Catalyst Ch. 11

Chapter Eleven: Family

Eric’s POV

“What the hell have you done, Eric?” my Maker snarls at me as soon as I am through the door. “To your knees!” he commands, and my legs fold without my consent. Godric’s hand is in my hair, he is towering above me, his eyes are locked upon mine, and my link with him suddenly fills with terror and concern. “What have you done?” he asks me again, his eyes searching.

Maintaining our gaze, I tell him the truth, “I fell in love with a human girl.”

Godric releases my hair and takes several steps away. I am still forced to remain on my knees before him, and I settle my palms onto my thighs while I await calmly to ease his anxiety. I already believe myself aware of what has prompted my Maker to abruptly arrive at my home, my brush with dawn only four evenings ago. It would seem this was the earliest he could come to me since Christmas morning. This is why I could not allow Pam to follow. Despite how she cares for Sookie, she cannot know yet that I let myself be caught by daybreak because of her.

“You seared yourself by the sun for a human?” He looks disbelieving.

I tell Godric then of how I met Sookie and her brother. I tell him everything I know about the siblings, how I enjoy both their company, and my desire to help and protect them. I explain how his idiotic Empathy Bootcamp actually managed to achieve his goal in far greater a way than even he could have anticipated.

“Love,” Godric whispers reverently. “To think you would find it before me?” I can only nod. “Oh,” he looks at me in surprise, “you may stand.”

My legs finally return to my control and I rise fluidly from the floor. It is not uncomfortable to kneel on hardwood floors for a vampire, but… Shit, Pam is still outside!

“Pam, come inside,” I call for her, breaking my command at last.

“Here I thought I pissed you off enough about cutting your pubes that you were just going to fry me,” she grouches, throwing her purse on to the sofa.

Godric raises his eyebrows at me. “I seem to have missed something,” he murmurs.

“Eric agreed to let me thin out his forest!” Pam cackles at my expense.

“I see,” Godric frowns, but then merely shakes his head in defeat. “I would greatly wish to meet your Sookie, Eric,” he tells me after recovering from Pam’s exuberance at taming my pubic hair.

“Oh! Wait until you see the way he kisses her!” my Child tries to embarrass me by telling Godric of attempts at innocent kisses.

My Maker does not help the situation by laughing right alongside her. All I can do is shake my head. Masters of seduction know how to play at every level of experience. It is not my fault that women have become much less virtuous about dropping their panties with every decade. Also, the last time I bedded a woman still in her teens was, well, Pam. Since that time, I have found myself more interested in women in their mid-twenties to late-thirties. Far more adventurous, far less shy, all still limber.

Pam was definitely a diamond in the rough; a miracle to find in the time of her mortality, brazen, cocky, adventurous, beautiful, and mischievous. I had followed her for several evenings, charmed by the way she seemed to openly defy the roles of her gender. She could act the role of the lady when it suited her, then lithely expose her devilish charms. Pam had captivated me with amusement and intrigue from the moment I witnessed her seduce a woman out of her own husband’s lap. It was then that I realized I had found not only my partner in crime, but my nemesis in the bedroom as well. Competition, as it were. We shared many lovers, competing over who could bring them more pleasure.

However, what had made her so appealing to me was also the thing that forced my hand in transforming her so abruptly. Pam had effectively seduced several wives of prominent men. Rather than humiliate themselves in admitting that Pam was far better at having pleased their own wives than they were, the men decided to publicly humiliate my Pam.

They ambushed her in a lover’s apartment, and I was forced to turn her. She was brutally assaulted and raped. When I came upon her broken, violated body, I did not ask questions. I did not need more answers than the odors pouring from her orifices, marks left on her body, and the state she was left in. As a creature who performed my own fair share of debauchery, both as a human and a vampire, not even I could recall a more thoroughly cruel incident than Pam’s. Her appearance still causes me to pause when I think of the brutality humans are capable of inflicting upon one another.

Bodily assault between vampires is much more relaxed for the simple reason that we will recover from our injuries. Hence, the reason truly despicable acts result in amputations or the pulling of fangs. Those are the only sufferings that the recipient is actually forced to experience, and then, allegedly, reflect on their wrongdoings. Fines? No vampire is ever hurting for money. Incarceration? It is performed with silver-wrapped coffins, though rarely, we often forget to dig the poor bastard back up. Which reminds me… Did we ever unearth Theo? This is the year two-thousand… Was that a fifteen or twenty-year sentence…? Fuck, were we supposed to let him out in ’97!?

“Pam,” I startle my Child away from her discussion with Godric, “remind me that we may need to dig up Theo tomorrow night. I have to check records to determine if he had a fifteen or twenty-year sentence.”

“Wasn’t it twenty-five?” Pam asks curiously, making me even more frustrated.

“Theo?” Godric follows us to the lightproof chamber beneath the farmhouse. “Oh, was that the one who tried to sneak into the ruins of Elfyria?”

“Yes,” I nod, “back in 1982. It was a very big deal to the Pantheon.”

“Ah, yes, now I remember,” Godric nods. “That was always a curious circumstance to me. It is uncommon for the Pantheon to allow direct interference with the land of mortals. Yet, there had to have been some sort of errand boy with the power to open the Gate of Elfyria. I cannot blame Theo for trying to acquire remnants of magical items from the Old Kingdom when such an opportunity arose. Was he buried rather than ended because the Pantheon refused to disclose the errand boy’s mission?”

I nod, “Yes. Without disclosure of why the Gate was opened in the first place with no warning, we refused to end him.”

“Poor Youngling,” Godric shakes his head at Theo’s miscalculated action. “I cannot say that I would not have been tempted myself if I had been there when the Gate opened.”

“Nothing there is worth shit anymore,” I disagree. “Any magic within Elfyria is now toxic, and bringing artifacts back to this realm could result in apocalyptic consequences.” It was also the reason I bought the Stackhouses’ former home. The ‘gate’ Theo had attempted to cross is hidden in the graveyard in the valley beneath the hill. After the house was sent to auction I told my dayman to acquire it at any price. I needed to put myself in a position to protect the Gate in the event another “errand boy” brought about further temptations in my Area.

We discuss and hypothesize about why the Gate was opened all those years ago, but neither of us can conclude around the matter. Whatever job had been set into motion has not yet effected this world, but all of we Supernaturals are convinced that it must be something very big. After all, for the Pantheon themselves to ordain the opening of the Gate to the Fallen Kingdom, there must be some sort of prophecy in play. The looming silence of the Ancient Pythoness has only increased the anticipation surrounding the mystery’s climax.

“Will you introduce me to your Sookie tomorrow, Eric?” Godric asks as we settle in to die for the day. Pam lost her animation shortly before we began discussing the possible reasons for the Gate’s opening.

“Yes, Master… Perhaps you should introduce yourself as my and Pam’s brother from Texas. I told Stackhouse only earlier this evening that I would tell him no more lies or half-truths,” I explain.

“Yes, of course… Then it is your intention to tell not only your Sookie of our nature, but her brother as well?”

“Yes, with the reveal only a grain of sand away, it would be an unnecessary strain to put between them if I did not tell him as well. Besides, I have a feeling that if I plan to keep Sookie, her brother comes as part of a packaged deal,” I laugh.

“You do not seem bothered by that,” Godric points out.

“I am not.”

“Raising two progenies at the same time can be difficult, especially siblings. You remember the problems Sophie-Anne had with the Berts? If her passive gift did not instill unyielding loyalty from her creations, she would not have been able to handle them,” Godric warns me.

“I understand that, but I do not intend to make Sookie into a normal progeny.”

Godric’s eyebrows rise, “You will create a Bonded Mate?”

“It is my hope, but not one I wish to act upon until she is older, perhaps after the Great Revelation,” I whisper. “I want her to preserve her sweet and kind nature. As a Bonded Mate, she would never wish to leave my side, and I could protect her from the more… altering experiences of immortality. There is also the possibility that Pam might wish to turn the brother herself. She has been considering the idea for several nights now.”

“I see… Well, I am even more intrigued about meeting these children now!” Godric laughs. “They have certainly moved both you and your Child.”

“Yes,” I agree. “They are people you cannot help but wish to be around.”

Godric’s POV:

I know the instant that Sookie Stackhouse opens the door that she is special.

She is unsurprised to find three individuals at her door, and takes us all off guard by asking, “Oh! Is this your younger brother?”

“Yes,” I reach out my hand, taking hers, “I am Godric.”

“I can see the resemblance,” she laughs.

I hide a frown as she welcomes us into the condo. There is not an ounce of resemblance between me, Eric, and Pam. Although both Eric and Pam have blond hair and blue eyes, those are where the likenesses end. There is not a shared trait in their facial structures nor frames. I would have been an adopted child between the two of them.

Her brother comes to the entryway and greets us warmly, “Wow, I didn’t know ya had another sibling.”

Jason shakes my hand as well. It makes me wonder if he could have possibly heard Sookie greeting us from so far away.

“I am Godric,” I tell him.

“Cool. I’m Jason, and this is Sookie. I’m sure Eric told ya our names before ya came, though,” he laughs and scratches his head, looking embarrassed for stating the obvious. “So, you live in Texas? That’s where Eric said your dad lives.”

Again, I am forced to suppress my facial expressions. Eric had obviously been referring to me as his father at the time, but there is no point in divulging that now, not with Eric intent on exposing our nature to these siblings.

“Yes, I reside in Dallas,” I tell him.

“I had a scholarship offer in Dallas,” Jason tells me, “but I wanted to stay near home.”

“Did you grow up in Shreveport?” I ask him as we all collect in the living room.

“’Bout thirty miles south of here. Actually, if you’ve been to Eric’s house, that was where Sooks and I grew up, well, sort of.” When I give him a quizzical look, he tells me about his parents and grandmother.

“So, you have taken on the responsibility of supporting and raising your younger sister these past three years? That was very honorable of you,” I compliment him.

Sookie squeezes her brother’s hand and smiles at him sweetly. It is good to see a grateful sister. Eric elaborates further on the conditions in which they were living before he assisted them.

“Guess that blows your whole ‘honor’ comment out of the water,” Jason mumbles with a blush.

“On the contrary,” I shake my head. “I believe that the world should be one where those who struggle, but endeavor for improvement, be rewarded. Unfortunately, that is rarely the case. I am glad that my brother actually accomplished this for someone as deserving as the two of you.”

The sister is staring at me. I can see the cogs turning in her head. She is looking between the three of us as if we are each under a microscope. She squeezes Jason’s hand again and he gives her a curious look. Sookie is suspicious of something, and she does not know how to respond.

“Is something on your mind, Sookie?” I ask gently, trying to prod at a revealing response.

“N-no,” she stammers, caught off guard. “I just… Well, that sounds like what Eric said your father’s ideals are. I guess I find it peculiar how strongly you parallel your father, and how strongly Eric originally fought against his ideals. A lot of the time it’s the oldest sibling who holds up family ideology while the younger siblings branch off into their own passions.”

“A keen observation,” I nod, intrigued by her deductive skills. “Are you planning to major in psychology when you attend college next year?”

“No. I want to teach English,” she admits.

“Pity, you could be very impressive in psychology and sociology,” I tell her.

Sookie shrugs, looking embarrassed, “I’ve always been good at teachin’ and I love books, so I thought teachin’ English would be the right way to go…” She looks at her brother, back to us, frowns and says, “Jason wants to teach history.”

“Is that right?” I laugh. Oh, the things we could school that child on.

“Yeah,” Jason nods. “I’m real interested in ancient and medieval history. I’m a real Civil War buff though, bein’ from the South. Really, I just love it all.”

Sookie is still staring at us with her microscopic gaze. Finally, her frown turns bemused. “Why don’t you tell them about the Western Roman Empire, Jason?” Sookie suggests, staring at me. I raise my eyebrows at her, surprisingly close to pinpointing my vampire origin. Eric’s posture tightens beside me and I see out of the corner of my eye that Pam has stopped breathing. “What the heck is goin’ on?” she demands in a crisp whisper.

“I think that is my question, Ms. Stackhouse,” I lean forward as my Child and his progeny remain still.

“Sooks,” Jason places his hand on his sister’s shoulder. “Listen, Eric ain’t ready for us to know what their deal is. Just stop. You know what it’s like to not tell someone somethin’ too soon.”

Her body visibly relaxes, her expression turning apologetic, “Sorry, you three are super frustratin’ for me sometimes. I didn’t mean to be so rude.”

“It is all right,” I tell her with a shrug. “It is apparent that you are quite sensitive to your surroundings. I apologize that our presence seems to put you on edge.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Sookie looks at my Child with a pleading demeanor. “I’m just not someone who is easily kept in the dark. With you three, I feel like I’m in perpetual night.”

I do believe all three of us must steel our resolves to not respond to that remark. I, personally, want to laugh delightedly. Oh, I like this girl! She is sharp, but pleasantly so. Though she does leave me disarmed, it does not feel aggressively done.

After our bout with subterfuge, our conversation elevates to a more enjoyable cadence. The Stackhouses are charming, humble, generous, and perfect hosts. If I could, I would have indulged in their offers of food and drink. It is almost painful to deny their hospitality as it is so politely and enthusiastically offered. Their manners are natural and artfully ingrained in them. Absolutely delightful.

We do talk of history during part of our visit. Stackhouse is amusingly bright on the subject. There is obvious passion within him on the subject. My bloodline and I trickle enticing details from our recollections of different time periods, and Stackhouse is almost on the edge of his seat during the conversation. Sookie politely hides her increasing disinterest during the conversation, but I sense that it has very little to do with a genuine lack of interest. It is more plausible to me that she is conflicted about her earlier, not quite, accusation. The cogs are still grinding in her head, and I can practically see the struggle of restraining her tongue.

Eventually Eric distracts Ms. Stackhouse with an outreached hand, asking if she wished to go on a walk with him. She blushes prettily, which makes me smile. Yes, she is very sweet. Very innocent. Jason seems almost hesitant to let them leave, but judging by his easy conversation with Eric, I am left to believe it is merely the instinct of a protective older brother.

Eric and Sookie return a half hour later. Her cheeks are still rosy, and her lips partially swollen. Despite her frustrations, it is apparent that her interest in Eric outweighs her uncertainties.

When it is going on midnight, Eric, Pam and I bid them good night and head back to Eric’s residence at the old farmhouse.

“Infectious, aren’t they?” Pam chuckles along the drive.

“They are admittedly easy to enjoy the company of,” I acknowledge. “I enjoyed my time here greatly. It will be a shame that I must depart shortly after we return.”

“You are leaving already?” Eric asks in surprise.

“As a fellow Sheriff, you should know that I cannot be out of my Area for very long, especially not so impulsively,” I point out to him.

“Yes, of course, Master,” Eric sighs with understanding. “I do have my own issues to oversee. Another trip to Baton Rouge. I do not know why François cannot handle his own uprisings and the Queen is prodding me to take action for him.”

“Please,” Pam grumbles, “half of the bayou vampires have several centuries on François. They would tear him apart.”

“Then he should not have been appointed Sheriff,” Eric snarls. “I should just purge the entire swamp and be done with it. I am tired of being dragged to those pits every few months.”

“Perhaps you should annihilate the entire populace,” Pam shrugs, making me growl under my breath. “It was a joke, Master Godric,” she assures me, tempering my ire while making Eric laugh. Pam’s humor often leaves me in a state of concern. By the time I interpret her jokes through Eric, I have usually assumed the worst. No one can make a joke with a straight face like Eric’s Pam.

I spend very little time at the farmhouse once we arrive. Eric must leave for Baton Rouge, which means that Pam is going to perform his duties as Sheriff. With my bloodline busy with work, I bid them good evening and ascend for my solo flight back to Dallas.

I close off my Link to Eric as I begin my journey home. Deep inside, all evening, I have felt this creeping, devouring surge of envy growing within me. At first, it was merely that of someone who is lonely and perhaps feeling slighted by time. As I am twice Eric’s age, I find it disheartening and childishly unfair that he should fall in love and experience this change that I have sought and longed many centuries for.

Then an ugly resentment formed from that envy as I realized the only reason he met Ms. Stackhouse in the first place was because I had ordered him to do so.

Why then is it he who reaps the rewards of a lifestyle I forced him to adopt when I have been left alone and wanting so long, when he was still content to be a vicious creature of night? I detest these feelings and try to banish them, but to my shame they remain. Juvenile frustration of ‘why not me’ shakes its fist, demanding fairness.

Perhaps that is the problem. Perhaps after all of these centuries, these past two millennia, I am still the abused, resenting wraith of my fledgling age. Is it possible that Eric is more emotionally mature than me? Is it possible that in my efforts to create more emotional connections with humans, I have mistaken quantity for quality? Have I been trying too hard these past fifty years? Or is it that my efforts are single-minded? I am searching, therefore, never finding. Eric was not searching for some grand love; he was fulfilling his orders. In doing so, he found something much more fulfilling than pleasing his Maker.

As I psychoanalyze myself, I find that my envy and resentment is abating. I feel ashamed that it flared in the first place, but I resign myself to the fact that even at two thousand years old, I am still the adolescent of my mortality. Wise, worldly, but still desperate for affection.

After two thousand years, Godric, perhaps it is time to grow up…

Sookie’s POV:

Another day of TV and checkers, good food and good conversation. Jason’s movin’ a lot easier today, wincing only once and awhile. Every day he seems to heal more, and that’s a huge relief to see.

We talk a lot about our evenin’ with Eric, Pam, and Godric throughout the day. It’s obvious there’s somethin’ very strange goin’ on with the three of them. When I’d opened the door, I’d already figured it must’ve been a third family member who filled the space of an extra blank mind. Automatically I’d assumed he was their younger brother, but while we were all hangin’ out, the lack of family resemblance was glaringly obvious.

Godric was like sore thumb next to Eric and Pam. He looked nothing like them at all. Once I realized there was no family resemblance, it pulled back the blinders that Eric and Pam’s hair and eyes had obscured the rest of their features. Blond and blue eyed, and that’s where any similarities ended. I could have ignored that the shade of their blond was different, so is mine and Jason’s. Their eyes, though, are nothing alike. Completely different shapes, completely different shades. Eric’s eyes are more of an oceanic blue; deep, calm. Pam’s are more like ice; crisp, unrelenting. The only likenesses they shared were expressions, but that’s just somethin’ that can happen from spendin’ so much time together.

I might not have thought too much about the fact they all looked so different. After all, adoption is common enough. It was their minds, though. What would be the odds of someone adopting three kids that just so happened to be immune to my telepathy? If it’s not genetics that created the anomaly, then it’s somethin’ else. Somethin’ all three share other than DNA.

Not for the first time I find myself dwelling on the very unusual, but strangely blatant formula. Only out at night, sleep all day, never eat, never drink, cool to the touch, history buffs, immune to my telepathy…

“Jason,” I lean in, whispering, “do you ever wonder if maybe Eric, Pam, and Godric are…”

Jason stares at me, waiting for me to finish, but when I don’t finish my theory, he sighs and shakes his head. “I think it’s obvious that they’re more like you than we know. I don’t know what that means,” he confesses. “But if you are possible, does that mean anything is impossible?”

I nod in agreement, “I guess that’s true.”

“The real question is, does it matter?” he points out.

“I guess that’s true, too,” I frown, leanin’ my chin into my hand.

“So, what’s the answer?” Jason asks me.

“What’s your answer?” I challenge him.

Jason shrugs his right shoulder, conscious of the injury still restrictin’ the left one, “It doesn’t matter either way to me,” he confesses. “It’s obvious to me that Eric cares about you on a real level. That’s all that matters in my book. If he’s gonna care about ya and take care of ya the right way, then I don’t care what he is. ‘Cause, Sooks, we weren’t raised to care what someone is, only who they are.” I smile at my brother’s ideology. It’s so simple, so Jason. “So, now, what’s your answer?”

“I think you gave me it,” I tell him. “I care about Eric a lot and no matter what he is, that isn’t gonna change. I guess part of me is a little scared though,” I confess.

“What about?” Jason jumps several of my red checkers and I groan. He always kicks my butt at checkers. I play with my hair nervously. Is this somethin’ you talk about with your older brother? “Is it the whole relationship thing?”

I bow my head, mumblin’, “Yeah.”

“Okay, I’ll bite. What about the relationship scares ya?”

I move my checker, protecting my back row, making Jason sneer. “Umm,” I pause, tryin’ to think of how to phrase this without makin’ Jason fly off the handle, “I guess I just don’t know what it is I’m s’pose to be doin’. Y’know, how do you date? Like, is it all just talkin’ and goin’ out for coffee? Stuff like that? Is that datin’?”

Jason does his one-armed shrug again, “Sure, in the beginning that’s datin’. Really, that’s just the interview phase of a relationship. You get to know each other, learn habits and personality, shit like that. Then you kinda just figure if you want to be in a relationship with them.”

“What if I already know that I do?” I ask him, moaning when Jason takes two more of my pieces. I’m down to three.

“Well,” Jason looks super uncomfortable, “that’s when things move along to things I really don’t wanna think about you doing.”

“What if I don’t want to do that stuff yet?” I chip at his defense, earning another of his pieces, but his next move kings him.

Relief washes over his face, “Then ya just sit back and enjoy the coffee and movies and shit. I mean, you enjoy doing that stuff with him, right? Just being around him?”

“Yeah, a lot,” I admit.

“Then just do that,” I am quickly defeated on the board, so I start putting away the game. “Listen, Sooks, I won’t pretend I’m some kinda expert dater. I really ain’t focused on it much. It’s not my scene right now, but if you wanna be around Eric all the time, hangin’, going out, and just doing what you’re doing, that’s perfectly fine. No one says ya gotta move at any pace but your own.”

“I guess,” I mumble. “You want lunch?”

Jason nods, “Yeah, sure.”

I get up and head to the kitchen, makin’ us some grilled cheese and slicin’ some apples to have with them. Jason comes to sit at the breakfast bar while I prepare our lunch. I can tell he still wants to talk.

“What?” I frown while he keeps sittin’ there, not sayin’ anything.

Another half shrug. “You know, you and I haven’t really had a talk about boys.”

My face reddens, I can feel it. “Jason, I took sex ed,” I tell him shyly.

“Nah, I mean about pressures and stuff,” he explains.

“I thought we agreed that neither of us thought Eric would pressure me into anythin’,” I frown. Jason nods that he agrees. “So, what kinda pressure are you talking about?”

“Well,” Jason scratches his head nervously as I go to put a pan on the stove. “I just know that sometimes girls get it in their heads they have to do things without no one puttin’ the thought in there. I’m not gonna lie and say boys don’t take advantage of that. I guess I just want you to be sure about everything. Sure about your decisions, and knowin’ the difference between wantin’ something and thinkin’ ya want something.”

“I think I know my own head,” I tell him with raised eyebrows.

“Do you?” Jason demands. At my curious look, he explains, “Listen, sometimes things get heated up, and you could end up going further than you thought you would. I just want you to tell yourself over and over, starting now that you can say ‘stop’ any time you want, even if it’s just long enough to re-center yourself and figure out if you’re gettin’ caught up.”

I play with the butter knife worriedly, “But, isn’t that rude? Stop and go all the time?”

Jason rolls his eyes at me, “And that, Baby Sis, is exactly what I mean about pressure. It’s your freakin’ body. You can say stop and go as much as you fuckin’ want, and he better respect that. He’s got the experience. You don’t. He should know you might get nervous, or scared, or just plain old confused. That’s on him to accept that you could give him a lotta stop and go. Got it?” I nod slightly, and he repeats, “Got it?”

“Yeah, Jason, I got it,” I mumble.

After we eat lunch, Jason and I get out of the condo for a while, goin’ for a short walk. Jason’s felt cooped up, but we only manage to walk a block and a half before his injuries make us turn around. I know he feels frustrated by how much the wounds are slowin’ him down, but I remind him that they will heal soon and he can start goin’ full throttle with his exercises again. Ever since we’ve spent so much time in the condo, I think we both have been gettin’ cabin fever. We’re just not accustomed to so much down time between work and school. Now we are on Christmas break for another five days and have neither work nor school to occupy us.

We’ve both taken to studying future coursework out of boredom, and I’m several chapters ahead in most of my classes. Jason’s been tutoring me on Calculus, attempting to prepare me for next semester, so I don’t struggle the entire time like I did first semester. I feel much more confident, but still nervous. Math has just never been somethin’ I’ve excelled at.

Around seven, I get a call from Eric, and I almost giggle when I see his name on the caller I.D. of my new cellphone. ‘The Boyfriend’.

“Hey, Boyfriend,” I answer my phone with an enthusiastic chirp.

“Hello, Sookie,” He sounds so sexy on the phone! “How are you this evening?”

“Good. Studying out of boredom,” I confess. “What are you up to?”

“I am in Baton Rouge on business, but will be back tomorrow evening,” he tells me. “I was wondering if you would like to go out when I return?”

“Sure! What time?” I ask.

“I should be in around seven or eight. I will call you when I arrive back in Shreveport.”

“Cool. What do you wanna do?” I flop onto my bed, kicking my feet in the air and staring up at my toes. My nails are startin’ to look a little crummy, and I wonder if I can freshen them up myself…

“Would you be interested in going to a movie?” he asks.

“If you want,” I can’t think of a single movie that’s out right now that I’d wanna see. Heck, I don’t even think I know what’s out right now.

“I can think of worse things than being trapped in a dark theater with you,” he teases me, making me blush at the implications.

“Hold on, let me check some listings,” I go out to the living room and grab the newspaper off the couch. Flippin’ to the entertainment section, I look and have to hold in a laugh as I head back to my bedroom. “How about ‘Dracula 2000’?”

There’s a very long silence over the phone before Eric talks. He sounds amused, “You did not strike me as a vampire enthusiast.”

I bite my lip, “Well, fangs are pretty sexy. Besides, it’ll be loud, and a lot of vampire movies are pretty low lighting. We weren’t actually plannin’ on watchin’ it, were we?” Yeah, Sooks, real subtle.

Another long pause follows my statement. I wonder if Eric’s considerin’ everything I just implied.

“I see. Well, I would not object if you had plans other than participating in the cinematic adventure. Would you also wish to grab dinner before the film?”

“Nah, I’ll eat at home with Jason,” I tell him. “If we catch an early enough movie, maybe we can stay out for a bit after and just hang out… Is Pam in Baton Rouge with you?” I ask.

“No, she is in Shreveport still.”

“Maybe you should see if she’s interested in gettin’ Jason outta the house for a bit. He’s super restless, but please tell her not to rock anymore vans with him? His injuries get irritated if he gets jostled too much.”

Eric actually bellows with laughter at my statement, “Oh, Sookie! That has to be the most brazen remark I have ever heard from you! I will tell her you said that. She will love it… Actually, Pam called not long ago and asked if I could convince you to go freshen up your manicures.”

I look at my toes and fingers again and frown. I had just been thinkin’ the same thing, and Pam might be just the person I need to talk to. “I don’t really need any convincin’. I like hangin’ out with Pam.”

“Great. I will call her back and let her know. Do you think you could be ready for her in fifteen minutes?”

“Sure. Talk to ya later, Eric.”

“Good night, Sookie.”

With that, Eric hangs up, and I quickly throw on a coat and slip on my chucks. Time for another girl’s night!

On to Chapter Twelve!