All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

in Hotshot. As I went about my work, I switched my thoughts to Quinn’s call. I wished I’d had my new cell phone (thanks to Amelia’s paying me a little rent, I could afford one) with me, but I didn’t think it was right to carry it at work, and Quinn knew I wouldn’t have it with me and turned on unless I was at liberty to answer it. I wished Quinn would be waiting at home when I left the bar in an hour. The strength of that fantasy intoxicated me.
    Though it would have been pleasant to roll in that feeling, indulging myself in the flush of my new relationship, I concluded was time to back down and face a little reality. I concentrated on serving my tables, smiling and chatting as needed, and refreshing Pam’s TrueBlood once or twice. Otherwise, I left Amelia and Pam to their tête-à-tête.
    Finally, the last working hour was over, and the bar cleared out. Along with the other servers, I did my closing-up chores. When I was sure the napkin holders and salt shakers were full and ready for the next day, I went down the little hall into the storeroom to deposit my apron in the large laundry basket. After listening to us hint and complain for years, Sam had finally hung a mirror back there for our benefit. I found myself standing absolutely still, staring into it. I shook myself and began to untie my apron. Arlene was fluffing her own bright red hair. Arlene and I were not such good friends these days. She’d gotten involved in the Fellowship of the Sun. Though the Fellowship represented itself as an informational organization, dedicated to spreading the “truth” about vampires, its ranks were riddled with those who believed all vampires were intrinsically evil and should be eliminated, by violent means. The worst among the Fellowship took out their anger and fear on the humans who consorted with vampires.
    Humans like me.
    Arlene tried to meet my eyes in the mirror. She failed.
    “That vamp in the bar your buddy?” she asked, putting a very unpleasant emphasis on the last word.
    “Yes,” I said. Even if I hadn’t liked Pam, I would have said she was my buddy. Everything about the Fellowship made the hair rise up on my neck.
    “You need to hang around with humans more,” Arlene said. Her mouth was set in a solid line, and her heavily made-up eyes were narrow with intensity. Arlene had never been what you’d call a deep thinker, but I was astonished and dismayed by how fast she’d been sucked into the Fellowship way of thinking.
    “I’m with humans ninety-five percent of the time, Arlene.”
    “You should make it a hundred.”
    “Arlene, how is this any of your business?” My patience was stretched to its breaking point.
    “You been putting in all these hours because you’re going with a bunch of vamps to some meeting, right?”
    “Again, what business of yours?”
    “You and me were friends for a long time, Sookie, until that Bill Compton walked into the bar. Now you see vamps all the time, and you have strange people staying at your house.”
    “I don’t have to defend my life to you,” I said, and my temper utterly snapped. I could see inside her head, see all the smug and satisfied righteous judgment. It hurt. It rankled. I had babysat her children, consoled her when she was left high and dry by a series of unworthy men, cleaned her trailer, tried to encourage her to date men who wouldn’t walk all over her. Now she was staring at me, actually surprised at my anger.
    “Obviously you have some big holes in your own life if you have to fill them with this Fellowship crap,” I said. “Look at what sterling guys you pick to date and marry.” With that unchristian dig, I spun on my heel and walked out of the bar, thankful I’d already gotten my purse from Sam’s office. Nothing’s worse than having to stop in the middle of a righteous walkout.
    Somehow Pam was beside me, having joined me so quickly that I hadn’t seen her move. I looked over my shoulder. Arlene was standing with her back