saturday night and the moon is out

[feel_human]

Tucked away off the road in Bon Temps, there's a road house. Warm light spills from its windows, and the sound of a jukebox playing drifts out into the muggy Louisiana night. The regular assortment of trucks and Hail-Mary-please-keep-this-lemon-goin'-just-a-little-longer cars sit in the dirt parking lot; what amounts to about half the town's small population... or, at least, of those of the 'drinking age and above' persuasion.

Inside, it's a bar of the type scattered all across the American South: homey, no-nonsense. Booths and tables. A man in a plaid flannel shirt wiping the bar; a crossdresser in the kitchen singing Gospel hymns and rolling his hips in time with the words just to scandalize the prep cook. A handful of waitresses, bustling about.

Sookie makes her way briskly through it all, a tray balanced on her palm and her eyes kept stubbornly front, as voices swarm around her. Aloud, and... less so.

...I’m just going to have one beer tonight Jesus one beer that’s all...

...better not gripe about me eating fries not after what I did for him last night...

...I cannot wait to get the hell out of this podunk town...

 

 "Well, make sure you do, and before it’s too late," she responds, thoughtless, to the young man. "Because every year you wait? You just get more and more stuck here. Believe me, I know."

He stares at her. So do his parents.

So does the other table. And she realizes, too little too late, that he hadn't said that out loud, not at all. She laughs, uncomfortable. "I’ll get y'all some ketchup," she says, brightly, and flees, ponytail swinging against the nape of her neck as she goes.

Stupid, Sookie, she chides herself. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

Comments

[feel_human]

She nods and takes dainty bites out of her chicken, then thinks about Jason and sighs. "I hope he stays out of trouble for a while," she says, though she doesn't sound as though she thinks that's likely to happen. "Did you hear if they had anyone else in as a suspect?"

[gavemea_45]

“Not that I overheard.” Sam gives her a sympathetic look. “Evidently that detective still thinks it’s him. I figured I could try talking to one or both of them. Seems likely Jason’s run up against more than he realizes.”

[feel_human]

"He always does."

She refuses to let thoughts of her brother ruin her appetite or this beautiful day, but she forks up a piece of broccoli a little more viciously than needed. "Jason's been the big fish around here a long time. He's never been in any kind of trouble he couldn't get out of again with a smile and a little charm."

[gavemea_45]

"Both can go a pretty long way," Sam admits, a little sheepishly. "Anyway, I'll see if I can find him tomorrow."

Not today.

"I thought I'd talk with this Bellefleur guy too, but I have to be a little careful. More careful than usual."

[feel_human]

"With Andy?"

She scoops up a last bite of slaw and sets down her plate. "Why?"

[gavemea_45]

"Because I'm a stranger." Sam shrugs and takes a quick swallow of tea. "Since your brother's got an alibi, or something, they'll be looking for a new suspect. I'm likely to be on the list, if I'm not already."

[feel_human]

"But you've got one, too," she points out. "You were here all that night, and we were talkin' until real late."

[gavemea_45]

His smile is sweet and gentle. "I know. But it doesn't always make a difference, when you're a stranger in town. Don't worry, it'll be fine. I just need a cover for why I'm here and why I'm asking questions."

His expression shifts a little. "I hate to ask you to lie."

[feel_human]

She gives him a slightly wary glance.

"Lie how?"

[gavemea_45]

"I thought I'd tell people I'm a travel writer," Sam says. "Doing a story on spec for a magazine - the kind of thing where they don't commit up front but they agree to look it over and buy it if they like it. That way I'd have a reason to be asking about all kinds of things and checking out everywhere we need to check."

Wryly, he adds, "If it helps, I can write and submit an actual article later."

[feel_human]

She thinks it over, then chuckles, a little wry.

"That would work," she agrees. "Maybe better than you think. You'll have to beat off the town gossips with a stick. Everybody'd be excited about the idea of Bon Temps gettin' featured in a magazine."

[gavemea_45]

He sets his empty plate aside and reaches for her hand. "You can learn a lot of things from gossip, when it comes to - to this kind of stuff." Sam rubs his thumb lightly back and forth over her fingers.

"Is that okay with you?"

[feel_human]

"I reckon it'll have to be," she says, practical. "You need a reason to ask around, after all. And folks will want to believe that one. It's a good idea, Sam."

[gavemea_45]

"It'll make people more comfortable with having me around, too." He keeps up the gentle caress, almost absently.

"Usually it doesn't matter so much, but this is different."

[feel_human]

"I understand, Sam."

She says it gently, but firmly. He'll need to do it whether she likes it or not, and it'll only be successful if she supports him in it. And that means she needs to do it, too.

Which means lying to her friends and neighbors. To Tara. To Sam Merlotte. A half-smile flickers on her lips. "At least Gran already knows, some of it. I'd rather not lie to her, if we can help it."

[gavemea_45]

"I think we can manage that." His smile is rueful, but warm. "I really can write an article, too. Maybe we can make it true."

[feel_human]

"That would sure be somethin'."

She squeezes his fingers, then lets go. "Want anymore to eat?"

[gavemea_45]

"Maybe in a while." Sam smiles at her. "It's really good."

[feel_human]

She smiles back at him, pink-cheeked and pleased, and clears away the food for the moment, setting it back into the basket so can clear off the blanket enough to stretch out on it.

Patting the blanket next to her, she looks up at him. "Come lie down with me."

[gavemea_45]

Sam moves the basket to the very corner of the blanket and stretches out beside her, propped on his elbow and smiling at her.

"Hi," he murmurs, and leans up to kiss her.

[feel_human]

She curves her hand at his cheek and kisses him back, sweet and soft.

"Hi," she murmurs back. "I'm so happy you're here."

[gavemea_45]

"That makes two of us." He skims his hand lightly over her side to her hip. "Feeling okay?"

[feel_human]

"Uh-huh."

She lies down on her side next to him, pillowing her head on her arm so she can look at him. "A little sore, maybe, but not too bad."

[gavemea_45]

He drapes his arm over her waist and scoots closer. "I'm glad. That it's not too bad, I mean."

Butter wouldn't melt in his mouth as he adds, "I could kiss it all better."

[feel_human]

It takes a second, but then her face floods with embarrassed color. "Sam."