Disclaimer: 27 has substance abuse in it and this chapter is the tip of the iceberg. But I am not trying to glorify it in any way. If you or someone you know has a problem, please ask for help. If you do choose to partake, please be safe. Test your shit and remember you can always do more, not less.
Song lyrics in this chapter: Big Spender by Peggy Lee
Grace woke up at eleven thirty am the next morning, raced to the bathroom and promptly threw up. Once she was done, she let out a deep sigh, lethargically raised her hand to flush the toilet and slowly pushed herself up to stand; the singer faltered slightly but eventually got up to her feet. She trudged back to her bed and passed out.
Grace's eyes fluttered open again around five in the evening. She groaned and rolled over to her right side, not entirely wanting to get up. She let herself wallow a bit more before blindly reaching for the bedside table to grab her flip phone; Grace's hand ran into an empty whiskey glass instead. She looked up and frowned, not quite remembering how it got there. Well, it didn't matter. Grace still had to find her phone. And some water, she was parched with a dirty taste in her mouth.
She dragged herself out of bed, found her device to learn she didn't have any new messages and cursed how long it took to get to the kitchen. At least the house was a one-story, the thought of navigating stairs was too much with her hangover. Grace moved to open a cabinet when she spied a large bottle of Pedialyte next to a note on the counter. The only thing written on the piece of paper was the word 'Drink'. Grace put a hand to her throbbing head and tried to think who could have left it for her. She remembered most of the night; getting ready with the band, doing the show, feeling on top of the world, partying afterward, stupidly hooking up with Dallas, jumping out of her skin as she watched his fangs get ripped out and drinking heavily to numb herself as Vincenzo drove her home. After that, things got hazy.
"Fucking Vincenzo," Grace muttered. That's who must have left the Pedialyte. The considerate bastard.
Grace popped the top off and took a swig. The liquid felt cool against her throat and she paused to make sure her stomach wouldn't revolt before drinking more. She took her time and eventually decided she'd had enough. What she really needed was a smoke and a shower to cleanse her bad behavior. Grace took the Pedialyte back to her bedroom and rummaged through one of her bags to find her cannabis stash. She lazily rolled a baby joint with some crumbling flower from who knows when. It didn't matter, she just needed something to help her aching body. Grace's eyes moved across the room towards the large bath - the thing she really knew would make her whole again - but she stopped herself from turning on the taps. She didn't want to face that woman again.
Because she'd definitely felt something shift within her last night. Something otherworldly and scary (although exhilarating) that she'd never experienced before during a performance.
Grace was nervous before the show, but just before the house lights went off, Louis told her not to hold back. Just open it up and have fun. And so she did. It was a one time gig to give her some financial cushion, why not embrace the sinister ambiance and have a good time? Once Louis started playing the chords to her opening number, her tension faded and that new wicked feeling of hers took control. It showed up in full force, to a degree she'd never felt before. Grace quickly slipped into her temptress character and wanted nothing more than to charm the audience and make them crave sex, according to Pam's wishes. Her greed swelled as the crowd responded emphatically and lavished her with attention. She had power over them; a new electric sensation grew within her the more they cheered and fed her. Echoes of the feeling hit Grace again as she took her first puff of the joint and shivered in delight.
But even though she had the crowd eating out of the palm of her hand, there was one obvious figure she wasn't affecting. It had been a shock to see him initially; the bloody vampire that had interrupted her fitting was sitting on Fangtasia's throne, not Pam, meaning he was the boss everyone had been talking about. But he was of course at her eye level the entire show, so she got used to him and could see he wasn't paying attention. Grace had already prepared herself that if she ever saw him again, he would likely brush over her, but the snub still stung. Her new power took offense. And so, when they reached the final song of the show, the singer put all of her effort into getting his attention. Because dammit, it didn't matter that he was the boss and therefore not a good idea to pursue, she was worth it and he must have been blind not to see her attractiveness when everyone else was lapping it up.
It worked; Grace's darkness rejoiced when she saw his fangs drop at the end of the number. She was elated by her new success, a unique high she'd never experienced before in her life. The artist took a final puff of her joint, trying to see if she could coax the full feeling to return, but instead, her body called for a shower.
Grace turned on the rain system and stepped into the hot water. It felt heavenly but soon, a small tendril of shame rose to the surface as her emotional grime washed away. She hung her head and watched the water cascade down her hair towards the drain. She knew she'd played with fire after the show ended; she'd gone too far. Grace had a rule to never hook up with band members, but she couldn't help herself. She was drunk on whiskey and power and her body craved sex. It was a one time thing, so why not? Dallas had been subtly flirting with her over the last two weeks and she needed someone to help her get over the mysterious vampire on the throne. She hoped he might find her backstage and give her a wild ride, yet he never appeared. Therefore despite Louis' warning, Grace let Dallas publicly ravage her with no shame. She wanted the boss to be watching so he could see how much she was enjoying it.
But it spiraled out of control and Dallas took a risky liberty. Grace ultimately found she didn't hate that he bit her - in fact, she felt a guilty intense pleasure from it - but had to get him off her before things got worse.
She assumed responsibility for his detached fangs. Grace didn't feel it was a coincidence that she'd been determinedly singing about making someone 'mine' and then Dallas used the same word to describe their relationship when he never explained what it meant or asked for her consent for that matter. The energy from tempting the head vampire must have wildly spilled over and influenced Dallas, causing him to go crazy. But even the original stunt was too dangerous, she found out. Now that she had the tall blonde's attention, she wasn't sure if it was a good thing; his vicious punishment showed her that he was the boss of Fangtasia, yes, but also the terrifying Sheriff everyone had been threatening about. Grace was shocked that he hadn't turned his ire towards her when she definitely deserved it. As a result, she drank herself silly as her own form of torture.
Instead, the Sheriff offered her a choice: continue working for Fangtasia or go back to her old life. Grace stepped out of the shower, unsure what her answer would be. As much as she craved the Sheriff's attention, she saw his cruelty. She would be playing a deadly game by agreeing to extend her contract. But the money. And the perks. And the high. They were too good to ignore. Grace massaged her temples before putting on a pair of black leggings, an old Grateful Dead tour shirt and minimal makeup to disguise her hangover. She still had an hour before it was dark and she had to decide. The singer went to the living room to think it over, bringing her Pedialyte with her. She plopped onto one of the couches, took a few more swigs and accidentally fell asleep.
"Good evening, Miss Williams."
The deep voice jolted her awake and Grace found herself staring into the Sheriff's eyes, the same one that had haunted her dreams. She gasped, her heart racing.
"Jesus, fuck. You scared me," she muttered, her gaze taking in the rest of him as her heartbeat settled. He was dressed in a black Addidas tracksuit, looking incredibly fit and holding a briefcase. "I thought you had to be invited in."
"Not when I own the place," he smirked, reminding her of his dominance. Grace anxiously gulped as she moved from horizontal to vertical on the couch to make herself a little more presentable. He sat across from her and put the briefcase on the coffee table between them.
"You never told me your name, by the way," she remarked.
"Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area 5," he supplied. "But I gather you already knew the second part."
"Yeah, you weren't subtle about that last night," Grace mumbled. She ran a hand through her hair, hoping it wasn't sticking up at weird angles after drying against the couch pillow.
"Now, about the agreement," Eric began as he opened the briefcase. He pulled out a stack of paper held together with a clip and slid it across the table. "It's much of the same - a signing bonus, free room and board and a steady salary as you complete each show."
Grace considered flat out rejecting the agreement out of spite - after all, he rebuffed her and she could dish that right back - but pushed down her anger and picked up the new contract to read it. While the general terms were similar, there were some key differences. It established an exclusive residency for the next six months, two shows every month with practice sessions in between. The termination clause stated that Fangtasia could end the agreement at any time, with or without cause; she could do the same. The company would also give her a brand new iPhone with carrier expenses covered and a Macbook in case she needed it. And the salary was significantly higher. The signing bonus was five times as much and the overall payout if she completed the full six months was half a million dollars. It was a very tempting offer, but Grace still was hesitant. She'd learned her lesson last time.
"What's not written in here?"
"Well, we couldn't legally say that my tax attorneys will help you evade the government and keep most of the sum."
"That's not what I'm talking about," she growled.
"Whatever do you mean?" Eric grinned. He raised a sly brow.
"Cut the shit, I want my car keys back," Grace challenged, raising her chin defiantly. His charm started getting on her nerves, especially since her hangover wasn't completely gone yet.
"Has Vincenzo not been up to your standards?"
"I want my freedom," she emphasized. Eric confidently leaned back onto the couch and kept his smirk.
"You will have to be monitored somehow. We can't have last night happen again, now can we?"
He struck a nerve with how casually he mentioned her promiscuous behavior and Dallas' subsequent punishment; she did something without fully thinking it through.
"I want autonomy or I'll walk."
"And where would you go? With this kind of money?"
"I could contract my services with the King," Grace dared.
Eric' face darkened immediately; his charisma disappeared and the brutal persona from the night before emerged. She'd taken a gamble - not fully knowing who the King was or what he was capable of - and it seemed she'd struck a deeper nerve for Eric. This was not good. She realized she'd made a mistake but couldn't back down.
"Are you threatening me, Miss Williams?" he growled.
"I'm just simply stating facts," she bluffed, hoping it gave her room to backtrack if push came to shove.
Eric's eyes narrowed as he scanned her up and down, trying to figure out her strategy. Grace felt a shiver run down her spine; she remembered how much he was drenched in blood the first time she saw him. She cursed herself for being so stupid, this was not a being to fuck around with. Eric's face softened briefly before his lips formed a roguish grin. The Sheriff reached into the briefcase, pulled out a pen and began writing his remarks into a bulleted list to keep track of the proposed contract amendments.
"You can keep your car keys and drive yourself. You will have two vacation days a month … although they can't be used on show nights. More vacation time will be subject to my approval. However." Eric then started a new column of notes. "You will pay for your own transportation expenses. And Vincenzo will drive you to and from shows. We can't risk you getting a DUI." Grace crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance but remained silent. "You will have a tail wherever you go, for your protection. If you leave my area, I need to know about it."
Grace stewed at his new amendments. He gave her more freedom, yes, but not the amount she wanted. The singer didn't like being under the Sheriff's thumb 24/7. Eric must have sensed this because he wrote down another note in the first column he made.
"I will throw in an additional one hundred thousand dollar signing bonus. Paid in full once you complete your signature. That is my final offer."
Grace's eyes popped out of her skull. Now, that was freedom. The amount of money he was offering would be life changing, allowing her to pay down her larger debts and start saving for the first time in her life. Maybe even buy a house if she invested it right. And with the terms he'd specified, she could take the money, rip up the contract a week later triggering the termination clause and still keep all of it.
"Well?" Eric tested.
Grace gulped, looked down at the stack of paper and then back to his covetous expression. After all the time she'd spent questioning if this life was for her, things suddenly became clear. She couldn't leave this offer on the table. Yes, the payout was enormous and the perks were considerable. She'd be set financially. But after performing at Fangtasia and finding a new deep dark part of herself, Grace couldn't imagine going back to her old life of road tripping around the country to find the next gig. Or even following through with her threat and seeing if she could land a job with King. She'd evolved into someone new on that cabaret stage, someone worth it and she wasn't about to give that up. Maybe this wouldn't always be her crowd, but right now, it was the best shot she had at discovering what was really going on with her. Fangtasia's limelight felt like home.
Eric daringly raised his eyebrows, still waiting. And that's when she knew as much as she hated to admit it, Eric was another reason she wanted to stay. He was dangerous, but offered her a form of stability that she'd never felt in her entire life during a time when she knew fuck all about what was going on with her new abilities. He was a powerful ally, although one she had to be wary of. But Grace also knew that against her better judgment, she still found him insanely attractive. Even though he frustrated the hell out of her, the singer felt his arousal last night and couldn't help but want more. She needed to feel him inside her, dammit.
"Alright, we have a deal," Grace finally answered. "Finalize the amendments and I'll sign." Eric's smirk returned, even bigger.
"It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Williams," he flattered. "Vincenzo will arrive in a few hours with the final copy." And with that, Eric nodded his head in respect, put the older version back into his briefcase and sped out of the house to attend to other matters.
Grace puffed air through her lips and flopped back onto the couch to release the tension in the room. Fuck, Eric had a hold on her. She took a deep breath to settle herself before absentmindedly staring out the glass slider doors; had she made the right decision or was it absolutely stupid to continue down this path? Suddenly, a small stray orange cat appeared and looked at her with pleading eyes. It paced in front of the door to get her attention. Grace laughed and shook her head to make sure what she saw was real. When it failed to leave, she got off the couch and opened the door to the backyard to step outside.
"Hello there little one!" Grace greeted, a full genuine smile on her face. She'd never had a pet before and the cat was being too damn cute as it mewed, hugged her legs and rubbed itself all over her feet. Grace bent over, gave it a few scratches and noticed that it was a young boy. The feline purred with satisfaction and she giggled and cooed. Eventually, the cat let out a few chirps and then sauntered off into the woods from where it came. Grace sighed contently and wandered back into the house, finally feeling her hangover-induced grumpiness starting to lift now that she'd made her choice and a new friend. She laid on one of the couches to drink the rest of her Pedialyte and accidentally fell asleep again.
"Here, Bert! Here, kitty kitty!"
The orange cat popped its head out of the tall grass and chirped. Grace smiled and poured a portion of cat food into an outdoor bowl; she eventually drove into town one day to grab some after the cat continued to show up at her residence every day. It didn't appear to have an owner, so she felt responsible for its well being after caring for it over the past few weeks. She didn't know why the name Bert had popped into her head, but it stuck. Bert Bert, Bertikins, Bert-a-saurus-rex and Prince Bertram Fitzgerald the Third were now regular monikers for her new friend.
"I'll be back in the morning, you be good now," she laughed.
Bert inhaled his last bit of food and gave her a prolonged hugging session before returning to the tall grass. Grace beamed as she went back inside and finished packing her stuff for the evening. Vincenzo arrived thirty minutes later and opened the door to his Escalade to help her in, just like he always did. Grace awkwardly accepted his hand and stepped into the back of the SUV; he sped around to the front, hopped into the driver's seat, started the car and drove them towards Fangtasia.
It was Grace's first night back and although she felt nervous, it was easily eclipsed by her excitement. Things would be bigger and better. Louis had remodeled the band now that they had a steadier stream of income that could support more resources. He replaced Dallas with a vampire named Jin, who was a prodigy on the stand-up bass. Mercedes and Juancito were out and instead, the band leader secured three top women to form a new horn section with a saxophone, trumpet and trombone. Samira, Imani and Ana all shared the same maker, who collected talent from every continent to star in his grueling production; he plucked them from an Indian neighborhood of London, a central section of Detroit and a favela in Rio de Janeiro. He worked them into the ground but eventually met the true death after cheating the Queen of Quebec in 1994. The three vampire sisters decided to stick together after their shared trauma and were happy to oblige Louis' offer after Fangtasia promised them an absurd amount of money. But damn, they were worth every penny. They took the band's sound to another level.
"We're here, Miss," Vincenzo said softly. Grace blinked a few times and found herself outside Fangtasia, faster than expected. Her bodyguard opened the door for her again and she suppressed rolling her eyes at his old fashioned manners before stepping out into the early November air. It was thankfully starting to cool down, but it was still the South after all, so the temperature was naturally in the high 60s.
Grace took the side door to the main green room and gave the other band members hugs before entering her private dressing room to get ready. Pam had laid out her outfit for the evening; she decided that Grace would exclusively wear black dresses for each of her performances. Tonight's number was a vintage Givenchy silk strapless gown with feathers sewn onto the edges and matching sheer long-sleeve gloves. The nipped waist showed off her hourglass shape and Fangtasia's new hair and makeup crew matched the classic style with cat eye makeup, red lipstick and a high half-up ponytail with loose curls underneath.
Grace caught her reflection in the mirror after the two image artists left her room. She looked sexy and expensive, which would be further amplified after she put on the stunning diamond necklace Pam had left next to her dress. But the singer also noticed the anxious look on her face. It wasn't too late to back out, a small voice cautioned. She could still walk away with the signing bonus and find something safer. Maybe the otherworldly feeling would go away on its own if she left this town. It didn't have to be like this. Her low self-esteem piled on. Besides, she wasn't that attractive. After all, her dress was a reconstruction since Givenchy wouldn't dare to make something in her size in those days.
But Grace growled and reached for the full whiskey bottle on the table next to her. She poured it down her throat and gasped to clear the sharp taste of alcohol out of her mouth. No, Grace wasn't going to back out. She wanted this. She needed this. And she was sensuous. Her resolve hardened as soon as she stepped onto the stage and the crowd roared with approval. The familiar devil-may-care feeling swelled alongside the alcohol and pushed away her earlier doubts. She flicked some of her hair over her shoulder, her confident Gigi persona bursting forth.
"Well, well," Grace purred. "It sounds like you missed me!" The audience cheered and whistled. "Oh, how I missed you too!"
Yes, she yearned for their approval again and the high that went along with it. She'd been looking forward to this all October during practice sessions. But her eyes immediately glanced toward the dais across the room; oh, how she missed Eric too. Grace hadn't seen him since signing the extended contract and he'd never left her thoughts. She couldn't help but seek him out. He looked absolutely tempting in his black pants and deep v-neck shirt, but it was his hungry stare that truly ignited a heat between her legs. He was paying attention to her this time alright. She licked her lips seductively, glanced around the room to play it off in front of everyone else and put a hand to her hip.
"Now, a few of you may know this about me, but I'm kind of an evil gal …"
Grace launched into her introductory number, which she and Louis decided to keep after being able to do it in Aretha's style. But the rest of the setlist was brand new; in fact, she'd specifically asked to drop I Put a Spell on You after what had happened last time. The female horn section ignited and kicked off the next song, which bled into a few fast numbers followed by Louis singing Strangers in the Night by Frank Sinatra. The crowd roared after Grace took over. She ran a hand over her collarbone and toyed with her neckline, which elicited growls from the vampire audience members, including Eric. It fed her ravenous appetite and she reveled in the corresponding high. Yet, as the electric feeling rippled throughout Grace's body, she made sure not to let it overwhelm her. She didn't want anyone's fangs to be ripped out; she'd learned her lesson from last time. Restraint would be key. But damn, being the center of attention felt delicious.
"Alright now, we have an opportunity for someone special tonight," Louis cut in, bringing her attention back to earth. It was time for their main attraction of the evening before the closing numbers. "I know y'all are big spenders, those front tables aren't cheap. Ha! And Gigi here told me someone caught her eye. Gigi, darling, who is he?"
Grace played along and coyly tapped a finger against her cheek as she pouted and searched for the guest of honor; she and Louis had schemed before the show and scouted the seating chart to find their target. They chose a human named Leon Gartner, a notorious gambler who frequented the casinos on the other side of town and dropped money like it was nothing. It was a big deal that they'd got him to show up; Fangtasia would be rolling in it if he became a regular and brought his friends. And so, Grace descended into the audience and stopped right in front of him, the spotlight still on her.
"Won't you come with me, Sir?" she asked with a flirtatious look. "And bring your chair." The crowd guffawed and whistled; Leon playfully raised his brows and quickly got up to follow her. The singer motioned for her guest to place his chair at the center of the stage and she draped an arm over his shoulder. He grinned, thoroughly enjoying the fact that the woman everyone was lusting after currently only had eyes for him.
It was then that Grace decided to push her luck and give in to her greed. Things hadn't gotten out of hand that night - she'd been moderating her energetic indulgence rather well - but maybe she could influence Leon to fill their coffers. And if some of the energy spilled over like it did with Dallas, that wouldn't be too bad now would it? It would just make patrons buy more things. More money for Fangtasia made for happy bosses. No one would get hurt and she'd be on top of the world again.
The opening beats began; she decided she'd been a good girl for long enough that night. Grace swished her hips and held the microphone to her lips, staring Leon down and doing her best to bend him to her will.
The minute you walked in the joint
I could see you were a man of distinction, a real big spender
Good looking, so refined
Say, wouldn't you like to know what's going on in my mind?
Grace slowly twirled and dared to look over at Eric, whose face was dark with need. Good. She liked making him squirm, just like he was doing to her.
So let me get right to the point
I don't pop my cork for every guy I see
Hey big spender!
Spend a little time with me
She flirted with Leon for the rest of the song as she circled him, caressed his brown skin with her fingers and played off their interactions to the crowd for a larger approval. The rest of the band blasted their final notes and she giggled in her target's ear before pulling away and curtsying for the cheering audience. When she turned back to Leon, he held out his entire wallet to her as an offering.
"Oh!" Grace tittered, reveling in her success. She felt crazed and superhuman. "Oh honey, I'm not that kind of girl. And if I was, you still couldn't afford me. But say, why don't you come to our next show and spend some more time with me?"
"Yes ma'am," Leon nodded dreamily with dilated pupils. The humans at Leon's table howled in approval.
"You know, I could actually take a drink," Grace continued. She fixated on his eyes. "Why don't you buy me and everyone here a round?" Leon opened his wallet and pulled out his black American Express card.
"Make it two."
Fangtasia burst into pandemonium and the bar staff quickly capitalized on the moment after she passed his credit card to a server. Louis thanked Leon and Grace preened, running her fingers through her curls as he returned his chair to his table. The band finished the last few songs for the night and took their curtain calls; Grace said an extravagant goodbye before dancing off stage to the main green room. Her two drinks from Leon were waiting on one of the tables and she shrieked in excitement.
"Girl," Imani sassed. "You toyed with that man."
"Did she ever," Ana agreed.
"I loved it," Samira laughed.
"Oooooeeee!" André cheered. "He's definitely coming back now!"
"Definitely," Jin added.
Louis, however, was the only one who wasn't celebrating. He sipped his bagged blood slowly, suspiciously keeping his eyes on Grace the whole time. She paid him no mind and threw back her first whiskey, quickly followed by the second. She closed her eyes and savored the addicting electric feeling pulsing up her spine. As the rest of the band lived up their first performance together, Grace went to her dressing room to change. She loved her outfit, but the strapless top had fallen dangerously low a few times. The singer started slowly taking off her gloves when there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," she called.
The door opened to reveal Eric standing on the other side. Grace's heart began to race. He entered her private room and closed the door behind him. The darkness inside her basked in his presence; she immediately felt the need for a sheet clenching, back arching, deep stroking kind of fuck.
"Yes?" she asked with an arched brow.
"The crowd loved your performance tonight," he began, casually walking towards her. "Especially Mr. Gartner." There was a mischievous expression on his face.
"You're welcome by the way," she threw in his face. "I should have asked for a cut of the show profits as part of the contract."
"Hindsight is 20/20," Eric smirked. A silence hung between them and Grace crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance. Was he going to bed her or just toy with her? The vampire glanced at her propped-up cleavage and she hoped it was the first one.
"Why are you here?"
"I have a gift for you." He slyly reached into his pocket and pulled out a car key. He threw it in her direction and Grace caught it easily. Upon closer inspection, she saw the key had a Porsche logo.
"What's this?"
"Your new car, Miss Williams."
"New car?" Her surprise pushed aside her devilish energy.
"You may not have a percentage of the profits, but that doesn't mean I can't show my appreciation for how much money you've made us," Eric leered. "We wouldn't want you to leave." His eyes roamed over her body, stopping again at her cleavage and increasing the need between her legs. She wished he would appreciate her another way without clothes on.
"This car of yours comes with strings," she tested. It didn't matter that he'd appealed to her freedom with his gift. "I pay for transportation expenses, remember? I'm assuming this has higher insurance rates and premium gas requirements."
"I'll cover it."
"Write that into the contract. You don't get to weasel out of this."
"Done."
Another silence; Eric devoured her with his eyes and Grace's blood raced, her mind turning over and over, imagining the naughty things they could do together. God, she hated waiting. Yet he again rebuffed her, much to her disappointment.
"Goodnight, Miss Williams."
"Wait!" she interrupted as he turned to leave. She had to know. "Did you like it? My performance?" Eric smirked, leaving her a bit weak in the knees.
"Oh yes," he murmured. "You showed me your true talent."
Grace's heart stopped. Oh shit, oh shit. That was not a flippant remark; did he know about her new powers? Had she been too obvious? Was he going to trigger the termination cause? No, he just said he wanted to keep her around …
"And what is my talent?" she dared.
"You're an artist. You make people feel things," Eric responded. Grace wanted to keep digging into what he knew - something about his statement told her he observed more than that - but he bid her another quick goodnight and raced out of the room, leaving her alone.
Grace initially felt shocked, but her anger quickly rose as she reached for the whiskey bottle again. She raised the glass to her lips but stopped just before the liquid entered her mouth. The singer knew it was a bad idea to drink her feelings away, but she needed something to distract her from the fact that she was falling hook, line and sinker for the vampire, who now apparently knew too much. It was a dangerous feeling - extending her heart out when she'd been rejected so much in her life - and she felt like she was drowning. But she couldn't help her attraction to him, she just wished he'd fully reciprocate and put her out of her misery. The car was nice, but not enough.
Grace finally finished the motion, took a long swig from the bottle and anticipated a giant hangover as she slipped out of her dress. Hopefully Vincenzo would be nice again and leave her more Pedialyte.
Author's note: JUST KIDDING, I had more time over the holidays than I expected and finished this chapter early. The next one will likely be out at the end of Jan now.
OK SO what do you think Grace is? She's still in her 'wtf is going on, I don't know if I fully like it, oh wait yes I do' phase, but I want to hear your guesses. Please review!
Also shoutout to mama_sin for tuning me onto Ivy Levan! This chapter was also brought to you by deep house, dark bass, electro swing and Postmodern Jukebox. If that's up your alley, I'd happily share my Spotify soundtrack/inspiration playlist for this fic!
