Hey, me again! I have to admit to struggling a little with Hero of the Night at the moment, so I've decided to start a new AH story while I try and find some inspiration. I will hopefully write both alongside each other.

Hope you all like it!

I sat in my car trying to compose myself as I stared at the large 'Northman Inc.' sign on the building in front of me. Of all the places to end up working, I was here. I took a deep breath and stepped up out of my car and walked with my head held high towards the reception of the building. I was greeted by an attractive but not particularly natural blonde with dark rimmed designer glasses and a suit that probably cost more than my clothes budget for a month.

"How can I help you?" she asked in a friendly tone with a fake smile plastered on her face.

"I'm starting here today. My name is Sookie Stackhouse, I'm here to see Mr Merlotte in the marketing department."

The fake blonde looked down at some papers in front of her, shuffled through them and then obviously found what she was looking for as she thrust a collection of papers in my general direction, not looking up from her desk to make sure I had them. Once I took them from her she looked up and falsely smiled at me.

"Yes, Miss Stackhouse," she stated as if she didn't believe me before. "Please take a seat and fill in the forms. I will notify Mr Merlotte that you are here."

I muttered a thanks to her as she pointed with her pen towards an uncomfortable looking sofa at the side of the entrance hall and I turned after matching her fake smile and went to sit down. I dug out a pen from my clutch bag and started filling in the forms. It was the usual questions – name, address, emergency contact, etc. That one I struggled with but resorted to putting my brother's name on the form.

Once I'd finished filling in the forms I returned my pen to my bag and saw my new boss walking towards me. He wasn't much taller than me and had shaggy light brown hair and kind chocolate brown eyes that made him look like an abandoned puppy dog. He somehow managed to look scruffy even though he was wearing a suit. I'd instantly liked him when he interviewed me for the junior position within the marketing department – not in a sexual way – but he just seemed to be a genuinely good guy.

"Miss Stackhouse, welcome to Northman Inc."

I tried to hide my distaste at the name and slapped on a fake smile. "Thank you, Mr Merlotte, it's good to be here. I'd like to thank you for this opportunity."

I was sucking up and I knew it, but it was best to start work on a good footing. I hoped that if I had some experience of working within this company it would look on my résumé and would help me get a job elsewhere. Though that, of course, would involve me sticking with the place for a few years minimum.

"Please, call me Sam. If you'll follow me I'll take you upstairs. Your paperwork is completed?" I nodded and he led me out of the reception past the fake blonde who was filing her fake nails and to the elevator. Our department was on the seventh floor of the huge building that dominated the Shreveport skyline.

He turned to me once we were inside the elevator and spoke in a hushed voice. "I know that this job is very much a step backwards for you with your experience and qualifications, but I will try and make things as easy for you as possible to fast-track you to a promotion." All I could do was smile graciously as we'd reached our stop and he led me out of the elevator.

I followed him to an empty desk that was in the communal area – only the management and more senior and skilled workers were given their own offices. "Well, this is you. My office is just there," he pointed to the nearest door, "and you will be working closest with me. At least to start with anyway."

I placed my bag down on the large desk that contained only a computer with large, flat screen monitor, keyboard, wireless mouse and phone. To the side slightly there were a few trays which seemed to hold blank forms.

"This is Arlene Fowler and Lafayette Reynolds, your co-workers. Guys, this is Sookie Stackhouse."

They both smiled their acknowledgement as I did the same to them. Arlene had dyed bright red hair and far too much make-up. She was probably about forty though dressed as if she was nineteen. She was staring intently at Sam as if he was a chocolate cake to be devoured and I instantly felt sorry for him as he was seriously out of his depth with a woman like her pursuing him. Lafayette had buzzed short hair and was wearing his sharp suit very well. He was wearing a little make-up, which surprised me, a long earring in his right ear and red nail polish.

"Allow me to show you around out department." Sam led me away from my new co-workers and showed me the essentials – the fire escape, the stationary cupboard, rest rooms, kitchen etc. Once we'd done with the tour he led me into his office and shut the door behind me, taking the paperwork from me, which he flicked through and placed down on his desk. "I'll drop this off at HR a bit later on."

For most of the rest of the day Sam went through the procedures I'd need to know including learning the computer systems. What didn't need saying was that my job wasn't a whole lot more than being a glorified gopher and tea maid. I was to basically do whatever the other marketing execs wanted with very little scope to put my own ideas forward.

With about an hour left before the end of my first day I was instructed towards my desk so that Arlene and Lafayette could fill me in on what else needed doing. I booted up my PC and familiarised myself with the system. After about half an hour Lafayette sashayed up behind me.

"Bitch, you look like you could do with a drink." His statement was quite correct.

I smiled at him. "You may well be right. I have a bottle of wine waiting for me in my fridge with a big sign saying drink me."

"I was thinking more something a little stronger was needed. Me and Arlene have a date with our best friend vodka most Friday nights, but we're willing to meet him a little earlier on this occasion."

I had a feeling he would not take no for an answer and it would at least be a good opportunity to get to know my new co-workers. "Sounds like a plan."

I was absently opening files and programmes on the screen as I spoke to him, and clicked the little internet explorer icon, trying my best not to associate it with my ex-husband. The programme opened on the intranet for Northman Inc. and I was greeted with the smiling faces of the exec team. Eric Northman being in the middle of seven and towering over them with an arrogant look on his face.

"Girl, don't even go there."

I turned to look at Lafayette who had obviously seen me looking at the picture. I made a mental note to change the home page. "I wasn't! I was just …"

"I'm sure you were just …., but trust me, that man is off limits for the likes of us mere mortals. Though what I wouldn't give for a piece of his ass. Mmmm hmmmm! You'll be lucky if you ever see him around. He's far too important to visit the serfs." That was going to be quite fine with me.

As soon as five o'clock hit the three of us had downed our tools, turned off our computers and Lafayette had my hand in his as he dragged me to the elevator. He led me to the car park where I found I'd parked my car quite close to his. The spaces closest to the building were reserved for the management, and my eyes were drawn to the shining cherry red corvette.

"The top man's car." Lafayette stated. "His pride and joy, apparently." I resisted the temptation to run the keys that were in my hand along the paintwork of the car.

We each drove individually to one of Lafayette's favourite bars, Fantasia. The name did not fit the establishment, but it was memorable at least. We sat down with a beer each and a shot of vodka.

"To Sookie – the newest marketing workhorse!" Lafayette toasted and we each downed our shot of vodka. "So, missy, tell us about yourself. I can tell from your cute ass accent that you're a local."

I'd already drained half of my beer, the cool liquid somehow soothing my insides and allowing me to open up. "Yup, I was born in Bon Temps, about an hour away from Shreveport, but I've only recently moved back to my old home."

"You mean you'd left and you actually came back?" Arlene asked, rhetorically. "Shit, I know if I got the hell out of here I wouldn't come back. How long had you been gone?"

I stared down at my hands as I swirled my beer. "I left Louisiana nearly ten years ago to study for an MBA at Stanford. It was there that I met my now ex-husband who was a computer science major. Once we graduated he was offered a job in Redmond, Washington and I went with him. I started up my own marketing firm based from Seattle."

I looked up from my beer and saw both Lafayette and Arlene staring at me with their mouths agape. It was Lafayette that spoke up.

"And why the hell are you doing this job? Shit, you're more qualified then any of the marketing bods. There is no way you should be doing their photocopying."

"Yeah, well, it's all I could get. I needed a job and there aren't too many of those around right now. I didn't really want to work at Northman Inc., I'd have preferred somewhere smaller, but it was the only job available."

"Couldn't you set up on your own like you did in Seattle?" Lafayette asked.

"I've thought about it, but I need to do a bit of research first. You know, see if there is the need for me. The fact is I'm doing very different stuff here to what I did in Seattle."

"Yeah, like run around getting coffees for bastards such as Victor Madden and Felipe de Castro."

Sam had already warned me about those two. They were two senior figures in the department and well known for not treating the junior staff very well. I'd been told to just go along with whatever they wanted but not put up with any shit from either of them. I'd realised already I was lucky to be working for Sam then either of them.

"So what happened to the husband?" Arlene asked.

I took a deep breath and sighed. "The fuckwad was cheating on me. I'd been out of town on business but came back a day early to surprise him with a romantic meal. When I got in the house I heard the unmistakeable sounds of sex, so went upstairs to see my husband dick-deep in his boss, Lorena."

"Shit. I hope you threw something at them."

"Unfortunately I had nothing to hand. I simply left and went straight to see my lawyer to petition for divorce. He didn't take it easily, kept on saying how much he loved me, how he wanted us to work through it and all that shit."

"I take it you didn't listen?"

"Damn right I didn't. I went to stay with my college friend Amelia who lived down in San Francisco. She'd never liked Bill Compton, the ex, so she was there to guide me in the right direction when I had moments of weakness."

"Compton? Did you not take his name?"

"I did, but I changed it back to my maiden name. I want nothing to do with that dunderfuck. I sold my business in Seattle and decided to come back here. I guess I just wanted the familiarity of home. I hadn't really been back much – Bill was from Washington state anyway and was so committed to work that he never really left. My Gran died a few years back and left me her home in Bon Temps, so that's where I'm living at the moment."

"Wow, you really do deserve a drink. Another?" I nodded and Lafayette ordered another round of beers.

"So how long have you both been working there?" I was trying as much as possible to forget that it was Northman Inc. I was working at.

"I've been there three years, Arlene for two. Neither of us really have aspirations of going up the meat chain. I'm a nine to five kinda gal – I don't want any of the hassle that the execs go through and I'm way too pretty to get worry lines." I laughed at him. "But what about you with your fancy business degree? Ideas on the top?"

"Not really. I'm not one for big corporations. I'd rather work for a smaller company or be on my own."

"Don't blame you. Most of the marketing men, with the exception of Sam, are complete dicks. You don't want to be working with any of them. But you're way too good for our job. Does Sam know of your qualifications?"

"Yeah, we discussed it in my interview. He knows I'm overqualified for the position but I told him honestly that I needed a job and was prepared to work at the bottom if I had to. He's promised he'll help me work my way up, but I'll probably look elsewhere."

"You don't want to work for Northman Inc.? I think they had about a hundred applications for the job you've got. They're the biggest company in the area and have good benefits. Why would you not want to stay if you can work your way upwards?"

I took another large swig of my beer. That was the one thing I was not going thing I was not going to discuss. I had my reasons, but I didn't want anyone else to find out. "I'm sure they're a good company to work for, but I'd just rather be a big fish in a small pond than be a nameless number in a corporation."

It was true to some extent.

The three of us sat chatting and getting to know each other for the rest of the night, grabbing some food before heading off in separate directions. I was seriously considering getting a place in Shreveport which would be much more convenient for work, but then if I was going to treat this as just a job there didn't seem to much point to getting too committed.

I returned to my farmhouse in Bon Temps and threw my keys and bag down on the kitchen table. I walked to the fridge and pulled out a soda. The house was very much unchanged since Gran had died and I looked at her pots and pans still filling the kitchen. As I thought about Gran I couldn't help the tear that fell from my eyes. She'd died suddenly of cancer, not knowing she had the disease until three weeks before her eventual death, and I was only grateful that she didn't suffer. She only told my brother Jason and I a few days before she died, meaning the pair of us had quite a shock when she passed as she'd always seemed so healthy, if not particularly fit.

I pulled myself together and removed my suit and crawled into bed, glad my first day hadn't gone as badly as I'd expected. I'd seemed to have made quite good friends in Lafayette and Arlene and Sam certainly seemed to be okay. I just hoped that I could keep my head low and stay away from the CEO.

.

The next morning I showered and pulled on my favourite pale blue suit that I'd been told on more than one occasion made my eyes 'pop' and headed out on the hour long drive to Shreveport. I made sure I'd given myself plenty of time to get to work as I wanted to give a good impression. I parked in roughly the same spot as I had the day before and headed towards the building. The cherry red corvette was again sat in its same spot and I did all that I could to pull my eyes away from it and head into the building.

I headed to my desk to see that Lafayette and Arlene were not yet in. I turned on my PC and started going through my emails, seeing what needed to be done. I was interrupted by a presence behind me.

"And what's a lovely thing like you sitting here all alone?" The voice was condescending and dripping with smarminess. I turned to see the face of Victor Madden standing far to close to me. He had greasy dark hair, seedy brown eyes and in no way could be considered attractive. In fact, he was positively repulsive. I backed my chair away from him, but he matched my movement and stepped closer.

"I'm just doing my work, sir." I hated being polite to him, but figured it was probably my safest option.

"Now I'm sure I would have noticed a hot thing like you, so I'm guessing that you're Merlotte's new assistant. You know, I could always do with a little assistance as well!"

I was feeling physically sick as he edged ever closer to me. I wanted nothing more than to slap him or knee him in the privates, but that would be an instant dismissal, no matter how much it was deserved.

"Yes, sir, I am. Now if you'll excuse me I need to …"

He interrupted me, his hand now on my ass as I tried to turn away from him. "Oh, I'll show you what you need." He pushed me against my desk and I could feel his hot breath on me on my neck as he leaned down. I was losing my cool and before I knew what I had done I'd kneed him in the bollocks. He crippled over in pain, crying out in surprise at my bold move.

When he regained his composure he looked at me with a look of pure hatred. "You will pay for this, I will see to that."

"Oh, I don't think so." I turned to see Lafayette stood to my right. "I saw exactly what you did to her, and that was definite self defence from your sexual harassment. If you so much as talk to my girl again you will be out of a job so quickly you'll have skid marks on your fat ass!"

Madden looked pissed off, but he'd been caught out and I was very grateful to Lafayette. He scowled at the pair of us and I mouthed a 'thank you' to Lafayette and resumed my position at my desk. I made a mental note to never arrive early to work again.

"A looker like you will have to be careful of assholes like Madden. De Castro as well, for that matter, but I think Madden's probably worse. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, feeling a little shaken and repulsed, but I'm okay, thanks. I'll be avoiding him like the plague from now on!"

The rest of the day luckily went without incident as did the rest of the week. As expected, the work was boring and involved little to none creativity. I just kept my head down and did what was asked of me. My job mostly seemed to involve fielding phone calls, photocopying and running errands for Sam and the other marketing execs. Victor Madden luckily kept his distance from me.

On the Friday I joined Arlene and Lafayette in returning to Fantasia with our friend Vodka. I was sat in a booth with my new friends as I drowned my sorrows of the first week working for Northman Inc. as the other two gossiped about co-workers. It didn't take long for the topic of conversation to turn to Eric Northman.

"Well, the man is beautiful," Lafayette began, "and quite simply there is nothing I wouldn't do to get me a piece of him, but he's an asshole. I've seen far too many nice girls eaten up and spat out by that man for my liking. If he wasn't so god damn pretty he'd be considered a shark, but there are just too many girls that think they're the one that will tame him. That boy cannot be tamed."

"Have you met him yet?" Arlene asked.

I'd been deliberately avoiding the communal areas, eating at my desk or leaving the office all together at lunchtime. "No, I haven't seen him."

"He's fuckhot. Probably a bit young for me, but he makes every other man pale in significance."

"I'll second that – if I was a straight man there would be no way I'd work for him, he'd taint the views of every girl. Hell, he taints the views of most guys as well! But I heard that he's known for arriving with one girl at a party and then leaving with another. And probably having a third while he's there. The man's got some style with the ladies, you have to give him that."

I simply nodded and hoped that they'd change the subject, but as much as I tried Arlene and Lafayette seemed intent on telling me all the gossip about Eric Northman. When I could take no more of such talk I stood and grabbed both of their hands, leading them to the dance floor. The three of us danced the night away on the small dance floor, and I loved to dance. I skilfully shook my thang as I danced with Lafayette, his hands on my hips and I wiggled my butt at him. It was actually quite liberating that he was a gay man and therefore I could dance in a provocative way with him without any of the usual repercussions.

Lafayette had been kind enough to let me stay at his place that night, my own car still parked in the car park at Northman Inc. When we got back to his two bedroom apartment he offered me another drink.

"So, Miss Sookie, tell me what you have against our noble leader."

I wouldn't have been able to hide the shock on my face if I'd tried. "Sam? Nothing, he seems a nice guy." I knew he didn't mean Sam.

"Don't play ignorant with me. I mean the great Eric Northman. You know him don't you." It was a statement rather than a question.

There were certainly no flies on Lafayette even though he'd drunk copious amounts of vodka. I put my head in my hands and sighed, trying to figure out how little I could get away with telling him.

"I won't tell a soul, scouts honour." He displayed the scout symbol and I laughed at the mental imaged I had of Lafayette as a scout.

I sunk down on his sofa, let out a sigh and took a huge swig of the very strong drink I had in my hand. "I knew Eric Northman growing up. I can't say we were friends, though. He was one of the popular boys and a friend of my brothers. He never really looked twice at me, I was just Jason's annoying kid sister. His own sister, Pam, was in my class and made my life hell."

"Yeah, I've met that particular she-devil. She doesn't work for the family business, but swans in every so often as if she owns the place. She's as much a piranha with the ladies as her brother is. Makes glad I'm a man and into men when you consider those two."

I almost choked on my drink. "Ladies? Pam's a lesbian?"

"You didn't know? Girl, your gaydar must be off. I can't imagine her ever seeming straight. She has more balls than a whole football team of men."

"I don't really remember her having any boyfriends at school, though pretty much all of the boys were fawning after her and hung on her every word or flick of her hair. And she had her own troupe of girls following her around as well, copying her and egging her on. What does she do now?"

"I think she was a model for a while, flying around the world while her brother went to Harvard to take up the reins of the family business. I'm not really sure that she does anything other than living off her income and attend the opening of the odd envelope here and there. Read Paris Hilton on that one!"

I laughed at Lafayette's snide and bitchy comments despite myself. Pamela Ravenscroft (she'd taken her mother's maiden name to distance herself from the Northman name despite the fact that she lived on the Northman money) had made my life a living hell at school. It was never anything physical, but her malicious bullying of me meant I had many a night crying myself to sleep and dreading going to school the next day.

"Now, tell me all about the young Herr Northman."

"Not much to tell, really that you probably don't already know. His family were and probably still are one of the most wealthy in Louisiana, but for normality they made their kids attend state school as neither momma or daddy Northman had had such privileges as a child. They both resented having to mix with the likes of me and flaunted their superiority and wealth at any opportunity. They were both too smart and too attractive and lived in their own little world. It was like a high school movie – the spoiled rich kids having to slum it with the muggles!"

Lafayette laughed. "I can imagine. Herr Northman isn't much better now. The only girls you ever do see on his arm are the ones with money or with the type of body you only see on MTV, though he's a complete manwhore – a different girl hanging off his arm at every opportunity. Lucky bitches!"

"I'm not so sure about that. I couldn't face being used and abused like that, no matter how pretty the man is." I thought back to the image permanently ingrained on my mind of my husband having sex with his boss.

"How long ago did you split?" he asked, obviously sensing where my mind had wondered to.

"Around nine months ago. Luckily after his initial reluctance he didn't contest the divorce. We'd both put half into the house so we just split our assets once the house was sold and I was free of him. I stayed in California with my friend and her husband while the whole process was going through, but I missed home and wanted to come back to Louisiana. I didn't really think that it would be so hard to get a good job. It's a sign of the times, I guess."

"I'll drink to that."

I not particularly convincingly faked a yawn – though as it was two in the morning it wasn't too hard – and I told Lafayette I was going to sleep for the night.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing. I know you're hiding some sordid past with our noble leader. I've seen how you look at his picture on the intranet. You will tell me everything eventually." I smiled and made my way to bed.

After recovering from my hangover the next morning while watching and reciting Dirty Dancing word for word with Lafayette, he dropped me off at the office on his way to the gym. I walked the short distance around the building towards my car, however as I walked I saw the red corvette sitting in its customary spot. But this time, the muscled back and blonde head of Eric Northman was leaning on the car as he spoke and gesticulated while on his phone.

"I don't care! Find out what you can and why she's here. I want her gone on Monday."

He violently thrust his phone into his pocket after ending his call and curled his large frame into the corvette. The engine started with a roar as he revved the engine and I panicked, desperate not to be seen by him. Unfortunately I was out in the open with no place to hide. I turned my face away as his car sped past and hurried towards my own car, not looking back but trusting that he'd driven off.

I sat down heavily into my seat shutting my eyes for a moment and placing my head on the steering wheel. I took a deep breath to compose myself, started the car and pulled away to lead out of the car park. As I approached the road I was shocked to see the figure of Eric Northman stopped by his car, his eyes on me as I drove out of the car park.

I didn't stop but simply headed back to Bon Temps.