#v. all

If there was anything better than showing off, it was doing so in front of ladies. And when there was a good reason for it-- say, helping a stranded gal get to where she needed to go-- MERLE was willing to take a detour for a healthy ego boosting. It didn’t take long for him to pull over his truck when he spotted the blonde on the side of the road. Rather than letting her meet him at the window, he hopped out of the door, waiting for her to meet him by the tail light.

“Looks like somebody did you dirty, leavin’ you out here like this.”

The door was supposed to be locked. It was maddening to think about how many hostels and inns, hotels and motels he’d stayed at that had such poor room security as this cottage did. His bare, clear figure tensed at the sound of the knob turning without any fidgeting. There wasn’t enough time to spring for the corner, where he could stay at a safe distance and wait for the coast to be clear. No, he was inconveniently close to where the intruder would be walking in. And halfway through snooping in a drawer-- which he had no choice but to leave noticeably open.

Holding his breath, he tip toed backward from his position with eyes on the threshold, prepared to stop the breath of whomever was coming in should they detect his presence. But his outstretched hands recoiled softly when he caught sight of the woman stepping through.

“So you’re a green thumb, eh? Yenno, I’m a bit of a farmer myself-- or I used to be,” told MERLE as he leaned upon the building’s corner. He was referring to the marijuana he and his compatriots had stashed around their backwoods property, but the details weren’t necessary for shooting the breeze.

With the restaurant buzzing at its usual pace, SOOKIE took a moment to itch the mosquito bite that had raised on the back of her knee. Of the many things to bother her during a shift, she would easily take the small discomfort over the perverted thoughts of strange men that slipped into her own mind as she walked past. 

The night was coming to a close for the dining room, and when the hostess sat her last guest in the waitress’ section, she let a small sigh escape. As well as she could, she mustered a smile and grabbed her notepad. Duty calls.

“Welcome to Merlotte’s-- my name’s Sookie, and I’ll be your server.” Upon a closer look, they weren’t anything like her usual customers.