EPOV:
Having Megan show up the night before wasn't at all what I would call convenient. In fact, it was down right terrifying. She was great; friendly and totally open to hinting at what we maybe should be doing. I didn't have much experience with social workers but I was glad she was ours, and that she wasn't some hard ass who was out to get us for having a dusty coffee table or something!
The past month had been a hectic ride, one shock after another, one obstacle after another, but I was coping as best I could. I still didn't understand it. I couldn't- and maybe I never would understand why my best friend and his sweet wife, two people who loved each other so fucking much that it was almost nauseating to be around them, could just be wiped off the earth in a matter of minutes. I didn't get it, and I was angry as hell at whatever God, or deity, had decided it was okay to take them away from everyone they loved.
But taking responsibility was one thing I was good at. I might huff and puff about it for a while but in the end, I'd always step up and do the right thing. It was something Alcide always use to say about me, that I could be a cold hearted bastard when I wanted to be, but he knew me better than that, and the act wasn't fooling him. He knew I was a good guy.
Of course I laughed at him, called him a fruity motherfucker and drank my beer, but he had been kind of right. And maybe that was part of the reason he left my name to take care of his kid, because he knew I wouldn't back out on her, even if I wanted to.
I loaded the baby into the car complete with the soggy cookie she was chewing on, her sucky thing and a new bottle in my man bag full of her things while we waited for Sookie.
I knew she'd wake up with a hangover. Wine was a bitch the morning after, as many of my customers had told me in the past. Drunk Sookie was an experience. It also made me realise she was very good at keeping things bottled up inside her and, with a little social lubricant, they just came pouring out.
She rushed out the back door, giant purse in hand. She was dressed in her uniform of denim shorts and a long fitted tank top, her hair she'd stuck in a messy bun and her giant shades covering her eyes. She got to the end of the driveway before one of the neighbours popped up out of nowhere. I think her name was Maxine. She had a boy around Jessica's age. It seemed they made small talk for a few minutes before Sookie smiled and waved, while hopping into the car.
"Sorry, I couldn't find my phone. And that was Maxine."
Ah, I was right.
"She was just saying hi, and that she meant to tell us she use to sit for Hadley and Alcide when they had to work late. She said Jessica and Hoyt got on well so if we ever needed her, just ask. It was sweet of her."
"Yeah, that is nice of her. She was a little touchy feely when I met her."
"Oh, is she the neighbour that grabbed your ass?" She sniggered. It wasn't funny, it was weird! She was married! I just ignored her question.
"You good to go now?"
She nodded.
Everything was silent besides Jessica talking gibberish to herself and her teddy in the backseat.
"I'm sorry about last night, and this morning." Sookie spoke finally.
"Don't worry about it."
"No, don't just let me off okay? I screwed up and if it hadn't have been for you, I could have really cost us points with that social worker showing up drunk. How could I even-"
"Sookie, look, you didn't know she was coming. Neither of us did. And like I said, we have lives. She can't expect those to stop. We're doing our best and she seems okay with that."
She nodded. She really did guilt herself a lot, it seemed.
"So were you telling the truth?" I asked taking a turn on the road.
"About what?"
"What you thought of me, and how I'm doing with the kid?"
She grinned, turning to face her window. "Sure."
"Sure?"
"Yeah, I mean it was true. She loves you, and it's pretty clear you're smitten with her, too." She glanced into the backseat. She wasn't wrong. Jessica was a pretty cute kid, terrifying at times, but lovable all the same.
"And you?"
"What about me? She likes me just fine, I guess." She shrugged and looked out her window, avoiding me.
"You didn't seem to think that last night. That was kind of weird, I have to admit."
She looked sharply in my direction then, "Meaning what?"
"Nothing. It's just you seemed to think the kid hates you. She doesn't hate you - hell she's one, she doesn't know what hate IS."
"Tell that to her vegetables."
"Sookie…"
"What? Okay, fine, so she doesn't hate me, but I mean I don't get it. I'm a good person, and sometimes it's like she freaks out on me… I don't know what it is or how to fix it. You have it down. I don't get that either. You've never even been around kids before and it's like you have the golden touch!"
I didn't say anything. Clearly, this was a sore spot for her and I didn't want to add the aggravation of saying something stupidly sarcastic and pissing us both off.
We got to the Whole Foods and Sookie grabbed Jess, and her now crumb covered self and set her into one of the shopping carts. I liked this place. The food was good and the staff and customers where super friendly.
Well, when I say 'friendly,' I mean it was mostly single mothers, hot aunts and a few sisters that, for some reason, found Jessica and I …interesting. Who was I to say no to a little innocent flirtation? It was mainly the reason why I kept coming back here. I mean, I had no idea what a 'household' needed in terms of shopping. When I did my own shopping it was mostly condoms, a few micro wave meals for when I didn't eat at the bar, or order take out, and water.
Apparently, Sookie had other ideas.
"Garlic, tomatoes, spinach, strawberries, lemons." she listed off as we walk around the fresh produce isle.
Oh, so actual ingredients then? That made sense.
"I think we should get some steaks and freeze them for later in the week maybe? Some cuts of meat anyway. I like making big dinners. When it was just Gran and I, she'd still make a Sunday roast with all the trimmings even if it was just she and I there." She smiled.
"Sounds awesome."
"It was. I wish Gran could have met Jessica." she frowned, but then smiled "And you, I think, she would have liked you."
"Really?"
"Yeah, Gran was funny. She was old but she wasn't like all those other old ladies at all! She told me once she was a twenty-something trapped in a old woman's body, not that she even looked that old. But her ideas on things weren't as old fashioned as they could have been. That, and she was horribly honest about things."
"Sounds like a cool woman."
"She was, she was always worrying that I would spend so much time taking care of her that I'd forget to go get myself taken care of."
I laughed then, "Was that your Grandmother's way of saying you needed to get laid?"
"I have no idea. Maybe It was." She giggled as she placed a whole chicken in the cart next to a big bag of stuffing and carrots.
As we walked around the store, more and more of the women recognised me. They waved, they smiled, they spoke to Jessica.
Sookie slipped her sun glasses on top of her head, looking at me expectantly.
"Oh, my GOD."
"What?" I looked ahead. Even though it was clear where she was going with this.
"This is what you do isn't it? You flirt in the grocery store!"
"No I … What?" Yeah, I was a shitty liar.
"Eric, these women, they all know you…" she looked confused as each aisle we passed, someone usually- well, always- a woman, would wave or smile and say hi.
"No, they don't." Just as my luck would have it, one of them was feeling chatty.
"Hi Eric. Heeeeey Jessica." She smiled this big, huge smile. She had long brown hair and hazel eyes. Shit what was her name again?"
"Oh hey." I added cheerfully as the mystery woman said hello to Sookie, though her tone was slightly icier than it had been when she addressed Jessica and I.
"Oh Sookie, this is…"
"Maryann."
"Maryann, of course, forgive me. I'm horrible with names."
She smiled.
"Sookie, this is Maryann." Right. Third isle biscuits, that's where I met her the other day.
"Back so soon? It's amazing what kids go through isn't it?" she chatted. Sookie nodded and smiled and was ever so polite.
"I met Eric here last week. He was just so confused."
"Right, shopping for food, it's just so darn hard." Sookie sassed, but with a smile so it sounded not as sarcastically douche-y as I knew she meant it. Mary just smiled.
"Well, it was nice seeing you again, Eric." she patted my shoulder as she walked by, causing Sookie to scoff.
"Sweet Jesus, you're totally using Jessica as a pickup line!"
"I am not! Look, it's not my fault women just LIKE HELPING a guy out, okay?"
She smirked.
"No, it's true. First few times I was just minding my own business trying to figure out what size diapers Jess needed… After that…"
"It became the game plan?"
I smirked. Yeah, it totally had.
"It works?"
I shrugged. It might have worked. I might have a few more phone numbers in my phone I didn't have before.
"Show me." She grabbed a big bag of peanuts, throwing them into the cart. "Come on, show me." She smiled. She was teasing me. "Show me the Northman charm that has these women fawning over you."
"No." I tried to bite back a smile.
"Chicken." She rolled her eyes and walked ahead of me to the meat aisle. I let her walk on for a few seconds as she browsed through the shelves. I grabbed a packet of meat from the freezer and walked silently up beside her.
"Hey, how do you pronounce this?"
It was Carne Asada and I knew how to say it right, but that wasn't the fun part. I leaned into her while she looked at it.
She shrugged "Car-nay-as-ah-dah-" she sounded out for me and I just leaned on in, violating her personal space like whoa.
"Oh, that's interesting. I thought it was something else. That was really helpful, thanks." I put my hand on her shoulder.
"Oh, no, I mean some of those products are kind of hard to say. There are a few that -" She realised I was still touching her and she was still letting me, and she was talking.
"Oh, oh, I get it. Very smooth. This is what you do?" She grinned "Just… playing dumb."
"Little bit, but we both know better." I winked.
"And this works for you?"
"Yeah! It's that, or they see Jessica and like … their biological clock explodes, or something, I don't know."
She laughed and nudged me away from her, wiping Jessica's face with a tissue as we made our way down to the next aisle.
"How's the head now?" I asked, wondering if she'd gotten over her hangover any more.
"Little better. Ooh brownie mix. I think I'll make some later. Do you like brownies?"
"Who doesn't?"
"Jessica do you like brownies? Do you want Brown-niees?" I heard her sound out. WE probably sounded like idiots, and judging by Jess's reaction, we did. She just screwed up her face and went back to spitting bubbles and talking to herself, something about "fah las fa" - neither Sookie or I had any idea since she had yet to say an actual word anyone other than herself understood.
We rounded to the baked goods section and I was busy salivating over some doughnuts when I heard it.
"Sookie?"
Oh good, Sam was here.
"Sam! Hey! What a nice surprise." There was that smile of hers again.
"Eric." Sam nodded in my direction but went right back to looking at Sookie.
I didn't acknowledge him. I told Sookie I'd take Jessica along to finish the shopping. Honestly, that was the last thing I wanted to stand in witness to.
SPOV:
Maxine was a sweet woman. Sure she kind of over-stepped the neighbourly bounds when she started asking questions, but she meant well. She was a stay-at-home mother, and I was guessing she didn't have a whole lot of adult conversations during the day. Her little boy Hoyt was a sweetie, and I had hoped to mix Jessica with him a little bit more. She needed to be around kids her own age. So when Maxine stopped to chat as I was on my way to the car and offered to baby sit if we needed it, it was a welcome gesture, that's for sure. Sophie was a handful, as was Jessica, and between the two of them and Eric and dealing with it all at once, having someone willing to give us a break was nice. I thanked her and told her I'd call her as I got in the car. Thankfully the splitting headache that had popped up after I'd showered was slowly starting to subside.
Kind of freaking out on Eric in the car didn't help my mood much. I knew he meant well, and I knew he was just making conversation, but it wasn't something he could understand. Failing with Jessica made me feel like I was failing as a woman every time she rejected me. It was one of the worst feelings because weren't we meant to just know instinctively what they needed? I seemed to have missed out on that gene.
When Eric asked me if I was, in fact, telling the truth with what I told Megan, I cringed a little. I really hadn't meant to say all I said, and so quickly and randomly.
Evil wine. Never again.
But I told him I did, since it was the truth. He was great with Jess. How, I had no idea, but he was and I was extremely thankful he wasn't the asshole I thought he'd be and leave everything up to me. No, he really had stepped up and accepted that this was his deal now, too.
It was extremely admirable.
What wasn't, however, was the fact that he was using Jessica as a flirting tool. It was really, well, an Eric-like thing to do.
I should have been mad, but really, I realised he wasn't doing her any harm and it was that something I knew he'd never do. He'd never put her in any danger. So if he wanted to hit on the women in the market, that was up to him. I didn't care one way or another, and his 'date' was just another way of proving to myself that I didn't care about his love life.
I mean, sure, he and I had spent the good part of a month alone but in that time we'd concentrated on work, on Jessica and trying to establish some kind of normalcy. And we did. We worked, we ate, we spent time with the baby, we watched old movies if neither of us could sleep… But then Sam asked me out, and Eric's mood toward me changed a little. It wasn't that he was unkind, but the ease we'd developed over the previous weeks had been replaced with an air of something else. I wanted to say it felt like jealousy, but that idea was ridiculous to me. Eric wouldn't be jealous of Sam, because Eric and I were never going to happen. We got along because we had to, that was it.
When Eric came on to me- or what I remember from him getting all intense with me in the kitchen the night before- it did make me question if he was jealous of Sam because he felt something for me, but then did I want him to feel something for me? You know, besides his usual sarcasm and sexist comments, the other end of the Eric spectrum was rather scary. I knew, despite how I would deny it to my grave, that I was attracted to Eric. I always had been. Being attracted to him physically, that was never ever the issue. It was always the fact that he was a douche who treated women like we were disposable to him. His attitude toward me on our 'date' and well, just his general being, used to annoy me so much.
But in the few weeks I had spent with him, I realised that Eric was someone who only came out when he felt… I don't know, threatened or out of his comfort zone. Actual Eric was sweet - always sweet with the baby, even when she screamed her head off, or wouldn't eat, or wouldn't sleep. He was calm and patient, where as I was frazzled and freaking. Jessica adored him, that much was obvious. I was woman enough to admit her affection for him made me a little jealous, since it tapped at my insecurities again, and made me feel like I was failing somehow. I was sure Eric noticed it but he would never bring it up intentionally, thankfully.
When we were flirting at the grocery store, just messing around with him allowing me to see his 'skills,' it was light and breezy. Even Jessica was quiet and observing. That Eric I liked. He was funny and adorable and just a smidge goofy. I didn't get to see him often.
And he didn't last long when we ran into Sam. I swear it was almost as if I could hear him freezing up and putting his badass mask on. Which he did when he blatantly ignored Sam in favour of walking on ahead of me with Jessica to finish the shopping, leaving me talking with Sam.
"I was going to call you. I just got a little side tracked."
"I wouldn't have blamed you if you didn't." he blushed "It was a horrible date, I failed you miserably."
"No you…Well yes, you did. But points for effort though. I'm sorry I drank. I hadn't had a decent drink in a while and it hit me a little harder than I thought it would."
He smiled "It's fine, you were very… honest on the car ride to your place."
I cringed.
"Oh God…"
"Don't worry you didn't say anything bad, just that you questioned my shoe wear."
Oh, good God.
"It's not that there is anything wrong with them…"
"You said they were very 'doctor-y,' which you found hilarious." He teased.
"Oh, God, seriously, you can ignore me if you like. I can pretend I never saw you and it'll let you off the hook."
He laughed, "Now Sookie why'd I want to do that? I was starving, but it was still… Eventful."
I blushed, I knew I did. I could feel it in my cheeks.
"Still…"
"Look, can I make it up to you? I promise no possible food poisoning, no giant glasses of wine and hopefully no social workers making surprise calls."
"What did you have in mind?"
"Dinner, my place, Sunday night?"
Oh no.
"I can't."
His smile faltered slightly.
"I mean I want to, but that's Eric's night off and I have the baby alone."
"So? Bring her, too. We could do dinner after she goes to sleep…"
"How about we compromise."
He raised his brows.
"How about you come over and I cook for you? That way Jessica gets to sleep in her crib and we still get to spend some time together."
He smiled. "Can I at least bring desert?"
"Another store pie?" I laughed.
"No! …Well."
"Sam, don't sweat it. Just bring you and an appetite and that's all we need."
He nodded, agreeing, and promising he'd be in kissed me on the cheek before he left, and I walked to find Eric with a goofy smile on my face.
I found him in the candy aisle with an open pack of jelly worms, giving Jessica one before she fisted it to her mouth.
"Hey." I smiled.
He just looked on at the baby "Hey."
"You get everything you needed?" I asked, trying to keep my good mood without bitching him out for being rude again. It was his choice.
"Yep."
"Pop tarts? Really? Eric, those aren't very healthy."
"Well, I like them, so I got them. Is that okay? No one's asking you to eat 'em."
Touchy.
"Fine. Let me just grab a few more things and we'll go."
Wipes, tampons, toilet paper, a few cleaning supplies, tub of ice-cream and the ingredients for an apple pie and I was on my way to the checkout. Eric still didn't look at me and his icy mood was getting colder by the second. When all the items we'd gotten were scanned and packed, I pulled out my card to pay.
"What are you doing?"
"Uh, what does it look like?" I went to put the card in the machine, while the checkout girl waited for one of us to make up our mind. She also was batting her lashes at Eric.
God.
"No, you're not. I'll get this."
"Uh, no, most of the stuff in here I picked, so I'll get it."
"Sookie, can you just stop? Let me get this."
"Why?"
"Just, because!" he all but huffed at me.
"Why, because you're the guy and it's another one of those guy things? Sorry, Eric, but I can pay my own way. I don't want your money."
"Jesus, why do you have to make everything so damn difficult!"
ME! He was the one causing a scene.
I just gave him the eyebrow as I brushed him aside and yanked my card through the little machine. It beeped, I entered my pin and we were good to go. He, however, just rolled his eyes and took Jessica from the cart to the car without me, leaving me with the cart full of shit.
What the fuck?
By the time I got to the car I was livid. I got in and slammed the door of the jeep.
"What the fuck is your problem?"
"I don't have a problem."
"Liar."
He finally looked at me.
"It was one thing. Just paying for the damn food and you couldn't even let someone … no not someone, me! You couldn't even let me do that could you?"
"Because it was MY SHIT MOSTLY. I'm not going to let you pay for my stuff, Eric, it's not fair."
He rolled his eyes. "We both know the stuff you bought, we'll both end up cooking. So why not let me pay for it? Because you're a stubborn ass woman, that's why."
Oh I'm stubborn?
"And you're …I can't believe you're making such a big deal out of this! Jesus, you acted like I cut your balls off."
He just glanced at me.
Had I? Had I, metaphorically at least, lopped off his balls?
Fucking men! Why were they so complicated?
He just took off at warp speed and didn't slow down at all.
"Eric slow down."
He ignored me.
"ERIC, SLOW FUCKING DOWN."
He ignored me again.
"ERIC!" I yelled, startling Jessica and making her cry. He finally slowed down. "Stop the fucking car."
"Sookie, I'm.."
"Stop. The. Car."
He pulled into the side of the road, as the other cars sped past us. I undid my seat belt and got out of the car, leaving him with the screaming baby. I walked along the side of the road, marching really, before I heard the squeals of the car reversing.
"Sookie, get in the fucking car."
"Fuck you." I said walking on faster.
"Sookie, Jesus, you can't walk home for Christ's sake. Just get IN the car!"
"Why? So you can prove that you're a man by driving like a mentalist? Did you forget that my cousin and your BEST FRIEND fucking DIED on this highway? Did you?"
He frowned, stopping the car finally and getting out.
"Sookie..." He attempted to reach for my arm. I shoved it away, then I pushed him, and pushed him, the more I pushed him the more my anger built.
"HOW COULD YOU BE SO FUCKING STUPID?"
I pushed his chest. I pushed and pushed and he just stood there and let me. It wasn't making him move at all.
"You could have hit another car, or a car could have hit us, or something could have ran into the road and what were you doing? PROVING to me what a man you are just because - because …" I sobbed unintentionally.
I heard Jessica wailing in the backseat and I instantly felt guilty for leaving her there.
He tried to reach for my arm again, and this time I let him.
I tired to stop my tears from falling but I couldn't, and the more I tried, the harder I sobbed. He pulled me to his chest, wrapping his arms around me.
"I'm sorry." He whispered into my ear as he rubbed my back, comforting me.
"It was stupid!" I said into his chest, the sound of my voice muffled.
"I know, and I'm sorry I don't know what I was thinking. I was just mad. And I fucked up."
"Damn right you did." I looked up at him then, still not stepping out of his embrace. I had to side with Jessica- his chest was kind of cosy.
He looked pale and sombre, and if I wasn't wrong, I almost saw tears in his eyes.
"I fucked up. I'm tryin' to handle this, Sookie, but you seem to think I have this plan and that I'm doing so great when the truth is, I have no fucking idea how things are meant to be."
I felt the same. Still he hugged me and I let him, trying not to let myself get lost in how good it felt to have his arms wrapped around me, or just how good he smelled.
We broke apart when the wails from the car got louder. I dabbed my eyes and fixed my hair, noticing that I'd left mascara all over his white t-shirt.
He got into the driver seat and I got into the back with the now very pissed off Jessica. Her face was red and streaked with tears. Poor thing probably thought we'd just left her. I took her out of her baby seat as I noticed Eric sitting up front, exhaling loudly and inhaling slowly. I cradled her in my lap and did my best to rock her back and forth, attempting any and all calming methods I knew of to chill her out. None of those worked of course, until Eric switched on the radio. Rock music made her cry louder, which made Eric scowl.
"We really need to get this kid some musical taste." he mumbled, switching through the different stations till he found something that met Madam's standards.
"Taylor Swift? Really Jessica?" I asked as she stopped crying and listened to the music. Her tears were still falling from her very red little eyes, but the wailing had stopped.
"Whiny little girls and their guitars. Awesome." Eric mumbled again in the front seat.
"How is that any different that whiny middle aged men and their guitars? It's just a different beat."
He raised a brow at me in the mirror. I just smiled and started to hum along with the lyrics, noticing that Jessica's breathing was coming back to normal and she wasn't fighting me as I held her.
"You've got a smile that could light up this whole town." I sang gently into her ear as I hummed the rest, while Eric started the car to take us home, " I'm the one who understands you, been here all along… you belong with me."
Eric looked at us in his rear view mirror again, and this time was sure there were tears in his eyes. He was quick to look away and it wasn't something I'd bring up, but I guess I'd been rather selfish in my thinking. I'd been so concerned about how losing Alcide and Hadley had effected me, I never once stopped to realise that Eric had lost his best friend too.
Way to go Sookie.
EPOV:
I realise what an asshole move I'd made when I tore out of the parking lot like a madman. But I was angry, more at myself than anyone else. Why couldn't I just deal with the fact that Sookie wasn't going to let me step up and take care of things, stupid things like groceries, or bills? No, she was stubborn and independent. Two things that weren't necessarily bad personality traits, but at that moment they pissed me off. And, she was right. I took my anger out on the car, and when she asked me to slow down, I did ignore her. I ignored her to the point where I really scared her, and I felt like such a shit for doing that. It wasn't what I'd intended. I was allowing my passive-aggressive nature to take over so she'd know I was pissed at her without actually saying so. Forgetting, even momentarily, that fooling around on a highway could cost us our lives, and mores the point, could have cost us Jessica.
My heart sank when I saw just how freaked out and upset she was. So when she stormed away from the car in the emergency lane I panicked. I needed her to know I wasn't doing it to scare her. Shit, that was the last thing I wanted. I knew she wasn't dealing with their deaths very well, and truth be told, neither was I. When she started to sob I swear my heart broke, or something inside me broke. It was no secret that crying women were like my kryptonite. So when I tried to hug her, and she actually let me, I was shocked, but I welcomed it nonetheless. Holding her, even as she sobbed at my expense, it felt right somehow. I tried not to dwell on just how good it felt to comfort her, or how good her shampoo smelled, or how warm she felt next to me, or how I wanted to kiss those tears off her beautiful - if slightly red - face.
I led her back to the car, where we'd been very shitty parents in leaving the one-year-old to sob her little heart out. Sookie tried her best to hush her. We tried the radio trick and since Jessica was a contemporary pop country girl, my rock station wasn't going to cut it. As Sookie sat, rocking the baby girl that looked just like her in her arms, singing to her how she belonged to her, it made me want to cry like a bitch.
Damn you, Taylor Swift. Whiney little bitch with your guitar.
It got me thinking about how Alcide wouldn't get to see his kid grow up, or see her take her first steps, or fall in love, or get married, but somehow because he thought something of me, I got that privilege.
It was fucking scary, I'll tell you that.
When we got home, Jessica was asleep in Sookie's arms. It was her naptime, after all, and since both Sookie and I were as exhausted as she was, we both decided to chill on the couch. We'd fallen into silence as we pretended to watch bad daytime TV. I realised she'd fallen asleep at some point before the sun had set, as had I. I woke up with a dead leg from sitting on it for too long.
Sookie was still out when I went to check on Jessica, who, surprisingly was just chillin' in her crib looking at the new 'mobile' I'd bought her. This one was creepy, with evil floating heads, instead had butterflies - they had bodies and everything- and it didn't confuse the kid. Butterflies flew, heads did not.
"Hey kid." she put her arms up for me to lift her, and I did. "Hey, you hungry?"
I knew by her weight she needed a diaper change, and as tempted as I was to wake Sookie so she could change her, I knew I'd have to man up and get used to it.
"Oh my God, kid, seriously we need to check your digestive system. This actual shit is NOT normal. Ugh."
She just giggled at me.
"It's not funny, it's gross! Can you say gross?" I took a breath through my mouth and held it till I had her old diaper wrapped and packed in the diaper bin.
She was wiped and powdered and fresh when I re-snapped her little dress back to rights.
"Okay, kid, let's go.
I left Sookie a note that I was gone to my apartment to make sure the movers had everything they needed. I'd be subletting it so all my old furniture was staying, except for a few things, like my flat screen and personal stuff. Those things would be boxed and brought over on Monday. I was pleased to find everything was boxed when we got there with a note from Pam confirming she'd checked it all over, and they'd be dropping it off on Monday. I'd be glad to have my gym equipment back. If nothing else, working out all the tension I was experiencing would be helpful. It seemed a simple jog wasn't clearing my head as it use to.
I picked out some shirts and jeans, a few jackets and dress pants and shoes. I was now second guessing my 'date.' I didn't really like the idea of bringing those women 'home.' It was different when I lived here, alone, and had my own rules I never followed. But then I looked at Jessica as she rolled and crawled on the bubble wrap, and exposing her to those women wasn't exactly something I wanted. I had needs ,sure, but then again, so did she. She needed parents, not random strangers. As much as I hated to admit it, Meg was right. Casual sex wouldn't have been so easy now.
I stopped by the bar as dinners where being cooked up and got Jessica fed. She lapped up her creamed potatoes and chicken bits like a pro. Of course, my kitchen staff looked at me like I had two heads. I guess seeing the boss with a kid would be kind of weird. They didn't say anything, even if their eyes were about to pop out of their heads.
I wiped Jessica off after she'd successfully charmed all the staff, each one of them wanting to coo at her or hold her. I'd left her to get acquainted with Claudine, my head chief, before I went to check things over in the office.
"Pam." I greeted. She had her feet up on my desk as she spoke on the phone. I gave her the eyebrow, and she took them down.
"Okay, that's fine. So we need the sixteen of those in white. Yep, great." She hung up. "I didn't expect to see you today. Where's Jessica?"
"She's charming the staff in the kitchen."
She smiled. "Wanna see what I got her?"
"Pam, we talked about that. You don't have to get her anything. She has everything a kid needs."
"Not these, she doesn't." She was practically bouncing with glee. Not a good sign.
She produced a tiny box and inside there was shoes. Of course, with Pam it was always all about the shoes.
Dior baby shoes? Seriously?
"You're ridiculous. She can't even walk yet!"
"Well, when she does, she'll be the most fashion forward baby in the barn, or wherever it is kids play."
I shook my head at her.
"Fine you want to waste your money on her on silly things like this, go nuts." She smiled and took off to find Jess and shove her little feet into designer baby shoes. Well, at least there was one happy woman in my life.
The office door opened not a minute later, with Tiffany on the other side.
"Hey." she grinned.
Oh, God, I did not have the time or the energy for this.
"Hey. Something wrong?" I asked.
"No, just haven't seen you around much lately."
"Been busy." I checked the invoices as she made her way to my side of the desk.
"I've missed you."
See? Not good.
"Tiffany. Come on." I tried to ignore when she reached for the buttons on my shirt.
"What? We have fun don't we?"
"We did, once, but … you knew it wasn't more than a one time thing. I told you that. And I told you that I'm just not… I'm not the right guy for you."
She pouted but accepted what I was saying, thankfully.
"So who's is she?"
I looked at her.
"The kid, is she yours?"
Was she mine? Legally she was mine now. But biologically she'd always be Alcide's.
"Yeah, she's mine."
That surprised her.
"What happened? Did some pissed off baby momma leave her with you, or something?"
"No. Not exactly. Look, I don't want to talk about this." With you… "So, if there's something else?"
She looked hurt. "So that's it? That's it? Just, screw around and then, nothing? Not even a civil conversation? Really?"
"You knew what you were doing, Tiffany, and you knew that I had a reputation. I don't date my staff. Hell, I don't do anything with my staff, usually… But you were …" A mistake, a distraction. "A once off." I decided was a better turn of phrase.
"And it can't happen again?" She asked, more hopeful that I'd have liked.
"No, it can't. Are you okay with that?" I asked finally looking her in the eye.
She nodded. "Fine."
"Good."
She stalled at the door like she wanted to say something else but she didn't, and for that, I was thankful.
Pam came in with Jessica in her arms. It was an odd sight.
"Look at those shoes! They're perfect! And look how cute she looks with her little dress and now completely amazing shoes."
"Fine Pam you win; they are … nice."
"Psh, nice. NICE? They are Dior and Dior is more than 'nice'." she rolled her eyes at me.
"Jessica you'll understand the importance of a good shoe one day, and when you do you'll have me to thank and not Eric, because he has no taste. In shoes, or in women. Take Tiffany for example." She looked smiling from the baby to glare at me. "You done screwing around with her?"
"I didn't screw around with her. We didn't even have sex."
"Well you must have done something." I looked away.
"Oh Eric, really? Oral from the wait staff?"
"Drop it Pam."
"Fine, fine, but one of these days your whoring is going to bite you in the ass, and not the fun love bites either. But, whatever it's your life. Speaking of, how is Sookie?"
"What's that mean?"
"You know, the fake-baby-mamma to your fake-baby-daddy thing that you've both got going on. How is she today?"
"She's fine, I guess. She's dating someone."
"Who? The douche that showed up at the funeral?"
"No, Jessica's doctor of all things. I don't like the guy."
"Because he's dating Sookie." she stated, and it wasn't a question either.
"No, I don't care who she dates. I just … he rubs me the wrong way."
"Because he's going to be fucking Sookie." she stated again.
"No Pam, I don't give a shit who she's …she's…" Okay fine, I gave a shit, that much was obvious since I couldn't even say it.
"Uh huh." she smiled. "You like her don't you? I knew it. You've been hung up on her since like two years ago when you both fucked up that date."
"I'm not hung up on her, and I don't like her. Not like that."
"Really? So you're perfectly fine with some guy coming along and sweeping her off her feet and fucking her through her mattress?"
Bad. Visuals were bad.
"I'm not talking about this with you. Jessica and I are going."
I stormed out of the office leaving her with that annoying satisfied smirk on her face. Sometimes I wondered why I kept her around at all.
Back at home, we found Sookie in the kitchen tackling some dishes and looking freshly showered.
"Hi."
"Hey. Hey baby girl." She took Jessica from me for a cuddle.
"Uh, Eric, did you buy her Dior shoes?" She looked very surprised.
"Pam."
"Oh, that makes more sense. They are gorgeous though." she smiled "Who has pretty shoes, for a pretty girl? You do! That's right, you do!"
"Feeling better?" I asked her, hoping she wouldn't bite my head off.
She smiled. "I am, thanks. Sorry for having a total fit on you before." She blushed tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Eh I'm getting used to it." I teased grinning at her.
I walked to her side, taking the cloth and started to dry the small amount of dishes that she'd washed.
"I know women that would kill to have a guy volunteer to help with the dishes."
I just shrugged.
"So what are your plans for your date?" She asked, still smiling. It made me want to tell her I'd been having second thoughts on the whole 'dating' around the house thing. Maybe I needed a longer break from women, and she, Jessica and Pam where more than enough for me right now.
"I mean, it's good that you're getting out there again. I'm sure all those text messages I see you ignoring are from girls who are wondering just what in the hell you've been doing. Or, in your case, not doing. It's good."
"It is?"
"Yeah. I mean this is who you are, and that's cool. As long as you're happy."
Was I?
"Actually, Sookie, I think you know maybe I -"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you! Sam's coming over for dinner tomorrow night. That way we don't have to move Jessica around while Sam and I try to rectify the date from hell. Minus the giant amounts of wine. So it's good you have the night off, right? I mean we'll hang out in the den, or wherever when you come back. I don't want to interrupt anything."
"Oh."
"So what do you have planned?"
"A few drinks and dinner mostly. Nothing exciting, really."
"Sounds nice though." She was being nice. "Just no Andre's."
"I'm not that dumb."
"He's not dumb. He just doesn't have time to eat out to know these things."
"Doesn't his practice only open till 6?"
"He's a busy guy."
"We're all busy."
"Eric, I get it you don't like him. Let's move on. What's your date like?"
Easy.
"Ginger. She's, well, she's…"
I'd slept with her twice and I didn't know all that much about her.
"She's not actually Ginger, she's blonde."
Sookie full on laughed. "It's a name, not a description. Someone called Jade isn't going to be green either. Well, if I get to meet her, I hope to find out something more about her other than her hair colour." She shrugged.
"Yeah, I guess we'll have to see won't we?"
I had a bad feeling about this.
Hi guys! So what did we think? I know most of you were expect the 'date' this chapter, but the muses weren't buying it so soon, but next chapter looks promising! Thank you so much for the reviews and love it's all so amazing so keep it up! :D Big up to Makesmyheadspin for beta'ing this baby for me tonight! :D
Here are Jessica's shoes (which I have to admit are just too awesome aren't they?)
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