Sookie's Birthday Surprise

Chapter One

I drove home from working my shift at Merlott's with a little gray cloud hanging over me. I had been feeling down ever since I realized it was over between me and Quinn. Amelia, my tenant and friend, seemed to be really hitting it off with Tray Dawson, my friend Tara was happily married to J.B. Durone, and tonight I had overheard Sam on the phone with Tanya just laughing and flirting away. Tanya was not one of my favorite people. Still, Sam seemed taken with the little shifter.

I was happy for them, but it just reinforced how lonely and unsatisfied I was feeling lately with my lot in life. Work, clean the house, errands, TV, reading, sun bathing - these were the things that made up my days and nights and they just weren't enough. I didn't want to get caught up in the complex and dangerous world of vampires and supernaturals again, but the human world didn't seem to have a place for me either.

I dragged myself out of my car, feeling weary and tired. Maybe everything would look different after a good night's sleep. Once I stepped inside to my renovated kitchen I felt a little better. The kitchen was much nicer than the old one had been. And tonight it smelled wonderful. On the counter was a tray of golden brown cookies. They were still a little warm. Suddenly I realized I was hungry. Amelia must have baked them. That was unusual for Amelia, who usually just bought cookies from the store and kept them in her special Tupperware box. I listened for Amelia's thought waves, but I could tell Amelia wasn't in the house. Since Amelia's car was gone I figured Amelia had gone out for a while. I hoped cookie baking wasn't going to become a new hobby of Amelia's, because I knew I would put on unwanted weight if I was tempted with warm cookies every night.

However, tonight a warm cookie was just what the doctor ordered. I put one on a pretty plate and poured myself a glass of cold skim milk to wash it down. Then I changed into my comfortable nightgown, robe, slippers and took the elastic from my hair. I shuffled back into the kitchen, sat down and ate the cookie and drank the milk. The cookie was delicious, so thin and crisp. I decided to have another one. One more cookie wouldn't hurt. I was halfway through the second cookie when there was a soft knock on my kitchen door. Sighing, I called out "Who is it?" The answer didn't gladden my heart.

Chapter 2

"Bill." came the answer. Somehow I had known it was Bill even though I couldn't read vampire minds. Maybe I remembered his knock, soft but demanding, like his kisses. Stop it, I told myself, you and Bill are never going to be an item again. Not after the way he treated you. I couldn't remember if I had rescinded Bill's invitation to enter my home or not, but I didn't want to go outside in my nightgown to talk to him.

"Come on in." I said, trying to sound calm and not show my annoyance. Bill came into the kitchen looking just like he always did. Handsome, dark, slightly menacing, charming, sexy. And very very pale.

"I was just having a snack" I said. "Can I get you a drink?" At least I could always fall back on my good manners.

"Yes, please." Bill said. "May I sit down?" He indicated a chair opposite the one I had been sitting in.

"Sure" I wondered why he was here. I wondered if I should go get dressed, but it just seemed like too much effort. My robe, though short, was enough coverage. Besides, Bill had seen every inch of me when we were a couple.

I got the True Blood from the refrigerator and popped it in the microwave. I waited the right number of seconds for it to warm. The microwave dinged, and I took out the warm bottle of True Blood. I shook it to evenly distribute the warmth and put it down in front of Bill with a napkin, feeling sort of like I was still waitressing.

Bill sat down and took a sip of his drink. I sat down and waited to hear what Bill had to say.

"You look well." he said after looking at me intensely for a minute. I didn't answer so he went on. "You're going to be having a birthday soon."

Oh great, another reminder of how my life was going by without anything to look forward to. "Yup" I acknowledged "You're right."

"I was wondering ... If you do not have any other plans maybe we could do something special for your birthday." Bill smiled slightly, that smile of his that could be so sexy, but turn mocking or ironic so fast. Right now he just looked hopeful and pleasant.

I thought there were several ways I could respond to this. I could be sarcastic and ask him about Selah Pumphrey. I could be irate and ask him how dare he suggest such a thing. I could be coy and hard to get. But I just didn't feel like the drama tonight. He was being honest so I would be too.

"Sure" I said, surprising both him and myself. "What did you have in mind?"

Chapter 3

Bill looked down for a second, then looked up with such fondness in his eyes I was touched.

"The question would really be, what would make you happy? What would make this a special birthday for you?"

I knew Bill would wait patiently until I was ready to answer. That was one of the things I loved ... HAD loved ... about him and his vampire nature. I thought about fancy restaurants, movies, shows. My mind didn't really land on any of those ideas. Then I knew the answer.

"Sex" I said, amazed at myself. "Sex with you and Eric." I smiled my genuine smile, proud of myself for my honesty.

Bill looked as surprised as a vampire can look, which isn't a lot. "Would this be sequential or do you mean both of us at the same time?"

"Oh, both of you at the same time. Hot vampire sex, two on one action." I realized I was quoting from the box on a porn DVD I had seen laying around at Jason's house. I began to giggle, feeling like I was free from any constraints, I was free to speak my mind. It made me almost giddy.

Bill looked at me with renewed interest. "You have certainly evolved since we met."

"Well, yes." I said. "Back then I was shy virgin, looking for love. Now I don't know about love and happily ever after. But I do know I'm full of hormones. I'm not going to be young and horny forever, and you and Eric are both attractive. I've been intimate with both of you. I would love to have wild unrestrained sex with both of you. It would be something for me to remember for the rest of my life. I'm just being honest here."

I was astounded by the words coming out of my mouth, but in my heart I knew it was exactly how I felt. I hadn't even been aware I had this fantasy, although it was a common enough fantasy, I knew from reading minds.

I added "Bill, I know vampires can be possessive. I don't want any conflict between you and Eric if we do this. I want it to be fun, sexy, creative, orgasmic and satisfying. If this is going to trigger any anger or jealousy then I don't want to do it. If it's going to lead to any long term problems between us I don't want to do it. But if we can just set aside our issues and have a rip roaring good time then that's what I want."

Bill was tilting his head slightly, squinting, like he was seeing a new side of me for the first time. "Do you want me to ask Eric about this, or would you rather speak to him about it yourself?"

I knew the answer to that question. "I would appreciate it if you would make the arrangements with Eric. Be sure to let him know I only want to do this if we could all put aside any of our other issues and just have a good time."

I was feeling really sleepy. I chatted with Bill for a few more minutes. Then he left after assuring me he would set this up if it was possible. He also thanked me for trusting him with my honest desires. He kissed me gently on the cheek, and then he left.

After Bill left the night was so quiet. I cleaned up the glass, bottle and plate, not wanting the last half of the cookie. I hummed to myself, and finally turned off the light, going to bed. I left the rest of the cookies out for Amelia to put away when she got home.

Chapter 4

I awoke at the first light of dawn and I was having a heart attack. In a panic of not getting enough air, I sat bolt upright gasping for breath, a massive pain in my chest. I clawed my way out of bed and staggered to the bathroom. Turning the cold water on full blast I put my mouth under the stream, trying to take a drink and wet my face simultaneously. Slowly my heart rate slowed, my breath returned, and my dizziness lessened. I dried my face and I went back to sit on the edge of the bed.

"What the hell was THAT?" I asked myself under my breath. Just keep breathing, calm down, everything is fine, I told myself mentally. OK, it wasn't a heart attack, it was a panic attack. But why? Everything looked fine. No smoke, no explosions, no weird creature in my room. I was wearing the same nightgown I had on last night. LAST NIGHT!! Suddenly it all came back to me. Bill's visit, my request to have a three way sex orgy with Bill and Eric. Had I dreamt it? It seemed so real. But it must have been a dream. Of course, I had been having a vivid dream. Ok, Ok, that explains it. Wow, what a dream.

I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and put on my casual jeans and a black Fangtasia t-shirt that had a bleach spot on the front. Today I would clean the oven and the bathroom cabinets. It helped to have a task set out, a goal, to give me a feeling of accomplishment. I had to go to work tonight, but not until 9 o'clock. That left me the whole day to accomplish these few tasks. Amelia was a first class cleaner, but some jobs were always left to do. I straightened my bed and went to the kitchen for coffee. Yes, there was half a pot of hot coffee Amelia must have made very early. I poured myself a cup and got bread to make toast. I put the last two slices in the toaster, and went to throw out the wrapper. I froze. There in the top of the garbage was the empty True Blood bottle, and half a cookie.

Chapter 5

"Oh no, this can't be happening!" I whispered. Had Bill really been here? Had I really asked him to set up a sex orgy? What had come over me? Was I having a stroke or something? I remembered Gran's friend, old Mrs. Chickopee. When ex-school teacher and life long church goer old Mrs.Chickopee had a stroke (or some kind of brain malfunction) her powers of speech had mostly left her. But she was still able to swear and say lewd things. Instead of asking for a cup of tea, or politely discussing the weather old Mrs.Chickopee would let loose a string of cuss words that would make a sailor blush. She'd ask men to .... well, to do the most shocking things to her, in graphic language. Needless to say her family kept away all visitors, and finally put her in a home.
Was I the victim of a brain problem?

Just then Amelia came into the kitchen. Amelia looked terrible. She was hung over and she was ... she seemed ashamed. "Um, hi Sookie." she mumbled. After a brief pause she asked, so quietly I could barely hear her "Did you happen to have any of those cookies that were on the counter last night?"

"Yes" I answered. My mind was already picking up on the disjointed thoughts in Amelia's hung over head. Amelia was a clear broadcaster, even at the worst of times. Amelia and her new young witch friend Heather had made the cookies from a magic recipe. They contained special herbs and a spell that acted like a truth serum. Whoever ate the cookies would tell the truth about whatever they were asked. Heather had wanted them to feed to her new boyfriend because she suspected him of cheating. Amelia and Heather had gone out for a few drinks before coming home to pack up the cookies. Amelia and Heather would be in trouble if either of their mentors knew what they had "cooked up" because using these cookies for personal reasons was forbidden.

"Yes" I said again. "And I now know what kind of cookies they were too. Amelia, how could you just leave them laying here on the counter for me to come home to? Didn't you think I might eat some?" By now my voice had risen into the pissed off level. I was getting madder and madder. Damn that Amelia, how could she be so stupid? I was just about to give voice to that thought but I realized that I didn't have to say everything I was thinking. So, that must mean the effect of the cookies had worn off.

Amelia looked close to tears. "I'm so sorry, Sookie. I just didn't even think about you eating any. You never touch any of the cookies I bring home. You're so good about eating sensibly. It just never occured to me. And Heather was so upset, the recipe took so much concentration, I just didn't think about you possibly eating any. Are you feeling OK now? Are you sick to your stomach or anything?" She was practically wringing her hands. Right now, I'd like to wring her neck. But I didn't say that. Good, more evidence the cookies effect had worn off.

Instead I said. "Oh I'm fine now. Everything would be just great if it wasn't for one little thing."

"What's that?" Amelia asked, afraid of my answer.

"Bill stopped by and paid me a visit last night after I had eaten one of the cookies" I replied.

"Oh no" Amelia gasped. Then "Oh NO!" she said again as the implications of what I was saying hit her.

Chapter 6

Amelia lowered herself carefully onto one of my chairs. She knew all about the troubled history I had with Bill, how he broke my heart, betrayed me, lied to me, made love to me under false pretenses. He had been my first love, my first lover, and I had loved him, then I had come to hate him. Now I didn't have the energy to hate him, or even resent him. He was just an old acquaintance, and I had some very fond memories of him. I also had some extremely bitter memories of him too.

Amelia was beating herself up again. "When will I ever learn not to make assumptions! Now I have gotten you in some kind of trouble and it's all my fault. I was trying to help Heather, and yes, I was showing off too, but now look at what I've done!" She would have gone on like this, but I needed some time alone to think.

"Why don't you go lay down and sleep off that hangover, then we'll talk about it. I know you didn't do it on purpose. Besides, how were you supposed to know Bill would come over. Just get some sleep, and don't fret." I sounded more reassuring than I felt.

Amelia took a couple of non-magical aspirin and went back upstairs to her room. I was glad to see the back of her. I poured myself some more coffee and began wracking my brain to figure out how I could undo this mess. If Bill hadn't spoken to Eric yet things might be pretty simple. I could just tell Bill I had changed my mind. He might be annoyed but he wouldn't take it any further. He was still trying to work himself around to my good side because he still had feelings for me. But if Bill had spoken to Eric about this then that was a whole new problem. Eric was nothing if not persistent. He would never rest until he had made me tell him the whole story. And what was the whole story? The plain truth of it was this - I really wanted to do this on some deep down level I hadn't been aware of. Sure I had the occasional thought here and there, but it had never really jelled into a plan of any kind. Besides, with the way Bill and Eric were usually at odds over me, it would have been a stupid thing to suggest. However, I had apparently done just that.

I noticed that the answering machine was blinking twice. For some reason this filled me with dread. I turned down the volume so Amelia couldn't hear the messages and played the first message.

"Hello, this is the library with a message for Sookie Stackhouse. We have the three books here you ordered. Please try to pick them up as soon as possible. Thank you." beep.

So far so good. Just library books, no problem there.

Now for the second message.

"Well lover, it seems you want to take a walk on the wild side. I knew you had hidden depths to your libido. I am making all the arrangements for us to have a very special three day weekend together. I know I look forward to it." Then he sounded like he was chuckling, then beep. Eric. There would be no simple solution now. No, nothing would be simple.

Chapter 7

Days went by while I lived my life, looking normal on the outside, but on the inside I was still trying to find a way to undo the damage Amelia's Truth Cookies had caused. I went through every idea from moving to faking illness. But in the end, two days away from my "big weekend", I still hadn't come up with any ideas for a graceful way out.

And slowly I realized something. I was looking forward to it. Sort of. I kept thinking, how many women would get to have an experience like this? How many women would want to? I was in a unique position to have two intelligent, handsome, and undeniably sexy vampires rock my world for a birthday bash. My grandmother was probably spinning in her grave. But my grandmother had had her little secrets too, and those had affected my life. At least my little fling wouldn't result in pregnancy. None of us was married or in a committed relationship. In other words, why not?

I packed, not knowing exactly what to bring. I guessed some lingerie, my prettiest undies, and some easy to remove clothing. I also packed my perfume, shampoo, razor, make up, and other supplies I would need to keep up my appearance. I wanted to feel pretty, not slutty. I wanted this to feel romantic, not clandestine.

Amelia knew something was up, but she didn't know what, and I didn't tell her. It was nobody's business but mine. She tiptoed around me for a few days, but gradually things returned to normal, or at least what passed for normal in my life, and she agreed to hold down the fort for the long weekend I would be away.

I got increasingly tense in the hours before nightfall Friday night. I knew being around Eric would calm me because of the blood bond we shared. And Bill, when he wasn't aggravating me, was very calming and reassuring. I was more worried that the vampire's nature to assert control would make for some friction between Bill and Eric. I didn't want to be in the middle of some power struggle between them. I was hoping their agreement to put aside all our issues for this one weekend would stand.

I put on my light blue sun dress with the white trim that showed off my tan. I was bare legged, and had on two inch white heels, which was high for me. Underneath, I was wearing a very pretty blue strapless bra and matching thong panties. Both the bra and the panties had little blue flowers delicately embroidered on them. I wore my hair loose, with a sparkly blue clip holding a little of it back from my face. A dab of pink lipstick to match my nails, and just a hint of blush, although I was sure I would be blushing without any help pretty soon. One last look in the hall bathroom mirror and I was ready to go.

Finally it was full dark, and I moved my suitcase out to the front porch. I sat and rocked, not thinking about anything. I simply didn't know what to think.

As the headlights of Eric's red Corvette came down my nicely graveled driveway I stood up, waiting.

Chapter 8

Eric got out with his usual jaunty air and quick as a flash he was up the porch steps and had me in his arms, kissing me with an intensity that took my breath away. He was wearing a nice blue dress shirt and beautifully tailored slacks in a dark grey color. His long hair was pulled back at his nape with an elastic. He smelled wonderful, like an expensive men's cologne and the dry cool scent of vampire. His shoes and belt matched. His belt buckle and watch matched too. I wondered for the hundredth time who did his shopping for him. Did he do it himself? I doubted it.

I told him I was glad to see him. He told me I looked delicious, as usual. That made me a little nervous, but Eric has a weird sense of humor. I do too, so I smiled.

I called into the house and said goodbye to Amelia. She called back from upstairs to say goodbye. She didn't come to the door and I was glad. I felt like I had "depraved sex starved Sookie" written on my forehead. Eric picked up my suitcase like it was filled with feathers and put it in his trunk. I came carefully down the porch steps and Eric opened my car door. As I folded myself into the low car I looked in the back. No Bill. For a second I wondered if Eric had sent Bill off on some fool's errand so he could spirit me away for the weekend. Then Eric got in the car and we took off like a rocket.

Every few minutes Eric would look over at me with a puzzled expression on his face. I had no idea where we were going, or where Bill was. I couldn't think of a single thing to say, so I just sat quietly. Finally Eric asked "Why didn't you ever tell me this is what you wanted? Did you think I would be so jealous that it would anger me?"

Oh great, already Eric was angry that it was Bill I talked to about my desires. I could see his point. I had been closer to Eric than I was to Bill for quite a while. Without knowing about the cookies Amelia made, this was just so out of character for me that Eric was having a hard time figuring out how we got to this point. I needed to tell him the truth, the weird, freakish truth.

"Eric, I ate some magic cookies by accident and then Bill showed up to ask me what I wanted for my birthday. The cookies make whoever eats them tell the truth. Amelia made the cookies for a friend and I accidentally ate one. Apparently I had a deeply hidden desire to have sex with you and Bill, but until I ate the cookie I didn't know I felt that way. My mouth just opened up and I told Bill what had been in the back of my mind. The next morning, when I woke up and remembered what I had said, I had such a panic attack I thought I was having a heart attack. That's why I told Bill. He just happened to come by after I ate the magic cookie."

Eric pulled over to the side of the road. He turned to look at me. Then he roared with laughter. I got a little miffed. It wasn't that funny. Surely I couldn't have had the only magic cookie accident he ever heard of. Or maybe I had. I saw that it was really sort of funny. I laughed a little too. He hugged me and said "You are never boring, lover. In my long life you stand out as completely unique. And, I am flattered that you want to have sex with me." After a short pause he added "And Bill." He had stopped laughing now. It was what it was, I couldn't change that. He had to take it or leave it. Apparently, he was taking it.

Chapter 9

Finally I asked "Where are we going?" We had been driving for forty five minutes down country roads. We had discussed how Fangtasia was doing, how my job was going, and what a lovely evening it was. Now I wanted to know what was up.

"We're going to a cabin a friend of mine owns. It will be secluded, comfortable, and just right for what we have in mind." Eric sounded proud of himself. I hoped what he had in mind was what I had in mind. Always, in the far recesses of my mind, was the knowledge that Eric could turn me vampire whenever he wanted. I didn't think he would do it against my will, but there was always that very faint possibility. Eric found me frustrating sometimes and turning me would solve some of his problems with me. He would be my maker, so he would have power over me forever. Of course I would hate his guts forever too, and I suspect he felt that it just wasn't worth it.

I hesitated to bring up Bill's name, but I wondered where Bill was. I hoped he would be meeting us at the cabin. Just as I was debating asking about Bill we were pulling up to a large log house in the woods. This was no cabin, this house was as big as mine. And parked around the side was Bill's car. We pulled up behind Bill's car and parked. Once the sound of the engine died it was very quiet. Just the night sounds of the bugs and tree frogs. Eric got my bag from the trunk and opened my car door. I got out, feeling a little stiff from the ride, and a little like I was having an out of body experience. Was this really me having a wild weekend? I could hardly believe it.

Inside, the living room was just beautiful. There were roses, candles, and a fire in the fireplace. On the table was fruit, cheese, wine, and True Blood. There was also another more expensive kind of bottled blood. At least they wouldn't be counting on me to provide the liquid refreshments.

Bill was sitting on the couch reading. He was wearing a light grey cashmere sweater and pressed blue jeans. He looked pink so he must have just eaten. He placed a bookmark and set the book down. He stood up and held his arms out to me. I went over and hugged him stiffly, feeling Eric's eyes on me all the while. Bill smiled at me, and I could see compassion and knowledge of my uncomfortable position. He understood. But he hadn't been told about the cookies, so I asked him if I could explain something to him. He sat down and I sat next to him and told him all about the magic cookies. While I talked Eric prowled around, drinking the more expensive bottled blood.

Bill didn't laugh. He had seen the cookies, he had seen me with the cookie plate in front of me. Now he knew, as that guy on the radio used to say, the "rest of the story". He asked "Are you alright now?" in his cool soothing voice.

I didn't know how to answer that. I was physically alright, but I just couldn't wrap my head around this situation that I had brought about. "Yes. I'm OK. No long term effects, thank goodness." was all I could think of to say. At least I didn't giggle.

Bill looked in my eyes and smoldered. I could feel the heat rising in me just from the frank desire in his eyes. "May I kiss you?" he asked, very quietly.

"I don't know." I said, and turned to look at Eric. He was standing with his back to us, looking out the window into the pitch black night. Could he see anything out there? I couldn't, but he probably could with his vampire x-ray vision or something. "Eric?" I asked, a trifle overwrought, "Can Bill kiss me?" I was grinning like a fool from my nerves being so overtaxed. That's what happens to me when I get nervous, I smile.

Eric turned around slowly, a slightly amused smile on his lips. "You are asking me if you can kiss Bill? Why?"

Oh he knew why, and he knew I knew he knew, but I decided to spell it out anyway, just to get it straight in my own mind.

"You are the most powerful being here. You have power over me from our blood bond, you could kill me or turn me any time you want. You have power over Bill because you're the sheriff in his home area, and you are much older than he is. In other words, if I do anything to make you mad you might do something to Bill to make his life, or his existence, miserable. I don't want to start trouble. So I want to know if anything I'm doing is causing you distress. I never did anything like this before." I was very close to whining now so I shut up.

"Not true" Eric replied in a flat voice. "Remember that orgy you invited me to?"

"That doesn't count!" I said, indignant. "You know I was only there undercover to try and find out who killed Lafayette. I didn't participate or enjoy myself at all."

"So, you are saying you are afraid of me?" Eric asked.

"Not exactly" I replied "I'm saying that I can't be over here kissing on Bill and all the while I'm worrying that you are feeling bad, or mad or sad or left out. I'm saying that I can't have a good time or feel good if it's going to hurt you, either of you."

I turned to include Bill in this conversation. "I don't know how this can possibly work. It's one thing to imagine it, but it's another thing to actually be here doing it. I know if either one of you had asked me to join in with another woman, vampire or human, I wouldn't want to do it. I would feel jealous, hurt, upset. I picture you two feeling the same way. I just see this as me making two of the people I love the most in this world feel bad. And I don't want to do that. I think I should just thank both of you for trying to make me happy and then I should just go home. I'm a fool to have suggested it. Though I wouldn't have if I hadn't eaten that magic cookie." Then, to my further embarrassment, I started crying.

Chapter 10

Neither man spoke for a minute while I got a tissue out of my little purse. Before I could bring it to my face both vampires were instantly in front of me, delicately licking my tears. They took turns. They moved so quickly they were just blurs. I was shocked into stopping crying. They can move so fast. I've seen them do it before but I never get used to it. "Holy Cow!" I exclaimed, shaken. Vampires love body fluids, not just blood. I knew they liked tears, and that didn't really bother me, but it just happened so fast. I dabbed at my nose and put my tissue away. I was completely done with crying. I stood up, smoothing out my skirt. "I'm ready." I said.

"Ready for what?" Bill asked.

"Ready to be taken home." I said. I thought that would be obvious.

"But you never got an answer." Bill said.

"An answer to what?" I asked.

"An answer to the question you asked Eric." Bill said patiently. He sat down again on the couch.

"What question? Oh - you mean when I asked him if you could kiss me?" I sat back down on the couch too.

"Yes" Bill said, the very picture of rational thought, "That question." He turned to Eric. "What is your answer, Eric?"

Eric made a grand wave with his arm. "Be my guest. Kiss her." He looked like he would be fine with it.

"Come here." Bill said to me, his voice low and husky.

I scooched over on the couch until he was within kissing distance.

Bill took me in his arms and kissed me. He kissed me and kissed me. His kiss told me of his love, his sorrow, his regrets, and his longing for me. It told me that nothing had stopped him from loving me and wanting me. This was the kind of kiss you give when you get to kiss someone you thought you would never get to kiss again. This kiss went right into my soul. I forgot Eric. I forgot everything I was so involved in this kiss. As he was kissing me he was bending me back until I was against the back of the couch. When he finally stopped kissing me I lay back without moving, slightly panting. My cheeks were flaming. My chest was heaving. I was almost dizzy.

When the world came back into focus I saw Eric, looking down at me. His blue eyes looked ... interested. And his fangs were out.

Chapter 11

Okaaay. Now what? I was so worked up from being kissed that I was having a hard time thinking.

Eric spoke "You may think this is a strange situation, but for one as old as I it is not strange at all. There are many ways this could be an enjoyable and pleasant experience for all of us." He smiled, a little wicked fangy smile. "May I demonstrate?"

"Sure" I managed to squeak.

Eric sat down next to me on the other side. Now I had Bill on one side and Eric on the other. Like a Sookie sandwich, I thought. Eric turned me towards Bill, with my back towards Eric. I had to sit with one leg bent and resting on the couch.

"Now, kiss her again, Bill" Eric instructed.

Bill didn't need to be told twice. He leaned forward and kissed me. This time it was more gentle, more sensuous. As Bill kissed me I felt Eric's cool hands move across my back, around my sides, around to the front of me and caress my breasts. Since my sun dress was strapless it was easy for Eric to reach down inside the top of the dress, inside the top of my pretty strapless bra, and stroke my nipples. They immediately got hard for him and were so sensitive that I was gasping and moaning in Bill's mouth as I kissed him. This turned Bill on greatly and I felt the change in him from being loving to wanting to make love to me. I was writhing, but Eric held me, forcing me to feel the pleasure. Just when I thought I couldn't stand it I felt Bill's hand on my knee. Oh no, oh no. His hand slowly moved up my thigh. Up higher and higher. My legs spread open all on their own. As his fingers reached my panties I felt like I was going to explode. His fingers slid inside the edge of my thong and found my nub. It was so hard, so ready that he rubbed it a few times and I came. As I came Eric reached up and turned my face sideways, pulling me back from Bill's mouth, and Eric kissed me on the mouth. His kiss was so different, and he was taking in the pleasure of my orgasm which just went on and on as Bill touched me. My breasts were now out of the top of my dress and Bill leaned forward and sucked on my nipples. I came more, or again, I couldn't tell which. I came until I was making raw moaning sounds I never heard myself make before. Bill slowly removed his hand. Eric stopped kissing me and popped my breasts back into the bra and dress. I was panting like I had just run a mile. My legs were shaking. My hands were shaking. I was as limp as a noodle against Eric. He turned me to look at him.

"See" he said, calmly and reasonably "This can work out very well. We just all need to co-operate and not get in each other's way."

I looked at Bill. I swear, he looked proud of himself. His fangs were out.

Chapter 12

There was one limp Sookie and two big hard erections in the room. The erections were accompanied by fangs. It was time for us to lie down somewhere. "Is there a bedroom in this house?" I croaked.

"There are four" Eric said. "Let's go see one." Eric led me to a huge master bedroom with vaulted ceilings. This room, like the living room, was decorated beautifully, and had roses and candles. The bed was enormous, bigger than king size. Of course Eric had found the perfect place for a wild weekend. No neighbors to complain about the noise, luxurious surroundings. I knew there would be a hot tub and a jetted tub. Maybe even a shower big enough for two or three.

My suitcase was up on one of those suitcase holders and it was open. My lacy white baby doll night gown was laid on top. It came with a matching pair of panties, which I didn't bother taking to the bathroom with me. I went in and changed, trying not to look at myself in the mirror. When I did finally look at myself I saw my tousled hair, flaming cheeks, and swollen lips. I looked myself in the eye. Was I ashamed? Was I embarrassed? No. Maybe I would be when I looked back on this weekend, but right now I was just very excited and happy.

When I returned to the bedroom both Bill and Eric were naked. There was a space between them for me. I crawled into it. Bill and Eric were experienced, even about how to arrange sexual relations in a situation like this. They showed me, instructed me, bent me, stretched me, and bit me. They were careful not to take too much blood since there were two of them. They tried not to hurt me, but I could also see that the pain I felt trying some new things turned them on more. Their incredible strength made it possible to do things that couldn't be done with a human man. I let them see everything. I gave everything I had. I held nothing back. I told them I loved them. And I did.

Chapter 13

I woke up alone in the big bed. It was daytime and of course all vampires were sheltered from the sun during daylight hours. I didn't know if my two vamps were on the premises or not. I never wanted to know where their resting place was, they liked to keep it a secret. They were so vulnerable when they were dead until dark. I stretched feeling a peace and calm inside I hadn't known in a long time. My hormones were no longer churning, or whatever it was they did that caused so much trouble.

Since I was already naked I grabbed some clothes and went in the bathroom. There was an amazing shower with numerous jets that washed me all over at once. I was a little sore from all the activity, but Bill had healed anything that needed it with his blood before I fell asleep, so I was in pretty good shape.

I thought back over the night before and it surprised me to realize what I remembered the most was the kindness and the laughter. Sure we "did it" in just about every way possible, but behind the activity was the comfortable feeling that we all liked each other, we were here to enjoy ourselves. This was everything I hoped it would be and more.

After I got dressed in some nice khaki slacks and a yellow sleeveless blouse with little white flowers on it, I went into the kitchen. There was a note by the coffee pot. The food from last night had been put away. The candles had been blown out too. Good for whoever did it. I was too spent from the activities to have crawled into the kitchen last night.

"Sookie - there's food in the fridge. Near the phone are numbers for a hired car and a spa. Please go have a day at the spa, it's part of your present and it's all been paid for. See you tonight. Something special planned. - E "

I made coffee and had a roll with it. It was almost noon and I wanted to get back before nightfall. I called the car number and they were there in 15 minutes and took me to the Serenity Day Spa in Garland Creek. I had never been to a spa before, but I took to it like a duck takes to water. I had a massage and a steam bath, and drank juice made with some kind of special grass and fruit juice. I had my make up professionally applied. I even got an intricate design temporarily tattooed on my ankle with henna. They said it would wear off in about two weeks. I got my hair and nails done. Before I left I was handed a garment bag. "Mr. Northman asked us to give you this." the pretty red haired receptionist told me. Eric used the last name "Northman" when he needed a last name. Eric was older than last names, that was something to think about.

On the way back to the "cabin" I took a peek in the bag. I could see that the garment was black silk, but exactly what it was would have to wait until I could take it out of the bag properly. I didn't want to risk snagging it. The car driver was a nice young man named Bertram, and I could tell from his thoughts that he thought I might be a movie star or famous person. It was very flattering to hear that, though of course I couldn't thank him. People get really upset when you respond to something they were just thinking. Even people who knew about my telepathic "talent" wanted me to wait until they spoke the words aloud. When we arrived at the log house Bertram wouldn't accept a tip either, he said it was all taken care of.

I got back to the log house about a half hour before full dark. I went into the bedroom and took the dress out of the bag. It was pretty low cut in the front, and had transparent slightly puffy sleeves. It had an empire waist and a chiffon skirt that ended a few inches above my knees. It looked like a cocktail dress from the 1950's sort of, though it was new. It fit me almost perfectly, though the sleeves were a little long. Fortunately my black push up bra went under the dress and didn't show. I'm a little too big in the bosom to go without a bra. I had some black sandals so I wore those, but that wouldn't have been my first choice to wear with that dress.

My hair looked so blond against the dark fabric, I decided to just leave it loose. My lipstick and nails were a medium coral color that set off my tan. I spun around to see the skirt flare out and from the time I began the spin to the time I went around and back to the mirror Eric had appeared. I gave a little shriek.

"You look lovely." he said, ignoring my startled reaction.

Chapter 14

I felt a little shy around him. I'm no shrinking violet, but I had been so open and vulnerable it was a little weird at first. But Eric was the same old (and I do mean old, like about 1,000 years old) Eric. He showed his usual tact and sensitivity to my feelings.

"So, lover, who made you come harder, me or Bill?" he asked.

"Eric!" I said, shocked.

"Ah, I thought so." he replied smugly. "Bill tries hard, but he just isn't as well endowed or as skillful as I am."

"Size isn't everything" I said, feeling defensive of Bill.

"Yes, yes, I have read those articles too. They are all written by men with inferior equipment. They hope to brainwash women into believing that size is not important. They have sayings like 'It is not the size of the boat it is the motion of the ocean', though what that is supposed to mean I have not figured out. Perhaps you could explain it to me?"

As Eric spoke he sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned back. He was wearing a blue silk tee shirt that showed off every muscle and made his eyes look even more amazingly blue. His long blond mane of wavy hair was loose, his jeans were tight, and his thighs were strong and muscular. He began rubbing his thigh with his beautiful hand. He had the most wonderful hands, masculine, with square nails and powerful wrists. He had matching braided leather bracelets on tonight and they drew attention to his thick developed forearms. He probably developed them by wielding an axe or big sword back in the day.

"What ....?" I asked lamely, mesmerized by watching his hand rubbing his thigh. He had asked me something I realized vaguely, but I couldn't concentrate on his question. Now he was rubbing both thighs in long slow movements from his hips to his knees, watching me watch him. His right hand trailed up to his waist band and unsnapped his jeans. I gasped. He unzipped his jeans slowly. Then he stood up and pulled them down enough to take out his adequate (well, much more than adequate, superior I would say) equipment. Never taking his eyes off me he began to stroke it, making it harder.

He sat down on the bed again, then lay back against the pillows, slowly stroking himself. His eyes never left mine. He rubbed his chest and erect nipples with his other hand. I could see him getting more and more excited. I whimpered and took a step towards him. This was the most exciting thing I had ever seen. My legs were trembling. He held up his left hand in a "stop" gesture, then he continued to arouse himself. His eyes glazed with pleasure, but he never broke eye contact with me. I could see him swelling, pulsing, I could see the waves of pleasure in his eyes, and I wanted to jump him, but I stood there transfixed as he brought himself to a spectacular climax. His mouth opened and he made a loud barking groan, once, twice, then he squeezed out the last few pinkish drops and gradually subsided.

I sat on the floor suddenly, panting. My cheeks were flaming hot. "That was the hottest thing I ever saw." I said in awe. "Oh my God Eric."

"No, I am not a god. Just well endowed" he said cheerfully. He took off one of the pillowcases and wiped himself off. He flung the cloth in the corner and stood up and did up his jeans.

"Oh, did I mention, Bill is waiting for you in the living room?" he said, as he left the room.

Chapter 15

I got up off the floor and brushed off my dress. I went in the bathroom and held a washcloth under the cold water, then held it to my flaming cheeks. I reapplied my lipstick and fluffed my hair. There. I looked almost like I usually do.

I walked into the living room and saw Bill at the table working on his lap top. I could hear Eric microwaving in the kitchen. Bill was wearing a nice sage green Henley shirt that contrasted well with his dark hair and eyes. He turned off his computer and closed down the lid. I walked over to him and hugged him, feeling so good to be in his arms again. I could tell he was smelling my skin and hair but trying to be subtle about it. Vampires have a phenomenal sense of smell, second only to that of werewolves and shifters. Bill was checking to see if I had been in the bedroom having sex with Eric. Maybe he had heard Eric's groans when he came. But Eric hadn't been within ten feet of me. Eric hadn't physically touched me at all.

In reality Eric had touched me. He had touched the most intimate part of me, my mind. My mind was still spinning with the memory of his intensity, his naked eroticism. Wowie. Of course I was hugging Bill right now so I had better get my mind on Bill, I told myself sternly.

Bill continued to hug me, still breathing in my scent. I smelled like warm sunny Sookie, and the Serenity Day Spa product line. I wondered if he would stick his head under my dress and smell my crotch. Could Bill be jealous? Well, it would serve him right if he was. He dumped me for a vampire woman, his maker Lorena, and was just going to leave me forever for her. I understand that he had to go to her because she was his maker, and he didn't have a choice, but I was very hurt at the time. The fact that I had rescued Bill from being tortured and in the process staked Lorena and dragged her body to disintegrate under a pool tarp mitigated my hurt a little. Staking Lorena wasn't my fault, honestly. It just happened.

"Mmmmm, you smell wonderful" Bill said in my ear. Meaning I didn't smell like Eric.

"Thank you Bill" I stepped back and smiled at him brightly. "I went to a day spa and had the works." I wondered if he knew what a day spa was. Bill was made vampire right after the Civil War (or the War of Northern Aggression, as we refer to it in these parts). He was very savvy about some aspects of the modern world, like the computer, but way behind the times when it came to women's fashions and things like that.

Eric walked in looking pink and fed. He was still in his blue silk tee shirt and jeans, and Bill was in a cotton Henley shirt and jeans. Why was I wearing a cocktail dress if this was going to be a casual evening?

"Come. Let us all sit down." Eric said, indicating the conversation grouping of the couch and two chairs around a coffee table in front of the fireplace. I sat on one end of the couch, Bill sat on the other end, and Eric sat in a red leather Queen Anne chair opposite us.

Eric said "I think we should talk about our relationship."

Chapter 16

Bill's face was neutral, but I felt my face draw up in an expression of irritation. In the past when Eric had wanted to talk about "our relationship" what he meant was that he was going to tell me and everyone interested in me that I was his, my body and telepathic talents belonged to him, and that I was off limits for every other male even if Mr. High and Mighty was too busy to even pick up the phone and call me himself for months. And despite not hearing from him for months, "our relationship" had me on 24 hour a day standby in case Eric decided he wanted me for something. "Our relationship" was a figment of Eric's grandiose imagination and I wasn't going to allow him to use this weekend to gain some control over me.

Eric looked at my face and I think he read everything I was thinking by my expression. Then he smiled and said "Just kidding. Actually I wanted to talk about something serious, I wanted to discuss our plans for tonight."

I was a little hurt by this. "Our relationship" wasn't serious? It wasn't, of course, because it didn't even exist. Yet I felt a little stab of unhappiness at the way he phrased this. How could Eric cause me to feel conflicted about something I felt sure of? That Eric, if he played chess he would be a grand master.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked him.

"Something that would be more like vampire sex. Something involving you having some of our blood." he answered.

"Maybe we should just skip that part." I said. "We could maybe just cuddle." At the rise of his eyebrow I added "Just kidding."

"You told Bill you wanted 'hot vampire sex', did you not?" he asked.

"Well, yes, but that was because I was under the influence of the magic cookies." I couldn't see where this was going and it made me nervous.

"Magic cookies that made you tell the truth. And the truth is that you want hot vampire sex, right?" he sounded like a lawyer and I was about to get convicted of something really bad.

"I guess so. I don't even know what that means." I added, my voice getting smaller with each word.

"I do" he said "And I am willing to show you how vampires include a blood exchange in their ....love making. That is what is hot for vampires. And for many humans, too" I realized he used the words "love making" instead of a more explicit word, probably out of respect for my sensibilities. I appreciated that.

Chapter 17

"Will I still be alive at the end of it?" I asked, sort of pathetically. Not every woman is afraid the man she's having sex with might kill her at any moment. Some women just get to have enjoyable sex and turn over and go to sleep.

"Oh yes." Eric said, as reassuringly as a vampire whose fangs are starting to show can sound. "This is something that's only done with a trusted partner. Perhaps you have seen some information on the internet about it? It's supposed to be kept private, but now, with the internet, many of the closely guarded secrets of vampire sex have become public knowledge."

I could see Eric longed for the good old days when sex with vampires wasn't a section in the adult video rental.

"Will this deepen my blood bond with you both?" I asked. What I was really asking was if this would give them additional power over me. I didn't want them constantly monitoring my emotions and location like some kind of vampire GPS.

"Slightly, Sookie. Do not be so afraid. We will not let anything bad happen to you. It would be exciting for us to do this with you, and it would be something very special for you too." Eric looked eager, like a little kid on Christmas morning.

I turned to look at Bill and his fangs were also out. He smiled and patted my hand. They both were practically drooling in their excitement. What the hell did they have in mind? I had to admit I was curious, and the part of me that wasn't scared was excited.

"Okay" I said. "Tell me what to do."

"You need to go into the bedroom and remove your underwear and shoes. Also remove your jewelry. Leave the dress on. I'll go prepare the necessary things." Eric said.

I did as he said. I went in and removed my panties and bra. The dress looked a lot different without the bra, I looked less dressed up and more sexy, well, in truth, slutty. But I figured if I was going to have hot vampire sex, slutty was the way to go. I wasn't going out in public like this.

I took off my sandals, which was a relief. I was used to wearing sensible athletic shoes for work and at home. I took off my pearl earrings that I inherited from my grandmother, and my little pearl on a gold chain I got for my 16th birthday from my Aunt Linda. I also wiped off my lipstick because it just got worn off anyway. There, I was ready. Ready for what? Some big secret woo woo vampire sex stuff. I sat down in the chair and waited.

Chapter 18

Eric came in the door wearing black silk pajama bottoms. They hung low on his hips and he was quite a sight. The blond hair on his stomach formed an arrow pointing right down to Mr. Happy. He didn't speak, but motioned for me to follow him. I padded after him on the thick carpet down the hall to a closed door. As I approached the door I could smell some very strange incense. It actually smelled pretty bad. Not like the sweet smelling incense Amelia sometimes burned upstairs during her rituals. Amelia was a witch, a real witch, and she had some really powerful magical abilities. Like the cookies. She also had better incense.

Eric opened the door, and I heard some kind of ethereal chanting music coming from the built in speakers. The music was lovely, women's voices singing in a language I didn't recognize. It sounded Scandinavian. The room was lit by black candles. Was Eric a Satanist? I didn't think he had any religion, but I didn't know for sure. Surely Bill, practical rational Bill, wouldn't be part of a devil cult.

On a low table that was covered with a black cloth, next to the bed, was a gold knife. It was real gold, I could just tell. It had some elaborate carving on the handle, and some jewels set into the design. The blade was curved. It was beautiful, but scary. I wished I could read vampire minds at this moment, I wanted to know what was going to happen in this room. The bed in this room was round, and it had black sheets. I was relieved to see they were black cotton, not that synthetic satin, which just seemed slippery and uncomfortable to me. I had spent a few nights on those fake satin sheets when I stayed in my cousin Hadley's apartment and I hadn't enjoyed them one bit.

After some resistance on my part Eric talked me into having a glass of wine. I was not normally against an occasional glass of wine, but I had the lingering fear it might be drugged. However, after drinking the wine and feeling like it was just a glass of wine after all I relaxed. I think that's why Eric wanted me to drink it, to relax. So I was doubly relaxed, you might say.

He wanted me to relax because he wanted me to make a cut with the special knife on a very sensitive area on Bill's body, and then drink the blood. I was horrified and refused. Eric was around fang bangers at the club all the time and they wanted to do things like this. I think Eric was out of touch with the reality of someone like me. A vampire's reality is different from a human's reality, and I think Eric sometimes forgot that too.

"Why would you want me to do that? Wouldn't that hurt a lot? I don't want to hurt him. That doesn't turn me on." I protested.

"But it would turn us on, and then we would have shared our blood with you." Eric looked quite scary and intense at that moment, but I don't think he knew it. He went on. "When a human feels pain it is because they are being warned something is threatening their life. It has an importance that does not exist for a vampire. When a vampire feels pain like that it only makes the pleasure they receive more intense. It heightens the experience for us. We heal so quickly there are really no drawbacks to having a heightened experience like this. We enjoy the pain pleasure dichotomy." I had given Eric the same "Word A Day" calender I owned. I gave it to him as a gift for Dracula Day, so he knew we both understood what the word "dichotomy" meant because it had been the word for last Thursday.

Both Eric and Bill had an odd tension about them. Since I couldn't read their minds I had to resort to finding out things the way regular humans do. I asked.

"Bill, is he making you do this?" I asked, looking only at Bill.

"No." he said, his voice oddly husky.

"Then why does he want me to cut you? Why didn't you ask me yourself?"

Bill looked down, and then back up at me, desire naked on his face. "Because I want it so much I was afraid my intensity would scare you. I felt that I had no right to ask you to do this with me. I know how sensitive and kind hearted you are and I did not want to distress you. I have already hurt you more than I could ever apologize for. " His eyes were like dark burning embers, and his fangs were fully extended. He glanced briefly at Eric and I had the impression they had discussed this and not come to an agreement. Bill was very still. I could tell he really wanted me to do this with him, but he did not want to pressure me or upset me. He just waited to see what I wanted to do, unlike Eric who was used to getting whatever he wanted and didn't know the meaning of the word "no".

I got that this was a special moment for them. Not so much for me, but I decided to do it. Eric showed me where to make the cut.

I looked at Bill's face, I saw his eyes close as I held him firmly in my hand and with a quick movement I made the tiny cut. Eric took the knife from my hand and I sucked the few drops of blood as they oozed from Bill's wound. Of course this also brought Bill to a climax, so fast I was surprised. He roared with pleasure or pain or both. Eric was making growling noises and they both looked truly inhuman. They were literally snarling, their fangs gleaming in the candle light.

This was tremendously arousing for them both, and when I was done I was a little frightened, because they seemed so ferocious, so full of blood lust.

"Now me." Eric rasped. I knew what to do and I did it. When Eric came his roar was primal. It seemed to release every tense thing Eric was feeling. This must be like some kind of vampire therapy, a song titled "Sexual Healing" popped up in my mind. Bill joined in the snarling. They were bonding I guess. A vampire guy thing. Like cheering at a boxing match, or some other blood sport. Guys. Vampires. Who can understand them?

I felt like I was a little overwhelmed so I excused myself and scurried into the bathroom. I locked the door. I did a few things including brushing my teeth with toothpaste and my finger to get the taste of blood out of my mouth. I repeated and rinsed until all I could taste was toothpaste. I listened at the door but it was quiet, no music, no snarling. I opened the door a little and peeked out. Just the empty bed and the flickering candles. The vampire blood I had ingested made my vision clearer, my sense of smell was sharper too. The smell of the nasty incense was fading.

I tiptoed out into the center of the room and my enhanced vision saw a movement from the corner. Eric was crouching there, naked, and he leapt through the air and landed on me, knocking me on the floor, tearing my dress off, his snarling mouth showing fangs that were ready to rip my throat out. "NO!" I screamed "NO!" and kicked at him, fighting for my life.

Chapter 19

The light came on and Bill's dry ironic voice said "Eric, you are scaring her."

Eric pulled back and looked at my panic stricken face. "Oh." he said in a perfectly normal voice. His fangs disappeared. "I must have over played my role." He got off me and stood up. I noticed he was already healed. Bill was standing by the door, dressed in dark green pajama bottoms.

"Jesus Christ Shepard of Judea! What the hell are you doing?" I shrieked at Eric. I got to my feet, holding the tattered remains of my dress around me. I had to get out of there. I looked at them both, my eyes still wild. They both looked like the regular Bill and Eric I knew. They were standing there looking at me with the same expression, like they felt sorry for me and felt awkward and embarrassed. For some reason this made me angrier. What was Eric thinking, jumping on me like that?

Bill looked at Eric disapprovingly. "You should have told her about this and let her decide if she wanted to do it." he said. His voice had an "I told you so." quality to it. Bill came over and put his arm around me and led me back to the master bedroom. On the way he said soothing things. Everything was fine, nobody was going to hurt me and so on.

We picked out a nightgown and a robe and he dressed me. This reminded me so much of the time when we were together, when we were in love. Or, I should say, when I was in love and Bill was pretending to be in love with me so he could recruit me to work for his Queen. Bill loved to dress me and brush my hair. At times I felt like a living doll for Bill. Well, that heartbreak was in the past, and I was determined to make a new start. I thanked him for his help, and he hugged me. Maybe he knew it brought back memories for me and he was sorry. Or maybe he just thought I needed a hug.

Then we went into the kitchen and he made me a cup of cocoa, and warmed up a bottle of True Blood for himself. He explained that wild vampire sex involved predatory behavior, play fighting, like puppies or lion cubs. It involved blood lust and domination. This was fun among vampires, but between a vampire and a human, especially a human that hadn't been told before hand what was going to happen, it obviously wasn't fun. Bill had told Eric he didn't think it was a good idea, but Eric had thought I would like the role playing and be excited by it. Eric was wrong.

I had calmed down by the time Eric wandered in. He was wearing a terrycloth robe and his hair was wet. He had on slippers. I couldn't believe that this was the same creature that had just terrorized me. He looked at Bill and said "Could you leave us alone for a moment?" Bill looked at me and I nodded. He left the room, taking his bottle of True Blood with him. I looked down at my hands.

"Did you really think I would kill you?" Eric asked. He knelt in front of me so I would look at him. He was magnificent and I couldn't stay mad at him. I met his eyes.

"No, I thought you were going to turn me." I answered.

"Would that have been so bad?" he asked. "You would never die, you would stay young forever, we could ..." his voice trailed off.

"Yes, it would have been the worst thing you could have done. I would rather just be killed outright." I looked at him and saw something in his eyes, a deep deep pain, like a red light glowing at the bottom of a blue sea. Then I understood. "I know you worry about me. It must be very difficult for you to watch me live as a mortal. I must seem so vulnerable, so puny and .... breakable. You have lived so long and lost so much that it must seem to be the height of folly to have caring feelings for a mortal. It's better if you just avoid me than to keep deepening the bond with such a frail person. Eric, I'm like a flower that will only bloom for one season. You can refuse to have anything to do with me, but you will miss the one season you could have enjoyed me. Maybe that's best. You have to decide that. But you can't fix your worries about me by turning me, and you know that." I hugged him, laying my head on his, noticing again how our hair was the same color.

He looked up at me, his eyes unreadable. Then he said "Let us go to bed and enjoy the rest of the night together." He saw a look in my eyes and added "Of course I am including Bill. I see how Bill can comfort you. He understands you better than I do."

"In some ways, yes. Bill knows more about my past and he knows that some of the things in my past weren't so great. But in other ways you get where I'm coming from, you understand my sense of humor and you pick up on what I need. Besides, it's not a contest." I said gently.

"I see that." Eric said, and grinned "But it feels like one most of the time."

We went to bed, all of us, and it was a good night. It was still a contest. But I won.

Chapter 20

Sunday morning was like a replay of Saturday morning. Again I was alone. I showered and got dressed alone. I remembered a shower I had with Eric once and got a slight tingle of excitement. I was glad, because I was concerned I might have worn out my "tingler" with all the unaccustomed activity. I used the Serenity Spa shampoo I had brought home and was pleased with how shiny my hair looked when it dried.

I put on some black capris to show off my henna "tattoo" and a red tank top. I walked barefoot into the kitchen and saw another note propped up on the coffee maker. This one was in Bill's handwriting. He wrote with the most beautiful style. I think the name for that old fashioned kind of writing was copperplate. It made anything he wrote seem special and important. For a second I wished he had written me love letters in that fancy writing. Of course I would have burned them all so I guess it didn't matter.

"Dear Sookie,

Please call the car and Bertram will take you where ever you wish to go. Please go shopping if you want, use the credit card in the top desk drawer. See you tonight. Happy Birthday.

Love, Bill "

I realized that today was my actual birthday. It had turned out a lot different than I thought it would. I had expected to open a few cards and get a some congratulations from the folks who worked at Merlott's, and my other friends. Instead I was having a wild weekend with two vampires. You just never know how your life is going to turn out. My grandmother believed in living one day at a time, and I could see the wisdom in that.

I looked over the list Bill had printed out on his computer of places I might like to visit and I decided I would like to visit the large mall north of Garland Creek. I called for the car and got my comfortable walking shoes on and put the credit card in my purse in a zippered compartment. I really wasn't planning on buying anything, but just in case I saw something I couldn't live without I could charge it and repay Eric (or Bill? I wasn't sure who was paying for what) later.

Bertram dropped me off at the main entrance and I told him to pick me up in two hours. That would be the limit of my ability to shop in a mall. I walked from store to store, looking at the mobs of people and the millions of items for sale. I had my mental guard up so I only caught the occasional thought. I felt detached from it all and I ended up sitting near a play area set up for people that wanted to shop and leave their children with a sitter. The children were all very active - running, climbing, playing, and having fun.

All except one little girl that sat in a small blue chair and hugged a doll. She had wispy blond hair and blue eyes and the saddest expression. In the midst of all these toys and other children she was all alone. She was not able to join in and have fun. I wondered why. Maybe she just missed her mother. But it disturbed me to see her there. It reminded me of my own childhood, and of how I often felt even now.

I noticed that I was sitting alone on a bench in a large mall while all around me people were laughing and talking and shopping and eating. Well, I was going to, by gosh, enjoy myself too! I got up off the bench and bought a big salty pretzel and ate it while I looked around for a store I wanted to shop in. I saw a kitchen store and that was the one. My kitchen had caught fire and been replaced, but some of my grandmother's old fashioned kitchen gadgets had melted or warped. I was trying to replace some of them. I wandered around the store and I saw an apple peeler. You put the apple in a little clamp and turned the handle and the apple turned around and was peeled. My grandmother had used hers every fall to peel apples and bake the most delicious pies. I missed her pies. There was no reason why I couldn't peel apples and make a pie. I had seen Gran do it so many times, I could bake a pie too. I bought the peeler and felt like I had a new sense of purpose. I hadn't needed to use the credit card.

I walked back past the play area to the main entrance to meet Bertram. I saw that the little girl was gone. The blue chair was empty. I said a little prayer that she would be happy, that she was happy right now.

Bertram was pulling up as I left the mall. He had gotten a haircut and the car smelled like pizza. I told him about my apple peeler on the way home, and he told me about his mother's apple and pecan pies. From his mind I knew that his parents were divorced, and that his father had once thrown a home made pie at his mother when he came home drunk. I put my guard back up, I didn't want to learn any more sad things.

I called Amelia when I got home and she was glad I was having a good weekend. She mentioned I had had a visitor that didn't leave a name, and would come back later or tomorrow. I got the impression it was a good looking guy, and not a vampire or a Were. Amelia couldn't always tell, but she seemed calm about his visit. I told her I might be home late or even tomorrow morning, but I was working tomorrow night so I would be back for sure by then.

I wanted to look nice tonight so I put on my white summer cotton dress with the eyelet lace on the hem and straps. I had some lovely white matching underthings Amelia had given me, and I wore my white sandals with the gold decorations. I had a gold chain and a matching bracelet and I put them on too. I tied a ribbon in my hair, then took it out again. I drank a cola, then brushed my teeth. Then I waited for dark.

Chapter 21

Bill pulled up in his car and parked in the front this time. I was glad to see him, and he was glad to see me. We hugged warmly and I checked my insides to make sure I was not still angry with him. I wasn't. He was wearing a black golf shirt and brown pants. I wondered if he knew what golf was.

As soon as we sat down on the couch he moved in and started to kiss me. I didn't want Eric to walk in and see this, but I couldn't figure out why. I had no idea what the etiquette of this situation called for. But it made me tense, and Bill sensed it and backed off.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Where's Eric?" I asked him.

"I do not know. He had some business to attend to. He will be here later if he can." Bill's questioning gaze made me uncomfortable.

I stood up and walked towards the kitchen. "Can I heat you up a True Blood?" I asked. I did this to mask the hurt I was feeling that Eric might not be here tonight on my actual birthday and my uncomfortable feeling with Bill.

"No, I ate earlier." Bill replied. I could sense he was going to say something else when the doorbell rang. There wasn't a peephole in the door like I had at my house. I wasn't getting a brain signal so I knew it was a vampire.

Since Bill was here I felt like it would be OK if I answered the door. I made a gesture to ask Bill if I should answer the door and he nodded. I opened the door and saw an ethereally lovely blond female vampire with long silky white hair. She had on a very nice powder blue sweater set and navy blue wool trousers. Pam. Pam was Eric's "child" and his second in command, so to speak.

I was glad to see her. "Come in" I said and she glided in. I hoped she wasn't here to tell me Eric wasn't coming.

"Hello Sookie, I thought I would stop by and wish you a happy birthday." Pam came over and kissed me very lightly on the cheek. I knew she could smell Bill had been kissing me. You can't keep anything from vampires. Pam nodded at Bill and Bill nodded back. A typical vampire greeting. You couldn't get more minimal.

"Thanks Pam!" I said "Can I get you something to drink?" I smiled at her with my nervous big bright smile. Her eyebrow went up when she saw how tense I was.

"Can we speak privately?" Pam asked. She looked pointedly at Bill.

Bill excused himself and took his lap top computer to the bedroom. I heard the door close behind him. Of course his hearing was excellent so I thought he might be able to hear anything Pam or I said. But it was a relief having him out of the room.

"Are you having a great sex filled weekend?" Pam asked as we walked to the couch. Well, as an opening question it was a doozie.

"Um, yes, I am Pam." I could feel myself beginning to blush. I have no secrets, apparently, and I suddenly realized that this was how normal people felt around me once they knew I could read their minds.

We sat down and Pam looked at me like I was a rare specimen of some kind. "I can see you are uncomfortable. Is Bill upsetting you?"

"No, he's been very nice. Are you here to tell me something?" I really wanted to ask her where Eric was but I didn't want her to know I was missing him.

"Yes. I am here to tell you Eric will be here after midnight. Something has come up at the bar and he has to be there until then. He sends his apologies." Pam reached out and lightly touched my cheek. "You look lovely tonight." she said. She touched my hair, she touched my lace dress strap, and ran her fingers lightly down my arm. I felt a faint erotic thrill.

"You are expanding your experiences, I see." she said in her calm lovely voice. She lifted my hand and brought it to her cool lips. She kissed the back of my hand, then turned it over and kissed the palm. She kissed each finger tip and I started to strobe in and out of reality. She put my hand back down where it had been. My hand felt like it was floating. She ran her finger tips lightly down my other arm and raised that hand. She touched my gold bracelet and softly stroked my hand. Her thumb aroused a stab of sexual pleasure when it brushed across my palm. She did it again, and as she did, she leaned forward, slowly so I could see her moving, and kissed me very gently on the lips. Her kiss was so soft there was no pressure at all. Her fingertips brushed the tops of my breasts that were not covered by my white dress. Her sensuous touch trailed up my neck and she held my jaw lightly but firmly. Her hands were so cold. Then, holding my jaw, she really kissed me.

Chapter 22

A hundred thoughts flew through my mind at once. The ones that were dominant were - Pam was a real good kisser; it was so different kissing a woman yet it was a lot like kissing a guy too; and how could I pull away without hurting Pam's feelings. Before I could even finish that thought Pam did something that shocked me. She had been kissing me with a closed mouth, but then her lips parted slightly and she pressed on my bottom lip with her fangs. Not hard enough to hurt or draw blood, just hard enough to let me know she was turned on. Then the kiss was over and Pam was sitting there as if it had never happened.

"That was nice." Pam said and smiled. No fangs. "We should make that a birthday tradition." Good, that would give me a year to process my feelings about this kiss. It was more complicated than I had imagined it would be.

"Do you want me to wait here with you until Eric arrives?" she asked, glancing significantly towards the door where Bill had disappeared.

"No Pam, thanks for asking." We were back to business as usual. I walked her out to the front porch. The sound of the crickets and frogs was very loud tonight. I noticed it was a full moon. Maybe they were louder because the full moon enhanced their mating activities.

"Then I'll leave, I have a few other errands to run. Bye Sookie." And just like that she was gone.

I went back in the house and walked through the bedroom to the bathroom. Bill was sitting up in the bed with his shoes off typing on his computer. He made a movement to get up but I said "Wait there, I'll be right back."

I went in the bathroom and shut the door. I washed my face thoroughly twice and brushed my teeth. I reapplied my make up and fixed my hair. I looked in my eyes in the mirror and found them as unreadable as a vampire's eyes. I thought over what I wanted to say to Bill.

Chapter 23

When I came out of the bathroom Bill was standing in the middle of the room. "Have I done something wrong?" he asked.

Well yeah, about a hundred things over the past two years, I thought, but I knew that wasn't what he meant.

"Come on in the living room and let's talk." I said. I took his hand and led him to let him know I was still his friend.

When I reached an age to date my grandmother had a talk with me about leading men on. Neither of us knew at the time just how telepathy (my special talent, as Gran called it) would make dating virtually impossible. Once I knew every thought in the mind of a hormone fueled adolescent male, I had no desire to go out with him. Not that I had many offers. My telepathic powers had been such an obstacle to school and social skills that I had very few friends, and many people thought I was crazy. But you try listening in to a room full of thoughts all day and see how sane you feel by the end of the day. Now I had learned how to shield my mind, though it took an effort and concentration, which was distracting. That's why I liked vampire minds so much, I couldn't hear a thing coming from their minds, just blessed silence.

I was worried I had been leading Bill on by having this weekend with him. He was so eager for a reunion that he might see what was frankly just a request for a sex adventure as a chance to resume our relationship.

"Bill, I'm not mad at you, and I have had a real good time here. I appreciate how considerate you have been towards me, how you made sure to take care of me. All that's good. But you seem to want to pick up where we left off. I don't know where we left off because I don't know when we began. Not to rehash our history, but I will never be sure if my most precious memories of being cherished by you were just an act to gain control over me. Nothing you can say will fix that doubt. And that hurts me because you were the first one I trusted with my heart. We can go forward and but we can't undo the past." I said this as kindly as I could. I left out the whole episode with Lorena and his dating Selah Pumphrey, though I'm sure Bill understood that was part of the problem too.

Bill looked thoughtful. He was always willing to listen to me, to hear me out. He never laughed at me or thought I was dumb. He said something that made sense to me. He said "I have lived for a very long time, Sookie. I can wait to see how you will feel in a year, or in ten years. I know this is how you feel right now and I am grateful you trust me enough to tell me. I respect you, and I respect your feelings. I will not push myself on you. For now I am honored to consider myself your friend."

Well, he was a little more than that now. "A friend with benefits." I told him. He looked puzzled. "A friend with benefits is someone you consider a friend, but also occasionally have sex with. It's a modern term." I thought about explaining what a "booty call" was too while I was at it, but I figured this was enough for him to absorb in one sitting.

He said "They have a name for that?" and he looked so surprised I laughed. Even though I couldn't read his mind I knew what he was thinking. After all, he only lived across the cemetery from me.

Chapter 24

Headlights fanned across the front windows. Eric was here. Almost as soon as the gravel stopped crunching the door opened and Eric walked in. I stood up and said "I'm glad you could make it. Pam told me you would be late."

"It is the full moon. There is always trouble during the full moon." Eric grumbled. He looked at me and asked "Will you go for a ride with me?"

Without waiting for an answer he turned to Bill "Will you excuse us for the rest of the evening? I want to take Sookie out for a moonlight ride." He didn't add the part about Bill being a third wheel.

"Certainly" Bill said, a little stiffly. But I could see our talk had given him a ray of hope for the future. "I will be leaving before you return. Happy birthday Sookie." Bill said to me, and kissed my cheek as lightly as Pam had. He left to pack.

Eric said "Do you have a sweater? It might be chilly." I was surprised for two reasons. We were having an unusual heat wave and vampires usually gave no thought to the warmth of their clothing (or the lack of it, either.)

I had brought a sweater. My grandmother's training paid off again. I went and got it. Bill was just leaving and I called after him "Bye Bill, thanks for everything." I didn't know if it was appropriate to thank a guy for sex, but sex was definitely included in the "everything".

Eric was standing exactly where I left him when I went to get the sweater. I asked him "Do you want to eat before we leave?" He looked pink, but I wanted to make double sure he wouldn't need to feed when we were alone together.

"No" he smiled down at me, his mane a golden halo, "I ate at the club." Oh yuck, he probably fed off some fang banger that swooned at the privilege. Well, I told myself, you know what he is. Get over it. The man has to eat. You eat cows and pigs, yadda yadda yadda. I was tired of this internal conversation.

"Come, while the moon is still high in the sky." he turned and I followed him out to the car. But instead of opening my door he opened the trunk and took out a black blanket. Or at least it looked like a blanket. What it actually was were two black hooded capes.

Chapter 25

He wrapped one cloak around me and he put on one himself. Then he took me in his arms and flew up into the sky, heading right towards the moon. My heart was pounding with fear and excitement. I knew Eric could fly, but he was really going fast. The capes whipped around us and the temperature dropped. I was glad for the sweater and the cape. Was he taking me to the moon I wondered? My hair was going to be a mess I thought.

Then he leveled off and flew straight through the night sky. Since we were over an unpopulated area it was mostly just blackness below, with the occasion house lights or headlights on a country road. But above was a huge moon, the brightest one of the year I had heard on the news, and millions of stars. It was breath taking. I loved it. Eric held me so firmly I felt secure. If he dropped me I would die. But Eric would never drop me.

He slowed down and then landed light as a feather on a hill top. I hadn't even seen the hill, but vampires have great night vision. It was a grassy hilltop and when I looked up the moon looked so close I felt like I could reach up and touch it. Eric spread out his cloak and we sat down on it. Then he kissed me and I felt like the world was spinning around us. It felt like his arms held me to the world so I didn't just spin off into the endless night.

In time, clothed only in moonlight, we joined our voices to the chorus of all those excited by the moon, the night, and the joy of coming together. This was a place large enough for Eric, he seemed to revert to a more ancient and wild version of himself. He spoke to me in a beautiful language. I didn't understand the words, but I understood the meaning. These were all the things that were in his heart that he could never say to me. He had me stand in front of him and he worshiped me with his love making and his passion. I had only seen him kneel one other time, and that was to his Queen. He made me feel that I was his queen that night, I was the Goddess that lives in every woman, I was the moon and the stars and earth under his feet. His love for me overflowed and ran over me in waves that crashed on my shores like thunder.

Eric brought me back to the log house very close to dawn. I was afraid for him, but he seemed to know exactly how much time he had left. He told me Bertram would bring me home in the morning, just call. I could see the strength in Eric, I could see the warrior. We had a night I would never forget and no one could take it from me. It was the best gift I ever got for my birthday.