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Authors: Charlaine Harris
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“Portia was just asking me for a favor,” I said slowly, aware for the first time that our little trio was attracting a certain amount of attention from the crowd.
“In return for the many kind things the Bellefleurs have done for you?” Bill asked. Portia snapped. She whirled around to stalk out of the bar. Bill watched her leave with the oddest expression of satisfaction.
“Now I have to find out what that was about,” I said, and leaned back against him. His arms circled me and drew me back closer to him. It was like being cuddled by a tree.
“The vampires in Dallas have made their arrangements,” Bill said. “Can you leave tomorrow evening?”
“What about you?”
“I can travel in my coffin, if you’re willing to make sure I’m unloaded at the airport. Then we’ll have all night to find out what it is the Dallas vampires want us to do.”
“So I’ll have to take you to the airport in a hearse?”
“No, sweetheart. Just get yourself there. There’s a transportation service that does that kind of thing.”
“Just takes vampires places in daytime?”
“Yes, they’re licensed and bonded.”
I’d have to think about that for a while. “Want a bottle? Sam has some on the heater.”
“Yes, please, I’d like some O positive.”
My blood type. How sweet. I smiled at Bill, not my strained normal grin, but a true smile from my heart. I was so lucky to have him, no matter how many problems we had as a couple. I couldn’t believe I’d kissed someone else, and I blotted out that idea as soon as it skittered across my mind.
Bill smiled back, maybe not the most reassuring sight, since he was happy to see me. “How soon can you get off?” he asked, leaning closer.
I glanced down at my watch. “Thirty minutes,” I promised.
“I’ll be waiting for you.” He sat at the table Portia had vacated, and I brought him the blood, tout de suite.
Kevin drifted over to talk to him, ended up sitting down at the table. I was near enough only twice to catch fragments of the conversation; they were talking about the types of crimes we had in our small town, and theprice of gas, and who would win the next sheriff’s election. It was so normal! I beamed with pride. When Bill had first started coming into Merlotte’s, the atmosphere had been on the strained side. Now, people came and went casually, speaking to Bill or only nodding, but not making a big issue of it either way. There were enough legal issues facing vampires without the social issues involved, too.
As Bill drove me home that night, he seemed to be in an excited mood. I couldn’t account for that until I figured out that he was pleased about his visit to Dallas.
“Got itchy feet?” I asked, curious and not too pleased about his sudden case of travel lust.
“I have traveled for years. Staying in Bon Temps these months has been wonderful,” he said as he reached over to pat my hand, “but naturally I like to visit with others of my own kind, and the vampires of Shreveport have too much power over me. I can’t relax when I’m with them.”
“Were vampires this organized before you went public?” I tried not to ask questions about vampire society, because I was never sure how Bill would react, but I was really curious.
“Not in the same way,” he said evasively. I knew that was the best answer I’d get from him, but I sighed a little anyway. Mr. Mystery. Vampires still kept limits clearly drawn. No doctor could examine them, no vampires could be required to join the armed forces. In returned for these legal concessions, Americans had demanded that vampires who were doctors and nurses—and there were more than a few—had to hang up their stethoscopes, because humans were too leery of a blood-drinking health care professional. Even though, as far as humans knew, vampirism was an extreme allergic reaction to a combination of various things, including garlic and sunlight.
Though I was a human—albeit a weird one—I
“Portia was just asking me for a favor,” I said slowly, aware for the first time that our little trio was attracting a certain amount of attention from the crowd.
“In return for the many kind things the Bellefleurs have done for you?” Bill asked. Portia snapped. She whirled around to stalk out of the bar. Bill watched her leave with the oddest expression of satisfaction.
“Now I have to find out what that was about,” I said, and leaned back against him. His arms circled me and drew me back closer to him. It was like being cuddled by a tree.
“The vampires in Dallas have made their arrangements,” Bill said. “Can you leave tomorrow evening?”
“What about you?”
“I can travel in my coffin, if you’re willing to make sure I’m unloaded at the airport. Then we’ll have all night to find out what it is the Dallas vampires want us to do.”
“So I’ll have to take you to the airport in a hearse?”
“No, sweetheart. Just get yourself there. There’s a transportation service that does that kind of thing.”
“Just takes vampires places in daytime?”
“Yes, they’re licensed and bonded.”
I’d have to think about that for a while. “Want a bottle? Sam has some on the heater.”
“Yes, please, I’d like some O positive.”
My blood type. How sweet. I smiled at Bill, not my strained normal grin, but a true smile from my heart. I was so lucky to have him, no matter how many problems we had as a couple. I couldn’t believe I’d kissed someone else, and I blotted out that idea as soon as it skittered across my mind.
Bill smiled back, maybe not the most reassuring sight, since he was happy to see me. “How soon can you get off?” he asked, leaning closer.
I glanced down at my watch. “Thirty minutes,” I promised.
“I’ll be waiting for you.” He sat at the table Portia had vacated, and I brought him the blood, tout de suite.
Kevin drifted over to talk to him, ended up sitting down at the table. I was near enough only twice to catch fragments of the conversation; they were talking about the types of crimes we had in our small town, and theprice of gas, and who would win the next sheriff’s election. It was so normal! I beamed with pride. When Bill had first started coming into Merlotte’s, the atmosphere had been on the strained side. Now, people came and went casually, speaking to Bill or only nodding, but not making a big issue of it either way. There were enough legal issues facing vampires without the social issues involved, too.
As Bill drove me home that night, he seemed to be in an excited mood. I couldn’t account for that until I figured out that he was pleased about his visit to Dallas.
“Got itchy feet?” I asked, curious and not too pleased about his sudden case of travel lust.
“I have traveled for years. Staying in Bon Temps these months has been wonderful,” he said as he reached over to pat my hand, “but naturally I like to visit with others of my own kind, and the vampires of Shreveport have too much power over me. I can’t relax when I’m with them.”
“Were vampires this organized before you went public?” I tried not to ask questions about vampire society, because I was never sure how Bill would react, but I was really curious.
“Not in the same way,” he said evasively. I knew that was the best answer I’d get from him, but I sighed a little anyway. Mr. Mystery. Vampires still kept limits clearly drawn. No doctor could examine them, no vampires could be required to join the armed forces. In returned for these legal concessions, Americans had demanded that vampires who were doctors and nurses—and there were more than a few—had to hang up their stethoscopes, because humans were too leery of a blood-drinking health care professional. Even though, as far as humans knew, vampirism was an extreme allergic reaction to a combination of various things, including garlic and sunlight.
Though I was a human—albeit a weird one—I
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