The Following Day

[onceaviking]

Eric's house is quiet and cool when Jay arrives the next morning.

There's a note on the counter and an envelope. The note reads,

Jay ,
A couple of things will acquire my attention tonight, so come to Fangtasia after 10 tonight.
I will get you home then.

If you do not get done this time, we will have to talk about finishing the job later.

Eric

His handwriting is quite neat and precise. He learned writing late in life . Or death as it were.

The envelope contains a handful of hundred dollar bills. For necessities it says on the outside in a different hand, elegant and feathery.
Pam.

It looks like it will be a very hot day. It's likely a good thing that the A/C is cranked up inside.

Comments

[runningred]

"Yeah, I bet." Jay mutters around a bite of pizza. "I've got to drop past ther tonight to hand over some paperwork. I'll make sure to keep a low profile."

He wipes his hand and holds it out to Thomas. "It was nice meeting you, mate. You do a good job here."

[onceaviking]

Thomas takes the offered hand and shakes it.
"Yeah, take care."

Then he drives off, still looking worried. Working for vamps have just gotten a lot less cushy it seems.

[runningred]

Jay digs in hard, stopping only every now and then to grab another bite of rapidly cooling pizza. He finishes work around dusk, running last checks on the systems and double checking the sensors on the house against the remotes.

He leaves a note to explain that the system is in and the garden will do as is but that he won't mind coming back a cleaning up the planting a bit when things quieten down.

He leaves a couple of spare fobs and the two especially made for Pam and Eric. Pam's is gold and has a stylised enamel version of a rose window on it. Whereas Eric's is steel and engraved with the ægishjálmr. Which Jay really hopes he got right.

He cleans everything up and returns it to it's place, leaving Eric's house as neat as he found it.

Wanting to get to Bon Temps with plenty of time to get back to meet Eric at the club, he takes off. After swing past the hotel to grab his gear and check out, he turns the truck towards Bon Temps and the place the first two girls worked at.

[onceaviking]

It looks like a busy night at Merlotte's Bar and Grill. The parking lot is filled, mostly with pick-up trucks and older cars. Bon Temps is not a city of rich folks.

Inside, there're a mix of people having a late dinner, people having the evening's first beer, and people who've long since had the first beer.

The waitresses are busy, a tall redhead who keeps leaning in to talk excitedly with a man at the bar, and a very smiley blonde with a swing in her hips and a small scarf around her neck.

The cook looks somewhat flamboyant (you don't see a black man with that much eyeshadow this deep down South everyday) and the small man behind the bar (the owner perhaps?) looks a little harried.

There's a free table with a view of the Bar.

[runningred]

Jay lingers long enough to be shown to a seat, positioning himself with a view of the bar and the door. The cook makes him smile, it's good to see someone being who they are in a place like this. It's a pity he doesn't have more time.

[onceaviking]

The guy in the kitchen seems to spot the smile. At least Jay gets a very coy sideways look and a sideways hip thrust that would do a belly dancer proud as he moves out of sight to man the grill station.

The blonde waitress comes over with a menu, beaming so hard it looks painful. It's a genuine smile, but it looks almost as if she is wearing it as some sort of body armor.

"Hi, welcome to Merlotte's. Here's your menu. Can I get you something to drink to start with?"

Her little scarf is placed at just the right height to hide puncture wounds.

[runningred]

Jay chuckles warmly at the cook's antics, looking over at him every chance he gets. He looks like someone Jay could really enjoy getting to know.

He turns back to the blonde with a gentle smile, matching her sunniness. "Thank you. I'd love a beer, just something light if you've got it."

He watches her neck, clearly the bites new to her. Lucky Eric healed all the ones on Jay's neck but the couple on his wrists are viable between his scars, if someone's looking closely. His mind, on the other hand, is quiet. Not silent like a vampires but the white noise of an untuned radio turned down low.

[onceaviking]

She falters a little as he smiles to her. Not because of the smile but because he is quiet and even though she is elated after her night with Bill, there's still the sorrow and horror from finding her Grandmother dead in the kitchen, her fallout with her brother, the horrible funeral, and she snap finding it harder than normal to keep people's thoughts out. Not having to fight it is still a strange feeling, even after she has gotten used to the vampires.

She looks like she is about to say something to him and then her coworker calls out, "Sookie , come over here a minute?" And she smiles brightly at him, saying "One beer coming right up," before bopping away.

[runningred]

"Thanks." He smiles again and watches her go. He looks around the room, watching the way people move, feeling the mood, listening to conversations close by. And watching the cook.

[onceaviking]

The waitress returns with his beer and to take his order fairly quickly.

"Here you go," she says as she puts it down on a coaster. "Ready to order?"

If you know what to look for, you can tell that she is distracted. If you know anything about unshielded, receptive telepaths, that might be your guess.

Her smile falters briefly and she almost turns, casting a brief look over her shoulder at a loud group at a nearby table. What they're saying isn't too off color , but who knows what they're thinking.

She turns her attention back to him and the smile is back in force. Her eyes briefly flickers to his wrist - and widen a little.

[runningred]

"Thanks." Jay knows enough about telepaths to know the feel of someone touching his mind. Or that distraction like that must be painful.

Jay follows her gaze and turns his wrist slightly into the light, letting her look if she wants to before pulling his sleeve down a touch. He looks up at her, his expression open and honest. He has no telepathic ability of his own but he can control how much he lets someone else hear. 'Yes, I have a vampire lover. Is that what you want to know?'

"I'm just passing through. Someone mentioned the food here was really good. I'll have... whatever the chef recommends. I'd like to try the local flavours. If that's okay? I put myself in your hands."

[onceaviking]

Her hand ends up at her neck, fiddling with the scarf, and then her eyes grow even wider, as she obviously hears him.

She giggles, a little nervously , and says, "I'd better get your order to Lafayette first. It's mostly his hands you're putting yourself into."

Her need to speak to someone is almost palpable,but she is clearly eager to act professionally.

She picks up the menu and hurries back, stopping dead in her tracks, as she passes a table with two young couples. They're discussing the murders.

And why Jason Stackhouse is an obvious suspect.

She grits her teeth, plasters her smile back on, and continues moving away from Jay's table.

[runningred]

"Then I'm sure I'm in safe hands." He watches her with care, feeling very sorry for her. It must hurt to be that open. It's a pity no-one's found her to teach her to shield.

He may have gone too far letting her hear him, or see the scars but it certainly got an interesting reaction.

He listens, sipping his beer. So Jason Stackhouse is the local boy they're all taking about. It seems unlikely to Jay but without knowing more, it's hard to say. It takes a special kind of evil to kill family.

[onceaviking]

The food is brought to his table, not by Sookie, but by the cook himself.

"Now, I heard that you were willing to give your pretty self up to my capable hands," he says as he puts a steaming plate down in front of Jay.

"So here's dinner. And if you like the gumbo, we could always discus which sort of dessert that'd be the best choice. Later."

He is smoldering, but even though it is very obviously directed at Jay, it also seems as defiance of sorts. Directed at whomever might take offense at eyeliner and sashaying hips.

"Don't mind Sook. She's a doll, but she's had a bit of a rough time lately."

[runningred]

Jay smiles up at him, open and inviting. Shocking flirt that he is. "I always prefer to explore the local flavours when I travel. And this looks amazing." He isn't looking at the food.

"I'm just sorry I don't have much time this trip. I really like to explore it deeper." It's as gentle an apology as he can manage.

He shakes his head and looks after Sookie. "I get the feeling that poor girl's carrying more than she should have to."

[onceaviking]

Lafayette adjusts his artfully tied headscarves.
"Well, we're almost always open,'" he says. "And very hospitable."

He turns to leave, making sure that Jay gets the best view possible of his ass, adding over his shoulder, "Yeah, she should have taken a few days off, but there's bills to pay, no?"

And then he returns to the kitchen, seemingly willing to win some and loose some. Perhaps to win them later.

[runningred]

"So I see." Jay smiles up at him, watching him go with an appreciative smile. He's not sure Lafayette's really his type but the man is bold, brave and outspoken and that's always fun.

The gumbo is amazing and exactly what he needed. He catches Sookie's eye and politely asks for another beer. "Is there somewhere outside it's okay to smoke?" Kinda hoping she'll follow him out to talk. This one has him curious.

[onceaviking]

"Oh, you can smoke wherever," she says, brightly. "But - "
She hesitates.
"It's none of my business, but you should probably keep your sleeve down."

Her fingers are back to fiddling with her scarf.

"People can be a little - close-minded here."
Which is the only reason she hasn't told her friends about Bill yet. She doesn't like to talk about her business out in the open. At work.

And yet she is fit to burst with the joy of finally, finally, having a boyfriend.

She goes off to get him another beer.

[runningred]

"Thank you." He nods meaningfully, tugging down his sleeve. 'I'm sorry you have to put up with other people's opinions.'

He nods and gets up, slipping outside for a quick smoke in the twilight. He closes his eyes tight against the flair of the lighter. He doesn't smoke much any more but it's been a long couple of days and he deserves it. He breathes out with a sigh. This really is a messed up town.

[onceaviking]

She does nip out a little later, under the pretense of taking out the thrash, but before she gets a chance to say anything , she's called back inside by the short guy who's been manning the bar.

He walks outside and strolls casually over to Jay.
"Look here," he says, in a low tone of voice, "I know Sookie is sweet and smiling, but she's been having a really rough time at it with her Grandmother being killed and her brother - "he cuts himself off.
"Never mind that. I just don't think it's a good idea if you get too invested in getting to know her.okay, stranger."

His voice is friendly enough, but he is clearly very protective. Very, very protective.

"Sookie has always been special. But she needs a break, not more attention."

He may have missed the exchange between Lafayette and Jay. Or maybe he's just aware that people can be really flexible.

[runningred]

Jay starts towards her but stops when she's called back.

Jay listens to the owner's rant with a tolerant quiet, letting him get it off his chest. "I mean nothing by it. She seems like a nice girl and I can see that she's well loved and protected. I'm not looking for trouble, just a meal and a drink before I move on."

[onceaviking]

He deflates a little.
"Okay. Good. I don't mean to be off putting but , yeah. Things are a bit strained at the moment."

[runningred]

"You're looking after your own. Nothing in that to be ashamed off." He nods to Sam and heads back inside to finish off his beer.

He can feel the weight of the day pressing down on him and checks his watch. Still a couple of hours before he needs to head back. He catches Sookie's eye. "Sorry to trouble you again, miss. Do you mind asking the chef if he can recommend something for desert?"

[onceaviking]

She looks both surprised and amused.
But when you're in love, you want the whole world to be happy, and she just knows that Lafayette will enjoy the attention, so she gives Jay a nod and a wink and goes to fetch Lafayette.

She returns without him a few minutes later and says, as she happens to pass Jay's table, that he Lafayette is on his break. Outside on the parking lot? By one of the big trees. If he still wanted a recommendation.

[runningred]

"Thanks a lot." He smiles and pays for his meal, leaving her a more than generous tip.

He slips outside, heading for the big trees. It's not hard to find the one he's looking for, not with night-vision like his. "Hey." He smiles a little shyly. Or at least the appearance of shyness. "Thanks for dinner. That gumbo was amazing."