| THIRTY-TWO |
LOVE SERENADE

A week passed.

Eric considered what to do for this date. He called Pam into his office to talk it over and figure out what exactly was expected of him.

"A date?" Pam raised her eyebrows.

Eric looked at her carefully as he leaned against the front of his desk. He had his arms crossed as he admitted reluctantly, "Eira...wants one."

Pam smirked in amusement, "Oh, this is good. I can't to see this."

"I'm so glad," he said sarcastically as he glared at her. "Now will you fucking help me? What does a fucking date consist of?"

"How would I know? I haven't been on a date in this century," Pam stated.

Eric growled, "Then just get out."

"I didn't say I couldn't help," Pam rolled her eyes before she called out loudly. "Ginger."

The woman with a very distinct scream came into the office, "You called?"

"We did," Pam said. "Ginger, what do you humans do on dates?"

"Oh, well, a lot of people go to the movies or go out to dinner. But it could be lots of things really," Ginger said politely.

       "That's it? There's not more?" Eric frowned, not liking how mundane it sounded.

            Pam argued, "She said a date, Eric. You only have to do the bare minimum."

             "She's my lover," Eric said in an hardened tone. "She deserves more than the bare minimum."

            Eira was his human, his lover, his everything. She would receive only what befit her status; not that of some average human. It was insulting to think of. No, she would only ever receive the extraordinary from him.

           Pam did not understand Eric when he got like this and acted the romantic. She had never seen him like it and she had never cared for anything besides Eric, as her maker, so she could not understand it. She never understood why he had to go above and beyond for Eira just to impress her. She knew that it was because he was in love with her but she didn't see why love had to make him act without being level-headed; not that Eric was known for giving a damn about the consequences of his actions but he, at least, used to act smarter. But she couldn't deny that Eira was special in her own way and the girl had even saved her own life.

            Pam sighed, "Eric, if you're in this deep for the girl then turn her. The longer you wait the more dangerous it gets for the both of you."

             "It sounds like you care about her as well, Pam."

          "Well, she has grown on me."

          Then Ginger, who was still in the room, asked hesitantly. "Is this...is this for Eira?"

"It is," Pam answered.

Ginger immediately squealed as she smiled happily, "Why didn't you just say so? If you wanted to do something special, you could take her to some fancy restaurant and then to that cute, little bakery around the corner. Once you do that, you could bring her back here where Fangtasia would be closed for the night. You'd bring her inside and she'd be in for surprise because it'd be decorated back into the movie store where you two first met. Of course, you could string up some fairy lights and make it real romantic. She'd just love it. I mean, I-I think she'd love it."

Eric and Pam shared an impressive look before looking back at Ginger. They were planning to use every single idea she had as Eric addressed her.

"Ginger, you are going to decorate everything exactly as you envision it and you will have whatever assistance you require."

Ginger nearly fainted at being given such an opportunity.

            _____

Once Eric told her that he had arranged everything for their date, Eira called on Pam for fashion advice. The beautiful vampire ended up taking over the role of getting Eira ready beforehand and Eira felt like the personal Barbie doll of the vampire by the end of it but she felt like it was well worth it.

Pam would often have her try on a dress, decided she didn't like it and then wrench it off of her. Eira would be partly nude (because she wouldn't be wearing a bra with any of these dresses) and exclaim loudly, "Pam!"

"Oh, please, I've seen all sorts and sizes," Pam rolled her eyes before smirking a bit. "But I can see why Eric is so impressed."

Eira blushed scarlet.

With Pam helping her, it was how Eric ended up waiting for twenty minutes outside after the time he came to retrieve Eira. He leaned against the car with his hands in his pockets growing rather impatient. He was wearing an all black suit with no tie at all.

He kept muttering to Pam about how much longer they were going to be. She could hear him with her vampire hearing and responded to him, "You have all the time in the world, Eric. Learn to be patient."

Once they were done, Eira thanked Pam sweetly. Then they went downstairs and onto the porch. She exited the house behind Pam a little nervously.

When Eric saw her, his lips parted in surprise. She was wearing a little black dress with cut outs on both sides of her waist. Her lips were painted red and her white hair was perfectly straightened. There was a smoky look to her eyes.

            "I think I outdid myself," Pam smirked. "How do you think she looks, Eric?"

           "Beautiful," Eric said automatically as he continued to stare at Eira. She blushed at his comment and the gobsmacked look on his face. Eric then moved forward up the porch steps going to reach for her to pull her close and kiss her lips but Pam smacked his hand away.

          "No, you'll smudge my masterpiece," Pam glared slightly before looking at Eira. "My work is done but don't let him ruin it."

          Pam then disappeared and Eira did not listen at all as she ran in her high heels to Eric. And she most certainly did kiss him fully knowing she would have to fix her lipstick in the car and that Eric would have to wipe red away from his lips but she didn't care and she doubted he did either.

            They only kissed for a moment before she smiled widely at him, all giddy and excited, with her arms still wrapped around his neck, "Hi, handsome."

            He shook his head at her in disbelief, "Are you trying to make me devour you before we even go anywhere?"

           "No," she pouted cutely. "I'm just excited. And I haven't seen you all day. Ignore me."

            "How could I ever ignore you?" he chuckled a bit before taking her hand and leading her to the car where he held the door open for her. "Come on."

            _____

They arrived at a fancy restaurant in Shreveport. She had fixed her makeup and Eric wiped away any trace of lipstick stain from his lips. They were sitting at a booth across from each other. She had the spaghetti and she knew that Eric couldn't but she at least expected him to order a Tru-Blood.

          "Aren't you gonna drink something?" she asked as she stirred her spaghetti.

"Are you offering?"

"No, I don't want to get my dress dirty. I meant, aren't you going to get a Tru-Blood?"

He didn't respond to the last sentence. He merely stared at her dress with his gaze directly at the ample cleavage on display as he said, "You know I'm ripping that off when this is over."

She nearly choked before she kicked him under the table, "Eric!"

"I'm serious."

"Well, be less serious. And you could look away every now and again," she said as she noted he kept staring at her; she liked it but it was making her anxious. "You're making me nervous."

He smiled a bit in amusement before looking away and stating seriously, "Just for you. But if I had my way I'd never look away from you."

She had her breath stolen away as butterflies fluttered in the pit of her stomach. She gained a small smile as she took the time while he was looking away to try to calm the beat of her heart that went out of tune each time she as so much as looked at him. But that was simply impossible. Her heart was utterly lovesick over even a glimpse of him.

_____

After the restaurant, they went to the bakery by Fangtasia she'd gone to a million times before. The owners knew her so well that they gave her a slice of her favorite (apple strudel) for free. Then Eric actually took her in the direction of Fangtasia.

"We're going to Fangtasia?" she asked in confusion.

"Yes."

That was all she got out of him and it had her curious. She didn't have to be curious for long as they arrived to an empty Fangtasia parking lot which is odd because it was always packed so it was obvious it was closed. She gave Eric a look before he brought her inside and she stopped in her tracks as soon as she got past the door.

Fangtasia no longer resembled itself. The bar was almost completely changed. There were fairy lights everywhere along with video rental display shelves. She walked closer to see that the shelves actually contained movies and they were all about vampires. She giggled a bit at that.

She glanced at Eric who lingered behind her a little ways, "You changed it back."

"I didn't meet you when it became a bar," Eric said and she felt his arms wrap around her from behind. "I met you here."

"Was it your idea?"

He was silent for a moment before he answered, "No. The idea belongs to Ginger. She was under the impression you'd like it."

        "I do like it," she said as she turned in arms to face him, looking up at him softly. "I like remembering how we met, where you stared at me for my blood, and now, well, you still stare just not for my blood."

              She smiled at that fact. She thought about how far they had come from being that girl who walked into a video rental store owned by a vampire that wanted her blood.

         "I do like it when you stare at me," she admitted as she looped her arms around his neck while they swayed a bit and he gained a small smirk. "Because I like your eyes on me and...because I don't think anyone else should get a chance to see how pretty your eyes are."

             "So possessive," he noted proudly.

             "Well, I am your girl."

             "Yes, you are mine," he said softly with a smile as he leaned his forehead against hers. She stared into his pretty eyes and thought about giving him another memory here where they had met.

She pulled away with a secretive little smile as she grabbed his hand and pulled him with her. There was a video rental shelf in front of the stage where Eric usually sat on his throne. She went around the shelf and hopped up onto the stage. The throne was still there and the stage was bathed in a bright white from the fairy lights.

He went to ask what they were doing but she turned to him, fisting his shirt in her hands as she kissed him. All words died in his throat as he kissed her back and his hands started to roam her body.

He did end up ripping her dress off before they had sex on the throne. He kept receiving red stains of her lips all over him as she rode him, bouncing up and down in his lap. The halo of bright lights around her made her look like an angel so what they were doing could only be sin made holy.

AN: I've worked on this all day and I'm still not happy with it but we're moving on

Below is the dress I envision but ya'll can picture whatever you want