When I got home that night, I was more than happy to see that everything was set in it's place; however, once the memory of Eric Northman came back, I felt as if I had bathed in a pile of shit with rotten eggs. Yuk. I ripped the sheets and blankets from my bed and put them in the washer, replacing them with a different bed spread I had. I went on a cleaning frenzy: sweeping and mopping the floors, wiping the handprints from the windows and mirrors, putting all of my clothes, shoes, and everything else in it's proper place, scrubbing the bathroom like there was no tomorrow, as well as the kitchen, reorganizing the cabinets, until ultimately, there was absolutely no trace of what happened the night before, just the extremely vague memory. After that I took the most relaxing and enjoyable bath possible; lighting candles, listening to smooth jazz, soaking in the water with bubbles floating all around me. It was completely and utterly perfect. There wasn't a single trace of Ax or Eric on me, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, that did not last long.
I arrived at my office, feeling a new sense of tranquility that I had ever experienced in my life. The birds were singing, the grass looked greener, it seemed that nothing could possibly phase me. I said "hello" and "good morning" to everyone in the office with what seemed to be a radiant smile, it even threw off Isabell and Marcus.
"You seem awfully happy for a Wednesday." Isabell and Marcus followed behind me as I entered my office.
"Do I?" I asked, "I haven't noticed." I laughed slightly. My two friends glanced at each other before looking back at me with the most suspicious and questionable expressions. "What?" I asked after a few seconds of their intense gaze.
"Did you sleep with Eric again?" Marcus asked, trying to read my face as if he was a human polygraph.
"No." I shot back, tranquility and happiness went right out the door, along with patience. "I would never sleep with that bastard again, or ever. I don't even know if we did it the first time."
"You definitely did it the first time," Isabell smiled, "deny it all you want, you had a glow." she pointed at me with a cheeky grin.
"I did not have a glow."
"Alright you didn't have a glow glow, but you had a faint glow, which is still a glow so it still counts for something." I replied.
"I did not have a glow, for the final time, Isabell. What is up with you guys and this . . .guy?" I asked, balling up my hands into fists and resting them on my hips. "You don't even know him and your hoping that I have another round with him."
"Well, you don't know him either," Marcus retorted, "which isn't a bad thing, you just jumped ahead to the fucking part and completely skipped the 'getting to know each other' part."
"I think that was their 'getting to know each other'," Isabell said, looking at Marcus, "I read in Cosmopolitan that some people have sex with a person to figure out if they are sexually compatible before they find out if they are compatible personality wise."
"I am not that kind of person, Isabell." I shot at her, wondering how she could think so lowly of me.
"Well maybe you are and aren't aware of it. For some people being sexually compatible is more important than actually getting to know the person on a mental level." Isabell replied. Marcus nodded his head, understanding the concept and appeared to weigh it back and forth in his mind.
"Get out, both of you. Instead of receiving the typical 'good morning, how are you doing?' I get this crap. And it's just the beginning of the day!"
"You know what that means," Marcus grinned, "you have the rest of the day to look forward to, with our crap being at the top of your list." I touched my palm to my forehead and closed my eyes, I felt a migraine coming along, and I was in no way prepared for it.
"Will to two of you please just leave." I pointed to the door without looking at them. I could imagine them backing out, not saying anything, and giving each other those knowing looks that were also between them, like some secret mores code that I could not figure out. I didn't open my eyes until I heard the door close, and so I sat down and slumped into my chair.
"It's only eight in the morning and they're already starting. Do they have nothing better to do?
There was an abrupt knock on the door, and me, still being agitated and automatically assuming it to be Isabell or Marcus, or both, I barked at the person before even looking up at them:
"What?" I yelled very loudly. I looked at the door to see a man in a blue uniform, peaking his head through a crack in the door. He retreated somewhat under my intense stare.
"Sorry, are you Harley?" he asked.
"Yes?" what did he want? He entered my office, carrying something somewhat large in front of him. It was a basket filled with things that I could not see. He set it on my desk and pulled out a clipboard and pen.
"I need you to sign here and here." he said, pointing to two empty lines.
"What is this?" I took the clipboard and started to sign as he spoke.
"It's our skin care package with an additional spa package. There is also a appointment reminder for later this evening for your spa treatment." he smiled, taking back the clipboard once I was finished.
"Spa treatment? I didn't order any of this." I gestured to the basket.
"No, it is our signature gift basket from Veda Spa and Salon, it was ordered for you buy a . . ." he glanced at the clipboard, "Eric Northman."
"That bastard," I said under my breath.
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing. Take it back." I smiled. There was no way in hell I was going to accept the "gift" from Eric, let alone anything else.
"I'm sorry ma'am, but I cannot do that."
"Why not?" I asked, my voice lined with annoyance.
"Policy ma'am. If you do not like the basket or have any complaints or comments, you are more than welcome to go to Veda and state them there." he smiled, "If that is all ma'am, please enjoy the rest of the day and we look forward to seeing you at Veda this evening." he turned on his heel and exited my office, slamming it slightly behind him. I knew that I pissed him off, even if it was only a little, but I really could care less. I grabbed the basket and turned it around so that I could get a good look at it. There were various skin creams, lotions, oils, a strange massage object, a sea salt scrub that could be used all over the body, fragrences, and candles, among other things. There was a small white cared outlined with silver tucked in the front of the basket; I picked it out and opened it, reading it's contents.
Here's a treat from me to you, Old Lady. Enjoy.
-Eric-
"Old Lady?" I screeched, throwing the card on the table. "I do not have premature wrinkles you piece of shit." I was in such a fit of rage and annoyance that I retrieved the card and started ripping it to pieces, screeching millions of obscenities about the asshole before plopping down in my seat, breathing heavily, chest heaving up in down in frustration.
"You know what," I said, trying to compose myself, "I am going to completely ignore this, completely, and I am going to get myself together, grab my briefcase, throw the basket in the trash, and go see Antonio. Yes, that is exactly what I am going to do: go see Antonio, get his side of the story, then to the police station to see what evidence they have." I stood up, straitening out my blouse and skirt, grabbed my briefcase along with the basket, and left the office.
"So why don't we start at the beginning. Tell me why you met with Victor at the hotel." I said, clasping my hands together in front of me. Antonio was extremely young, only in his early twenties, like me; nonetheless, I expected him to be older since his cousin was in his mid-forties. He reminded me of Enrique Inglesias when he was younger, he had the natural seductive and sexy look, along with smoldering hazel eyes that I was sure several women had fallen for. Even the orange jumpsuit he was wearing couldn't take away from his natural beauty.
"You shouldn't be asking me questions about what happened at the hotel." he said.
"Really? Because it's seems to me that's what you are being convicted for: attempted murder," I glanced down at the folder, "and possession of illegal drugs.
"I didn't try to kill Victor, I was just defending myself." Antonio retorted.
"Why?"
"Because Victor came at me."
"That's not what the police saw at the scene."
"I don't give a FUCK about what the police saw, I was defending myself from him! He came at me with a gun and tried to kill me, he should be the one going to prison!"
"Then how did you get the gun away from Victor, Antonio?" I shot back, "How did you get him on the ground when you didn't have one?"
"I did have one!"
"No you didn't. The officers ran the serial numbers on all of the guns at the scene, none of them were registered to you. And your father told me that you've never shot a gun in your life so you wouldn't know what to do with one if twelve of them were laying around you." Antonio slouched back in his seat, his lips curled and aggravation and anger. I sighed and calmed down, he really had no idea what he was in for. "There are holes in your story, there are no witnesses; only you and Victor know what happened in the hotel room. Now it is his story over yours." I said, trying to make him understand the gravity of the situation. Nothing. Antonio didn't say anything or move, not even the slightest twitch of the finger. I tried a different approach.
"Are you close with Victor?" I asked, making my voice more gentle. Antonio hesitated before he answered.
"We're blood. He's always been like a brother to me."
"I see. That's why this is so difficult for you. Family matters in court are always difficult." I knew from experience.
"He said he would always have my back; look out for me ya know?" I could see just how much the entire situation hurt him. Antonio put up a strong front, but he was broken on the inside, and all he wanted to do was hide and make everything disappear. It reminded me of my childhood.
"Yes, I do know," I took my chance, "but you are not responsible for Victor. He is a grown man, a grown man that made bad decisions, a man that made an innocent person take the blame for him. Victor swore that he would protect you, but he didn't Antonio, instead he set you up, he played you and made you believe that he truly cared about you, about your relationship with him. Victor betrayed you, Antonio. Victor lied and manipulated you; that's why you need to tell me everything . . .even the smallest things. Because I can tell, just by looking at you, that you would never kill a man, or affiliate yourself with drugs. But the jury? They're not going to see that, they are going to see the man that Victor wanted them to see. That is why you must tell me everything so that they will know the truth. So they can see through Victors lies and know that you are innocent."
The room was in complete and utter silence. Antonio wasn't going to say anything, to him Victor was still his surrogate brother, blood, family, and that came before anything else . . .even if he did tried to get Antonio sent to prison; and at the rate we were going the chances were pretty high. I rubbed the front of my forehead feeling a migraine coming then put my stuff ago. I gestured for the guard to let me out.
"I'll see you next time." I said, exiting the room and listening to the loud heavy prison door close behind me.
"Hey Isabell," I called her as I walked down seventeenth street to go to my favorite café for lunch, "yeah the entire thing was flop. I'm sure I'm not gonna get anything out of him . . .at least for a while. Did you go to the police station and get what I asked?" I was supposed to go to the police station to get the statements and evidence they had for the case; however, it took much longer to get to the prison then I thought, and didn't have to time to go to the station.
"Yeah I got it. Even though it isn't that much, but some of it is pretty significant."
"Alright, I'll take a look at it when I get to the office."
"Hey, Har?"
"Yeah?" I stopped at an crosswalk and waited for the flowing red hand to turn into the glowing white man.
"Maybe you should tell him about your mom . . ." I froze. The red hand turned into the man and people around me walked across the street as I stood there, frozen in time.
"That is not relevant." my voice came out in a whisper.
"She called me today . . .she wants to see you." Isabell said hesitantly.
"I see someone's still speaking to her." my body became hot, my face would have been turning read, my temperature was rising, my skin felt sticky and moist, and my limbs ached. After all those years she still didn't get the picture.
"Only for you." she whispered. For me? For me? I could believe my dear friends pettiness. If I wanted to speak to my mother then I would, but the fact was that I didn't, and I never planned to. I never wanted to hear her voice, apologizing to me, see her, with tears running down her face. She had nothing to do with my life anymore.
"The next time you speak to her, on my behalf, don't Isabell. Unless you want to take me out of your emergency contact list." I hung up. I red hand blinked at me and another crowed of people ready to get to the other side of the street swarmed around me, but I didn't care. All I wanted was a drink, I nice cold drink that went smoothly down my throat and washed everything away. A drink that would ease the throbbing in my head and the sickening flips my stomach was doing.
"Did you like the gift?" I was pulled from my desires when a voice rang in my ear abruptly. I looked to my right to see Eric Northman, in the familiar black suit I saw him in the other day with the matching smile and the faintest sparkle in his eyes. How nauseating.
"You again." I said with complete displeasure.
"Don't sound so enthusiastic." he replied sarcastically, shaking off my aura of annoyance.
"Today is not the day, Eric." I said, putting my hand to my forehead as a means to release some type of tension.
"So you do remember my name, fantastic." he smiled. The glowing man came to life and everyone swarmed across the street, while I simply took my time, with, unfortunately, Eric right beside me.
"Don't you have somewhere you need to be?" I barked at him, keeping my eyes low and away from the sun. They became extremely sensitive when I felt sick.
"No, not that I can think of. Why? Am I bothering you?" he poked me in the arm in a childish manner and grinned.
"No, I love your company like always." I retorted with the same sarcasm he showed me only moments ago. There was silence, an awkward silence, but I didn't care, between us. I wanted him to go away, I wanted to be left alone and just go to sleep for the rest of the day. We finally got to the other side, and still nothing was said; however, Eric continued to stride along side me as if he were free for the rest of his life.
"Is something the matter?" he asked. His voice suddenly changed, it was usually spritzy and carefree, much like him; however, it dropped down into almost a deep unrecognizable voice that was filled to the brim with weightiness. I looked at him to see if it was someone else who had spoken to me altogether, but to my surprise it was still him, looking into the crowed of pedestrians in front of us, his eyes steady and focused, searching, his face tight and unflinching. It was as if he were a completely different person.
"No . . ." I said after a moment of digesting the sudden change in him.
"Liar." he said without looking at me, the faintest smile in the corner of his mouth.
"Perhaps." I replied, "Nonetheless, my affairs are of none of your concern."
"Perhaps." he shot back, "But it looks like you could use a drink . . .or a deep tissue massage." Eric finally looked down at me, "You didn't answer my question," he pressed.
"I threw it away." I said, not looking at him. I could only imagine the terror he felt from my actions. It truly was a great gift, even so, I wouldn't accept it from him. I wanted nothing to do with him, but he was adamant on weaving himself into my life like a parasite. But . . .given the recent turn of events, the basket, along with the spa treatment did sound appropriate to alleviate my stress. "However, at the moment it does sound inviting." I added.
"Such a shame you threw it away," Eric tsked, "I spent a pretty penny getting that for you."
"Well you wasted your time."
"It's nice to know my efforts stand for nothing." he said, all joking aside.
"Your efforts are neither wanted nor needed." I shot at him, absentmindedly stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. Eric's eyes narrowed at me and his hands fell into his pockets, his lips pressed into a fine line. "What do you want from me, Eric? I offer you nothing, and still you pry at me like some child begging for attention." I said. Eric rolled his eyes and shook his head, relaxing his lips and shoulders.
"Two nights ago, I made love to a beautiful woman. A woman who had fire and passion a woman who woke up the next day and thought I rapped her," he grinned. I mentally slapped myself for going to such extremes. "And for the past two days I have been thinking about that woman non-stop. The woman who threw a lamp at me, the woman who tried to call the police on me, the woman who cried out my name while we did the most intimate act known to man. For two days you have filled my mind like music, and I'm stuck singing to tune." Eric took my hand in his, holding it gently. What was this? What was happening? The sickness I felt, the heat that encased my body, the stickiness of my skin, it fell away. I felt calm and I had no idea why. "I want to get to know you, Harley. I want to learn everything about you. I want to know if you like Brussels sprouts or radishes, or what types of movies you like, or if you've ever been to Paris, or what your pet peeves are, or if you've ever had surgery." he looked at me with the bluest eyes I had ever laid eyes upon, a crystal, deep, dark, sparkling, clear, blue that made my insides leap forward. There was sincerity in those eyes, and a gravity to them that was unmistakable. A gravity that accentuated his sincerity.
"Harley, I can't get you out of my head." he said. Then the awkward silence. At least for me; I could that Eric didn't feel awkward at all, instead he was just waiting for my reply. What was I supposed to say? "Go fall off a cliff and die in a ditch?" even I wasn't that heartless. He gushed out his feelings for me, but still I didn't like him. No matter what I didn't think there was any possible way I could like him . . .but I felt that I could tolerate him. Tolerate his indolence and stupidity. I could do that, since there really was not point in becoming friends with him or even more than that considering where my life was heading. Eric was a distraction, a massive idiotic distraction that pissed me off; nonetheless, no matter how much I wanted to tell him to "fuck off", I composed myself and acted with maturity about the situation. I tried to pull my hand away, which he held more tightly, but eventually became free of his grip, disappointment filled his face.
"Have you eaten?" I asked.
"No. I'm assuming you haven't?" Eric shoved his hands in his pockets.
"No . . .you can, umm" I cleared my throat, "join me for lunch then, if your not busy."
"I don't know," he drew out, scratching his head a little, pretending to think about it, with a faint smile "you were very snappy at me earlier."
"Suit yourself then." I turned on my heel and continued walking toward the café. It wasn't long until I heard his long strides following right after me until he was walking right beside me.
"So what was wrong earlier?" he asked, in a similar deep unrecognizable voice from earlier. I was awestruck at just how easily he could change his voice.
"Nothing of importance." I replied, looking into the crowed.
"Really? If it wasn't important then why were you so upset?"
"I wasn't upset," I snapped at him. His eyebrows raised at the change in my tone, silently saying are you sure you weren't upset? in a sarcastic way. "I was irritated." I said in a calmer tone.
"Ah, it must be that time of the month." he grinned jokingly. My lips pressed into a fine line as I struggled to contain the wave of curses that wanted to come out and smite him and slap that grin of his face.
"No it is not." I said through clenched teeth, "Someone was supposed to meet me here," I lied, "she flaked."
"Isabell I presume?"
"No, someone else. I really do not like eating alone," which was a complete and total lie, I preferred eating by myself, it gave me time to think about anything my mind wandered to. It was a special me time with my thoughts and delicious food. This made me wonder why I was sharing my "me time" with Eric, out of all the people in the world, but I did not dwell on it for long. "Since she couldn't come, I suppose I will settle for your company." I said.
"Can I get the club sandwich, no cheese, no mayo, extra tomato and lettuce, instead of fries I would like a garden salad with no unions and the dressing on the side please." I told the waitress, handing her my menu.
"I'll just have the blue bell burger, medium well." Eric said, giving me the most curious look as he handed his menu to the waitress. I placed my napkin on my lap and wiped the end of my straw before drinking my water. Eric wore a scrutinizing expression mixed with curiosity with his arms crossed of his chest and his body relaxed against the plush maroon booth. I finally noticed that he was staring and felt extremely self conscious all of sudden and gulped down what water I had in my mouth before sitting erect.
"Is something on my face?" I asked, running my hand across my cheeks to remove what ever imperfections there might be.
"Do you always do that? Order so . . ." he took a moment to think of the word, scrunching up his face in the process, "rigorously?" he added.
"I want everything to my liking, whether it's handling business or ordering lunch."
"Don't you think that irks people a little?"
"Maybe, but it depends on what it's for. Then again, I'm not one of those women that just breaks everything down just to give people a hard time. For example, because I am very conscious about my health I ordered the club sandwich and the salad instead of the fries, now my intention was not to give the waitress or the chefs more work or cause them stress, but if they believe that was my intention, then there is nothing I can do. Either was, I get exactly what I wanted."
"You have an explanation for everything." Eric smiled, leaning forward with his elbows on the table.
"It's not about having an explanation. It's about getting what I want, and if I have to explain why I want something or why something should be done the way I want it to, then I will."
"What about when you don't get what you want?"
"Well, sometimes there are things we can't control. And I accept that, rather than rant like a child."
"Like that night?" Eric asked with a seductive grin that made my skin tingle, but most likely it was the fact that we were seated directly blow an air vent.
"That is an exception. I had control, and then I lost it."
"You definitely did. Who would have known that an uptight perfectionist, such as yourself, would or could ever be amazing in bed."
"Do you talk like this to every woman you meet?" I asked in detest.
"Yes." he grinned.
"It's nice to know that I'm not the exception." I smoothed out the napkin in my lap. "How is it that someone like you became a realtor?"
"Someone like me?" he appeared offended.
"Yes: vulgar, uncouth, obnoxious, narcissistic, arrogant, unorthodox, you. How does that happen?"
"I may come off as all of these fantastic things to you," he smiled, "however, business is business. I become a completely different person when I'm showing a house."
"I hardly believe that." I said.
"Maybe you should come with me to a showing then . . .tomorrow afternoon. Then you could see first hand what I'm like when I'm working."
"I'd prefer not, besides, I highly doubt it would be that interesting."
"You just keep shooting me down." Eric said with a stressed laugh. "Nonetheless, you will come with me and watch me show the house, then I will take you to dinner." he grinned.
"Absolutely not." I barked at him. "Consider yourself lucky that I even invited you to lunch. Dinner is completely out of the question."
"So lunch again then? Or maybe even breakfast?"
"I never have breakfast in the morning." I replied.
"No wonder your so cranky." Eric teased. I rolled my eyes and watched as the waitress came down the isle with a tray covered in food. She set it down before us and left, going to the next table a few booths over to help ease a screaming child.
"I am not cranky." I defended. "I have a lot on my plate lately. I'm just . . .under a bit of stress." why was I explaining my edginess to him?
"Aren't we all? Let me be of some use to you, since I'm considered less than larva in your book," I laughed lightly at his words and started eating, "what's on your mind?" he asked, taking a few fries and stuffing them in his mouth.
"Everything . . .and nothing at the same time. It's complicated. Not to mention your hardly the person I should be talking to about my problems."
"I guess," Eric nodded, wiping his mouth with the napkin, "but sometimes it's easier to talk to someone you barely know than it is your best friend." I never thought about that before. Sometimes it was easier to talk to a stranger that to someone I was extremely close with. They were objective and didn't judge, and their advice was completely honest and more helpful than anything else since they weren't involved in my life at all. That's how Eric felt at the moment, but five minutes later he would turn into the bumbling idiot I wanted to run over with a train. So I took the opportunity.
"I'm working a case . . .a case that I don't think I have any chance of winning."
"Why is that?"
"Because it's something that I can relate to. I'm afraid that this case is going to wake up the ghosts I've been hiding in my closet . . .that it's going to get too personal, that I'm gonna lose control, that I'm gonna disappoint the people that gave me this opportunity, and ultimately lose the case."
"If you feel that way why don't you give it to someone else?" he stopped eating and looked at me, the same sincerity and gravity in his eyes as before.
"Because I don't want to be weak. I don't want to be that lawyer that goes back on the promises she made. I don't want to be that lawyer that started out so strong and ambitious, then crumbled into a vat of nothingness because of one case she made the mistake in taking." the air was still around us as the intensity of my words settled into his skin. I suddenly felt horrible for laying down so much on him in one breath, my words had completely altered the atmosphere and for once he had nothing to say. It was surprising but enlightening at the same time. I tried to salvage what was left of the moment.
"I'm sorry, I've said to much. I told you your not the person I should be talking to." I gave a stressed laugh. Eric didn't say anything, he looked outside the window and twirled his fork between his fingers. I looked at my watch. "I should go," I stood up and pulled out my wallet from my purse, putting down sixteen dollars on the table. I walked away from the booth, glancing back at it over my shoulder, only able to see a patch of his blonde hair. I rushed out of the café and headed toward the office, clutching my purse close to me to calm myself. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. Why would you do that?" I lightly slapped myself on the forehead over and over again with each word. I looked at my watch again, I had less then twenty minutes to get to the office, fan-fucking-tastic.
Suddenly, a heard an abrupt buzzing in my ear as if a fly was circling around my head, and began swatting it away. That was when I heard it.
"Harley!" I jumped slightly, right before freezing from the sudden scream of my name. I slowly turned around, which seemed pointless since I couldn't see the object that said my name. I swayed left and right, stretching to see who it was that was calling for me, only for my eyes to fall upon blonde hair, once strait and slicked back, now disheveled and messy. "Harley!" Eric yelled, pushing his way through the crowed until he stood before me, huffing slightly.
"What is it? Did I forget something?" I asked, wondering why he was there.
"Come with me tomorrow." he huffed.
"Excuse me?"
"Come with me to the house showing,"
"Eric," I started to protest; however, he cut me off before I could begin the actual protesting.
"We don't have to go to lunch or dinner or whatever. You don't even have to talk to me. Just come with me to the showing tomorrow afternoon then I'll take you strait back to the office or anywhere you want to go."
"Eric,"
"Just say you'll come." he pressed, his intensity and assertiveness coming out. "That's all I'm asking."
Aznduddet: Thank you for reading and following along, this has been a lot of fun to write and i thoroughly enjoy it. Please review if you want more! or to just show your love/support =D thank ya