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Authors: Charlaine Harris
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and special. “And don’t tell her how big she is!” I said, poking a finger into his chest. “Don’t you dare! You tell her she’s more beautiful than ever now that she’s carrying your children!”
JB looked exactly as though he were going to say, “But that’s not true.” He was sure thinking it. He met my eyes and clamped his lips shut.
“Doesn’t make any difference what the truth is, you say she looks great!” I told him. “I know you love her.”
JB looked sideways for a minute, testing that statement for its truth value, and then he nodded. “I do love her,” he said. Then he smiled. “She completes me,” he said proudly. JB loved movies.
“Well, you just complete her right back,” I said. “She needs to feel pretty and adored, because she feels big and clumsy and uncomfortable. It’s not easy being pregnant, I hear.”
“I’ll try, Sookie. Can I call you if she doesn’t soften up?”
“Yeah, but I know you can work this out, JB. Just be loving and sincere, and she’ll come around.”
“I like stripping,” he said suddenly, as I was turning away.
“Yeah, I know,” I said.
“I knew you would understand.” He took a last sip of beer, left Sam a tip, and went to work at the gym in Clarice.
“This must be couples day,” India said. “Sam and Jannalynn, Jason and Michele, JB and Tara.” The thought didn’t seem to make her particularly happy.
“You still dating Lola?” Though I knew the answer, it was always better to ask.
“Naw. It didn’t work out.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “Maybe some day soon the right woman will just walk in the door of the bar, and you’ll be all fixed up.”
“I hope so.” India looked depressed. “I’m not a fan of the wedding industry, but I sure would like a steady someone. Dating makes me all confused.”
“I never was any good at dating.”
“That why you go with the vamp? To scare off everyone else?”
“I love him,” I said steadily. “That’s why I go with him.” I didn’t point out that human guys were simply impossible for me. You can imagine reading your date’s mind every minute. No, it really wouldn’t be any fun, would it?
“No need to get all defensive,” India said.
I thought I’d been matter-of-fact. “He’s fun,” I said mildly, “and he treats me nice.”
“They’re … I don’t know how to ask this, but they’re cold, right?”
India wasn’t the first person who’d tried to find a delicate way to ask me that. There wasn’t any delicate way.
“Not room temperature,” I said. I left it at that, because any more was none of anyone else’s business.
“Damn,” she said, after a moment. After a longer moment, she said, “Ew.”
I shrugged. She opened her mouth, looked as though she wanted to ask me something else, and then she closed it.
Fortunately for both of us, her table gestured that they wanted their bill, and one of Jane Bodehouse’s buddies came in drunk off her ass, so we both had things to do. Holly finally arrived to relieve me, complaining about her no-good car. India was working a double shift, so she kept her apron on. I waved a casual good-bye to Sam, glad to be walking out the door.
I just made it to the library before it closed, and then I stopped by the post office to buy some stamps from the machine in the lobby. Halleigh Bellefleur was there on the same errand, and we greeted each other with real pleasure. You know how sometimes you just like someone, though you don’t hang around with them? Halleigh and I don’t have much of anything in common, from our background to our educational level to our interests, but we like each other, anyway. Halleigh’s baby bump was pronounced, and she looked as rosy as Tara looked wrecked.
“How’s Andy doing?” I asked.
“He’s not sleeping well, he’s so excited about this baby,” she said. “He calls me from work to ask how I am and to find out how many times the baby kicked.”
“Sticking with
JB looked exactly as though he were going to say, “But that’s not true.” He was sure thinking it. He met my eyes and clamped his lips shut.
“Doesn’t make any difference what the truth is, you say she looks great!” I told him. “I know you love her.”
JB looked sideways for a minute, testing that statement for its truth value, and then he nodded. “I do love her,” he said. Then he smiled. “She completes me,” he said proudly. JB loved movies.
“Well, you just complete her right back,” I said. “She needs to feel pretty and adored, because she feels big and clumsy and uncomfortable. It’s not easy being pregnant, I hear.”
“I’ll try, Sookie. Can I call you if she doesn’t soften up?”
“Yeah, but I know you can work this out, JB. Just be loving and sincere, and she’ll come around.”
“I like stripping,” he said suddenly, as I was turning away.
“Yeah, I know,” I said.
“I knew you would understand.” He took a last sip of beer, left Sam a tip, and went to work at the gym in Clarice.
“This must be couples day,” India said. “Sam and Jannalynn, Jason and Michele, JB and Tara.” The thought didn’t seem to make her particularly happy.
“You still dating Lola?” Though I knew the answer, it was always better to ask.
“Naw. It didn’t work out.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “Maybe some day soon the right woman will just walk in the door of the bar, and you’ll be all fixed up.”
“I hope so.” India looked depressed. “I’m not a fan of the wedding industry, but I sure would like a steady someone. Dating makes me all confused.”
“I never was any good at dating.”
“That why you go with the vamp? To scare off everyone else?”
“I love him,” I said steadily. “That’s why I go with him.” I didn’t point out that human guys were simply impossible for me. You can imagine reading your date’s mind every minute. No, it really wouldn’t be any fun, would it?
“No need to get all defensive,” India said.
I thought I’d been matter-of-fact. “He’s fun,” I said mildly, “and he treats me nice.”
“They’re … I don’t know how to ask this, but they’re cold, right?”
India wasn’t the first person who’d tried to find a delicate way to ask me that. There wasn’t any delicate way.
“Not room temperature,” I said. I left it at that, because any more was none of anyone else’s business.
“Damn,” she said, after a moment. After a longer moment, she said, “Ew.”
I shrugged. She opened her mouth, looked as though she wanted to ask me something else, and then she closed it.
Fortunately for both of us, her table gestured that they wanted their bill, and one of Jane Bodehouse’s buddies came in drunk off her ass, so we both had things to do. Holly finally arrived to relieve me, complaining about her no-good car. India was working a double shift, so she kept her apron on. I waved a casual good-bye to Sam, glad to be walking out the door.
I just made it to the library before it closed, and then I stopped by the post office to buy some stamps from the machine in the lobby. Halleigh Bellefleur was there on the same errand, and we greeted each other with real pleasure. You know how sometimes you just like someone, though you don’t hang around with them? Halleigh and I don’t have much of anything in common, from our background to our educational level to our interests, but we like each other, anyway. Halleigh’s baby bump was pronounced, and she looked as rosy as Tara looked wrecked.
“How’s Andy doing?” I asked.
“He’s not sleeping well, he’s so excited about this baby,” she said. “He calls me from work to ask how I am and to find out how many times the baby kicked.”
“Sticking with
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