In the mirror was an average looking woman, blond hair and brown eyes, opening her mouth so she could see that she still did not have fangs. She was looking straight at me, probably wondering the same thing I was: When the hell had my life turned upside down? Of course, the image staring back at me wasn't near as normal as she looked. She was a telepath - hazard of being part fairy. That still sounded lame to me. Part fairy. Who knew? And no wonder vampires kept asking me what I was. Speaking of which, I'd had a lot of vampire interaction lately and not all of it was by choice. My ex was a vampire and just about everyone I'd met in the last year or so was also a vampire. Well, a vampire or some other sort of supernatural oddity.

The alarm went off on my little pink cell phone. Eric had bought it for me, as a reward I guess for working for him, or maybe just so he could contact me whenever he wanted, as if he couldn't just run to my little house in Bon Temps any time he wanted… well, at night anyway. Sookie, where are you? I felt my eyes roll at the words. As if he owned me. No one owned me. I'd just gotten out of a relationship. A relationship that I'd just found out had been built on lies. What the hell was Eric thinking. It wasn't like I was late or anything. I still had… I looked at the time… thirty minutes. Plenty of time to get to Fangtasia. I typed the words slowly into the keypad, still new at texting. On my way. Keep your pants on. Seconds later I got the reply. Not if I can help it. Ridiculous. Even in text he couldn't behave himself.

I glanced back at the woman in the mirror who looked as though she wanted to chop off my head for getting her into this entire mess. She was wearing a pair of blue jean shorts and a yellow tank top because it wasn't like she was going on a date. Still, the woman glared at me.

Eric just wanted to talk to me. I asked why he didn't just come to her house then so she wouldn't have to leave and it would probably be much faster, but he'd said that Pam and a few others were going to be there. Business then. Thank God because I couldn't deal Eric's snide comments about my looks. Not that they were insults, but they made her blush all the same. What was it about that Viking vampire that made me feel all… well, let's just say that I felt like something was happening in a really private area of my body. I didn't like that he could make me feel like that, and at the same time… I loved it.

So I got in my little yellow car that had ironically been kept outside my house even after I'd apparently been gone an entire year. I swear, I stepped into whatever that place was for maybe twenty minutes, a half hour at the most. "Stupid impatient Viking…" I muttered, starting the vehicle and driving the short distance to Shreveport. On the way I couldn't help but wonder what the heck this meeting was about. Didn't they realize that they commanded me like some little human slave. Weren't there labor laws against this sort of thing? But I was also a little anxious, and I suppose that was what got me pulled over for speeding. Oh jeeze I wasn't even out of Bon Temps yet.

"You know what time it is, Stackhouse?" Andy. Well what do you know? As always, not so pleasant toward me.

"Sorry, Andy, I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"Shouldn't a girl like you be at home this time of night?"

"It's barely dark outside and what kind of girl do ya mean, Andy?" I couldn't help it if my tone was a bit offended. I can take care of myself. Most nights.

"It's Sheriff Bel-"

Andy was cut off by another blond woman standing in front of him. This one with fangs and a pink pastel dress suit on. Pam. Oh for the love of all that's holy.

"Eric sent me to see what was keeping you." Said to me. Did I detect a hint of flirting in that arched eyebrow? Probably, Pam was into all that sort of thing.

"Just got pulled over, Pam. As I'm sure ya can see. Run along and tell everyone I'll be there soon."

"Oh, I don't think so." She turned her gaze on Andy. I knew that look. "You didn't see Sookie. You decided to turn around and go to that God Awful bar she works at. What is it?"

"Merlotte's. And it's not awf-" I was cut off this time.

"Right. Merlotte's. Go have a burger and fries."

Vampires. Used their powers on anyone. Pour Andy. Well, his brain wasn't all that interesting anyway. I watched Andy get back in his police car and drive in the other direction. When I put the car in drive again, Pam was sitting next to me in the passenger seat. I hadn't even heard her get in.

"Running would be faster."

"I might need to take care of the law enforcement again." She checked her makeup in the mirror, but spared me a glance and a smirk. Don't ask me why, that just sort of infuriated me. Why does everyone think I need a damn babysitter?

In any case, I drove for a while before Pam said anything else. "Oh, Sookie, there's this new store in Shreveport you'll just love and it's open all night, too. Wanna go? Eric won't mind."

What I should have said was hell to the no and that Eric would mind very much. But she already had her cell phone out, talking into it and I could tell Eric was alright with the idea, though he told her to make it quick. That Pam, always up for shopping.

"I thought you didn't like me much, what gives?" I had to ask. Both hands on the steering wheel and my eyes glaring at the road.

"What ever gave you that impression?"

"I'm human. Mostly."

"Sook, you're my favorite breather.""Wow. High praise."

"Indeed. Oh, we're almost there. Pull in to the back. I know the owner."

I did as told, though reluctantly. I didn't want to get out of the car. To my intense pleasure, I didn't have to. To my equally intense dissatisfaction, Pam didn't either. Instead she just looked at me.

"What?" I asked. "We're here. Go shop."

"Oh, we can shop in a minute." She was looking at me like I was something to eat, which was terrifying considering she could, quite literally, eat me. Her fangs were extended, which only pointed me further in the oh-my-God-she's-gonna-drain-me direction.

"Uh, hey, Pam. Maybe we should just go. Ya know, if we're not gonna shop?" Could she sense that my heartbeat picked up? Let me tell you, it wasn't something I did willingly. Vampires could sense fear.

"I've always been very fond of you, Sookie. I see why Eric is so obsessed over you.""He's not obsessed. And you're not that, er, fond of me.""Yes he is, and yes I am."

"You've got a great way to show it." Somehow, I managed to work sarcasm into my voice.

"Oh, I don't think you're worth most of the trouble we go through, but you come in a nice package."

Eff, eff. EFF! This was not on my list of things to do tonight, or ever. Pam's hand moved to my thigh. I was infinitely grateful that I'd worn shorts instead of that little purple dress I'd been planning on wearing. Take that mirror-Sookie. You wouldn't be glaring at me now. Somehow, the vampire's fingers moved under the fabric anyway. I tensed and tried to unbuckle my seatbelt in an attempt to get further away, but her vampire grasp held me there even though she only had one hand on me… almost in me. Oh, God. This was not happening. Please say this was not happening.

"I'm really not into this sort of thing," my voice was shaky and I'm sure she was having the time of her life with this.

"Vampires or girls?"

"Va- Girls." I almost said vampires, but that'd be a lie. I wasn't really a fangbanger, but I did enjoy me some vampire sex. Just… you know… with men.

"Shhh. Relax, Sookie. It's not that different. Here, let me show you."

In about an instant she was on top of me, squishing us between my seat and the steering wheel. Without my realizing it she had unbuttoned my shorts and slid her hand down my panties. Blood rushed to my cheeks and filled my face with a natural blush. Pam sniffed at my neck and moaned. Or was that me? Now that I had relaxed it didn't feel like I'd been forced into this. My body was reacting just as it would have with Bill or, dare I say it?, with Eric. I found myself pulling the vampire woman closer to me instead of having the impulse to push her away.

I don't know if it was the fear or the pleasure that had alerted him, but suddenly Eric was knocking on my window, eyes glued to Pam and myself. Uh-oh. Damn vampire blood. When would that stuff ever wear off? Pam must have thought the same thing because she made a sort of groaning noise and removed herself from my body and into the passenger seat. I hastily buttoned and zipped my shorts back up.

"Shopping, Pam?" I don't think I imagined how cold his voice sounded, even more cold than normal.

"That was the original plan." The female vampire looked politely shaken and apologetic… or as much as Pam could get.

"Get out. I'm riding the rest of the way. I'll meet you back at Fangtasia."

Pam got out of the car without a word and just as soon as she was out of the car, Eric was in it.

"Start the car. We need to talk."

Oh for Heaven's sake, this just wasn't going to end well for me, was it?