Wow. I've never had that many reviews for one chapter before! Thank you all so much!
Patito – Sookie doesn't really feel less of herself because she's an exotic dancer, she just wishes she was doing something because she loves it rather than because she has to.
Lokis Mistress –Thank you, my spelling and grammar isn't my strong suit! I hope this chapter keeps your attention.
Vamp Winter – I love AH Sookie/Eric too! They are all I read, along with some AU's.
Itshopkittens – Hi, thanks for the review, I'm trying my hardest to keep Sookie true to the sweet and southern girl we all love. But I'm sorry if she slips up as this is a very thin line I'm trying to walk on lol. I hope you enjoy it and please feel free to yell at me if I do anything horrible with the characters.
Missus T – The interview won't be til the next chapter I'm afraid. But Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter.
LB123 – Thanks for the review, Thanks for the great review, I hope this chapter explains a bit more about why I made Eric the way I did. I was really worried about how much detail to go into when talking about the dancing, I know who annoying it can be but I didn't want to just leave it out, but I hope this chapter isn't tedious for you. Enjoy and thank you again.
TeaCupHuman – Thanks for the review, and I love your pen-name.
Vane3131 – Thank you for the review, it made me laugh when I read it.
Remusgrl01 – I know the feeling, lap dancing for Eric would kill me. I don't know how Sookie was able to do it. Thanks for the review. I hope the lap dance doesn't disappoint.
Dragonfey57 – Thank you for the notes, I really do appreciate them. Please tell me if something here causes confusion or if it could be worded better so the reader doesn't lose focus.
Lauren, Hireable, stephaniesmeow, Rena Howard, pinkygirl01, outinritefield1, Miffie, ESFAN08, ericsgirl1, OldAsDirt, Claire, svmfan1, Kitlina, frlarsson, Orionsbabydoll, ShellCat and Lilime – Thank you all for the great reviews, I really hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you and please feel free to yell and scream at me if I've done horrible things with Eric. This chapter's a tiny bit longer, I hope you all love reading it as much as I have loved writing it! And yes, Kitlina, you were right.
Disclaimer – I do not own any of these characters, though I do own my own bottles of TruBlood ;-)
This chapter is all in Eric's POV.
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Mistaken Identity
Chapter 2 – Bad Things.
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I was pissed off. The first problem I was having about this whole evening was, who had a bachelor party on a Monday night? They all had work tomorrow morning and they all knew me, I don't take 'food poisoning' as an excuse to miss work. Second, who invited me? I know Alcide, he's a nice guy who works hard and does a damn good job but as soon as it hits five thirty Alcide left work and I never made a conscious effort to befriend the man. But here I was, sitting in a dim strip club which all the other men had tried to convince him was a 'dance' club, waiting for a 'dancer' to come and take all her clothes off so we could cheer, drink, go home then find ways to call in sick and not do our jobs tomorrow morning.
Pam was trying to get my spirits up, buying me my first and only drink, a scotch and soda, which was actually a good brand and quite nice. She told me that it would only be a couple of drinks in a local pub, wishing Alcide good luck and making all the typical marriage jokes, and it was my managerial duty to show my face. But slowly the others had drunk more and Alcide suggested this club, Area 6, calling it "sophisticated and entertaining". Bull shit. The place stunk of beer and there were enough red tassels that I'm sure Aladdin must be hiding around the corner. I looked over at all the men, who were gathered around the stage and laughing loudly at some joke. I sighed and scanned the room looking for Pam, who was chatting to a waitress. I rolled my eyes and hoped I wouldn't be driving a tipsy Pam and date back to hers. Like my day hadn't been bad enough. A new intern spilt coffee over the first draft of the next months issues front cover, which would have been fine except he kept apologizing constantly ever time he saw me for the rest of the day. Then Pam kept nipping in feeding me line by line trying to convince me to agree to come out then when I finally caved she kept nipping in telling what not to wear. I ended up just swearing at her and yelling for her to get out. Finally, which was the underlining reason behind my awful mood today, it was the two year anniversary of Kate. Kate...
I shut my eyes tightly and used my thumb and fore finger to press the corners and stop the tears from building up. This was pointless, why was I here? I slammed my drink on the bar and began to stand up when a hand firmly gripped my arm.
"You okay there?" I turned and looked up at the bar tender. He seemed friendly enough, not the kind I imagined worked in a place like this, average height so he was short compared to me. He tilted his head towards and door and then back to me, asking a silent question. "You not having a good time?"
"This isn't really me." I responded, unsure why I was telling this man. Maybe it was because I couldn't tell anyone I was here with, it would compromise my authority.
The man behind the bar nodded, a knowing look appeared on his face. "I understand, but this place isn't like the others. It's more about having a good time with friends who share a common interest. You should be happy for your friend, I'm sure you'll like the show so just sit back down." His grip on my arm tightened briefly that I wasn't even sure if he meant to do it. "And enjoy the dancing." I looked down at his name badge. Sam. I narrowed my eyes at him and slowly sat back down in the same stool I was perched on before. Taking a big gulp of my scotch, I thought I might as well stay, I'd have to give Pam a lift back to her place anyway, a favour I'm sure she planned to trick me into staying late. I wouldn't be able to drive this close to drinking anyway.
Running a hand through my hair as I stared at the empty stage. I wasn't always like this. I was once a fun, happy and carefree man who was working hard to make a good name in the manic fashion publishing industry but I knew how to relax. I had close friends; most of them were surrounding me now and I had a girl I was crazy about. I missed that man. I missed coming home and finding a beautiful girl waiting for me with dinner, a smile and a kiss waiting to be placed on my lips. I missed my perfect little life then and I almost missed my naive self. I exhaled loudly at my stupid thoughts. I was silly back then, thinking I was in love, completely blind to the facts. I wouldn't be where I was today if I was still that laid back man. Though I would probably be happier...
A man's voice introduced the evening's entertainment and everyone started to clap. I looked over at Pam who was cheering encouragement, I suppressed the urge to growl at their actions but I decided that with the crazy schedule they all work to, they all deserved a night to relax. I instantly recognised the song, Jace Everett's Bad Things, not the song I would have expected to play, then again I don;t spend much time hanging around in strip clubs. Pam caught my eye and winked before laughing and looking back at the stage. I followed her gaze just as the woman 'Raven' was stepping out onto the stage.
The first thing that struck me was the hat she wore over her short jet black hair. Her hair was cut in a dramatic angle to emphasise her high cheek bones. She was a curvy girl, not big, far from it, but not skinny and harsh like the waitresses we saw before moving into the private area. She smiled at the crowd and started swaying her hips to some soft rock song that was playing. I can see why this place wasn't like the others instantly. The way she danced was mesmerising. She made it look so easy and comfortable. Not at all trashy and she knew just what to show without being slutty and at the same time not being just a tease. I saw a smile on her face and she was softly singing along with the song. It was barely noticeable, I'm sure everyone else in the room are preoccupied with other things, except I was watching out for it. There was something I couldn't put my finger on but I wanted to stand up and dance with her, a feeling I instantly pushed down and dared not to think about again. This girl was called Raven? She seemed more like a dove. Watching her body move and her hands slowly work their way up and down her body, undoing the buttons of her cowgirl style shirt, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. I forgot about everything, where I was, who I was there with, damn, I couldn't even think of my full name. All I could focus on were her gorgeous eyes, a soft, light blue full of life, her petite nose, her full lips humming along with the tune with a hint of a smile.
This song was so appropriate, I thought bitterly to myself. I shocked myself when I suddenly imagined how it would feel if I pushed my hand into those tight cut off jean shorts and felt her, wet and hot at my fingertips. I felt a strain in my pants and was suddenly happy I was wearing my loose fitting, comfortable suit trousers. I looked around and all the other men seemed entranced by this woman and Pam was almost drooling like some silly cartoon character.
The dance numbers were over all too quickly and I was fighting the urge to ask the bartender a question or two about Raven. I turned to look where that Sam fellow was but was stopped by Pam coming up and standing next to me. I glanced down at her, not bothering to turn on the stool. I couldn't let her see how that dancer had affected me.
"Yes Pam?" I asked trying to sound as bored and angry as I was before.
"You like the show?" I looked down my nose at her and saw the almost famous smirk on her lips. Damn her. When did she even look away from the stage to see me? I tried to call her bluff but I knew it was useless.
"It was bearable, I suppose." It was more than bearable, that woman was mesmerising. Devine even.
"Eric, don't bullshit me. I can still see your mind trying to fuck her against the stage. Though I'm sure you're not the only person thinking that." Pam, ever the subtle one. I glanced around to see how all the other men were behaving, I saw what she meant, many had a slight hazed look over their eyes revealing their lust filled thoughts. "See, I can see you looking around, I'm right here. If you behave nicely I'm sure I could get you a lap dance." I glared coldly down at her.
"Pam, if you do anything like that which would damage my reputation as everybody here's manager, then I will be forced to do something to redeem myself, like fire my personal assistant." I felt a smirk tug on my lips.
Pam rolled her eyes in that childish way that made me love her. "You would never. You may act like Mr Cold as Ice, but you and I both know that's not who you really are." She gave me a stern look. She still continued to amaze me at how one minute she can be so brutal and fierce and the next she can make me feel warm and almost fuzzy."Now, you want me to get you a hand job or not?" Almost...
"I don't think this is that kind of place, Pam." I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"Fine, I'm hoping she lives on my side of the fence anyway." She waved her hand to the bar tender and asked for a glass of red wine before leaning against the bar next to me.
We watched as the raven haired beauty started dancing to another song, this time she moved slowly and much more sensually. I felt my cock strain so much I was shifting uncomfortably on the stool. The woman was slowly dragging a hand over her stomach and down towards her wonderfully curvy thighs, I had to cough to keep myself grounded. I heard Pam give an appreciative moan and knew she was thinking along the same lines as me.
"What time do you think she finishes work?" Pam asked me as the dance finished and the music faded.
I glanced at my watch. 12.25. "Pam, in case you and everyone else here forgot, we all have work tomorrow. It's going to be a long day, there's going to be a lot of stress with all this fucking interviews on top of the next issue being ready to print. It's really irresponsible staying out this late, drinking and I don't want that impacting all of our jobs come tomorrow morning." I know I was getting over stressed and angry but that stripper has gotten me all flustered and I wasn't thinking straight.
Pam set her mouth into a tight pout as I all but yelled at her. I could see her brain ticking, waiting for the moment to strike. Why did I have to start this with her? I always end up losing, but for some reason I still felt the need to.
"Well in case you hadn't realised Mr Northman." Boy was I in trouble. "Everyone here, myself included, have been working to the bone to get this issue ahead of schedule because we know the new interns all fuck up. We have been staying late, getting in early and skipping lunch breaks because we all want this magazine to be the best it can be. So, please excuse us for having a night out to relax, forget about work and celebrate Alcide getting married, because fuck knows her deserves it. His fiancé nearly called off the whole thing when she found out they couldn't have a honeymoon because he has to go to Chicago two days after the wedding. Maybe you should stop worrying about work for just one evening. Maybe that'll give you enough time to get over Kate and pull the stick out of your ass."
I felt like she'd slapped me. She hit me right where it hurt most.
"Pam, you know I love you like a sister but if you ever speak to me like that again, I don't care if it's outside of work, I will not have you talking about me and Kate-"
"You and Kate? There is no 'You and Kate'. I love you so much, it hurts to see you like this, like some lost little puppy who keeps barking because he's scared. You need to look around and see that you have people who care about you."
"This isn't the right time or place for this." I growled down at her. I saw her glance over my shoulder, which is no easy thing even with me sitting down and her in those heels, she smirked.
"Oh, I think now is the perfect time." I turned around. I was going to kill her for this.
I saw the dancer walking towards me. She looked stunning, her light blue eyes sparkling. She was wearing a light pink bikini and soft brown cowgirl boots and as she took a couple steps closer to me, I forgot how to breathe. Fuck. I'd seen beautiful girls before, hell, I worked for a fashion magazine, beautiful girls threw themselves at me so they could get a chance to be in an issue. But there was something about her which had caught me by surprise. I stood up and glanced for the door, I needed some fresh air, I don't think I'd be able to stop myself from doing something stupid or embarrassing if she came any closer. She took another step closer, or did I take a step towards her? I saw her take a sharp breath in, I nearly credited myself for her reaction but I knew it was probably the fact that everyone else in the bar had shut up and were currently watching us both too close for comfort. My eyes pierced hers and I felt instantly like I knew her. I had a mental image of us having dinner, her laughing at a idiotic joke I made, sipping wine, sharing cheesecake, the walk back to hers and me kissing her at the door, lightly at first, pulling back, whispering her name.
"Raven..." Abruptly I realised that Raven probably wasn't her real name. I snapped back to the room and by this time she was standing right in front of me.
She opened her mouth slightly; about to whisper something, I bent down closer to hear her. She tip toed up to my ear and spoke in a soft voice that nearly had me grab her. "Hey honey, you seem a bit tense." She brushed a hand lightly along my arm, through my suit jacket and shirt I couldn't be sure if she did or if my imagination was just wishing it did.
I breathed out. "You have no idea." She looked deep into my eyes when she heard me speak and confusion crossed her features, I silently cursed my accent.
But then she let out an amazing laugh, my heart soared into my throat. "How about you come take a seat over by the stage and I can try and help you..." She paused for affect and I had to scream mentally to myself. "Relax." Something ignited in me and I couldn't help but growl down at her. She smiled softly and her eyes heatedly looked up at me and she lightly grabbed my hand, dragging me over to the stage, I heard Pam laugh behind me. I looked over at her and saw her slap Alcide's hand. I knew they had to have something to do with this.
I sat down obediently on the edge of the stage and she pushed my legs together, hovering above my face. Even with me sitting down, I was only a head shorted than her. I breathed in her sent and was instantly flooded with vanilla and honey, much nicer than my lonely scotch. I opened my eyes and looked up at Raven, who was currently running her hands through my hair, down my neck and along my shoulders. She slowly slid off my jacket and flung it behind me onto the stage she was earlier dancing on. I cleared my throat and had to glare at a couple of colleagues before turning my attention back to her. I was going to hear a lot about this tomorrow.
"Excuse me if I'm wrong, but isn't it usually the groom who gets the lap dance at his bachelor party?" It took all my effort to not run my hand through her hair and along her jaw. She smiled again and I couldn't help but smile back. I felt a tingle deep in my gut that I haven't felt since- Well, in a long time.
"True, but you are a special case." I heard someone whistle to my left and immediately felt angry. I cursed myself and told myself to calm down and not get so worked up. "Now, sit back and trust me."
"Trust you?" That was asking too much of me. Trust was a big issue with me. I tried to dismiss the thought, she obviously didn't mean it like that. I exhaled and nodded. "Trust you."
She smiled widely again and I was glad I had said the right thing to get the sparkle in her eyes. "Good." She pushed my lightly back and undid my tie. She brought her mouth to my neck and licked above my collar. My skin was on fire and I reached up and rested my hand on the bass of her neck. She swiftly took off my tie and moved away from my fingers. "Now don't be naughty, no touching."
I groaned at her words and she draped my tie around her neck. There was nothing sexier yet innocent about this woman. She undid the first couple of buttons of my shirt and I couldn't help but close my eyes briefly. They instantly flew open when she pushed my knees apart and moved closer to my body. I was very aware of all the eyes on us. I spotted a couple of phones being held up and damned the makers of camera phones and Facebook. I would only be a matter of time before these got loaded on there. I pulled my eyes away from the blinking red lights and flashes and sought out Raven's gaze. She winked at me and continued to dance in-between my legs. I wanted to touch her. I needed to but knew I couldn't, which only frustrated me more. I yelled at myself for being such a caveman and grabbed the edge of the stage.
What seemed like an eternity but not long enough she stopped her movements and leaned down so our faces were level. "Good boy." She moved closer and I assumed she was going to whisper something in my ear when she touched my jaw. I turned my head slightly towards her and felt her lips brush against mine. It was electric, her lips were so soft and warm. I felt her push herself closer to me but it was so brief I couldn't be certain, she pulled back and I could see her breathing hard, either from the kiss or the dancing. I was hoping for the former but my bitter self reared its head and told me it was probably the dancing and the shock of me trying to kiss her after she told me no touching. I swore and ran a hand through my hair before attempting to meet her eyes.
"Sorry. That was-" I began, though I was cut off by her sweeping in close again and brushing her lips on my cheek.
"Naughty." She whispered when she was close to my ear and pulled back before turning around and walking towards the stage steps and behind the curtain. I followed her gorgeous hips as the swayed but was suddenly distracted when Pam and Alcide came and sat either side of me.
"Well that looked like fun. How do I get me one of those?" Pam asked, her voice calm and deep.
"Oh I'm not sure Eric would let you. He seemed quite smitten with Raven, if I do say so myself." Alcide chimed in.
I was suddenly back on planet earth. Standing up and turning to face the two pests, I scowled down at them. "Okay, you've had your fun, now let's go Pam. We have a long day tomorrow and I think you got what you came for. Alcide-" I paused when I spotted Pam's eyes trailing down my front. I remembered my shirt being opened and glanced down at my bare chest on show. I blow out a frustrated sigh and began to do my buttons up. "Alcide, thank you for inviting me. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Was Raven's performance not...satisfactory for you?" Fucking hell Alcide.
"No." I shot at him. I grabbed Pam's wrist as she stood up and noticed her glance around. I needed to get out of here. I was embarrassed enough and I didn't need any more of her scheming.
"Sorry?"
"Fuck off." I swore under my breath in Swedish and turned around.
"Forgetting something?" I heard Pam call behind me, in a sickly sweet voice. Looking over my shoulder, I saw she had my jacket in her hand.
"Leaving. Now." I spoke through my clenched teeth.
I heard Pam sigh, "Fine." She followed me.
"Go get your stuff," I took my jacket from her hands. "I'll meet you at the car." When she was out of sight, I turned to Alcide. "What the hell was that about?"
"Come on mate. We all know how stressed you've been, me and Pam thought you could use a little fun. Why? Didn't you?"
"That's not the point. You undermined my authority and humiliated me in front of my staff." Hopefully if I made a big enough deal out of this then he would let the fact I clearly enjoyed myself go.
"Eric, we're your friends, first and foremost. Pam was worried and honestly Debbie would kill me and the dancer if she found out I'd gotten a lap dance. " True, Debbie was crazy. "Look, we all need a night off, you more than any of us. Shit man, why was the last time you went on holiday?"
"France last month."
"That was business, you spent eight hours in meetings, three at a show and then went back to your hotel to have a video conference with us back here. You're wound up too tight and if you don't blow off some steam then who knows what you'll do." Alcide stood up and patted his hand on my shoulder. "I went about this the wrong way, but I needed to prove a point. You need to have a night off, go to the movies, ask a girl out on a date, go to a casino, whatever. Just turn yourself off once in awhile." He gave me one last pointed look before heading back to the rowdy crowd of men cheering for him. Me and Alcide have been friends for awhile, before I got this job. I was lucky he still stuck by me and worried about me. He was a good friend and I had treated him like crap these past few months. I must find a way to repay him, but not now. Not after this stunt he pulled tonight. Though if he hadn't have set this up then I wouldn't have the lingering tingle and warmth on my lips from where Raven kissed me...
I left the club five minutes later after saying a quick goodbye to everyone and leaving a tip at the bar for the bartender and the dancer, I thanked him and wished him a good night.
I met Pam by my car. She was leaning up against the passenger side, arms crossed, one ankle in front of the other and that smirk on her lips. "I got her number."
I nearly choked on air. "Who's?" Praying it wasn't my dark haired goddess.
"Wouldn't you like to know." She winked at me.
"Get in." I opened my door and slipped into the Corvette smoothly.
"No wonder you don't have a girlfriend with chat up lines like that!" Pam joked. I half smiled and shook my head.
I turned to see Pam already texting the girl whose number she had, as far as I could make out it was a woman called Kennedy. I think that was the brunette girl from earlier, she had a beauty queen look about her with a bright white smile to match. "Pam?"
She looked up at me, she must have heard the soft tone in my voice. "Yes, Eric?"
"Thank you for trying." I smiled weakly at her. She smiled back.
"That's okay. You'll get there one day. She really did a number on you." I reached over to hug her when she backed up against the door of the car, arms outstretched.
"What are you doing?" She asked, shocked at the idea of my hugging her. I laughed.
"I'm sorry, sometimes I forget you're actually a cold hearted bitch who hates human contact." I joked. I turned on the engine and looked around, making sure it was all clear before moving.
"Not all human contact. Just yours. I don't want to get frigid jack-ass on my new coat." I looked at my watch and saw it was just after one. I'd have a good five hours sleep before I had to be up and getting myself ready for a morning of tedious interviews. Fuck, I checked my pockets of my jacket, finding them empty. I sighed then pulled out of the car park, heading home. I liked that tie. Ah Well. It was totally worth it, just seeing it wrapped around that beautiful long neck. I turned to Pam, continuing with our conversation.
"Fuck you." I couldn't keep a straight face around her.
"You're one to talk! I gave you a stripper and all you could do was whine like the little bitch you are." She had a point. I haven't looked at or felt that way about anyone since Kate left me, but there, out of nowhere, the short black haired woman had stolen my breath and I still couldn't breathe properly. I smiled for the first time and as ridiculous as it was, I saw myself having a relationship with her. Something I haven't felt in a long time, a future to look forward to.
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Thanks for reading!
Please feel free to review, I do really appreciate them and try to reply to them all.
Again, if there are any spelling mistakes please let me know. It's really hard to spot them when you've written the story, your mind kind of sees what it wants and knows what should be there, rather than what actually is.
Thanks again.
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