An English Girl in Shreveport.

I let out a big sigh of relief as I parked myself on a bench. I'd been marching around the Shreveport streets all day, literally all day; it was past 8pm now, looking for a job. A simple job though, nothing that would distract my mind from my work, only a job to earn some extra cash. But everywhere I'd gone I'd been told I was too late, or not what they were looking for or, the worst one in my opinion, that I was overqualified. How can a person be overqualified for a job? I ask you.

Just as I was about to remove my posh black heels, which had been giving me hassle all day, a car pulled up on the road in front of me. I smiled as I recognised it and the window rolled down.

"Good Evening," said a sultry Southern voice, "May I offer you a ride?"

"How kind of you, but I'm sure you have better things to be doing than ferrying me around."

"Honestly Evelyn, must you resist everything?" he said, with a smile "Get in the car."

I stood and scuttled to the door, when seated I replied, "How many times have I told you to call me Evie?"

"Obviously not enough," answered Bill Compton, my saviour from my own sore feet. Without another word he sped off into the night. The roads were quiet as was Bill.

Bill has dark hair and eyes that you could get lost in for hours. With his long sideburns and ruffled hair, he'd been made Vampire when he was about 30, but his life prior to that had been a hard one. He'd mentioned briefly that he'd been turned around the time of the Civil War, so I figured life couldn't have been easy for him. Not that I knew much about the Civil War, but what war wasn't hard for those serving? I'd known him since before I came to America, a few months ago, when I was still living in the UK. We'd met on a forum online, when I'd been researching treatment options for my husband. The medicines hadn't been working and Jack was beginning to struggle.

The vampires had been public for a little over 18 months at the time, though if the rubbish printed in the press could've been pre-empted, I was sure they wouldn't have bothered telling the world they existed. I had been somewhat disappointed and angry at all that though. Japanese scientists were busy perfecting synthetic blood for vampires who, lets face it, had an entire world of opportunity when it came to dining, and yet a remedy couldn't be found for my poor Jack.

I'd heard word of a vampire solution to the illness, but it was a risky and expensive option, if an option at all. So I'd researched the rumours but gotten nowhere. Finally, I happened upon a forum, just a regular vampire information one, no specialist sexual interest or anything like that and we began talking. To my surprise I'd found he'd had a great knowledge of vampire issues and delighted in discussing with me the injustice in the world. Obviously had I realised I'd been talking to an actual vampire then I wouldn't have been that impressed. Their whole world began to fascinate me. Yet I couldn't help my poor Jack.

Eventually Jack passed and I was left with a world of guilt, from his parents, our friends and from me. I needed to get away from it all, so I went, or rather came, to America. I'm a writer by trade so it didn't affect my work at all. Location was irrelevant with the Internet.

I got myself a little place in Shreveport, on Bill's recommendations that it was a town I'd like, and worked in a diner flipping burgers when I first arrived, just to meet people. It had quickly become clear that that wasn't the job for me, as the owner began to expect me to do longer hours, more shifts and take on more responsibility. That had not been what I wanted at all, so I'd left.

"I have a confession," Bill said, interrupting my reminiscing. This sounded ominous.

"Oh?"

"I have to take you to Fangtasia," he said flatly, his eyes never leaving the road.

"Oh," I was deflated. I'd been turned away from a job there just this last month, "Why?" I asked, though I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer.

"Eric wants to see you."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. When the vampire Sheriff of Area 5 summoned you, you obliged. Bill pulled the car over into a little drive.

"And I hate to ask," he said, his eyes cast downward.

"Why didn't you say?" I replied and he met my gaze. We'd had this sort of weird arrangement since I arrived. If he needed blood, he could take it from me rather than going all the way into Monroe to the donor clinic. The way I saw it, and I'd told him so…my body made blood daily, why couldn't I give it to who I wanted?

He smiled and pushed back the car seat I was in. He stroked my cheek and swept my long dark blonde hair to one side. There was an almost inaudible pop as his fangs slid out, he nuzzled and inhaled at my neck before he bit and gently sucked.

It was a very sensual experience and although I'm sure it could be a hell of a nasty one, Bill had always taken care with me. He shuffled in the car and lay atop me.

I wondered how much blood he actually took when he fed from me. I rarely noticed if he took more than I could handle. I'd never donated blood officially before, only to Bill, it wasn't like I was some fang banger out for the thrill, so I had no idea how much they took for human to human donation.

Bill grunted and rubbed my neck with a pierced finger, then moved back to the driver's seat, licking his lips. I reached into my purse for a handy wipe and cleaned myself up in the car mirror. I smiled, no bite marks, as ever.

"Any idea what Eric wants from me?" I asked, "Surely he doesn't want to tell me I've not got the job again. That'd just be cruel."

"It is Eric," came the reply, which was true, from what I'd heard. Though mostly that was from Bill so I suspected some of the information had been biased. I'd met Eric briefly once or twice when I'd visited Fangtasia out of sheer curiosity, and maybe a little stupidity.

Bill started the engine and drove to the back entrance of Fangtasia. He'd not been pleased that I'd applied for a job here, much less been interviewed. I hadn't asked why, I assumed he had history with Eric. But I was fascinated with the Vampire culture and I'd wanted to experience first hand the environment in which they thrived. Good research for a future novel, I'd argued and left it at that.

"Not coming with me?" I asked as I got out of the car.

"Not tonight, no," Bill replied, "I have some work to do." Some work meant that he had to begin his assignment for the vampire Queen of Louisiana. I'll not bore you with the details, he'd told me, but if you need me I shall be mainstreaming in Bon Temps. I figured he'd have told me more if I could know more or he'd wanted to tell me. I didn't push.

I straightened myself up and groaned as my weight fell onto my sore feet again. Bill drove off into the night and I was on my own, about to enter the lions den. God only knew what Eric wanted with me, a 27 year old dark blonde, who'd eaten a few too many boxes of chocolates of late. Don't get me wrong I wasn't huge, but I wasn't slim either, and I enjoyed my food…perhaps a little too much since coming to the States. My neighbour, Mrs Wilson, had rejoiced in having somebody to talk to over the fence and my single act of kindness, in indulging her one afternoon when I'd first moved in, had led to a homemade pie in my fridge every week.

I took a breath and entered the back entrance of Fangtasia. I knew where Eric's office door was from the time I'd been interviewed.

I knocked and waited.

Nothing.

I listened carefully at the door, maybe he was busy, maybe he was on the phone.

Fuck it, I thought. Why should I be concerned, he wanted to see me?

I knocked again and opened the door. I had a flash of déjà vu as I turned the handle; I shook it off and entered his office. He was busy, as it turned out, elbow deep in papers on his desk. He didn't flinch when I entered. Vampires are good at that, being not surprised I mean.

I began to speak and he put one finger up at me, indicating that I should wait.

Hmm, ok then.

I stood like a gooseberry for what seemed like forever, though in reality it was probably minutes before he spoke.

Not lifting his head nor loosing concentration Eric spoke; "Close the door," was all he said.

I obligingly turned to shut the door. Just as it was millimetres from closing, a cool hand appeared on mine. Eric's hand. I froze and had a fleeting glimpse of our hands covered in blood. A memory? I couldn't be sure.

Still I didn't move. The door pushed to and Eric flicked the latch closed and inhaled me.

"You reek," he stated.

"What?" I spun round under him. I wasn't tall by any means, but anybody would be dwarfed by the handsome blonde Viking and my heart pounded in my chest.

"You reek of him," he scowled and inspected my neck.

Shit. He meant Bill. I smelled of Bill.

"Erm, sorry?" I offered, unsure of what I'd done wrong, "Is that why you wanted to see me?"

"You should be wary of him. He has," and he paused, "Work to do."

"Yeah, I know he does." I ducked out from under his stance and went to sit in one of his guest chairs on the other side of his desk.

As I sat down, I wished I hadn't, as it all flooded back to me. I'd witnessed something. Something big.

I remembered being told to go down to Eric's office where he'd speak to me. I'd walked down the corridor to find the door I was meant to be using, ajar and assumed I could just walk in. How wrong I'd been.

Popping my head around the corner of the door, I'd seen Eric holding another vampire down against the floor. A chair had been broken and Eric was holding a part of the cross brace between the legs. I'd spoken as I entered, "Hello," I'd said in my best interview voice, and the two vampires snapped their gaze to me. Both of their faces were bloody, their fangs were glistening. Eric used this moment of distraction to stake the vampire beneath him, who disintegrated into a mess of blood and sludge. Eric stepped back, panting with rage and glared at me with glazed eyes. "Fuck," I'd said. I remembered not being scared, but running over to Eric and taking the wooden chair brace from his hand and tossing it across the room. Before I'd known what was happening, I'd been pinned against the wall by this 6 foot plus Viking vampire, with blood lust surging through him. His bloody hand stroked down my arm and grasped mine, entwining fingers together, covering my hand in the blood from his. He looked down at me and I remembered getting engrossed in his eyes…

"What is your name?" he'd asked, stroking my face.

"Evie," I'd replied submissively.

"And why are you here, Evie?"

"I came about the waitressing job."

"Is that the only reason?"

"Mainly yes, but I am fascinated with the vampire culture. I want to write a book."

"Why did you remove the stake from my hand?"

"I didn't want you to slip in the blood and hurt yourself," I responded obediently.

I remembered seeing a bloody smile creep across his face, "Are you not scared? Most humans would have run having seen what you have seen."

"I am not most humans," I'd replied cheekily, which had earned a stifled laugh from Eric.

"Some humans still surprise me," he'd said, and let me go of his influence.

I had shaken my head and taken in the situation before me. Smoking hot vampire pressing me to the wall covered in blood and gross vampire slush all over the rug on the floor, "We need to get rid of that," I'd said, nodding at the mess. Eric stepped back and allowed me to move. While I began to roll up the rug with the sludge inside, Eric had flashed away and returned with a mop and bucket, and some heavy duty black refuse sacks, the kind glass bottles don't rip through. Together we bagged up the rug and he had flashed off to dispose of the offending item while I set to mopping up the remaining liquid on the floor.

I'd walked in on Eric killing another vampire and I'd helped him clean it up? I was confused.

"Evie?" Eric spoke, having noticed my face and the memory was cemented.

It dawned on me, I stood.

"You bastard. You complete and utter bastard! You made me forget! Why?"

Had I been more inclined to savour the moment, Eric's striking face was a picture, "You remember?" he asked, surprised.

"Remember that you had me cleaning up your mess?" I shouted, and he zipped over to me with vampire speed. I hit him square on his chest; it barely registered on his radar.

"Keep your voice down," he said, putting his hand over my mouth and pulling me to him, "I glamoured you. For your own safety," he said in little more than a whisper and removed his hand, "But it didn't work, you remember. You are certainly not like most humans."

"Oh," I replied, as I realised he'd not tried to hurt me, but make me forget a bad thing, "When I sat down and when I touched the door handle it came to me." As the words came out of my mouth another memory appeared. Eric was kissing me, against the door, both of us covered in blood, "Did we have sex? Did you feed on me?"

"No," he replied and he meant it, "And since Bill has already…I cannot feed from you tonight either."

"What the fuck? Why am I here now?"

He pushed me back into the chair and knelt between my legs. My breath caught in my throat. He began stroking me and I kicked out. I don't know where I made contact with him, but before I knew what was happening I was pinned against his office wall. His hips ground into me. I gasped. Another flash of memory.

I had hold of the mop with its head in a bloody bucket of water as Eric had returned from disposing of the sludge rug.

"You certainly work well under pressure," Eric had said to me, closing the door ominously behind him.

He stalked towards where I stood, grasped me, his hands in the small of my back, and pulled me to him firmly. I remember feeling him push his hips into me and feeling him grow excited. We had both been covered in blood, but I remember specifically Eric's lips being clean as he'd leaned down and kissed me. Hard and firmly he kissed, with more wanton lust than care. His tongue had forced its way into my mouth and I'd thought I should try to fight it, but given up early on and succumbed to his advances.

I blinked. Vampire sex had immediately been rumoured as the best you could ever have, though I gathered only some knew first hand and some would always wonder. I mused briefly which group I'd be in, before I was gently brought into the here and now.

Eric was cupping my face in his hands. His long blonde velvet hair framing his face, he leaned in closer. The tension between us was electric. I began to get lost in his eyes…

"Hang on, just a minute!" I snapped, realising what he was doing, "You're not gonna try that with me again. I won't let you."

He smiled but didn't move. He let me push him back and I moved away from him and towards the door. As I reached for the handle, he stopped me again. I turned to face him.

"That sounds like a challenge to me," he smirked, hands rested casually on his hips.

"Hmm," I replied, suppressing a smile. Eric was nothing if not confident.

He stepped close, as close as he could get without touching me, "I assume you will not say anything to anyone about our little…accident."

"Our accident?" I spat, then reined my anger in, "No, I won't."

"Good." Without a word more he pulled my hips to him and brushed his lips against mine. Teasingly, his tongue darted into my mouth and touched mine. I held back and a hand weaved into my hair. He lingered and the tension built between us. Gently pulling my head to him, he kissed into me and I'm ashamed to say I melted and kissed back. Those lips, that tongue, any girl, or guy for that matter, would've found it impossible to resist.

Eric broke it off before I was ready and I gasped as his lips left mine.

"Very well," he said arrogantly, returning to his chair at the desk, "You may leave."

Exasperated, I stormed out of the door and slammed it behind me.

"You shouldn't be back here," said a voice from the darkness.

"I'm leaving, don't worry."

I turned on my heel and left Fangtasia. I took off my shoes as soon as I was outside and began marching home, infuriated.

In truth, it didn't take me long to arrive home. My little one bed house, which Bill had helped me find, was only about 8 or 9 blocks from Fangtasia and I wondered, considering the nights revelations, whether the distance was a good thing or not. Regardless, I immediately felt safe and comfortable as I opened the door and went inside. Throwing my offending shoes into the hall cupboard, I went into the kitchen and grabbed a Coke. I smiled to myself.

"Well, you wanted to know more about vampires," I scalded myself, "Trust you to witness one of them killing another and help him cover it up!"

I chuckled and threw the can in the rubbish bin, no trash bin. I was in the USA now.