A/N: Updates won't usually be this fast but I had some extra free time and love this pairing, so I ignored my other WIPs for a few more days and got to work
When I wake up this morning, For a few seconds, I fully think last night was a dream. Things like that don't happen to me. Did I really make out with a guy I just met? Not just any guy but a guy that looked like Eric. Not only that but tonight I'm going to see him again and we have a solid plan to find who is really responsible for killing Dawn and Maudette. Hopefully, this will get us one step closer to clearing Jason's name.
I look at my alarm clock and my eyes widen, I can't believe it's already 1:30! I'm working 4-11 tonight, so at least I'm not closing. I guess it makes sense that I slept so late because I know I went to sleep not long before the sun came up. I hope Eric made it somewhere safe in time. I get up, go to the bathroom, and brush my teeth before heading downstairs to the delicious smell of Gran's cooking.
"Good morning, Gran." I chirp as a head right to the coffee pot.
"It hasn't been morning for quite some time, dear."
I let out a giggle because I know she's right. "Wasn't last night so exciting? Our first vampire!" I say, almost dreamily.
I noticed a second too late that Gran was eyeing me speculatively. "Very exciting, and he is quite handsome."
I feel a blush come over my cheeks, "Is he? I hadn't noticed. I was very focused on helping Jason."
"Oh, hush now. Don't you try to sell me any of your fibs. You know damn well that was one fine man, just as you know he was very interested in you. I'm sure you heard all about it." That made me stop playing coy and look right at her because I realize she doesn't know yet.
"Gran, I didn't hear anything because I can't hear vampires." Dang it, my dreamy voice is back again but I can't help it! This is the first time I've ever come across someone that I couldn't hear their every thought.
"Really? Oh, Sookie, that must be wonderful… and probably a little scary." She says as she brings me over a plate of shrimp and grits, then sits down at the table across from me. Gosh, I love her so much, she knew I'd probably sleep late so she made brunch instead of breakfast or lunch.
"Well yeah, now that you bring it up, it is a little scary. How can I know he's not lying to me? You know me, Gran, I don't buy into the hate for vampires that gets thrown around here but the truth is, they are different from us. Look at Eric, last night he was so calm talking about vampires being good at cleaning up their messes. How do I know I can trust him?" Gran reached over the table and put her hand on mine.
"Well Sookie, of course, it's scary, it's the unknown. Not only that, it's a first too. It's smart of you to be weary, but you shouldn't give up because you're scared, you should tread carefully and see how things go. You're like every other woman that's going on a first date with a man you met at a bar. It's exciting, interesting, nerve-wracking, and yes, a little scary. But it should be fun first and foremost."
"Yeah Gran, except this first date of ours is at my job, with us pretending to be in a relationship, so we can hopefully find a murderer, and clear my brother's name. I don't even know if he's interested in me like that."
"Sookie, he may be a millennia-old vampire but I know the look of a besotted man, and that's him, honey. He's interested and so are you. Are you telling me he gave you no inclination that he was interested?"
My mind flashed back to that passionate kiss we shared and I couldn't help but blush before answering, "Well he might have told me he wanted to see me again before we made the plan for tonight and he might have hinted to wanting to hang out after the job was done. And there also might have been a completely innocent goodnight kiss at the door." My blush grows deeper when I admit that and I can't help but look away.
"Sookie, you didn't!" Gran says, scandalized but when I look at her she has a smile on her face and a playful twinkle in her eye.
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. I don't kiss and tell." I say in a haughty tone and we both laugh.
"Well, if you're still wondering if he's interested in you after that, maybe you should take a look at this," Gran says and walks out of the room for a second and comes back with a big vase full of blood-red roses that have a note and a small bag attached to them. "These came for you today, Mr. Northman sent me some too." She says and points to the daisies I've somehow missed that are sitting in the light on the windowsill. I grab the note and see it's written in a beautiful scrawling script.
Sookie,
It was a lovely surprise meeting you tonight and I find myself quite excited to see you again tomorrow night. I know you work at a bar so you can easily eat there but if it is not too forward of me, I'd ask that you wait until your shift is over so I may take you out properly. Please accept this small token and wear it tonight if you are amenable to my plans.
E.
I can't help but smile at the note and grab the bag to see what's inside. I pull out a jewelry box and internally cringe, I can't accept jewelry from a man I hardly know. I open it anyway and it's a beautiful gold bracelet with a cluster of small diamonds in different shapes and sizes. It's so beautiful and nicer than probably all the other pieces I own.
"Oh, Gran, look at this," I say breathily and hand the box over to her. "Too bad I can't accept it. On top of that, he asked me out for after work and said if I agree, I should wear it, I don't really know how to handle that."
"Why can't you accept it?"
I look at her incredulously, "Uh maybe because you raised me not to take handouts and not to let myself be dependent on a man."
"First of all, this gift is neither of those things, and second of all, there's nothing wrong with depending on someone if the relationship is equal. I was a stay-at-home mother for most of my life and depended on your grandfather for money, but he depended on me for raising the family and taking care of the home. We were equal partners. What I was trying to teach you was not to let a man control your life, not to let him take your choices away from you. Now if Eric kept trying to give you things or buying you expensive presents then yes, that would turn into too much but you shouldn't feel bad when your gentleman caller gives you a gift."
"Are you sure, Gran?"
"You're your own woman Sookie, that is a decision for you to make. I do not see anything wrong with it though."
"Okay, I'll think about it."
"Okay, dear." She says then clears her throat and refocuses on the conversation we were having before the presents came out. "Listen Sookie, yes it must be scary for you because it's the first person you can't hear but I think it's worth trying out. I think it would be good for you, to get to know someone in a way you never have before. I know we don't talk about it often but I know every day is hard for you, I also know you don't give relationships a chance because touch amplifies it, and I know it hurts you physically, trying to keep everyone's thoughts out. I'm not telling you to jump in blindly, and trust everything he says, I'm saying go into it with the caution it deserves but try to enjoy it."
"Yeah Gran, I think you're right," I say, meaning it. I sit back and look at the clock.
"Oh cheese and rice, We must have been talking longer than I thought, I have to get in the shower! I'm going to be late for work if I don't get going. Thanks for brunch, Gran!" I say as I quickly bring my dishes to the sink to wash them.
Gran must have stood up too because she taps my shoulder then waves me away to get ready and takes over the dishes. I run upstairs with a grateful smile and take the world's fastest shower. When I get out I put on my favorite bra, the one that makes my breasts look amazing, and a matching pair of underwear, even though I have no intention of anyone seeing them, it just makes me feel prettier. Then I put on my work clothes, pull my hair up, and look at the clock again. Okay, I got ready fast enough that I have enough time to spend a little extra on my makeup. I sit down in my chair in front of my makeup stand and see a giddy smile on my face because I'm excited to see Eric again.
It's crazy, I just met him yesterday but there's this undeniable connection that I can't ignore. There's a problem though, when I was at Fangtasia, I saw how uh, active he is with his customers and meals. He's 'tasted' many of them and only a few get an encore. I'm not someone who can do a one-night stand, so I don't think anything between us could really work. He's not a monogamous guy, and I'm not an open-relationship type of lady. My shoulders slump at that realization.
Oh well, there's not really anything I can do about it. I can't make him change his mind and I can't change my feelings. So I will enjoy tonight while trying to help Jason and go from there. There's nothing wrong with having a nice night with a man and maybe a few good night kisses even if I know it's not going to turn into anything serious. That's where I'll have to stop it though.
I put my lipstick down and give myself an appraising look in the mirror. Yup, I look good if I do say so myself. Well, as good as I can look while wearing my Merlotte's uniform anyway. I make sure my keys, wallet, lipstick, and a few other essentials are in my purse and head for the door. I see the bracelet box and after a few seconds of thought, I put it on and go downstairs. I tell Gran bye and make my way out to the car. I stop before I leave though and run upstairs to grab one of the only dresses I have that I'd call sexy so I have something to wear for our date then run out to the car and go to work.
"Hey, Cher. How you doin' tonight?" Sam asks when I bring my purse into his office after I get to work.
"I'm fine Sam, how about you?"
For some reason, I can't hear Sam as well as I can hear everyone else, it's more just emotions and what I would call snarls. So it's okay that I didn't put my shields up yet because even though his mind isn't silent, I can't hear a steady stream of dialog coming from him. Once my apron is tied I put my shields up and wince at the headache I already know I'll have at the end of the night. The shields keep the voices out, but they're a workout for me. The brain is a muscle like any other so keeping them up gets me tired and sore. Too bad when that muscle is sore, it comes in the form of a migraine.
"I'm good Sookie, but I was more asking because of everything that's going on with your brother." I'm facing the door, getting ready to do my starting work so I didn't see him walk up to me, I just feel his hand on my shoulder and it makes me jump from being startled.
"It'll be fine Sam, I know he didn't do it." I point to my head, Sam knows about my disability, so he knows what I mean. "Plus, I'm working on clearing his name myself. I'm hoping to know something by the end of the night."
"Sookie, what do you have planned?" He asks with a mix of worry and suspicion. He knows I'll do whatever I have to, to keep the ones I love safe. So he knows I might do something dangerous for myself to help clear Jason's name. This isn't dangerous though, like I said, for some reason I know I can trust Eric.
"Don't worry, I'm not doing anything dangerous," I say and walk out before he can reply.
I love Sam but I know he'll just keep pestering me until he gets the answers he wants and I know he's not the biggest fan of vampires. It's better to just keep it to myself until Eric gets here. The sun will be going down soon, and he said he'll come here first thing, so probably not too much longer.
"Hey Laff," I say with a wave as I pass the kitchen, I don't have time to stop though because I really am cutting it close.
"Hey, hookah!" I hear from the kitchen but I'm already making sure the condiments on my tables are filled. I'm surprised when I see Tara sitting behind the bar. She, along with Lafayette are my best friends in the whole world. We were all outcasts growing up so we stuck together and stayed that way ever since. The only problem is, she doesn't work here.
"Tara?"
"Hey girl, damn! You look hot tonight, trying for a good tip night?"
I blush before I can stop it and look away, hoping she doesn't notice. "Yeah, my car ` is on its last legs and even though I love it, Jason thinks the next time it breaks is going to be the last time it's worth fixing." This is completely true, but not why I spent so much time in front of the mirror tonight. "So, are you just hanging behind the bar for fun? I think I'd remember if my best friend and I worked together."
"Oh yeah, I got fired from my other job and made Sam give me a job." I just look at her incredulously, how can you make someone give you a job? And I love her but she is not a people person at all so I don't see her working at the bar being a good thing. Before I can respond, Arlene comes to us.
"Oh Sookie, thank god you're here. Everyone else is late and church lets out in ten and you know what that means."
"Shoot, better make sure the sweet tea pitcher is full and the coffee is fresh," I say and get to work.
About two and a half hours later, I'm in the rhythm of my shift. I've been working here so long that it doesn't take much thought, everything is pretty automatic for me. Jason and his work buddies come into the bar and take a seat in my section.
"Hey Jace, Hoyt, Renee, what can I get ya?"
"We'll take a pitcher of whatever's on sale tonight," Jason says without even looking at me. Now I love my brother but he's not always the most attentive. He only comes around when he needs something or he's hungry. He helps Gran when she needs it but even then, it takes a lot of persistence from us for him to actually come and help. To put it bluntly, he's selfish.
"Sure thing," I say flatly.
"Thanks, Sookie," Hoyt says with one of his kind smiles. He might have a nosey, judgmental, busybody for a mom but he's a really nice guy. I smile at him then get the pitcher and three mugs and go back to their table.
"What would you like to eat?"
They all look at each other and then back to me "Three Burger Lafayette's, please" Hoyt says.
"Sure thing, it'll be right up." I go put the order at the kitchen window and realize that the bar got strangely quiet. I turn to see what's going on and see Eric standing at the front door, looking right at me. I can't stop the smile that takes over my face and he gives me a quirk of the lips, which I'm coming to realize is like a blinding smile coming from him.
"Woo-ee look at that fine specimen of a man. Lucky you, he seems to be checking you out, Sookie," Arlene says next to me, I jump because I was so focused on Eric that I didn't even hear her coming up to me.
The quirk of Eric's lips turns into a smirk that makes me wonder if what I heard about their extra-strong senses is true. I don't answer Arlene, I just walk up to Eric. I'm not really sure how we're supposed to interact, I know we're supposed to be making people think we're in some kind of relationship but I've never been in a relationship before. When I get close to him, he grabs my hand to pull me into his arms. I put my hands against his chest and his arms wrap around my waist. I look up at his face and can feel my cheeks grow warm when he bends down and kisses me. Thankfully, it's not as deep or as long of a kiss as the one we shared last night but it's just as passionate. I'm glad he understands that I don't want to make out like teenagers in front of the whole town. He's the first to pull back and I'm just as dazed as I was from last night's kiss. After a second, I come back to myself and look around the bar to see everyone staring at us.
"Okay y'all, the show's over. Go back to your meals." I say waving everyone away.
They reluctantly turn away but I have a feeling they're all still paying attention. I pale when I realize the only reason I don't know for a fact what they are thinking is that my shields are still up. I'm supposed to be listening, trying to figure out who the killer is but again, I'm too focused on Eric. I let my shields down fast and stumble for a second because all the thoughts wash right in. Eric puts his hand on my back and I put my hand on his forearm to help me get my footing again.
He leans in and whispers in my ear. "Are you okay, min stjärna?"
"Mhm, it was just a lot letting all the thoughts in at the same time. Touching you helps though." I say with a smile. "Come on, let me get you a seat."
I keep a hold of his arm while I slowly walk to an empty table in my section and listen to the customer's voices. I don't hear anything of interest yet, heck, I don't even hear anything hateful towards vampires and I realize it's because they don't know he is one yet. How can they not? Does not everyone see the glow around vampires that I do? Once we get to the booth I let go it's easier to handle the voices now, I was just surprised when I first did it because it was so much so fast.
"What kinda True Blood can I get you?"
Eric grimaces and shakes his head, "None for me, I'm fine."
"Sorry, apparently they can't tell you're a vampire just by looking at you like I can, so they need a little visual aid."
"What is your blood type?" He asks with a leer. Damn, as soon as I get my blush to go away, he brings it back with a vengeance.
"I'm actually not sure, I've never needed to know before."
He sighs resignedly, "Just whatever kind you have here will be fine, lover."
I raise my eyebrow at the lover part of that comment, wow he's overconfident and will have a rude awakening when he realizes I have no intention of becoming another one of his conquests. Instead of bringing this up now though, I smile at him with a nod and make my way back to the counter. I'm not even two steps away from the table when I look and see Sam, Tara, Lafayette, and Arlene all standing there, clearly waiting for me. Tara, Laff, and Arlene look excited while Sam looks pissed. Why on earth is he mad? I'm sure at least some of those faces will turn to anger once they realize Eric is a vampire though. Oh great, this is sure to be fun.