All Together Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #7)(6)
Author: Charlaine Harris

I felt like I was observing an interesting tribe in another country, a tribe that just happened to speak my language. I’m a barmaid, several rungs below Halleigh on the social ladder, and I’m a telepath, though people tended to forget about it since it is hard to believe, my outside being so normal. But I’d been on the guest list, so I’d made a big effort to fit in sartorially. I was pretty sure I’d succeeded. I was wearing a sleeveless tailored white blouse, yellow slacks, and orange-and-yellow sandals, and my hair was down and flowing smoothly past my shoulder blades. Yellow earrings and a little gold chain tied me all together. It might be late September, but it was hot as the six shades of hell. All the ladies were still dressed in their hot-weather finery, though a few brave souls had donned fall colors.

I knew everyone at the shower, of course. Bon Temps is not a big place, and my family has lived in it for almost two hundred years. Knowing who people are is not the same as being comfortable with them, and I’d been glad to be given the job of recording the gifts. Marcia Albanese was sharper than I’d given her credit for being.

I was certainly learning a lot. Though I was trying hard not to listen in, and my little task helped in that, I was getting a lot of mental overflow.

Halleigh was in hog heaven. She was getting presents, she was the center of attention, and she was getting married to a great guy. I didn’t think she really knew her groom that well, but I was certainly willing to believe that there were wonderful sides to Andy Bellefleur that I’d never seen or heard. Andy had more imagination than the average middle-class man in Bon Temps; I knew that. And Andy had fears and desires he’d buried deeply; I knew that, too.

Halleigh’s mother had come from Mandeville to attend the shower, of course, and she was doing her smiling best to support her daughter. I thought I was the only one who realized that Halleigh’s mother hated crowds, even crowds this small. Every moment she sat in Marcia’s living room was very uncomfortable for Linette Robinson. At this very moment, while she was laughing at another little sally by Elmer Claire, she was wishing passionately that she was home with a good book and a glass of iced tea.

I started to whisper to her that it would all be over in (I cast a glance at my watch) another hour, hour-fifteen at the outside – but I remembered in time that I’d just freak her out worse than she already was. I jotted down "Selah Pumphrey – dish towels," and sat poised to record the next gift. Selah Pumphrey had expected me to give her a Big Reaction when she’d sailed in the door, since for weeks Selah had been dating that vampire I’d abjured. Selah was always imagining I’d jump on her and whack her in the head. Selah had a low opinion of me, not that she knew me at all. She certainly didn’t realize that the vampire in question was simply off my radar now. I was guessing she’d been invited because she’d been Andy and Halleigh’s real estate agent when they’d bought their little house.

"Tara Thornton – lace teddy," I wrote, and smiled at my friend Tara, who’d selected Halleigh’s gift from the stock at her clothing store. Of course, Elmer Claire had a lot to say about the teddy, and a good time was had by all – at least on the face of it. Some of the assembled women weren’t comfortable with Elmer Claire’s broad humor, some of them were thinking that Elmer Claire’s husband had a lot to put up with, and some of them just wished she would shut up. That group included me, and Linette Robinson, and Halleigh.

The principal at the school where Halleigh taught had given the couple some perfectly nice place mats, and the assistant principal had gotten napkins to match. I recorded those with a flourish and stuffed some of the torn wrapping paper into the garbage bag at my side.

"Thanks, Sookie," Halleigh said quietly, as Elmer Claire was telling another story about something that had happened at her wedding involving a chicken and the best man. "I really appreciate your help."

"No big," I said, surprised.

"Andy told me that he got you to hide the engagement ring when he proposed," she said, smiling. "And you’ve helped me out other times, too." Then Andy had told Halleigh all about me.

"Not a problem," I said, a little embarrassed.

She shot a sideways glance at Selah Pumphrey, seated two folding chairs away. "Are you still dating that beautiful man I saw at your place?" she asked rather more loudly. "The handsome one with the gorgeous black hair?"

Halleigh had seen Claude when he dropped me off at my temporary lodging in town; Claude, the brother of Claudine, my fairy godmother. Yes, really. Claude was gorgeous, and he could be absolutely charming (to women) for about sixty seconds. He’d made the effort when he’d met Halleigh, and I could only be thankful, since Selah’s ears had pricked up just like a fox’s.

"I saw him maybe three weeks ago," I said truthfully. "But we’re not dating now." We never had been, actually, because Claude’s idea of a good date was someone with a little beard stubble and equipment I’d never possess. But not everyone had to know that, right? "I’m seeing someone else," I added modestly.

"Oh?" Halleigh was all innocent interest. I was getting fonder of the girl (all of four years younger than me) by the second.

"Yes," I said. "A consultant from Memphis."

"You’ll have to bring him to the wedding," Halleigh said. "Wouldn’t that be great, Portia?"

This was another kettle of fish entirely. Portia Bellefleur, Andy’s sister and the other bride-to-be in the double Bellefleur wedding, had asked me to be there to serve alcohol, along with my boss, Sam Merlotte. Now Portia was in a bind. She would never have invited me other than as a worker. (I sure hadn’t been invited to any showers for Portia.) Now I beamed at Portia in an innocent, I’m-so-happy way.

"Of course," Portia said smoothly. She had not trained in the law for nothing. "We’d be delighted if you’d bring your boyfriend."

I had a happy mental picture of Quinn transforming into a tiger at the reception. I smiled at Portia all the more brightly. "I’ll see if he can come with me," I said.

"Now, y’all," Elmer Claire said, "a little bird told me to write down what Halleigh said when she unwrapped her gifts, cause you know, that’s what you’ll say on your wedding night!" She waved a legal pad.

Everyone fell silent with happy anticipation. Or dread.

"This is the first thing Halleigh said: ‘Oh, what pretty wrapping!’" A chorus of dutiful laughter. "Then she said, let’s see: ‘That’s going to fit; I can hardly wait!’" Snickers. "Then she said, ‘Oh, I needed one of those!’" Hilarity.

After that, it was time for cake and punch and peanuts and the cheese ball. We’d all resumed our seats, carefully balancing plates and cups, when my grandmother’s friend Maxine opened a new topic of discussion.