217Authors Note: I am editing my story, in hopes of curing my writers block. This story takes place after Sookie meets Bill's friends (Malcolm, Diane, and Liam.) Sookie has not asked for Bill to escort her to Fangtasia. I own no rights to any of the Characters. Anything Italicized is a thought.
I decided the only way to clear Jason's name was to find out who did murder Dawn and Maudette. Going to the vampire bar in Shreveport and asking around seemed to be a good start. I stood in front of my closet debating on what to wear. I have seen on TV what a lot of fangbangers wear to vampire bars, I had nothing that offered me hope of blending in, so I decided to wear what I felt good in.
"Sookie, supper is ready!" Gran called from the kitchen. I could smell her signature meatloaf; my mouth started watering. I closed my closet door and headed down the hall towards the kitchen. I set the table and poured sweet tea for both gran and myself.
"Thanks, Gran. It smells wonderful." We bowed our heads and said grace. I served myself after Gran had hers.
"I'm planning on going to a bar in Shreveport tonight. One both Maudette and Dawn were known to go to. I'm hoping to find something that will help clear Jason." Gran was one of the few people who admitted what I was telepathic.
"You are a good sister, Sookie." was all she said on the subject. After we finished our meal I washed the dishes as Gran dried and put them away.
I had decided at dinner what I was going to wear. I had a pair of low cut jeans that laced up the sides and a deep red shirt that clung to my curves. A small amount of my tanned stomach showed between the jeans and shirt. I wore a matching pair of red strappy heels. I painted my toe and finger nails and put on a small amount of makeup. Dressed and ready I left the house and headed to Shreveport.
The strip mall was closed for the night with the exception of the bar I was headed towards. 'Fangtasia' said a red neon sign. The outside looked like any other bar. I took a deep breath and headed to the entrance. There was a blonde woman, wearing a black dress that screamed 'dominatrix', standing next to the entrance. I knew she was a vampire by the way she glowed and the void that represented her silent brain.
"ID." She said as though she were bored.
"I hardly ever get carded anymore." I said as I handed her my drivers license. She looked up at me for the first time. She smiled at me showing fang.
"I can no longer tell human ages, and we must be very careful we serve no minors. In any capacity."
"Oh" I said lamely.
"Okay, Miss Stackhouse, have a nice time." She opened the door and allowed me to enter.
I looked around to take in my surroundings. There were red string lights dotting the already red walls. Every accent to the room; shelves, doors, trim and picture frames; were painted black. There were mini-stages dotting the floor, where dancers, both human and vampire, moved there bodies sensually, to the music. They even had a gift shop.
I walked to the bar to get a drink. I opened my mind to what people were thinking as I walked. All the thoughts were about sex. I put my mental shield as I reached the bar. Trying to listen with my telepathy and with my ears was the whole reason I was 'Crazy Sookie.'
A Native American vampire, with long black hair and several tribal tattoos, came to stand across from me. "What will it be, pretty lady?"
"Gin and tonic, please?" I smiled as sweetly as I could. He walked away to fix my drink. I pulled the photos out of my pocket as he returned with my drink.
"What's your name?" He asked flashing a disturbing smile, fangs extended.
"Sookie... and yours?" I countered politely to cover my uneasiness.
"Longshadow. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
I handed him the photos and said, "Have you seen either of these women?" He looked at the photos.
"Yes, both of them."
"Did you see who they were with?"
"That's something we don't notice around here, you won't either." I felt as he tried to push his glamour into my brain.
"Thank you." I turned and headed towards an empty table. I sat there listening to the humans in the bar, and sipping on my drink. It was so pathetic, nothing but sex. It was mostly fantasies involving at least one vampire, but what I found the most shocking was how many I starred in.
I glanced around the room hoping for a distraction from the nasty thoughts that were invading my mind. I spotted a throne, that so obviously demanded attention, on a stage across the room from my booth. Sitting on the throne was a man with wide shoulders and long blonde hair. No not a man, a vampire, and he was staring at me. That's when a waitress walked over to me with another gin and tonic. I broke my gaze from him and looked at the woman.
"I didn't order another drink." I was trying to clear up the mix up.
"This is from Master Eric." She turned to leave. I could hear the jealous thoughts in her head just as forcefully as if she were screaming at me. I found out that the gorgeous blonde vampire staring at me was 'Master Eric.' No one had ever sent me a drink before. I am, after all, just crazy Sookie Stackhouse. I felt my cheeks heat with a blush. I made a point to look directly at 'Master Eric' as I took a sip. Then immediately broke my gaze.
I sat and listened for information for nearly an hour, but I wasn't getting anywhere. The sexual thoughts were getting worse by the minute. I was about to get up and leave when the waitress walked back over to me, "Master Eric would like you to join him." She pointed in the direction of a large table that was as secluded as a packed bar could get. I figured I might be able to ask more questions if I joined him, I wasn't getting anywhere with the humans thoughts. He did seem high up on the totem pole, so I picked up my drink and headed to the table where 'Master Eric' was seated. When I approached he stood, I was shocked by how tall this man was. He smiled and motioned me to sit across from him. As I sat so did he.
"Ms. Stackhouse, I hear you are asking questions of my employees. If you have questions you are to ask them of me. Understood?" I was taken aback.
"How did you know my name?" was the only sentence I could get past my lips.
He laughed. "Pam told me." I didn't know a Pam. He must have read the confusion on my face. "She is the one who carded you at the door." He smiled.
"Oh. I apologize for stepping on your toes. I am trying to find out if anyone had seen either of these women." I handed him the photos. He barely glimpsed at them before handing me the one of Maudette. "She was pathetic." and then handed me Dawn's, "I tasted this one." He looked at me expectantly. I kept my face a mask, so he didn't see how 'innocent' I really was.
"Thank you. That is all of your time I need to take up." I stood to leave, but before I took the first step he was in front of me blocking the way. I knew vampires could move with such speed, but hearing about something and seeing it were two very different things. I stumbled back into a sitting position.
"Please, stay." His tone left no room for argument so I obligingly scooted back to where I was and he resumed his seat. I polished of my drink then looked up at him. When our eyes made contact I could immediately feel him trying to glamour me.
"Won't work." I said before I could stop myself. I slapped a hand over my mouth and he gaped at me before quickly regaining his composure.
"Why not?" His tone full of confusion. I pulled my hand from my, stupid big, mouth.
"I honestly don't know." I looked down to stare a hole into the table. At some point a waitress gave me another drink without my noticing. I took a sip. That's when I heard the cop.
"We need to leave. Now!" I was near panic.
"Why?" he asked startled.
"The cops are about to raid this place." I wanted to leave more than anything.
"There is nothing illegal going on here." He spoke without conviction.
"There is a female vamp feeding on a man in the bathroom." At that he grabbed me by the arm and headed towards the bar signaling for Longshadow and Pam to follow. We went behind the bar through the storage area and out the back door.
"My car is around in the front parking lot." I didn't want to be in a dark alley with three vampires I didn't know.
"You're coming with me Ms. Stackhouse." I was roughly placed in the front seat of a corvette, under other circumstances I would have been thrilled to ride in such a car, but at this moment I was terrified. He said something to his people and got in the drivers seat next to me. I had subconsciously leaned away from him. He reached across me and buckled my seat belt. He drove like a bat out of hell. We stopped in at a gas station as his cell phone began to ring.
"Yes... Okay." He hung up and turned in his seat to look directly at me. My fear was mounting.
"How did you know?" He demanded, I knew better than to try and lie.
"I'm telepathic. I picked up on the undercover cop's thoughts." I looked down at my hands in my lap as I spoke. At that moment his face went from angry to amused. I felt my fear begin to abate.
"Telepathic... Hmm, interesting." He seemed to become lost in thought. "Can you hear my thoughts?"
"Nope. Vampires are voids to me." I answered looking him directly in his blue eyes. "Will you please take me back to my car?" I asked in barely more than a whisper.
"Yes. But not until I get the all clear to go back." He smiled at me. "Did you think I was going to kidnap you?" His voice rang of amusement. I merely nodded. He smiled a purely devious smile. "Not my style. What should we do to pass the time?" He winked.
"I don't know." I was trying to be willfully ignorant.
"We could fuck until dawn if you so desired." He said it as though it were an offhanded suggestion.
"Don't you talk dirty to me. I am a lady, not some pathetic fangbanger or whore." I was going to loose my temper if he kept this up. I'm sure slapping a vampire was a bad idea. On the plus side, I was no longer scared.
"I meant no offense." He said, he even seemed sincere. His phone started to ring so he flipped it open. "Yes?... Thank you." He looked over at me. "I can take you back to your car now." We drove back in complete silence. My car was the only one left when we got back. He pulled up next to it and waited until I had the door open to speak.
"Thank you for the warning, Sookie. I hope to see you again... soon." He smiled and off he went.