Switched Ch 15: I Am NOT Being High-Handed

Charlaine Harris owns almost everything. I own the rest.

SeriousCrush, you constantly amaze me. You made time to read and edit, even though you’re never home to enjoy your weekends, and you always help me so very much. Thank you! All remaining mistakes are my own…

Thank you to everyone that has read and commented on my blog, I just love hearing from you and it makes me giddy to know I have followers. 🙂

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I Am NOT Being High-Handed

Sookie’s POV (in Eric’s body)

“You’re coming with me,” Pam said, still wiping her eyes.

“Gladly…” I answered and followed her out the front door of Eric’s house.

Pam didn’t say much on our way to Fangtasia, but once we parked, she turned to face me. “Remember to act the part. You’re Eric Northman, and that means no waving, no giggling, and no smiling. Got it?”

I didn’t feel like smiling at the moment.

I nodded and followed her inside. It was still early enough that the bar had only a few humans hanging around, nervously sipping on their drinks. The vampire crowd hadn’t arrived yet. Chow was working behind the bar, and Ginger was busy wiping tables off.

“Can I do something to help?” I whispered to Pam.

“Knock yourself out. Just remember…”

I stalked over to the bar. “I need to do something to keep myself occupied.” I was irritated and it came out in his voice.

Chow chuckled softly. “Your human giving you trouble still?”

I crossed Eric’s arms over his chest, about to defend that ‘Sookie’ wasn’t ‘mine’ when I remembered that as far as Andre, and consequently the rest of the vampire world, was concerned, I was Eric’s. “She wouldn’t have given me so much trouble if you hadn’t given her an entire bottle of tequila,” I growled.

“She asked for it,” he said simply, as if that justified his actions.

“Whatever.” I was struggling to control Eric’s violent impulses. I had the urge to punch him in the face.

“We just got a delivery.” Chow nodded to the back door. “You can unload it if you want.”

I nodded and slipped out the back door. I took a deep breath and felt calm when the cool night air filled his body. I relaxed against the wall.

I missed Eric. Tonight was the first night that we were apart, and it was an unpleasant feeling.

“Eric?” Pam called from the door. “There’s a new vamp that needs to talk to you.”

“What? Why?” I asked.

“Because you’re the Sheriff of Area Five,” she said with clenched teeth. “So put that box down and come do your job.”

I whispered, “What am I supposed to do?”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something.” Pam turned and walked inside.

I followed her and found a young, twitchy vampire waiting at an empty table.

He stared up at me, his mouth hanging open. “Holy fuck, you’re tall.”

I furrowed Eric’s forehead. How was I supposed to respond to that?

The twitchy kid said, “My name’s Dan.” He gulped loudly and looked away from me.

“Eric Northman,” I said as I slid into the seat across from him. “Why are you here?”

“I uh, well…I mean, I just came into your area and thought I would let you know. I’m sharing a house with a couple of other vamps, and they told me I should come and see you.”

Oh. Every vamp in the area had to check in with Eric? How in the hell did he keep track of them all?

“What else did your friends say?” I asked, trying to get as much information out of him as possible.

“Not to get on your bad side.”

I nodded. “Good advice.”

“So is that it?” Dan asked, looking at me wearily.

I glanced at Pam. She had been leaning against the bar, listening to our conversation. She rushed to my side.

“Don’t fuck up, or I’ll kill you myself,” Pam said.

Dan looked like he was going to pass out. “Yes ma’am.”

“Go on and play.” Pam shooed him out of the booth. She turned her attention back to me. “You did well. Kept your mouth shut, didn’t make a fool of yourself…but you need to put a little fear into the new ones, or they’ll go around town leaving a bloody trail behind them. Not that we actually want to stake them…dealing with Makers is a whole lot of trouble.”

“Got it.” I shuddered at the thought.

“Eric’s been gone long enough that there are several vamps coming in tonight that are going to need to talk to you. I’ll be right there.” Pam said pointing to the stage. “I hope you’ll be able to handle it.”

I hoped so too, because another one was headed my way.

Pam left me, heading to the chair on the stage, close enough to hear what was happening, just in case I needed her.

“Listen, Northman. We had a deal. You were supposed to take care of that little problem.” The vampire tried to loom over me as he stood at the end of the table.

Of course, if I stood up, it would be a different story, but as it was, he was trying to intimidate me physically. Who starts a conversation like that?

“What problem?” I asked setting Eric’s mouth in a hard line. I didn’t like this guy at all.

“The water line that’s broken over at my place!” he grunted.

“What do I look like, a handyman?” I scoffed.

“You look like a man that makes promises that he doesn’t keep!”

“Wait a minute. I’ve been away…on business.”

The vamp narrowed his eyes at me. “And that’s my problem?”

“Apparently,” I said flatly. I stood up and towered over him. “If you want to do business with me, you need to watch your tone.” I wanted to bitch-slap him. “Leave your information with Pam, and I’ll take care of it.” I walked away, heading out the back door.

Eric’s job sucked. Not only did he have to keep track of all the vamps coming in and out of his area, he also had to smooth over problems with aggressive jerks! He was completely disrespectful, and it made me wonder if Eric managed to keep his cool.

Pam came out a minute later. “Don’t worry about Vinnie. He’s a dick to everyone.” She patted my arm. “For what it’s worth, I thought you handled him perfectly. You got all ‘southern-lady’ on him: ‘Watch your tone.’ Priceless.” She smiled at me.

“Who is he?” I huffed in frustration.

“He rents space in one of our buildings. And like I said, he’s a douche bag.”

I took a deep breath and every muscle in Eric’s body tensed. “Eric is here!”

I ripped the door open and ran into the club. I searched for him, and didn’t see him. I inhaled again and ran outside through the front doors. I passed through the line waiting to get in and around to the side by the parking lot. I could hear voices.

“You smell so fucking good…” one voice said.

“You had better get your hands off of me,” Eric said.

He was pressed up against the side of the building, trapped by two young vamps.

“Or what?” one of the vamps said, mocking him.

His voice was oddly familiar, and then it dawned on me why.

“Or I’ll have Pam stake you. You just fucked up Dan!” I said, startling all of them.

I lunged at them and grabbed Dan and his friend by their throats, lifting them easily off the ground. “Or maybe I should do it.”

They grabbed at Eric’s arms, trying to get me to release my grip.

“She’s mine!” I growled, squeezing a little tighter.

Dan’s voice was hoarse and quiet. “I’m sorry Sheriff. I didn’t know. It won’t happen again!”

“You’re damn right it’s not going to happen again!” I threw them into the parking lot, where they landed with two matching thuds onto a car and then onto the ground.

They scurried away, looking back at me nervously several times until they were out of sight.

“Friends of yours?” Eric asked, smoothing out his clothes.

“No!” I growled. “What the hell are you doing here? Looking to get killed?”

“Why are you so defensive? I was in control the whole time. I can handle myself!” Eric huffed.

“Oh yes, I’m sure you can take care of yourself. If I hadn’t come out, who knows what might have happened!” I was fuming mad and took a step towards him.

“Look who’s being high-handed now!” Eric scoffed.

“I am NOT being high-handed. I was protecting you!”

Eric laughed. “You are ridiculous! Talk about double standards!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I yelled. “I saved you!”

Eric took a deep breath and smiled. “It means that you are a hypocrite.”

I opened my mouth to respond and Eric lunged at me, locking my mouth over his. I felt my anger and resolve melt away and fell towards him.

He pushed my tongue into his mouth and we moaned at the same moment. He wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my breasts against his chest. My hot skin burned through Eric’s.

I growled and lifted him off the ground, wrapping his arms around my body and pinned him to the side of the building.

He wrapped my legs around his waist, making Eric’s body shake with need. Eric sucked on his tongue and licked his fang, sending a jolt of pleasure through his body. The desire coursing through me combined with the smell of his arousal mixed with the faint fragrance of blood was enough to make me cum.

He was smiling at me. “Did you just cum?”

I closed his eyes. “Yes.” Why did this keep happening to me? I wanted to die of embarrassment, yet again.

“Fuck, that’s hot.”

I opened his eyes and stared into mine.

Pam’s voice interrupted. “Serena needs to have a word with you, Sookie. Are you two done arguing?” She came around the corner and her irritated expression shifted. “Oh…or should I say, are you two done fucking?”

I put Eric down quickly and pulled his arms away. They ached to hold him again. “We weren’t…”

“Fucking?” Pam laughed. She was on the verge of tears again. “Well…I don’t know what you call it in Bon Temps…” She leaned against the building and held her side while she laughed. “Although…I can think of a few places a little more romantic than the parking lot of Fangtasia.”

“He was in danger!” I said, trying to justify myself.

“Of what? Being fucked into the side of the building?”

“Pam, that’s enough,” Eric said, stepping forward.

Pam’s face smoothed out and she smiled widely. “I love your Jimmy Choos!”

I turned around and looked at Eric and saw him shake my head at Pam. It was the first time I actually noticed what he was wearing. “Where did you get those?” I was furious.

“I went shopping.”

“Eric…”

“They’re for me! Who knows how long I’m going to be stuck in your body, and you have no say over what I buy to make myself more comfortable!”

“Those heels look really comfortable,” I said sarcastically.

“For your information, they are. I wouldn’t have gone out at all, except I couldn’t find anything in your closet that fit. I’m bloated…”

Pam snort-laughed.

“Oh shut up, Pam! Just because you don’t remember what it’s like to be a human woman, doesn’t mean you can laugh at him!” I said defensively.

Pam cleared her throat. “I love your skirt,” she said to Eric, and then she looked at me. “Sookie, tell me, is it as soft as it looks?” She winked at me.

“Pam, go back inside,” Eric commanded.

“Serena’s waiting…” Pam said before she turned on her heel and left us alone.

“You never answered me before. Why are you here?” I asked, still feeling embarrassed and angry.

“Because I…” Eric trailed off.

“It’s not safe for you here. You have to go home.”

“Just like that, you’re going to send me away?” Eric crossed my arms across my chest. “I suppose you’re going to say it’s for my own good.”

“It is. You should leave.” I could feel my control slipping away as the scent of my body assaulted his nose again. “Now.”

“Or what? You’ll kiss me and slam me up against that wall again?” Eric flirted.

“You kissed me.” I took a deep breath. “This isn’t a game, Eric. I can’t control these urges.” I motioned down to his wet pants.

“I keep a pair of jeans in my desk. Bottom drawer,” Eric answered, as if that made everything okay.

The light that hung over the parking lot cast a gentle glow over my skin, making it look soft and round. All I could think of was burying his fangs in my warm neck.

I shook his head, trying to clear the images out of my brain. “I need to work. Go home. Please?” I didn’t want to worry about him.

“Fine.” Eric jerked his keys out of a beautiful purse, and then stormed away without another word.

I watched him get in his car, making sure he made it safely out of the parking lot before I went back inside and changed.

The rest of my night was filled with more unpleasant interactions with local vampires, all complaining about one thing or another.

As much as I tried to focus, all I could think about was Eric and the amazing kiss we had shared. How many more days would I have to spend away from him?

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Damn, I’m sorry…I promised you a fast update, and it’s already been a week and a half. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve already written the next chapter, so review like crazy and I’ll post faster. 🙂

On to Switched Ch 16: DIY