"It'll only be twelve months." He said taking my hand and holding it across the center console. "It'll fly by in no time. And when it's all over we can start our life together. Get married, start a family." He continued. Hope was something I definitely needed and having a future to look forward to helped to settle my mind.
I don't know how it all happened really. Well, I do know how, but it all just happened so fast that I never really had a chance to process it. One minute I was entrenched in my own grief over the death of my beloved grandmother, and the next I was sitting in a courtroom accepting a plea deal over a crime I didn't even know I committed.
Conspiracy to commit insurance fraud was what I was ultimately convicted of. My lawyer, Sid Matt Lancaster, negotiated a plea deal so that I'd only have to spend 12 months in jail plus two years probation. At the time, I was so overwhelmed by everything, I just agreed to it. And that's how I found myself sitting in a car with my fiancé outside of the Oakdale correctional facility.
"I'll miss you." I said to my fiancé Bill.
"I'll come visit you every weekend and we can talk as much as you are able to." He said.
"Here, take this." I took the engagement ring off my finger and put it in his hand. "Keep it safe."
"I will darling, and when this nightmare is over, we'll add a wedding band to it." He kissed my cheek.
"I love you." I said and got out of the car and walked into my nightmare.
"Strip, inmate." The husky woman said. I was terrified and shaking like a leaf. "Turn around, bend over, touch your toes and cough." She ordered.
"Seriously?" I questioned. I was holding one hand over my chest and the other over my privates.
"Do I look like I'm kidding?" She said dryly.
I was beyond mortified and fairly sure that the dog pound treated strays better than I was being treated, but I did what she asked. I didn't want to make waves or cause any trouble.
"Okay. Stand up." She instructed. "Here." She said tossing me a DOC issued orange jumpsuit.
"Take these too." She said and piled a thin pillow and a rough blanket on top of the clothes. "Go change into your prison uniform." She ordered. I nodded and did exactly what she said.
After changing into the itchy clothes, I was led to a temporary holding cell. I'd get a permanent bed in a few days; at least that's what they claimed.
I entered the cell, which already had three other occupants all of whom were staring at me like I was holding a box of Krispy Kremes. The metal door of the cell shut hard, which caused me to jump.
"Looks like we got ourselves a scared little kitty cat." One of the women said. She was intimidating for sure. Her name tag said "Pelt" and she was muscular and tall. She had a florid face and her eyes spoke a lot of her intent. Also, her bangs were cut in an odd angular fashion that looked plain stupid.
"Take the top bunk sweetheart." Another woman said and pointed to the bed above hers. She looked a little less threatening than bangs did. The name on her shirt said "Cooper" and she had mocha complexion and a nice smile. I liked her instantly.
The other woman had stopped paying me any mind the minute Pelt began to taunt. She was nose deep in a book, so I figured she was non-threatening. I wondered, for a moment, if the stereotype was true. Did I have to kick someone's ass or become someone's wife? Did Pelt kick someone's ass? Was Cooper someone's bitch? And what the hell did these women do to get thrown in the clink?
"What's your name cupcake?" Bangs asked.
I needed to not show fear. Fear made you a target and a victim. "Sookie." I said as confidently as possible under the circumstances. Bangs started laughing immediately.
"We don't go by first names here hon." Cooper said.
"Stackhouse." I told Pelt. I didn't know what the code was in jail, but I had a feeling I'd be getting a lesson pretty soon.
"Stackhouse, huh. What'd you do, rob the makeup counter at Macy's?" She teased. I guess she was referring to my appearance, which was make-up free thank you very much.
"Leave her alone Pelt." Cooper defended.
Just as I was about to put my things on the bunk, a loud siren sounded and everyone began to lie face down on the ground. I had no idea what that meant, and before I knew what was happening, I was being yelled at by a C.O.
"Inmate!" The C.O yelled. "Face down on the floor!" I did what he asked immediately.
"I said now, Inmate! Now doesn't mean a minute from now. Now means right fucking now!" On shaking hands and knees I fell to the floor.
"This is a contraband check." He announced and he began to toss our belongings haphazardly, not that I had any belongings mind you.
"Clear!" He announced. A few minutes passed and I was still lying on the ground, unsure of what the protocol was.
"You can get up now, Stackhouse." Cooper said.
"Fucking Madden!" Pelt screamed.
"Quiet!" The other woman said. "If he hears you talking shit, he'll send you to the SHU!"
She then looked at me and introduced herself. "I'm Pickard by the way."
At dinner time, which was insanely early by the way, I followed the herd to the cafeteria and got in line. I felt like I was back in High School, because I could clearly see the cliques forming and I had a déjà vu feeling. Where did I sit? I didn't want to inadvertently sit at the cool kid table and become the laughing stock.
I was handed a tray with food and given a cup. We were only allowed to use spoons, since anything else could be considered a weapon and even the spoons were accounted for.
I saw Cooper and she waved me over. Thank God, because I couldn't even begin to express how much anxiety I was having over deciding where to sit.
"Guys, this is Stackhouse. Stackhouse, this is Heidi." She pointed to rotund red-headed woman. "Reynold" A tall, broad- shouldered black woman with immaculate hair who I was fairly certain was born a man. "Palomino" A tiny Hispanic woman with the shiniest brown hair I'd ever seen. "And Ravenscroft" Also tiny, but slightly taller than Palomino. She had pale blonde hair and wore bright red lipstick, which I thought was against the rules. They all nodded and I said "Hi" in return.
"Well, ladies, I've got to get back there and make sure the inbreeds don't fuck up my kitchen." Ravenscroft said.
Everyone at the table was having conversations with each other, but I was too shy to join in. Besides, what would I say? I couldn't relate to them. I pushed around the food on my plate, not actually eating anything. It all looked too disgusting.
Looking around the room, I noticed the C.O's on the perimeter of the room, just watching us eat, like we were livestock or something.
I saw Madden, the C.O with the pornstache and the bad attitude. He was the one who tore up our bunks. I got the feeling that he was the kind of guy that didn't get far in school, but somehow managed to get a job where he could exploit his power over a bunch of powerless women.
There was female C.O named Wilson. She looked to be in her early thirties and had long black hair that she kept in a tight french braid. She was slender, and wore little make-up.
However, the C.O that really garnered my attention was Northman. He was extremely tall and muscular, but not overly so. He had blond hair, which he kept neatly coiffed. He exuded power.
"The food's bad, I know. But don't you dare say anything about it, especially within earshot of Ravenscroft." Cooper whispered. "Trust, you don't want to get on Ravencroft's bad side." I believed her.
"Hey, how come you're in a holding cell instead of your own cube?" I asked. For someone who just got here, she seemed to know a lot about the rules.
"Oh. My probation was just revoked, so they threw me back in." She said casually. I guess that meant that she'd spent some time here before. "I hope they don't make me bunk with Slaughter again. That bitch is crazy." She added and gestured over towards a woman who was sitting by herself. She was blonde, but it wasn't natural. It looked like she doused herself with bleach, and then jumped into a chlorinated pool.
"What's up with her?" I asked.
"No one knows. She hardly ever speaks, but rumor has it that she was a prostitute and killed something like 20 dudes. All I know is that I slept with one eye open. They call her the Slaughterer." She said shaking her head. That gave me chills. This was a minimum security prison; certainly they wouldn't put a serial killer in with the gen pop. Right? All I knew is that I didn't want to get within 10 feet of The Slaughterer.
After "dinner", we had an hour of free time, before it was lights out, so I decided to go check out the TV room. I passed the phone bank and had to fight the overwhelming urge to call Bill. It'd only been six hours since we parted ways, but I missed him so much.
"Stackhouse." Pornstache Madden called. I turned to face him and noticed that he was leering at me and staring at my breasts.
"Yes?" I responded.
"Your counselor wants to see you." He stated.
"My what?" I replied. I had no idea what the hell he was talking about.
"Are you retarded or something?" He said. "Counselor Northman wants to talk to you." He said each word very slowly and in a very offensive voice that was meant to mimic a deaf person, while at the same time made hand gestures as if he were using sign language. He was an asshole.
"No, I heard you. I just don't know where his office is?" I replied with a slight edge to my voice which I regretted instantly.
"Are you being smart with me? Do you know what happens to smart ass inmates?" He said then made another lewd hand gesture which was meant to mimic a blow job. He was an asshole and a pig. I averted my eyes from his nastiness.
I followed pornstache pig asshole to Counselor Northman's office. I was confused at first, because I thought he was a C.O not my counselor, but I guess they wore the same uniforms.
I walked into Northman's office and stood in front of his desk waiting for him to acknowledge me, all the while pornstache pig asshole was literally breathing down my neck.
Northman was reviewing a file, presumably my file, and then looked up at me. "Have a seat Stackhouse. You're dismissed Madden." He said flicking his wrist at pornstache. His voice was deep and authoritative. I sat immediately.
He started looking through my file again and began reciting facts about me. "Sookie Stackhouse, 26. Waitress at a bar in Bon Temps. High School Diploma. No priors." I wasn't embarrassed about my job or education and he didn't say it in an insulting way, just stating facts.
"Insurance fraud? How did that come about?" He inquired and finally looked up at me.
"I honestly don't know." I replied.
"I don't understand. Explain" He encouraged.
"It all happened so fast. My grandmother died. She was my guardian and my best friend. People were shoving papers in front of me telling me to sign things." I said pitifully. I kept my hands in my lap, and I felt that familiar pressure in my head, but I didn't cry.
"And a judge found you guilty?" He asked.
"My lawyer advised me to take a plea deal." I replied. He shook his head, but didn't comment. "Said that a judge would say that ignorance is no excuse to the law. I didn't know what else to do."
"Says here your parents are deceased and your brother's had some legal problems." He stated.
"Can I ask a question?" I said. He nodded his head. "Why are you asking me all these questions?"
"I'm here to help you as much as I'm allowed. I make sure that all my inmates are afforded all of their legal rights and I place them in a job field that suits their personalities and needs." He explained. "I see girls like you all the time, Miss Stackhouse. Girls who've been taken advantage of, girls who're victims of circumstance, and girls who just haven't had a fair shake in life. My job is to make sure that you get a fair shot. At least within the confines of these walls." He finished.
"I'm not a victim. I did something wrong and I deserve my punishment." I said flatly. I didn't want him to think I was a pushover.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night." He said returning to my file.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.
He paused and looked me dead in the eye and said, "Someone wanted you in here. Your brother perhaps? He has a long criminal history and a drug addiction. Or perhaps your fiancé?" He said looking down at my ring finger which still held the ring marks. "It's not by dumb mistake that you're here." He said. I didn't believe that for a minute. For one thing, there wasn't anything to gain from me being here. There wasn't any money gained from the fraud. I didn't get it.
"I'm assigning you to the kitchen." He said flatly and closed my case file. He added, "And off the record. Make nice with Ravenscroft, she's got a lot of influence." He said. "You're dismissed." I got up and made my way back to my bed.
The following day, I woke, like all the other girls did, which was to the sound of a loud, dormitory wide alarm and the gruff sound of pornstache pig asshole yelling at us.
"He's such a fucking dick." Pelt mumbled. "I don't know whose worse, Madden or Freyda?" she asked to no one in particular. I thought that he was worse, but then again, I didn't know who Freyda was.
"Who's Freyda?" I asked. Pelt just rolled her eyes.
"Wilson." Cooper answered. "No one knows her first name, they just call her Freyda."
"Why do they call her that?" I asked.
"Word on the street is that a couple of girls tried to fuck Northman and she got pissed off and planted drugs on 'em. They're still in the SHU. It was before I got here, so I don't know how true it is, but they call her Freyda because everyone's afraid of her. They said she's a vindictive bitch, especially to girls who show interest in Northman." She gave me a serious look. I didn't want any trouble and I didn't want to fuck Northman.
"Do they do that?" I asked.
"Do what?"
"Do the actually have sex with the inmates?" I asked incredulously. She just laughed at me like I was joking. I wasn't trying to be naïve, I really wanted to know.
"Oh you were serious." She said and stopped laughing. "Well, um, you know just stay away from Madden." She warned and got up to go shower.
Because it was my first full day of being imprisoned, I hadn't yet experienced the joy of showering. I love showering, by the way. I love how the warm water cascades off my body. I love how relaxed the steam makes me feel.
As I walked into my assigned bathroom, the first thing I noticed is that the floor was slimy and I didn't have any sandals to wear. I held my towel against my body as if it were going to shield me from the atrocious bathroom or perhaps I thought it would afford me a semblance of privacy, either way I was wrong.
"If you ain't gonna use the shower, then move the hell out the way, blondie." Said a woman who I'd never seen before. She had crazy bug eyes and was looking at me like I was a piece of meat. "Yeah, yeah, I'm using it." I replied. Jeez, everyone was so damn pushy around here.
I unwrapped my towel and stepped into the small stall. The curtains were clear, so no privacy. I guess prison wasn't for the modest. "Damn you got some nice tittays!" The same woman shouted. "All perky and shit. And look at that clean ass pussy!" she said and licked her lips!
I turned away from her, but I could still feel her stare. It creeped me out. "And you got some big tittays with a matching ass." Crazy eyes began to sing. I turned my head towards her to tell her to get away from me. There was no way in hell I was going to face her. "Go away!" I yelled at her. I didn't know how smart of a move that was, seeing as how she was crazy and all.
"Aight, aight. I didn't mean to offend. Just wanted to let you know that I think you fine. That's all." She said and put her hands up in surrender. "Shoo!" I said again.
Of three things I was certain; I needed a pair of sandals, crazy eyes was going to cause me problems, and I no longer loved showers.
"Who in the hell taught you how to chop an onion?" Ravenscroft berated. "Jesus, why does he always send me the dumb ones?" she said to herself. I was appalled and a bit humiliated.
"Just wait a freaking minute. My grandmother taught me how to chop an onion and she was taught by her grandmother who was taught by, well you get my point. And I'm not dumb, so don't treat me like a child!" I sassed back. And Northman's words flashed through my head immediately. "Make nice with Ravenscroft." Fat chance now.
"Chill out. I'm just fucking with you." She said patting my shoulder. I must've looked dismayed, because she quickly added. "What? It's how I separate the weak from the strong. Don't look so annoyed." She said and walked away. I smiled, glad that I had garnered the respect of Ravenscroft.
As soon as everyone was fed, those of us on kitchen duty began to clean up, Ravenscroft included. It was nice to see that she didn't ask anyone to do anything she wasn't willing to do herself. That was a sign of a good leader in my book.
"Northman must like you." She said, as I was cleaning out the grease trap.
"Why do you say that?" I asked.
"Because I always pick the girls I want to work in my kitchen." She replied raising one eyebrow.
"And you wouldn't choose me?" I questioned.
"You got sass. I like that." She said. "But be careful. Freyda doesn't take too kindly to women who show interest in Northman." She warned.
Two things. First, she didn't answer my question and secondly, I hadn't shown any interest in Northman other than a general appreciation for his obvious good looks, which, come on, every woman here was doing the same thing.
"How was the first day?" Northman asked.
"Well on a scale from mammogram to root canal, I'd say it was about a pap smear." I replied. He snorted. "That bad huh." He said.
"I think crazy eyes thinks I'm her wife." I admitted. I'm not sure why I said that to him. He probably didn't need to know that. Could I get in trouble for that?
"Who, Hebert? You have to nip that in the bud, Stackhouse. She's unstable." He said seriously. I figured that out the minute she looked at me.
"If you want to file a complaint, the forms are in my office." He said. I didn't want to file anything. I didn't want trouble.
"I'm good." I replied.
"Listen Stackhouse, if you've got a minute, I'd like to see you in my office." He said. For some odd reason, I didn't like that he called me by my last name. I mean, with everyone else it didn't bother me, but with him. I don't know, I guess I just wanted him to know my name.
"Um, sure." I replied unsurely. I was a bit curious what he wanted. Was I in trouble? Nevertheless, I followed him and tried to keep up with his long quick strides, which wasn't easy.
"Come in, sit." He pointed to the chair I had previously occupied. I was nervous. What did he want? I didn't want anyone, especially Freyda, to think he was giving me some kind of special treatment.
"I thought you might be interested to see this." He said and placed a piece of paper in front of me.
"What is this?" I asked, confused.
"Do you know what the MLS is?" He asked.
"Not, really." I replied The paper he gave me was of my gran's house, well my house. It was a real estate listing and showed that my house was for sale for $249,500. "But I'm gatherin' that it has something to do with real estate."
"Your grandmother's home, your home, was just listed in the MLS. Did you know that?" He asked.
"No." I replied shakily. Until that point, I'd done a pretty good job of maintaining my composure, but I'll admit that I lost it a bit.
"Who?" I asked, wiping a stray tear.
"A person by the name of William Thomas Compton. Do you know who that is?" He asked. He was being quite gentle and understanding as my world was unraveling.
"He's my fiancé." I said. Or was my fiancé.
"Did you give him power of attorney over your affairs while you're here?" He asked.
I shook my head vehemently. "Absolutely not. I wouldn't do that. He told me he's keep the place mowed and dusted. I never gave him authority to sell my home!" I said. "What do I do? He can't actually sell it can he?" I took the paper again. My hands were shaking so bad that I could barely hold it. There it was though, in black and white. My home. The home that'd been in my family for generations, bequeathed to me. How disappointed my ancestors must've been in me. To allow some sneaky rat bastard to come in and steal it all right out from under my nose.
"I'll do what I can." He said and reached across the table and held my trembling hand. "But you need to contact your lawyer. No, you know what, just get a new one altogether. Mr. Lancaster was clearly out of his league. Contact. Mr. Cataliades. Tell him I sent you."
"Why are you doing all of this for me?" I asked him as I took the business card from him.
"Like I said before Miss Stackhouse, it's my job to make sure you get a fair shot." He said again. I couldn't help but wonder if he took this much interest in all his inmates, or was I a special brand of pathetic.
"Call me Sookie." I insisted.
"I can't do that. It's against protocol Miss Stackhouse." He said. I could respect that, even though I didn't like it.
"Thanks for your help." I said and left.
A week. I'd been in jail exactly one week and each day seemed to be just as bad as the day before. I hadn't spoken to Bill, but I had contacted the lawyer Mr. Northman referred me to. Mr. Cataliades was able to get an emergency injunction to stop Bill from selling my house. I was beyond thankful for that.
Today was scheduled to be visitor day. I didn't expect anyone to come see me. Sam had a bar to run, Tara had the twins to look after, Jason was too self-involved to care about me, and Bill, well, I figured since the injunction happened, he knew that I knew what he had done.
"Stackhouse." Wilson, er, Freyda, called. I was shocked. Since she called my name, I supposed that meant I had a visitor.
"You're fiancé is here for you. You remember you have one of those right?" She said with venom and shot me a hateful glare. Well that was definitely an OSM. If she thought something was going on between Mr. Northman and I, which there absolutely wasn't, than that meant I was a target.
I walked into the visitation room and found Bill sitting there. Everything I once saw in him was wiped away. I only felt betrayal when I looked at him.
"Why are you here?" I asked angrily. If I could've gotten away with punching him I would have. I noticed Northman out of the corner of my eye. I wondered if he always supervised the visitation hours, or if he was there to spy on me.
"Sweetheart. Listen to me. There's clearly been a misunderstanding between us." He said and tried to hold my hands.
"No touching!" Northman yelled and Bill quickly took his hands back.
"Misunderstanding? Really Bill?" I said, raising my voice. I heard shushing, so I knew my tone was a bit too much.
"You fucking betrayed me." I whispered angrily.
"No, Sookie. I did not. Do you think Sid Matt works for free? Do you think your bills are going to magically pay themselves? I listed the house, because you have bills to pay and no money to pay them with. Besides, that place is a hovel." He explained. I was so angry that I couldn't even form words.
"When you get out, we can buy a nice house in Shreveport or Monroe. In one of those nice neighborhoods with a homeowner's association and a community pool. You'll see. It'll all work out."
"I didn't sign a power of attorney, Bill. How did you do it? Did you forge my name?" I accused.
"Sookie, please. You're being unreasonable and accusatory. I do not appreciate it. You think you're the only one suffering?" He admonished. He's done this in the past. Turn the tables on me, make me feel bad for being upset with him. Well that was the old Sookie Stackhouse.
"You know what? It's fine, Bill." I said. His eyes lit up instantly.
"Everything will work out just the way it's supposed to. You'll see." He said.
"Yes it will, Bill. It certainly will." I replied.
"Time's up. Say your goodbyes." Freyda yelled.
Bill gave me a hug, which I allowed, but was not enthusiastic about. Since I was stuck behind bars and most of my freedoms were taken away from me, there was little I could do. But I was convinced that Bill was behind all of it. I would hire Mr. Cataliades to represent me. I would file an appeal or whatever legal mumbo jumbo it was that was going to re-open my case.
I couldn't afford to make an enemy out of Bill, not yet at least. He still had a power of attorney, albeit a forged one, which he could use to access my bank accounts, title to my car and numerous other things. It would take time to mitigate everything Bill'd done, but when I did, he and I would be no more.
"Have a nice chat with your fiancé?" Northman whispered in a sarcastic tone that was laced with resentment.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I retorted angrily.
"Stackhouse, in my office. Now." Northman yelled, clearly for the benefit of the others. Huffing out of sheer exhaustion, I followed him.
"I suppose you believe him then." Northman accused. I crossed my arms across my chest. Why did he care what I believed?
"He said he did it to pay off my bills and to buy us a house when we get married." I said. Northman looked mightily pissed off. I didn't quite understand why he was taking all of this so personally.
"Right, of course. And when you get out of here, he's going to pick you up on a white horse too." He said sarcastically and with an edge of anger. Then I realized that he actually thought I believed Bill's lies and that I had forgiven him. He was wrong and I started to explain, but Northman dismissed me saying, "I believe Ravenscroft is expecting you. You're dismissed." He said abruptly leaving no room for an explanation.
"So you met him at a Civil War re-enactment?" Cooper asked. It had been two weeks since Bill had come to see me and in that time Mr. Cataliades had made some progress in my appeal. Bill had come to see me once more, but we barely said two words to each other. I had to keep up the rouse that everything was alright between us, which I did not like.
"Yeah. My grandmother asked me to drive her to see it. He was playing Robert E. Lee." I said thinking back to the day I met him. He was polite and genteel and my gran loved him instantly. In retrospect, the signs were there, but I brushed them off. It's easier to overlook the bad characteristics when you have this perfect future painted in your head.
"No offense Stackhouse, but he sounds like a racist tool bag. I mean why would anyone choose to be a slave driving Dixie douchebag?" Reynold said. I started to explain that that wasn't the case, but really, I was tired of standing up for him. I just laughed like the rest of the girls at the table.
"Uh oh, here comes Freyda." Cooper said and we all sat up a bit straighter, none of us making eye contact with her.
Freyda walked right over to me and hovered. It happened so fast that I couldn't much react. One minute her hand was at her side and the next it was knocking over my cup of water.
"So fucking clumsy Stackhouse!" she yelled, as if I had knocked over my own cup. "You better be glad you didn't get any of that shit on me." She said loudly which caught the attention of pornstache pig asshole who made a beeline in my direction. Shit.
All I really wanted to do was stay under the radar, but instead I had two of the worst C.O's on my ass.
"What's going on over here." Pornstach said in a predatory way. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed all the other girls at my table get up and leave. I was on my own.
"Blondie here just about spilled her drink on me." Freyda told pornstache pig asshole.
"Well that's not kosher now is it." He berated in a predatory way. They gave each other a knowing look and I knew I had just stepped into a steaming pile.
"I think you just assaulted an officer." Freyda said and looked over at Pornstache who was nodding in agreement.
"You know what happens to inmates who assault ?" Pornstache asked menacingly. I sat stock still, not sure what to do.
"They go to the SHU." Freyda anwered. What? No, no, no, no. I did not want to go there. From what I heard from the girls, the SHU is worse than any nightmare you could conceive of. Cold, lonely, isolating. It gets into your head. Makes you see things, hear things, believe things. No, I did not want to go there.
"But I didn't do anything!" I began to protest, but was quickly shit down.
"Shut the fuck up inmate." Pornstache berated and pulled me out of my chair and began to drag me away.
"What's going on here?" Someone asked. I was having an internal meltdown, but looked up to see Northman confronting both Wilson and Madden.
"Stackhouse assaulted Wilson, so I'm taking her to the SHU." Madden explained in such a convincing professional manner. I couldn't do anything, I was paralyzed by fear.
"I doubt that very highly Madden." Northman said. Wilson made a huff and rolled her eyes. Northman didn't let that slide and called her on her behavior. "Do you have a problem officer Wilson?" Northman asked.
"As a matter of fact, I do." She responded. Oh lord, this woman didn't know when to stop. It was bad enough that she set me up, but disrespecting her boss was not a smart move.
"And just what might that be?" Northman asked.
"Blondie. She threw her water on me and yet you won't even defend one of your own officers. I see the way you look at her." She was being catty and Northman knew it.
"That's quite enough Wilson. You are way out of line. I warned you before and now I have no choice but to take this to the warden. You are dismissed." Northman said with authority. Wilson looked taken aback. I saw her mouth open and close more than once and I knew she wanted to say something, but just couldn't find the words. She backed away slowly and left.
"Madden, you're dismissed as well. And if I were you, I'd find a better cohort to conspire with." The threat in his voice wasn't lost on me.
"Stackhouse. In my office." He said and I followed him. I was beginning to hate those words.
As soon as the door was shut, I began to explain myself. "I didn't throw water at her, in fact, I avoid her because of what everyone says about her and you." I rambled.
"I know you didn't and what do you mean her and I?" he asked.
"Well, that you had a thing and now she basically bullies anyone she thinks you might be interested in." As soon as I said that I regretted it. "Not that I think you have a thing for me, it's just that she tried to set me up and throw me in the SHU because she thought…" Oh boy did I contract a huge case of verbal diarrhea.
"Stackhouse, stop." He said. I was hugely embarrassed but he seemed amused.
"I'm sorry. I'm just not adjusting well here. I hardly sleep and there hasn't been a day that I've felt like I could just relax." There was more to it than that, like the fact that nothing is private around here, so when you so much as pass gas, no less than three other people know you did it.
"I know it's hard. And I'm sorry if I've made it harder on you. Obviously I don't think you deserve to be here. I've told you that before, but as for the things Wilson said…I like you, have so much respect for the strength you possess, but you know nothing could happen." Now it was his turn to ramble and I could tell this was beyond awkward for him.
"I get it. I'm a criminal with a set of baggage even Southwest would charge to handle. Bill and I are done, but I have to keep up this charade and you are just, well look at you." Damn Northman for buying perfectly tailored uniforms that highlighted his assets. Holy crap, was I objectifying my counsellor? Boy did I have issues. I cleared my voice and did my level best to steer this conversation back to a more appropriate place.
"Ahem. I um, my lawyer, Mr. Cataliades, he filed some petition to get my case re-opened. He said, if he's successful, then the judge might let me out on bail until the hearing." I told him.
"Oh, uh. That's great Stackhouse. If that happens, I should get the paperwork on my desk." He said back in counselor mode. He backed away from me and went to sit at his desk. I was actually very thankful for the space.
"Okay then. So we're good here?" I asked. He nodded and that mercifully ended our very awkward conversation.
"You finna' get up out of this mu'fuckah." Reynold jubilantly announced to the group. I hadn't mentioned anything about my appeal to anyone except Reynold and Ravenscroft. As it turns out, I probably should've just kept it to myself. Nothing was a secret within these walls.
Since the very uncomfortable conversation with Northman, we'd had very little interaction, except for the meeting he called me into where he let me know that the judge had approved my appeal hearing and set the court date. I smiled at him and thanked him for telling me. He congratulated me and wished me good luck.
"Well, it could only be a temporary thing. If my conviction isn't overturned, then I'll be back." I replied. I really didn't want to get my hopes up because the fear of disappointment was too much to handle.
"You won't be back up in this bitch. Dis place ain't for you, blondie." Reynold teased. I could see the honesty in her words. I really liked her a lot. Going in to this mess, I never thought I would become attached to anything or anyone in jail. I just wanted to do my time and leave, however, I found that, for the most part, we were all just women – women who'd made some bad choices in our lives. But those bad decisions didn't make us bad people.
"This place isn't for any of us." I said. Reynold was a good person. She'd been born a man, however she never felt comfortable in her skin until she finally realized that Lafayette Reynold was meant to be Larissa Reynold.
Unfortunately, small town Louisiana was not ready for her. She was treated worse than garbage. Fired from her retail job when she showed up as a woman and the final straw came when she beat up a good ole' boy who had bullied her relentlessly. Frankly, the good ole' boy got what he deserved in my opinion, but the state of Louisiana didn't agree and sentenced her to 2 years plus probation.
"You got that right. Human beings ain't meant to be kept in cages." He said and I agreed. For the first time since Mr. Cataliades proposed the idea of appealing my conviction, I allowed myself to feel hope.
I allowed myself a dream. I imagined that I owned a restaurant and Reynold was the manager and the face of the restaurant while Ravenscroft highlighted her creativity and talent in the kitchen. Cooper, Pickard and maybe even Pelt were all waitresses. Okay maybe not Pelt. Maybe one day, I could make that dream happen. We all deserved happiness and opportunity in our lives.
Like everything in my life these days, the court appeal happened very quickly. It was difficult to follow all the legal jargon, but at the end of my 15 minute hearing, I was free on bail. I had mixed emotions about it, because I wasn't going to be allowed back at the jail to say goodbye to the girls and I wouldn't get to thank Northman for helping me when he could've just as easily let me be another convict serving my time. What he saw in me, I'll never know, but I'd be eternally grateful to him.
Mr. Cataliades asked me to stay in the lobby while he spoke with the District Attorney. While I sat there I watched all the people coming and going, and I resolved to never become part of the criminal justice system ever again.
"So I guess Crazy Eyes is going to have to find a new wife." I looked up to find the smiling face of Northman. I was surprised to see him. I looked around the courtroom for him and just assumed he didn't show.
"Haha. I think her and Pelt would make a fine couple." I joked.
"So, no Bill huh?" He asked as he sat down next to me on the bench seat.
"No. I didn't tell him about the court date. I'll be seeing him later today when I throw his things on the lawn." I said. Bill was in for a rude awakening.
"Good. Now that I'm no longer your counsellor, I can be honest with you. He never deserved you." He said.
"Thank you for everything. Without you, I'd still be lost and completely ignorant to the things that've been happening around me. I was just so lost in my grief, that I let people take advantage of me. I feel like a damn fool." It was embarrassing, to be honest, but I really wanted to chalk this whole nightmare up to a learning experience. I actually felt like a stronger, better woman for having gone through the things I'd gone through.
"You're welcome and you have nothing to be ashamed of. I went through something similar, and under different circumstances I could've just as easily ended up where you did."
"Is that why you helped me?" I asked. For some reason, I wanted to know what he saw in me, why he helped me.
"Yes and no. When I met you, I could see that you were a smart, hard working woman, but you looked so defeated. You probably don't remember, but you gave me this look, like you deserved what was happening to you and it struck a chord with me."
"Eric, so good to see you again." Mr. Cataliades interrupted. "Uncle. It's good to see you too. Thank you so much for helping Ms. Stackhouse." Officer Northman said. It was odd to hear someone call him by his name, Eric. I liked it.
"She's a good woman and as it turns out the District Attorney now agrees." He said smiling brightly.
"What?" I asked in confusion. "No kidding." Northman said.
"The District Attorney is going to drop all charges against you." He said and I jumped up and hugged Northman. I was just so happy I didn't even think twice about it, and when he wrapped his arms around me, my heart began beating out of my chest and I suddenly found myself embarrassed. I pulled away and hugged my lawyer, Mr. Cataliades and thanked him.
"Well the news gets better, because they've agree to investigate your former fiancé. I've handed over all the documents I have, and though it's still early, I think they are going to have a solid case against him." Mr. Cataliades said. I didn't know how much I was paying him, but it was worth it. I didn't care if I had to pull doubles at Merlotte's every day until I turned 80 years old. It would all be worth it to feel how I felt at that moment.
"That's amazing news!" I exclaimed. "I guess I better get to the farmhouse and kick him out then." I said. I wasn't looking forward to that confrontation, but it was inevitable.
"Actually, and I'm sorry I didn't run this by you first, but I had the sheriff serve him an eviction notice seven days ago, so he should be gone by the time you get there." Mr. Cataliades said. I didn't mind one bit, though I do wish he would've told me about it. Still, it was more good news.
"No, I'm glad you did it, though I'm scared to think about what the condition of my house is in." I'm willing to bet he trashed my home on his way out.
"He was escorted out by the Sheriff and I also sent him a letter threatening to sue him for damages if he didn't leave your home in the condition in which it was when you went to jail." My lawyer said. He was amazing! All the while Northman just listened to all the good news, smiling as if he knew this was all in the works. I caught on to him though.
"You knew about all of this didn't you." I asked, smiling.
"Nope. Attorney-Client privilege and all that." He said smiling conspiratorially. Somehow I didn't believe him.
"Thank you, both of you." I said honestly. We said our goodbyes and I hugged Mr. Cataliades extra tight. He really went above and beyond to help me and for that I'd be eternally grateful.
As for Mr. Northman, When we parted I felt nothing but sadness and as I sat in the cab on my way back home, I realized that I would miss seeing his face every day, hearing his booming voice echo through the halls. Under different circumstances, maybe we could've been friends, or maybe we could've gone out on a date. He would walk me to my door and kiss my cheek goodnight. But that was just a silly dream, and my circumstances were what they were. With Bill gone, I could live my life the way I should've had I never met Bill. Hopefully Sam still had a job for me when I got back. I'd definitely need the money to pay for my mounting legal bills, not to mention the other bills that'd piled up since I'd been in jail.
It'd been three months since I was released from jail after having my good name restored. Sam was kind enough to give me my job back and even had a welcome back party for me. Half the town showed up, even Jason came. I was very humbled and slightly surprised after the majority of the people there said, in various ways, that "I always knew Bill was a weasel." It's amazing how honest people are after the fact.
I worked hard in those three months, taking every free shift that came up, every double Sam asked me to take and I worked every Holiday I could. I was able to save enough money to pay the back taxes that had accumulated and I paid off the legal bills from Sid Matt Lancaster. I still had to pay Mr. Cataliades, but I knew that if I kept working as hard as I had been, I'd be able to pay off those bills within the year.
It was another normal Monday night at the bar. The Saints were playing the Falcons, so we were busier than usual which meant my tips would be higher. I kept the bud light flowing, anticipating the needs of all my customers. Everything was just as it should be when I heard the bell ring indicating a new customer had just walked in. I didn't even have to look up to know that it was just a single person, so I grabbed a menu and silverware. "Table for…" I looked up only to find the smiling face of my former counsellor.
"Mr. Northman." I said in shock. If I'd have known he was coming in tonight, I might've put on a little make up and fixed my hair better. Self-consciously, I adjusted my apron to make sure it was on straight.
"Eric. Call me Eric."
"Alright, I'll call you Eric if you'll call me Sookie." I said and led him to a table in my section, of course. It was odd to see him in Merlotte's, but I kind of fantasized about it.
"What can I bring you?" I asked, setting down the menu in front of him.
"I'll take a Sam Adams and a cheeseburger basket." He replied without even looking at the menu.
"Coming right up." I said and walked away with a skip in my step. I hadn't seen Eric since that day in court. I'll admit that I picked up the phone more than once with the intention of calling him at work just to say hi, but I chickened out every time.
I brought him his food and beer and left him alone while I tended to my other customers, bussed the tables and greeted guests.
Before I noticed, a half hour had gone by and Eric was finished with his food. I brought him the check, but I didn't know what to say. In my head, I had so many things that I wanted to say, but my self-consciousness got the better of me.
As I was walking away from Eric after thanking him for coming in, he stopped me.
"Hey Sookie. Can I ask you something before I leave?" he asked.
"Yeah absolutely." I replied. He looked a bit nervous and he took a last swig of his beer before he said, "Would you like to have dinner with me one night?" I was kind of in shock and I didn't immediately respond. "That's ok, if you don't, I mean I know our relationship has been.." I stopped his rambling and enthusiastically replied with a resounding. "Yes! I mean, I'd love to have dinner with you."
We made plans for the following week and when he left, I felt giddy
"Stop." The man said authoritatively. "Put your hands up and spread your legs." He demanded. I couldn't believe I had somehow found myself back in grips of law enforcement.
I did as he asked. Facing the wall, I placed my hands on the wall and spread my legs. I knew the drill by now. Two months in jail teaches you a few things.
"Is this right officer?" I asked coyly. "No." he replied. "I need to search you." He said and ran his rough hands up the side of my thigh. His hands made their way up my skirt and in one swift move, my skirt fell to the floor.
"But officer, I don't think this is appropriate." I said coquettishly.
"Oh it's beyond appropriate." Eric said and turned me to face him, his lips met mine and he lifted me up and set me on the bed where he removed the rest of my clothing.
Eric and I had been dating for six months and we found it kind of silly and exciting to play bedroom games. Of course we were also making light of our past, but it was all in good, sexy fun.
"Eric kissed my thigh, then my stomach, neck, cheek and when he kissed my lips he pulled back and whispered, "I love you Sookie."
Making love with Eric was always passionate and intimate. Since he moved in with me a month ago, our relationship has gone to another level altogether. I love coming home to him, spending our free time together and sharing our lives with one another. And also thanks to Eric, I love taking showers again. I love him and there isn't a thing about my past that I would change. If it hadn't been for the nightmare that Bill brought to my doorstep, I never would've met the love of my life.
I still dream of owning my own restaurant and with Eric's help, I've been able to start saving to make that dream come true.
Winded and satisfied from lovemaking, I whispered "I love you too."