuff to do before he meets me back here for the Ball at midnight. And if it's anything like last night, minus the drama, I probably won't need to be around him much at all.
I glance across at the clock on the bathroom counter, if I stay in here for another hour he'll be up and gone.
Feeling cowardly I drain some water out of the tub so I can get more hot in, I'll take the wrinkled skin over Eric right now. As soon as his meeting starts I think I'll curl up on the bed and take a nap. Strained night last night, long one ahead of me . . . .
A pounding has me scrabbling back to consciousness, chilled to the bone and so wrinkly my body feels like its occupying a restricted space, the clock says 10pm.
"Sookie." Pam's voice is cut glass. "Are you bathing or drowning? I am more than happy to come in and check."
"Ungh. In the tub."
"Well get out." She commands. "Eric has instructed me to ensure you are ready."
"Two hours Pam." I huff, climbing out of the tub and wrapping myself securely in a towel.
"I am not taking any chances. I am in enough trouble with him after last night."
"Me too." I mutter, yanking the door open.
"What did you do?" She demands, changing conversational direction abruptly like a dog after a frisbee.
It's going to be a long night.
"Nothing."
"What did you do?" She presses.
Offence is the best form of defence. Jason was always spouting that on the subject of football.
"Did he get my note?"
"He did." She smirks, catching on quick.
"And?"
"He was absolutely furious. You know the drill, totally still, totally silent, no fang."
Oh yes. I know that look.
"So what's he doing about it?"
"What needs to be done. You should not worry. You should be focussing on getting ready."
"Sexual revolution passed you by, huh." I drawl.
"Little human. I was the sexual revolution. Now get ready."
Pause.
"Um, Pam, I've been dressing myself since I was two, you can wait in the suite, talk to Alcide or something."
"The dog has gone to perform his own toilette, he will be accompanying you this evening as well as I."
"Then you could watch the television."
"Your human ideals of modesty amuse me."
"Good. Be amused in the other room."
I make with the shooing motions and she saunters out with a smirk.
After I've locked the door behind her I sink down on the end of the bed for a moment, closing my eyes and letting my shields down. The hundred or so voids in and around the building are relatively easy to ignore, like stepping around trees in the local park. The humans are pretty much as expected, excited and nervous about being in close proximity with so many vampires. They fall into two categories, the ones who are used to it and the ones who think this glittering showbiz façade is what life with vampires is always like. Reading weres at a distance like this is pretty much useless, the odd flash but it's mostly snarly and unintelligible, so I focus on the humans. God, I sound like a vampire, people, they're people Stackhouse.
"I cannot hear any sounds of getting ready." Pam's voice cuts through my concentration.
"Shush. Busy."
"Humph."
Their thoughts are mostly banal and uninteresting. With so many minds it's like telepathic channel hopping, how can you ever find what you're looking for unless the thinker's kind enough to scream it at you? People getting ready for the Ball, the hotel staff making sure everything is prepared, someone's being fed on and having a high old time of it, someone taking drugs, someone else watching that terrorist thriller I caught yesterday, someone obsessively arranging flowers on the tables in the Ballroom, someone terrified about making a mistake tonight, someone thinking about the telepath. I zero in on him.
Pretty and blonde, he's grumbling because the damn hotel is full of pretty blondes and he's fairly sure he hasn't seen me yet. His mind wanders to a grainy photo which I realise must have been taken by the CCTV in the hotel in Dallas, I think I was waiting for Hugo at the time. No, he's sure he hasn't seen me yet. Then his mind zooms off to what he's going to do with the money when he gets it and I lose him in the throng.
Frustrated I try looking for him again but it's like my mental control has slipped, the thoughts around me turn into a dull roar and I have to shove my shields back up in self-defence.
Great. Vigorously I towel myself off, desperate to be rid of the chill that's gathered on my skin. Not only is there someone around here somewhere who thinks Steve Newlin is going to happy, which can't be good for the majority of the people in this hotel, but there's someone here specifically looking for me. Somehow I can't imagine anything good coming from his interest.
And neither am I happy about the fact that I'm going to be sensible about it and tell Eric. I'd thought belonging to him would be a formality that would keep another vampire from waltzing off with me against my will and now it's dawning on me that he might actually have to do more than sic Alcide on me for show, in order to keep me safe. No wonder he gets mad, it hardly seems fair even if he was thinking he'd get more out of the deal than I would originally.
Dress number two is backless and strapless, with a long mildly fluted skirt that sweeps the floor as I walk. The pale blue color sets off my eyes and my tan to perfection. Deciding to be cautious I leave my hair down, it'll cover more skin and I've become a lot more aware of exposing my neck since I've been hanging around with vampires. The dress makes me feel a bit like a fairy princess and I swish backwards and forwards across the room a few times enjoying the sound of the skirt and the way it moves, giggling, until I abruptly remember I'm a grown up. Like last night I opt for minimal make up, choosing to use my favourite red lipstick instead of plain gloss this time.
"Are you done yet?" Pam asks in a bored tone it must have taken centuries to perfect.
"Nearly."
I'm not sure what to do with my hair. Swept back off my face or allowed to fall over one eye, Lana Turner style?
Oh hell, how many Balls am I ever going to get to go to? Hollywood siren it is.
"Finally." Pam growls as I unlock the door.
Her fangs come down with a click and I swear she licked her lips but it was so quick I can't be sure.
She's changed too, out of her severe black business suit and into a dress not dissimilar to mine but in the deepest dark blue I've ever seen, the light just falls into it as she moves. Her hair is swept up on her head but like me she's barely wearing any makeup.
"Well." She drawls, looking me up and down like a juicy steak. "Don't we make quite the pair."
I laugh guiltily, pride is a sin after all, but for once I don't feel like I'm going to pale into complete insignificance beside her.
"Fangs, Pam." I murmur, disturbed by the fact they're still down.
She snorts and they disappear.
"Eric will meet us downstairs, we are just waiting for the dog to accompany us."
I'm just about to remind her he has a name when he taps at the door. Apparently opening doors isn't a vamp thing so I swish across the suite to let Alcide in.
. . . . whoa, down boy . . . .
"Sorry, you look very nice Sookie." He mutters, flushing with embarrassment.
"Thanks Alcide, I'll take all of that as a compliment."
He grins in relief.
"Dog." Trust Pam to ruin the moment. "I assume you remember my Master's instructions for this evening?"
"I am to stay with Sookie at all times. Neither I, nor anyone else, is permitted to touch her. If there is a problem I am to call both you and Thalia immediately."
"Good." She nods. "Then let us go, the Master is waiting."
Alcide and I share a grin as we follow her out of the suite.
EPOV
There was nothing of note in tonight's business. The usual discussions on fees and tithes, new guidelines from The American Vampire League most of which will be wilfully ignored, vampire are very difficult to govern. As usual most of the business of the Summit will be conducted in the less formal setting of the Ball.
Already wearing my tux I have nothing to do for the next half an hour until I meet my child in the lobby. I am a little thirsty tonight but I am in the mood to drink from the source and so I bypass the bar and head for the donor desk situated near reception. It's a joyless way to feed, choosing from a menu like a human in a restaurant and then chastely taking your requirements. No thrill of the hunt, no slaking all your desires in one glorious assignation. But at least it is convenient. I wonder if this is the future for us now? A regent in the north is already considering opening a chain, McDonalds for vampires, what a hideous thought.
"How can I help you Sir?" The human attendant asks.
"Whatever is available now, I have little time."
"Of course, please follow me."
College student, they are not particularly tasty, their diet and chemical habits are generally appalling but unlike a fangbanger at least this one isn't saturated with alcohol. The whole sterile and unsatisfying experience is completed in minutes. I shall have to treat myself to something more gratifying when we return home from this trip, I feel out of sorts, some hedonistic self-indulgence will probably help. Normally I would attend Sophie-Anne's infamous orgy on the last night but that is not going to be possible this year, I still have not fully worked out my excuse and I will need to discuss it with the Queen this evening.
Back in the lobby I lean against a pillar to scan the crowd while I wait.
There was very little I could do about Sookie's discovery this afternoon without drawing too much attention to her gift, so I merely informed the host's retinue and Quinn that a conversation had been overheard about The Fellowship of the Sun being active around the hotel. I have already told Andre the same, however there was no hiding from him that Sookie's gift was involved and I will have to have to be on my guard for the consequences.
Feeling my child approaching I turn my attention to the elevators in time to see her emerge with Herveaux and the non-human in tow.
The non-human looks even more desirable this night than last. Pam, what the fuck are you doing to me?
I can feel my lust stirring and my fangs itching to slide out and into her soft tanned flesh.
Intolerable.
"Oh great." I hear her murmur to the dog. "He's glaring at me already. What now?"
"He's a vampire." The dog responds. "It's probably not personal."
Oh but it is. Extremely.
"Pam, Herveaux, I will join you inside shortly, Ms Stackhouse and I have matters to discuss."
SPOV
At least he won't attack me in the lobby and he probably won't want to wrinkle that perfect tux he's wearing and ruin the whole 'just stepped out of the pages of a magazine' thing he's got going on tonight.
"You are to be on your guard tonight and monitor the humans and weres."
Yes sir.
"You will tell me immediately if you hear anything you think is suspicious."
Got it.
"You will do so in private only, I do not wish to draw any further attention to your gift."
I nod.
"You will stay out of trouble."
I'll try.
Then he stops barking orders and steps uncomfortably close to me, staring down through hard glittering eyes.
And for a moment I have the strongest, and strangest, desire to reach up and touch his face. I'll tell him about the guy who seemed to be looking for me later, he's apparently got enough on his plate right now and not a lot is going to happen to me tonight with Alcide, Pam and Thalia following me around.
"Do you need to mark your territory again?" I ask instead. Crap, where did that come from?
He blinks at me.
"Um, sorry, don't know why I, um . . . ."
Another blink and then abruptly his hands are in my hair and his lips are covering mine, they pop open traitorously in surprise. His tongue is cool as it sweeps into my mouth, tasting me and learning me with unhurried yet purposeful strokes . That's so . . . . what's he doing . . . . I can't think straight . . . . my heart is hammering in my chest . . . . a rush of something I can't find a word for surges up from the balls of my feet, jolting every cell it passes on the way, escaping as a gasp which draws his tongue deeper into my mouth . . . . mustn't kiss him back . . . . oh god, it's happening again, he's all through me, warm . . . . Eric . . . . my hands flutter to his chest, I can feel it flexing under my palms as his hands roam in my hair . . . . so good . . . . can't let him do this . . . . can't think how to stop him . . . .
"Good evening Sheriff."