Thank you all so much for the reviews, alerts, and favorites. Truly appreciate all of you.

I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but here it is.

Also, I forgot to say...I own nothing. You'll be surprised how little I actually own if you choose to sue me.

I drive home in a daze. How the hell did this happen? I feel like I'm generally a good person. I go to church every Sunday. I volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and the food bank a few times a month. I have never done drugs. I don't sleep around. I just don't get it. I think I live a decent life. But I am being judged for having a lesbian for a friend. Well, fuck them. Pam is my family. She has been there for me through some pretty rough times and cutting her from my life is not at all an option. How can a Christian tell you to give up your friends or lose your job? My work at that school has been exemplary. I get along well with my co-workers. I have never had problems or complaints from parents. I just don't get it. Who the hell called Flanagan about me? Which of the parents even knows who I live with? I don't recall seeing any of the parents outside of school. Nan said it was a concerned father. Ugh! This is just….ugh! I can't even think anymore.

I pull into the driveway and I just sit in the car. All the anger I've been feeling has just turned into sadness and I'm now just completely exhausted. Pam will want to know why I'm suddenly quitting my job without having something else lined up. She'll be devastated if she finds out the school is using her lifestyle as an excuse to get rid of me. Pam may come off as a heartless bitch, but she is extremely loving and loyal to those she deems "worthy." There aren't many people she allows close to her. I can't let her know about this. God! I'm so tired.

I get out of the car and, wouldn't you know it, Eric pulls into the driveway. Great! I really don't need his bullshit now. I try to walk quickly to the house, but, of course, the long legged giant oaf catches up to me. Not content to just ignore me, he has to start.

"Sookie! God you look awful. What's wrong, can't sleep?" He flashed that evil sexy smirk of his and my anger came back full force and I completely came unglued.

"Fuck off, Eric! You're a piece of shit and a manipulative asshole! I get it! You don't like me! Just fucking ignore me and go the fuck away!" I feel the tears start as I throw my purse and bag onto my porch and head to the backyard not bothering to look back at the jackass. He's probably just laughing at me. I've never lost it like that with him no matter how much of a jerk he's been to me.

I head to the hammock we put up when we moved in. I loved being outside, even if it is a bit chilly today. I pulled my sweater tighter around me as I settle into the hammock. It's really peaceful here. This is a big part of the reason why I decided to purchase this property with Eric. Yep, I'm a glutton for punishment, it seems.

After Gran died, I just couldn't stay in that big house by myself. I didn't want to sell it, but I just knew that I couldn't be there anymore. Isabella owns a real estate company she was able to quickly find a couple with three kids to lease the house for a decent price. The house was completely paid off so I'd only need to set a little aside each month for taxes and property maintenance and the rest would be income for me. Isabella also helped me look for a place in Mandeville close to them. We looked at so many places that everything just started to blend in together in my mind. I didn't think I was all that picky, but when it comes to spending that kind of money my inner Pam comes out and I find fault with even the smallest things. Finally we found the most incredible property. It was actually two houses overlooking Lake Pontchartrain. The back yard was huge. There was a wooden deck by the water and a pier. There was a pool. There were lots of old Oak and Cypress trees. Yep. I fell in love the yard before I even set foot inside the house. The house itself couldn't have been more perfect if I had dreamed it up myself. It has a wrap around porch, a huge kitchen, a dining room, a den, a living room with a huge bay window overlooking the lake, 3 more bedrooms upstairs, another guestroom downstairs, lots of closet and storage space. It was just perfect. The other house just across a small courtyard was a carbon copy of this one. The previous owners had used this property as a vacation place to bring their family and friends. But, now they lived out of the country and no one had visited the place in years so they put it up for sale. It had been on the market for a couple of years and the sellers actually reduced the price to nearly half what it was worth just to be rid of it.

The problem was that even with the drastic price reduction, my inheritance and life insurance proceeds from my parents' death, my savings, and my income still wouldn't be enough. I talked to Godric and Isabella about possible solutions. As it turns out Eric was looking for a house, also. They managed to get the two of us in the same room and suggested that we buy the property together. To say that Eric and I were stunned would be an understatement. What the hell were they thinking? However, we both listened and managed to put aside our differences for a short time to try to work this out to be beneficial to both of us. Yes I was extremely hesitant about the prospect of owning anything with the bane of my existence, let alone having to live next to him. But I really, really loved the place (and so did Eric) and like it or not, Eric and I were basically family. So, with Godric and Eric both being lawyers and Isabella being a real estate queen, and Pam agreeing to move in with me, we came up with an agreement we could both live with. Not the ideal situation I had in mind for buying my first house, but this was such an incredible deal and there is no way that I could have found something this gorgeous in my price range ever…so I bit the bullet. I could always just go inside my house and shut him out if he really got on my nerves.

Since the day I moved into this place, I have loved being in the backyard. I could spend hours in the hammock reading or napping or by the pool tanning. It's so peaceful I could just come back here when I need some quiet time to think. And that's just what I need right now. Time to think. What will I tell Pam? Where will I work? I have savings to keep me going for a while, but I really don't want to not work. I need to be productive. Lying in the hammock running through my options, my lack of sleep finally caught up with me and I ended up falling asleep.

I woke several hours later a bit confused. I was still outside in the hammock and it was pitch dark. I was covered in a thick blanket which would explain why I hadn't been woken up by the chill in the air after the sun went down. Hmmm…I wonder why Pam didn't just wake me up and get me to come inside? I got up and went to collect my things from the side porch only to discover they weren't there. I went inside. Thankfully, the door was unlocked. My purse, keys, and bag were on the kitchen counter. I look at the clock and realize that it's nearly 10 at night. I heat up a cup of leftover vegetable soup and sit down to eat and read my mail.

"Where the hell have you been?" asks Pam as she comes into the kitchen.

"Agggh! Damn it, Pam! You scared the crap out of me. I thought you'd left for work already."

"Nope, I have Felicia opening for me tonight so I could go in a bit later. Now, where have you been? Couldn't you have called to let me know you were coming home late?"

"I've been here all this time. I was in the backyard on the hammock. I fell asleep. Didn't you cover me up? I woke up with that blanket over me." I pointed to the blanket.

"What the hell, Sookie? You've been here all this ti…" she stopped when she saw the blanket I was pointing to and just froze.

"What's wrong? You look like you've just seen Satan himself."

"Ummm…nothing. I just forgot that I saw you outside. I've been so busy I guess it just escaped my mind."

"Ohhhhkaaayyy. I'm going up to take a bath and go to bed. I'm still pretty tired and I've had a crap day. Be careful and have fun at work."

"Anything you want to talk about before I go?"

"Nope. I'd just like to forget this day happened and try the whole being out in the world thing again tomorrow. Night Pammy!"

"You know that I know where you sleep, right? I could strap you down to the bed and cover you in honey and empty a jar of ants on you. STOP. CALLING. ME. PAMMY!"

"Whatever, you know you love me. Toodles Pammy!"

I ran up the stairs and locked my bedroom door before she could catch up to me. Not that a locked door ever kept Pam out before. But, I know that she was anxious to get to work. She'll get me back, but not tonight. I run my bath and relax into the hot water. The stress of the day seems to melt away a little bit. I get out, dry off, put on a comfy pair of pjs and fall into bed. I'm asleep before my head hits the pillow and, thankfully I sleep all night with no distractions.

XOXOXOXOXO

Eric's POV

"Fuck off Eric! You're a piece of shit and a manipulative asshole! I get it! You don't like me! Just ignore me and go the fuck away!"

I froze.

What the fuck is wrong with her? We've been playing this game for years. I irritate her, she insults me and we move on. It's just a bit of fun for me. I know sometimes I get carried away, but pissed off Sookie is fuck hot. I just can't help myself. This is the first time she's ever screamed like some fucking banshee. She threw her phone and everything and ran from me. She's never had this reaction and I didn't say or do anything all that bad to her. I've said some pretty vulgar shit to her in the past and she'd just roll her eyes, say something about me being a jackass, and walk away. Can't be me this time. Banshee Sookie is just a bit scary. Whatever her deal is I know she wouldn't want me around so it isn't like I could console her. What the hell? I'm not that guy. It's her issue.

I go inside my house and change out of my suit and put on jeans and a t-shirt. I glance outside the bay window to the backyard and see Sookie lying on the hammock. It's her favorite place out there. I know she said she fell in love with the backyard when she first looked at this place. She spends a lot of time out there. I actually fell in love with this place when I first looked at it, too. It was too much for either of us to afford on our own. Oh, I could have gotten money from my dad or from mom and Godric, but I didn't want to owe my dad because he can be such a prick and lord it over me. I wanted to prove to mom and Godric that I can actually be a responsible adult. They worry about me. It bugs them that I haven't settled down. They think that I should settle down and get married and blah, blah, blah. It certainly didn't help that my traitor brothers David and Jakob got married and both have kids now. I just can't see it in my future. Tying myself to just one person. Never being able to fuck anyone else for the rest of my life. No fucking way. But, when mom showed me this place, it was spectacular. I could see myself here. I could see the parties I'd have here. I could even see the quiet times I could spend by the lake reading or fishing or whatever. Mom and Godric managed to get Sookie and me to agree to buy this place together. We were both skeptical at first, but other than a few minor issues, like last night, Sookie and I have managed to make this arrangement work out well for both of us for the past few years.

Thankfully, the judge called for a recess until Monday morning. This is the only case I'm working on right now since it's for one of the firm's biggest clients so I've essentially got the next 3 days off. I grab a sandwich and watch a bit of TV. A couple hours later, I decide to head to the club for a little bit. I love owning the club. I like that, thanks to Pam, I don't have to go there if I don't want to. She's got everything pretty much in hand and running like clockwork. She's smart and ballsy and capable of handling anything that comes up. I grab my keys and head out the door. I notice Sookie's purse and phone still on her porch. Clearly she hasn't gone inside yet. It's pretty chilly out here now that the sun has gone down. What the hell? Is she really still out here? I walk to the backyard to look for her. Yep. She's still back here. She's asleep on the hammock. Should I wake her? She looks so peaceful out here. Shit! I kept her up last night with all the noise. Keeping her up wasn't my intention, but the girls got a little carried away and I just went with it. When she came over to ask us to be quiet, I couldn't help myself. I invited her to join us knowing that she would blush which just makes her look so fucking adorable and then pissed off Sookie would make an appearance. She didn't disappoint. Now, though, I just felt guilty keeping her up all night. I sighed. I went back into my house and grabbed the heaviest blanket I have, the blue one my Mormor made for me. I covered Sookie's tiny body with it, being really careful not to wake her. I watched her for a few more minutes.

What is it about this woman? She drives me crazy. She absolutely infuriates me. She hates me. Well, I don't actually think that she hates me, but she damn sure doesn't like me. I haven't given her any reason to like me. When Pam first introduced us I used my usual moves on her and she just shut me down. That was a first for me. Okay, yes I did have another woman there with me…what was her name…whatever, but it wasn't like I hadn't flirted with other women in front a date before. What was the big deal? Then later in the kitchen, I saw my opportunity. Maybe Sookie just didn't like an audience. I could tell she was attracted to me. Her breathing picked up, her eyes locked onto mine, she leaned into me and then she just pulled away. "You know you want me. It's just a matter of time until you're writhing under me." I didn't even see her hand fly up before I felt the sting. She was out the door and I turned to see Pam glaring at me.

"You bastard! You can't keep your dick in your pants, can you? You have all the fucking sluts you could possibly want. In fact, you have an available cunt right in the next room! Sookie is not one of your little whores! Leave her alone or I will rip your balls off and give them to Andre to use as paper weights! You get what I'm telling you?"

"Pam, I don't know what your friend's problem is. I just came in here to put my glass in the sink and she slapped me."

"Eric, I am not one of your gullible little twat waffles. Don't you dare try to lie to me. Stay away from Sookie!"

"Fine, Pam. Your little friend is safe from your big bad brother," I told her as I rolled my eyes.

Since that first meeting, I've tried to be nice to Sookie. Okay, so I tried in the beginning. She apparently just doesn't respond like regular woman do. No idea what her deal is and now I'm trying to figure out why I even give a fuck. I'm standing here at night in the cold staring at a sleeping blonde. What the fuck is wrong with me? My father would cut my balls off himself if he saw me acting like a lovesick teenage boy. He taught me better than this. Women just want certain things from men and if you let them, they will take you for everything. I turn and head to my car, stopping for a moment to pick up Sookie's purse and belongings and use my key to her house to put the stuff on her kitchen counter. Yes, I have a key to her place. She has a key to mine. We own both houses together. We made an agreement not to just walk into the other's house without permission unless absolutely necessary. I think she'd be okay with my dropping this off in here, though. She wouldn't want to leave it out where someone could just steal it. I'm just being a concerned neighbor.

I head to the club. I pull into the spot reserved for me and walk through the front door. As usual, heads seem to turn my way. I grab a beer from the bar and start chatting up some of the patrons. Ladies, and I mean that in the loosest sense of the word, started slinking up to me and flirting. Before long I'm being groped by some redhead. She makes that come hither motion with her finger so I'll lean down to hear her. She whispers in my ear "Is there someplace more private we could go?" She's attractive so I take her to the office in the back and close the door once we're inside. Once there, Red starts rubbing herself on me and rubbing my cock. Okay, why not. I walk over and sit in the chair behind the desk. Red unzips my jeans and takes me into her mouth and gives me one of the most lackluster blow jobs I've ever received. Lick, lick, lick, bob, bob, bob. I finally grab her head and start fucking her mouth at my desired speed and depth, being careful not to gag the bitch. Although why I should give a damn, I'm not sure. God this is boring. Pam walks into the office and pauses only briefly when she sees me. Honestly, she could give a fuck less about me getting head. Getting head while sitting in her chair….yeah, I'll owe her a new chair, and knowing Pam, a shopping spree. Red attempts to get up when she hears the door open. I wasn't having that. I push her head back down and after a moments hesitation she's back to work on my cock. Pam puts her purse down and walks back out rolling her eyes. Finally I managed to cum and, of course, Red just can't seem to swallow it all. When I'm done, she pulls back and attempts to give me what I assume is supposed to be a sexy smile as she tries to climb on top of me. I gently push her off, zip up and tell her to get the fuck out. Red stares at me like I've just insulted her.

"What? Was I not clear? Leave this office and preferably this club. We're done here," I tell her.

"I thought you'd want to spend more time together. I have all night."

"Yes, well. I'm not sure what you thought was going to happen here, but I'm done and you can go now."

"You're an asshole!"

"I get that a lot. Off you go."

"I can't believe that you'd just do that to a lady."

Can this bitch be serious?

"Lady? That's actually pretty funny," I tell her with a humorless laugh. "You met me 45 minutes ago, groped me in front of a crowd of people, asked me to bring you someplace 'more private,' unzipped my pants, went down on your knees and gave me a blow job without ever once asking my name or telling me yours. What exactly about this whole encounter says that you are a lady?"

"Fuck you!" she yells at me as she walks out of the office, and hopefully out of the club.

Pam walks in a few seconds later. "Really Eric? My chair? You couldn't just take the slut into the alley or something? You realize I'll be ordering my new chair with your credit card before the night is over, right?"

Laughing I say "I expected as much."

"Anyway, what brings you by tonight? Planning to bring home another trio for Fuck Fest part 2?"

"Nah. I just wanted to grab a beer and hang out with my favorite sister for a little while."

"Well, we both know that's bullshit. Look, Eric. What's going on with you and Sookie?"

"Nothing more or less than usual, why?" I'm baffled by her question.

"Sure. She spent most of the evening outside after she got home from work. Evidently she fell asleep in the hammock."

"That's not exactly a news broadcast, Pam. She spends a lot of time back there. What does this have to do with me?"

"Seriously, you're going to play dumb with me? Okay, so a fairy just magically appeared and covered Sookie up with the blanket Mormor made for you? One of the very few things in this life you actually have a fucking sentimental attachment to just happened to be wrapped around Sookie while she slept?"

"It's not a big deal. She seemed really upset when she got home from work and went back there. I noticed she was still back there when I left to come here so I went to check on her since it was so late and cold. I saw she was sleeping and didn't want to wake her so I just got the thickest blanket I could find and covered her up. No big deal."

"Whatever you say Eric. She thinks I covered her up, by the way."

I find that I'm a little disappointed by this.

"Who cares? Are we done with this? How's business this week?"

Pam narrows her eyes at me for a moment before moving on. "It's actually been pretty good. We've had holiday parties booked every night this week so we've made more than usual."

"Holiday parties? Who came up with that? I know that wouldn't be your doing. I can't picture you being all festive."

"Actually, it was Sookie's idea. I was brainstorming one night trying to come up with ways to increase revenue. Sookie suggested we advertise having holiday parties here. So far, it's been a hit and we're making bank."

Sookie, I thought to myself. Why does it seem everything leads us back to Sookie? Okay, so this night isn't exactly turning out the way I'd hoped.

"Well, great."

Pam and I spend the next hour going over numbers and discussing problems with vendors. Looking at the books I see that the club has made a little over twice what we made last year during November and December. The only real difference seems to be the fucking holiday parties. Okay, I concede in my head that it was a good idea. But I'll never say it to anyone.

Glancing at the clock I see it's nearly 1am. I'm tired and decide to just go on home and get in bed. I tell Pam goodnight and head to my car. I make it home in record time. I immediately go upstairs to my room and get undressed. I fall asleep and a certain blonde invades my dreams that night.