Pam Swynford De Beaufort

[Same night immediately following this.]

Pam followed the smell of frying meat and boiling vegetables through the back door of Merlotte's Bar and Grill and wandered unaccosted through the hallway until she found the head cook in the pantry and cornered him there.

She dropped a baggie into Lafayette's hands. It contained several bottles and large vials of V.

"Here you go, sweetheart," she cooed as if handing over a present.

Lafayette stared in horror at the stash. "What am I s'posed to do with all of this?"

"Do what you do best with it," she said. "We're getting rid of our inventory, you see. Think of it as an end-of-season, half-off sale."

He gave her a dubious look. "A half-off sale on V," he said, his tone dry. "Even though part of the allure of this shit is how expensive and exotic it is."

"Well, then sell it for twice the price," she replied agreeably. "We don't care. Just so long as it's all gone by the time we wake up tomorrow evening."

"Tomorrow?"

"Is there a problem?"

Lafayette held up the baggie. "Nah, hooka', look, I can't sell all this shit by tomorrow!" he protested. "I got a cousin in trouble, she needs-"

And that was when Pam finally lost her patience.

In a blur of speed, she pinned him face-first against the wall.

"I don't know what it is about me that makes people think I want to hear their problems," she purred, her voice drifting like a cold draft over his shoulder. "Maybe I smile too much. Maybe I wear too much pink. But please remember, I can rip your throat out if I need to. And also know that I am not a hooker. That was a long, long time ago."

Shaking, eyes wide, Lafayette didn't dare turn his head.

"Aight."

"Yeah? You pickin' up what I'm puttin' down?"

"I is."

"Good." She smiled, practically beaming at him. "I'll be back tomorrow to pick up the money."

And she left him there, her work done for the night.

Lafayette didn't move or blink or breathe again until he couldn't hear the clicking of her high heels anymore.



[NOTE: Dialogue taken directly from True Blood episode 3x01.]

[Continued from here.]

Pam slips the key into the lock and pushes the door open, flicking a nearby light switch. Immediately the expansive room is illuminated warmly by a black chandelier in the center of the ceiling.

The decor has an old-fashioned, Victorian feel to it, but with modern sensibilities. And also lots of pink and black.

The walls are a very deep shade of pink; the thick carpet is black. Two chairs set at a round table with a black marble top have gilded arms and backs, with satiny pink cushions. Black velvet drapes are pulled closed and tight against the windows. The bed, at the far end of the room, is king-sized with an ornate padded headboard, the carvings matching the chairs. The sheets are black silk, and the pillows and duvet, of course are pink.

A black armoire stands in one corner by the bed, a matching dresser on the bed's opposite side. Both are empty, only because Pam hasn't had a chance to fill them yet.

Pam shuts the door and makes sure it locks behind Jemma.

"Go on and make yourself comfortable."