Sookie insisted that she would pay for lunch since she lost to him. But Eric Northman had never let a girl pay for his meal. Never. However, Sookie was so stubborn that Eric eventually yielded.
Eric's office was located at the 33rd floor. Sookie could feel her ears getting clogged when she went up earlier. Now as she and Eric entered the lift, Sookie reminded herself to do the trick her father taught her to conjure up some good luck.
Corbett, like most gamblers, was a very crafty man when it came to charms and rituals that he believed would turn the odds in his favor. Every weekend when Sookie and Jason were still children, their father would round them up at the porch, with a pitcher of cold, sweet tea and biscuits, and teach them a few lucky tricks as well as card games. That was Corbett's version of quality time at the Stackhouse residence.
Sookie was able to pick them up easily, while Jason, who had the attention span of a three-year-old, was a bit slow in learning the tricks of the trade.
Sookie knew how to play Gin Rummy, Black Jack, Baccarat and, of course, all kinds of Poker - be it Five-Card Draw, Omaha, Texas, or Stud. Name it and Sookie would have you floored within minutes with her natural talent.
Along with the games, Corbett would also share with them a few rituals he picked up through the years. 'When you play a game of chance like Baccarat. Luck is a fickle bitch you shall have to woo. So when you can't seem to summon a nine. It means your hands stink and know that she doesn't like filth. So you should go and wash your hands.'
Most of them were juvenile that verged on idiotic. But it was like the placebo effect, if you started thinking it would work then your brain might be able to catch up and make it happen.
There was one of the numerous rituals she had learned that she hadn't tried before. It was the 'lift wish.'
She was only six and Jason was eight when they went to the Government Plaza in Shreveport and experienced their first elevator ride. 'When you're going down in an elevator, hold your breath when you're on the 12th floor. And you only let it go when you make it to the ground floor. Then you can make a wish and it'll come true,' Corbett said with so much fervor it was hard for two children not to believe him.
There was an awkward silence that enveloped Eric and Sookie as the elevator descended.
Sookie glanced at the floor number indicator on her right. They were already at the 14th floor. 'One more to go.'
Sookie glanced at the towering figure beside her and saw Eric reviewing an intricate graph on his iPad. Now was her chance. She took a deep breath in preparation for her trick. Because of the absence of the thirteenth floor, the lift was at the 12th level before she knew it.
Her stomach was tucked in and her chest was puffed out as she held her breath.
Little did she know that Eric was monitoring her movement from the corner of his eye since they boarded the lift.
"How's that working for you?" he asked teasingly without looking straight at her.
Sookie was flabbergasted as she let out the breath she was holding.
"You were watching me?!"
"It's hard not to notice your quirks, Miss Stackhouse," he replied with a lopsided smirk. "So are you going to tell me what that is about? Or shall I just assume you're one of those weird chicks who do things purely out of whim?"
"Has anybody told you that you're a jerk?"
"I've been called many names, Miss Stackhouse. Jerk is one of the nicest ones."
Sookie crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. Eric glanced at the screen that displayed which level they were in and saw that they were almost at the ground floor. He pushed the emergency stop button and the elevator shuddered to a sudden stop.
"What the hell?" Sookie asked, utterly aghast at Eric's action.
"Tell me or we'll be here for a long time."
Sookie's fist clenched at her sides, ready to take a swing at the bastard's smirking face.
"I seem to remember you telling me you're going to answer any of my questions," he jeered. "Is that a lie?"
Sookie tamped down her temper. She was a pro at keeping her emotions hidden. She would not let him see through her. She tried to keep herself calm even though her insides were twisting in knots because she was a bit of a claustrophobe.
She forced herself to smile as she turned to him. She wouldn't show him fear. People like Eric Northman fed on the fear of others.
"Well, if you must know, Mr. Northman, I'm trying to do a small stunt my father had taught me when I was little. He said if I hold my breath while riding the elevator, I could make a wish." Her cheeks were getting strained as she kept her unnatural smile on.
"Interesting," Eric replied casually. "Can you teach me? I can use a wish or two. Especially today." He looked at her in anticipation. Sookie was confounded by his reply. She was sure he would mock her for such childish notions.
"What does a man who has practically everything can possibly wish for?" Sookie asked as she kept her knees from buckling. She could feel the walls closing in on her, trapping her alive.
'I'm looking at one,' he thought as he stared at her.
Eric saw her eyes twitch and decided not to push her anymore. He pressed the emergency button again and the lift resumed its descent. Sookie immediately relaxed her stance.
Eric shrugged. "One can never have everything, Miss Stackhouse. There will always be something missing."
Sookie shook her head in disdain. 'If you only knew how good you had it, you wouldn't wish for anything else.'
They reached the ground floor and the elevator doors slid open, revealing a handful of people who were waiting to board the lift.
Eric, with his one, long arm, blocked Sookie's way as she started to get out.
"This one's taken. Take the next one," he said to the hotel guests who were too shocked by Eric's impolite actions to react before he could press the number 20 button followed by the close doors key. The metal doors shut and the elevator started its ascent.
"You're absolutely right. Jerk is too nice a word to describe you," Sookie spat as she, once again, braced herself for another terrifying ride with the World's Biggest Ass.
"I don't like getting inconvenienced."
"And it's okay for them?" Sookie asked dryly.
"There are over 20 elevators in this hotel. I'm sure they can find one that can accommodate them," Eric replied without a hint of shame.
'This day cannot end sooner,' Sookie thought desperately.
The elevator dinged as they reached the 20th floor.
"So, how does it work?" Eric asked enthusiastically.
Sookie groaned in exasperation before she began explaining the 'lift wish.'
The Viking pressed the ground button, followed by the close door box.
As the lift went down for the second time, Sookie shut her eyes to make the swirling in her head stop. She was getting vertiginous by the second and she was afraid she might throw up.
Eric nudged her with his elbow when they reached the 12th floor. "Ready?" he asked.
Sookie held her breath as she thought of the one thing she badly wanted at the moment.
She would like a time machine so she could go back to the day before she met Eric Northman. She was certain she would do everything differently to stay away from him, if given the chance.
But she knew that was impossible so she just wished for the next best thing: for this day to be over.
Eric didn't hold his breath, though. He was way too pragmatic to believe in silly fantasies.
Besides, the thing he yearned for already came true - standing a few steps from him.
E/S
Eric Northman's red convertible was waiting for him out front. The motor was already running, with the air-conditioner set at full blast.
Jim, the head of the valet service, held out Eric's remote keys as the Viking strolled out with Sookie behind him.
"Thanks, Jim." The valet head, a small middle-aged guy with a tanned complexion, held the door open for Eric and the Viking folded himself in.
Jim circled the car as he opened the passenger door for Sookie but she didn't make any move to follow Eric inside the flashy vehicle.
"Miss Stackhouse?" Eric asked.
"Do you mind if we take a walk? It's only a couple of blocks," Sookie said sweetly, using her Southern drawl.
Jim, who was standing idly beside the luxury vehicle, whipped his head in Sookie's direction with an incredulous expression.
Eric clenched his jaw as he got out of the car. July in Las Vegas was brutal, not to mention it was the middle of the day. Why would anyone want to subject themselves to that kind of hell?
"It's a hundred degrees out there and this," he grabbed the lapels of his dark blue blazer, "is Italian silk."
'And I bet it costs more than I make in a year.'
"But it's only a short walk. You won't even feel the heat," Sookie prodded. "This is like spring weather in Louisiana."
'I knew you wouldn't make it easy for me,' Eric thought as he tried to weigh in the pros and cons of a midday walk down the Strip.
He would be out in the open, an easy target for his many enemies. Since he took the reign in the corporation, Pam had encouraged him to have a 24/7 security detail, which he thought was a practical move. But he didn't like to look weak so he paid them extra to be invisible.
He locked his gaze with Sookie, who was fiddling with the strap of her hideous bag, as she tried to look coy.
Maybe it was exactly what he needed. Maybe he wasn't really infatuated with her but more like piqued at her dogged determination to irk him.
Who wouldn't love a good chase?
What if it were really the thrill of the chase that was making him putty in her hands?
Well, whatever it was, he would soon find out. This would be the day he would unravel the enigma that was Sookie Stackhouse.
Eric threw the remote keys back to noticeably disconcerted Jim, who caught the keys with ease. Then the Viking, with innate grace, took off his blazer and handed it to the bellhop, who came running to his aid with a simple curl of a finger.
He loosened his black tie, unwound it from his neck and gave it to the attendant. He unlatched his cufflinks and folded his crisp white shirt up just below the elbows. And he did them all without breaking eye contact with Sookie.
"Shall we?" he asked a ruddy-cheeked Sookie.
E/S
Sookie pulled the sleeves of her cardigan up to her elbows because it felt like she was in a sauna with her sweater on. But her stubbornness was preventing her from taking her cardigan off.
Eric sneered when he noticed her wipe her forehead with a small tissue. 'Spring weather, huh?'
They started walking downtown both sweaty from the outrageous Vegas heat.
"Do you know where we're going?" Eric asked Sookie after a while. "If you're looking for a dark corner to dispose my body, you won't find any here. And it has to be at least dark for your plan to work."
Sookie glanced at Eric, who was sweating through his shirt. She suddenly felt bad for him as she started searching for another pocket tissue that was given away for free from different hotels.
She handed it to the Viking without looking directly at him. "Were almost there."
Eric took the miniature pack of tissues and started dabbing his face and neck. 'No woman is worth this.'
Before he could start regretting his decision to let a redneck play tour guide for him in Vegas, they finally reached their destination. 'Kill me now.'
"Tacos?" Eric scoffed as he gaped at the Tacos El Gordo sign above him.
"The best in town. Or so I've been told," she replied with giddiness.
Sookie had been craving for the Mexican delicacy since she came to Vegas. It was Terry who told her where to get the best one in town but because she had been so busy the last few days she never got the chance until now.
"You know, The North has a Mexican bistro inside the casino." Eric couldn't help the grunt that escaped his lips out of sheer frustration.
"Oh, but where's the fun in that?" Sookie teased, echoing his exact words to her earlier.
'Is she sassing me?' Eric asked himself mentally. He liked it. It was a refreshing change from her snappy comebacks.
It was a little past two in the afternoon so they managed to evade most of the lunch rush crowd. But there were still a handful of people lined up in the counter by the time they got inside. Sookie rolled her eyes in dismay as she took in the crowd who could not help but gawk at her companion, who despite his clammy appearance seemed to still draw a ridiculous amount of attention.
They loitered by the entrance as they waited for a booth to open up. Sookie diverted her attention to the menu plastered on the board above the cashier.
"What are you havin'?" Sookie asked Eric, who was staring at her intensely.
"You choose. It's your treat."
"Its self-service here, Mr. Northman. No one will come running to serve you when you raise your finger."
"I know what self-service means, Miss Stackhouse."
"Good. And don't expect me carry your food for you either."
A booth at the end of the room opened up and they grabbed it immediately. All the customers in the other booths were shamelessly staring at them as they passed. They waited for the line to thin out before they headed to the counter to place their order.
The Viking was a constant surprise, Sookie realized. She had expected him to be a total snob, a cliché among the elitists. Someone who would wrinkle his nose in disgust from the mere smell of street food. But he proved Sookie wrong yet again.
Sookie tried not to be impressed by Eric's broad knowledge of Mexican cuisine. She should not have been surprised. She thought that if she had the same privileges as him, she wouldn't be so ignorant either.
Eric suggested she tried the tacos adobada, which was spicy pork. Out of sheer petulance she ordered the safer choice which was the taco asada, which was made of beef steak.
It was a mistake, of course, because the whole time they were eating she was wishing she had the same dish as his.
Eric watched Sookie eat with gusto. She wasn't like any of the other girls he had dated who were so concerned with their perfect bodies to let themselves go. It resonated with her high self-esteem, Eric thought.
Eric's poorly assembled taco kept falling apart and it made Sookie snigger despite her best efforts to keep a straight face.
"You are such a girl," she teased before she offered him a table napkin to wipe his hands. "Do you want me to get you a spoon and fork with that?"
Eric glared at her. 'Oh, there are so many ways I can show you how manly I am. Don't tempt me.'
"I'm glad you find my discomfort so entertaining, Miss Stackhouse," he spat.
Sookie just shook her head as she brought her focus back to her meal. Eric, licking his wounded pride, finished his food as quickly as he could.
"So what do you wanna know about Bill?" Sookie asked after a little while.
'Absolutely nothing,' Eric thought coldly.
But in order to keep his ruse, he inquired about the smarmy bastard, anyway, although he already knew all the answers to most of his queries. They were all included in her dossier his private investigator collected.
Eric was pleased when Sookie kept her word that she would be honest with her replies.
"Are you romantically involved with Compton?" Eric asked with bated breath.
According to her file, Bill was nothing but an old acquaintance - merely a neighbor from her small town. But Eric wanted to be a hundred percent certain.
Sookie shook her head vigorously, which made Eric smirk in satisfaction.
"Why are you helping him then?" Eric kept on.
"That's what friends do, Mr. Northman. They help each other out. Try it sometimes, maybe in your next life you won't be a dung beetle."
Eric chuckled. "Do you keep a list or you just come up with these snarky comments as you go?"
"Don't need a list if I have you as my muse," she said before she gave him a sickly sweet smile.
Eric was about to reply with another snappy comeback, when three attractive young women - two brunettes and one blonde - made a beeline to their booth. If Sookie would guess they were the same age as hers if not younger based on how strongly they could all blush.
"Excuse me, is this … you?" the blonde asked Eric while holding out the latest copy of Men's Health magazine with him on the cover. The blonde looked as though she was the Queen Bee and the other two were her minions.
Eric pretended not to hear or see the blonde as he chugged down his Light Bud. The blonde bit her lip as she waited anxiously for his reply and the awkwardness of the situation made Sookie squirm. She kicked Eric's leg under the table to get his attention.
Eric drew his brows together as he glowered at Sookie and she tilted her head toward the ladies beside their booth.
"If you can't tell that's me by that photo, then I suggest you have your eyes checked," Eric replied in an even tone.
The blonde was indignant as she spat something inaudible before she turned around and walked away followed by her minions, who were stomping their feet for added effect.
"You didn't have to insult them like that. You could just -"
"What? Ignore them like I was doing before you imposed your foot on my shin?"
"No. You could have simply said yes and excused yourself," Sookie hissed as she leaned forward. People were turning their heads at them and she loathed the attention. "You didn't have to be so rude."
"I'm getting lessons in manners from the Queen of snark? Now, that's rich." Eric wiped his mouth with a napkin before he leaned back.
"I'm not a public figure like you. You have an obligation to be nice, at least publicly," she snapped back.
Eric knew she had a point, but he refused to defer to her reasoning just yet. Maybe he could use those annoying bitches to turn the tables on her.
"If I go over there and apologize, I need to get at least something for my trouble," he said, testing if she would take the bait.
"Aside from redeeming yourself for being a jackass?" Sookie asked sarcastically.
"Everybody knows I'm crude, Miss Stackhouse, I'm not pretending otherwise."
"No wonder you collect enemies," she muttered under her breath.
"Beg pardon?"
"I said, no wonder you collect enemies," she enunciated each word.
"Did Compton tell you that?" Eric asked between gritted teeth.
"He didn't need to," she lied. She didn't want Bill to get into more trouble with Eric Northman. "What is your deal with Bill, anyway?"
"He was a liar and a cheater," Eric replied in a steely voice.
"And most people here are saints?" she retorted.
All hint of levity from Eric's face vanished immediately. He looked ominous, scary even.
Sookie discreetly let her eyes roam the restaurant. Customers were still trickling in and there was still a queue at the entrance. Sookie realized they had been there for more than half an hour which was equivalent to two hours in fast food chains.
But the manager didn't seem to mind that Sookie and Eric were lingering. He actually seemed pleased because Eric Northman's presence was good for business.
'Good, plenty of witnesses,' Sookie thought jokingly as she swallowed a lump in her throat. But like what some people said about jokes, they were always half meant.
"That bastard was my father's prodigy," Eric blurted after a few charged seconds. "He trusted Compton with almost everything. And did you know what the fucker did when my father's health started spiraling? He became a double-agent for my family's rival. My father wasn't even cold yet when he started forging financial information about The North for the IRS."
Sookie didn't know if she should believe a word he said. She didn't know Eric Northman as well as she knew Bill Compton. But her lie-detecting ability was telling her Eric Northman was being truthful.
Sookie bit her lip as she tried to come up with something witty to break the tension brought by Eric's revelation. But she came up empty.
After a while, Eric spoke again. "How about you, Miss Stackhouse? Why do you hate me so much?"
"Aside from the fact that you have me dragged out of your casino like a criminal?"
"That was a mistake. I apologize for that," Eric said with a hint of remorse that took Sookie by surprise.
Sookie started peeling off the label of her beer bottle as she fixed her eyes on the table. "I guess it was because you have everything I didn't have," she murmured softly.
"You can't expect me to apologize for having money, Miss Stackhouse."
"It's not that," she hissed as she leveled her gaze with him again. "I don't despise you because you're stinkin' rich. I hate you because you have everythin' and yet nothing seems to be enough for you. You treat people like dirt, but they still adore you. Want to be you. You've never experienced hunger. You didn't force yourself to sleep to silence your growling stomach. Your parents didn't leave you because they wanted to. You didn't have to watch someone you love - the only person who didn't give up on you - die, because you didn't have enough money to send her to a decent hospital or get her the proper meds!" Sookie paused as she fought back the tears that were threatening to fall.
She wouldn't cry in front of him. She would not let him find out that he managed to penetrate the walls she put up to keep people like him out so they wouldn't see how vulnerable she really was.
"If that makes me a hateful bitch, then so be it," she finished.
The customers in the next booth were exchanging wary glances at each other having heard most of Sookie's litany.
Eric was also ill at ease. Not because of their audience but because he didn't know what to do.
For the first time in his life, he didn't have a next move.
After a while, Sookie seemed to have calmed herself down. She took a long swig of her beer then wiped her mouth with a napkin. It must be the alcohol that had worked its way through her brain that made her blurt out those words.
"Who?" Eric asked hesitantly.
Sookie didn't have to pretend she didn't know who he meant. Without looking up from the table she replied, "my Gran."
Eric knew about her grandmother. Adele Stackhouse died at 69, three years ago from a stroke. But he found himself wanting to know more about Adele.
"How did she die?" he asked after a pregnant pause.
"Literally from a big heart," Sookie replied with a ghost of smile. "Her heart was 200 grams bigger than normal. It was hereditary. The doctor said it was treatable with medication or surgery. But Gran refused to be sliced open. She said she wasn't a frog that could be dissected. She was stubborn like that. Her doctor was willing to waive his fee but we still need to cover the room and the meds. Gran said 'Dog burn it, I'm a Stackhouse! I'll live for a hundred more years if I want to!" Sookie continued, mimicking her Gran's tone.
Eric smiled at Sookie's impression of an old woman. She could be adorable without even trying.
"I guessed she didn't want to anymore," she hushed as she stared at her hands. "She didn't even wake us up when she had that last attack. We just found her in her room the next morning. Her fists were clenched as she bit her pillow."
Eric didn't need Sookie to explain why. He already got the picture. Adele was trying to muffle her screams so her grandchildren wouldn't hear.
He stood up from the booth and went to the counter to ask for more table napkins and another round of Light Bud. There was actually a line in the counter but Eric wasn't about to get behind the queue. The middle-aged man in board shorts and a loose black shirt - that had Viva Las Vegas! scribbled in bold letters - let out an annoyed huff when Eric cut the line.
But the manager, who recognized the Viking the minute he had entered the restaurant, was quick to silence the irate customer. The manager ordered the cashier to get the man's order while he attended to Eric's needs personally.
Sookie followed her company's movement. She didn't know what came over her for revealing that much information to the insensitive bastard.
Did she expect him to understand? Did she expect him to say 'there, there,' while patting her back like normal people would do? 'How stupid can you be, Sookie?'
She was busy chastising herself when Eric came back to the booth. He gave her a wad of napkins, before he placed another bottle of beer in front of her.
Sookie eyed him conspicuously.
Then it hit her. Eric Northman wasn't used to hearing sob stories - especially from a stranger like her. And this was his way of dealing with this kind of situation. She muttered a soft 'thanks,' before she took a sip of her beer.
"Who taught you how to gamble?" Eric asked again when he saw Sookie settle down.
The Viking also knew about Sookie's gaming background. According to her dossier, she had acquired her skill from her father, who had a gambling addiction. She never played pro, only small-time games in a pub named Lafayette where she used to work. The locals had branded her 'the telepath,' because she was so good in reading their cards.
"My dad. He was very good with cards but he sucked in reading people. He was very trusting to a fault. He thought just because he was nice, other people would treat him the same way. He told us 'good things happen to good people.' Well, that showed him, huh." She snorted before she took another gulp.
Eric tried to recall the information he got about her father. Corbett Stackhouse. A drunk who drowned in a flash flood in Reno ten years ago.
"Can I be Oprah now?" Sookie asked, breaking Eric train of thoughts.
"Knock yourself out," he replied coolly, before he took a long swig of his Light Bud. "I live in a glass house."
"You don't have any secrets?" Sookie asked in disbelief.
"Of course, I do. This is Vegas after all," Eric smirked. "The difference with my secrets, I pay good money for it to stay that way … secrets."
"Have you killed anybody?" Sookie inquired in a low voice.
Eric's eyes darted around the room before he sniggered. "Are you always this blunt?"
"I can butter you up first, but what's the point? You can still lie to me."
Sookie wasn't prepared for what he did next. In a flash, Eric left his booth and squeezed himself beside her. Sookie, still disoriented by the invasion of her personal space, scooched over to make room for his enormous size.
Eric leaned over to her ear before he whispered. "I'll never lie to you."
His warm breath against her skin sent shivers up her spine. Sookie repressed a shudder as she pressed herself harder against the wall to put some distance between her and the Viking. "Then answer the question. Have you had anybody killed?" she hushed.
Sookie was really curious. Ever since her father's questionable death, she had made a vow that she would do everything in her power to catch the people behind his murder. It was a murder. She had never been so sure in her life.
But no matter how certain she was, there was nothing she could do about it. But that was about to change. One of her motivations for coming into the City of Sin was to get as much intelligence as she could about the people Corbett dealt with while he was here. Right now, she was ruling out the usual suspects.
Eric studied her solemn expression before he shook his head. "I haven't. Nor have I ordered a hit on anybody."
Sookie was unconvinced as she locked her gaze with him. "You're lying."
"I'm not. In my line of business, Miss Stackhouse, it's vital that people trust my word," Eric explained in a clinical tone. "It's also important that fear is instilled into the people I trust. Fear that I can make their lives miserable if they cross me. I haven't taken any lives out of nobility. It's because I don't think my enemies deserve such luxury. I only teach them a few lessons. And you can't learn when you're dead."
There was something eerie but at the same time hypnotic with the way he spoke that Sookie suddenly felt the urge to bolt out of her seat and run.
She swallowed thickly as she dropped her gaze to her lap.
Sookie was about to ask him another question when a huge guy dressed casually in blue jeans and black shirt, stopped by their booth and asked if they wanted some guacamole. Eric glanced at the hulk of a man. The Viking shook his head in dissent and the man walked away as casually as he came. Eric stood up and went back to his side of the booth. Then, ever so subtly, Sookie saw Eric steal a fleeting glance at the door.
"You know what goes best after tacos?" Eric asked offhandedly.
Sookie looked up at him.
"Ice cream. And I know just the place to get the best on the Strip." He winked before took out his black leather card case and took one of his business cards that only had his name on it, along with the logo of The North.
Sookie wasn't certain she wanted to stay with him any longer. His brutal honesty was refreshing but also unnerving.
But before she could object, Eric stood up, walked to the counter and dropped his card in the fish bowl that contained different name cards. He didn't even check if Sookie was following him as he made his way to the door.
Sookie decided to go after him eventually. There was something peculiar with his behavior that piqued Sookie's curiosity.
As Eric exited the Mexican eatery, she noticed the gigantic guy, who approached them earlier, hanging out by the hotdog cart right outside the restaurant. Despite his size he didn't stand out in the crowd because he was way too relaxed that he blended right in.
'Something's odd,' Sookie's 'spider sense' was tingling as she discreetly watched the man, she labeled as the 'Hulk,' as she pretended to fish for something in her bag. Eric was walking at a leisurely pace along the sidewalk. With his height, Sookie could easily keep an eye on him.
Then it happened. The Hulk was so fast, Sookie almost didn't see it. With a small stun gun, hidden in his enormous hand, the Hulk tasered a poor, unsuspecting medium-built man leaning by the doorway of Taco El Gordo. The smaller man shuddered before he lost consciousness and the Hulk casually slung the poor guy's arm over his head as he carried him inside a dark gray SUV.
Sookie was so shocked that it rendered her speechless for a few seconds. She was about to scream for help when a huge hand clamped to her mouth and pulled her into a black limousine waiting by the curb.
As soon as Sookie was inside the stretched limo, the man loosened his grip on her.
It was Eric Northman.
"You son of a bitch!" she yelled as her hand flew and connected to the side of face.
Eric winced at the slap but managed to grab both her arms to stop her from giving him another one.
"You can scream here if you want. Just not outside. I don't care for that kind of publicity," Eric muttered as he held both Sookie's arms behind her back.
"That guy from the taco shop. He works for you." It wasn't a question.
Eric replied with a terse nod. "You didn't think I'd go out without a chaperon, did you?"
"And the poor guy he assaulted?" Sookie asked.
"Spy," Eric answered a matter-of-factly.
"What is he gonna do to him?" Sookie asked again. She tried to suppress a tremble as her mind wandered back to the 'Hulk' and the frail-looking man that was hauled like a sack of rice inside the car.
"Do you really want to know?" Eric asked tentatively.
'No. No, I don't.'
Sookie bit her lip as she turned her gaze at the window. They were passing by the Boulevard and that was when Sookie noticed that the sun was almost setting. She had completely lost track of time and she instantly rebuked herself for it.
"If you can please tell the driver to pull over, Mr. Northman, I'll appreciate it," Sookie requested softly without taking her eyes off the window.
Eric wasn't ready to let her go yet. "Let's have dessert first. It's just around the block."
True to his word, the limousine pulled over after a few minutes in front of the Bellagio. Eric got out of the luxury car before he offered his hand to Sookie.
Sookie didn't take it, though, as she made her way out of the car with as much grace as she could muster. She decided she would make her escape once they were out on the street.
As though he read her mind, Eric clamped a hand on her waist, which made Sookie jump a little.
He guided her toward the lobby of the Bellagio. As usual, Eric's presence was magnetic. Employees greeted him veneration and the guests couldn't help but gawp at him. Some even took photos as he passed by and it was extremely irritating to Sookie.
'What's so special about him? If they know what a turd he is, they will not even spare a glance at him!'
They entered a chic coffee shop named Café Gelato, which served a wide array of expensive and mouth-watering gelatos.
"I'd tell you to try the Irish Bailey's flavor, but I'm afraid you'd get a different one out of spite," Eric mocked.
But Sookie surprised him when she let him order for her.
Their massive serving of gelatos arrived and Sookie was overwhelmed for a moment. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to finish it and she had a strict rule never to waste a single morsel she was blessed with.
But after one bite, her apprehension went out the window. Sookie hated to admit it but the cold dessert was sinfully good.
She finished hers within minutes, pausing only when she experienced a mild case of brain freeze.
Eric, who had no qualms leaving his food half-eaten or even untouched in some cases before, was like a kid who was trying beat his playmate in an eating competition as he gorged himself with his cold treat.
Despite his effort, Sookie still beat him by a full minute.
"Were you trying to beat a record or something?" he teased.
Sookie couldn't help but smile. "When you live with a brother like Jason, you'll learn to eat fast. Or you won't eat at all."
Eric's expression softened at her explanation. She really had it tough. Eric stared at her face and he fought the impulse to wipe the brown smear on her chin.
'You won't go hungry anymore,' he thought in earnest.
He didn't even debate with himself why he cared so much. He only knew that he did.
A/N: I do not own the characters. I only like to play with them a bit.
I'm sorry this chapter broke my daily updating. It will be a little angst-y from this point forward. Hope you won't desert me now.
The amount of feedback I'm getting from all of you blow me to bits and it only makes me LOVE you more! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your kind words!
