A/N: Thank you all so much for the TFO love! The amount of reviews, PMs, alerts, etc... blows my mind. If I could give each of you a private dinner with Mr. Table For One, I would. Unfortunately he's busy in my kitchen preparing a special breakfast for two. sigh....he really looks lovely in just an apron. But I digress...

As always, mucho thanks to my beautiful beta, S. Meadows. She rocks my world!

I am so glad that everyone loved my version of Gran. She's definitely a bit OOC, but she maintains similar qualities of the Gran we know and love, just amped up a bit. And kudos to all of you who caught the Gladys reference. For those who aren't aware of who Gladys is, she's the one who inspired Gran to "love Jesus, but drink a little." Link to a video for more explanation in my profile! And for your reading pleasure...a bit more Gran *grins*

Eric POV:

She called. I have to say I was a bit surprised that she called right away, but it definitely made my Sunday. I woke up that morning, my mind completely consumed with thoughts of Sookie, and I wanted her to know. But, of course, I wanted her to know in a sweet, "hey I dig you" sort of way. So, I called Pam.

Pam was thrilled and enjoyed teasing the hell out of me. I had to explain the entire situation so she would understand why she was being called unforgivably early on a Sunday morning to track down a florist who could make a bouquet with high end cooking utensils and have it delivered within a few hours. I figured if I was going to give her such a task she deserved an explanation. She was happy for me and then after her ear piercing shrieks of joy, I had to endure some smartass remarks, before I put her in her place, reminding Pam that I was still her boss. She quieted down immediately, but I was certain she was still grinning big over the phone.

Thankfully Pam worked her magic and got an arrangement all set up. She even made a point of swinging by my place for me to hand write the card, saying that Abby wouldn't have it any other way. I'm not sure what her friend Abby had to do with any of this, and I had to remind Pam of my desire for confidentiality. But, I couldn't be too put out, since she really came through for me.

I wish I could have been there to see the expression on Sookie's face when she opened the arrangement. I wasn't sure if it would seem over the top, or if she would love it. I hoped that she would appreciate it and want to thank me with a nice, home cooked meal.

Needless to say I was pretty surprised that she called that afternoon. Her voce was a bit shaky and I wondered if she was nervous. I tried to play it cool, but I probably sounded horribly lame. I was a little nervous as well, not that I would ever admit it.

She let me know the arrangement arrived and she really liked it. The strange bundle of nerves that had been sitting in my stomach ever since I had it sent out released and I automatically felt lighter. I was never one to really care what other people thought if it wasn't affecting me directly, but with Sookie I always wanted to make sure that she was happy.

After making some small talk she ended up throwing me for a bit of a loop. She said that her grandmother had visited and seen the arrangement and was now curious to meet me. She seemed incredibly frazzled as she relayed this information to me, but I thought it was sweet. I'm sure her elderly grandmother was just looking out for her and the fact that she even thought it was necessary to meet me made me smile. It meant that I held some sort of importance in Sookie's life, right?

I told Sookie that it would be an honor to meet her grandmother and we scheduled a lunch date for Wednesday. I was happy that I'd get a chance to see her before Friday. Was I still even going to keep my Friday night dinners at Merlotte's? I had to think on that. It would be odd if I continued going if Sookie and I were going to date. Would she think it strange to wait on me? This was one of those things we were going to have to discuss, and sooner rather than later.

I debated possibly asking Pam her take on the situation but decided that she didn't need any more fuel for the fire of teasing she was currently working on.

I headed into work Monday, only to find a smirking Pam waiting outside of my office, coffee in hand.

"Good morning Mr. Northman. I trust your weekend went well? I hope the arrangement was well received."

I inwardly groaned. It was too early for her comments about my personal life, so I squashed that line of thinking quickly. "Thank you for the coffee Pamela, and for your help over the weekend. That will be all. I have some work to do and I'd rather not be disturbed."

Without missing a beat Pam just smirked at me, shook her head and made her way back to her desk. I wondered when my secretary became my closest confidant. At least I knew I could count on her confidentiality. Not wanting to provide Pam with more fun, I ended up making Wednesday's lunch reservations myself. The restaurant was quite surprised to hear my voice when I called, and I hoped it secured us their best table.

I lost myself in my work the next two days and was able to accomplish much of what I had set out to do. When Wednesday came I felt I was a bit ahead of the game and could allow myself a nice, leisurely lunch with Sookie and her grandmother.

It didn't escape Pam's notice that I was wearing my favorite blue Armani shirt with the silver tie but she was wise enough not to say anything beyond, "looking sharp today, Mr. Northman."

I had told her I was having a private meeting for lunch but that I would be accessible through my cell phone. I also gave her a look that said not to bother me if it wasn't needed.

As the morning dragged on I got increasingly nervous. I had never met the parents of a girl I was interested in, let alone a grandparent. What sway did Sookie's grandmother's opinion hold? I plowed through my work hoping to distract myself and I got increasingly frustrated with some documents that were not organized properly. It wasn't enough that I growled into the phone anytime Pam buzzed in, I then called her into my office and chewed her out for something that was most like not her fault.

"If I may be frank Mr. Northman, what the fuck has gotten your panties in such a bunch?"

I stared at Pam for a moment before bursting out in laughter. It felt good to laugh and the fact that Pam had the audacity to verbally bitch slap me like that had me chuckling.

"My lunch meeting is with Sookie and her grandmother and I've never had to do anything like that, so I'm a bit distracted."

Pam nodded expectantly and then looked at the clock. "You have about fifteen minutes until you need to leave. I have to go run off and do something quickly. Why don't you go into the men's room, splash some cool water on your face, and get. a. grip. You're Eric Northman for Christ's sake. Men want to be you and women want to be with you. Please try and remember that and tell the pussy that has currently taken up residence in your brain to vacate the premises immediately."

And with that she spun around on her heel and headed off to run whatever necessary errand she had to get done. I swear, if she wasn't the best secretary I had ever had, she would have been out of a job the day I hired her. As it stood, I took in Pam's words and tried to channel my boardroom persona: tough, capable, kick ass. I was soon ready to take on the challenge of lunch with grandma.

….

I was already waiting at the restaurant, holding the two flowers that Pam had thrust at me before leaving the office.

"Trust me," she said. "They will both appreciate it. Abby told me so!"

I shook my head, wondering if this Abby was Pam's newest girlfriend, since she talked about her so much. I didn't have much time to dwell on that though, because just then I caught a glimpse of Sookie out of the corner of my eye. She was stunning. She wore a light blue sundress that set off her eyes beautifully. Her hair was piled up high on top of her head. It wasn't fussy or pretentious though and she looked carefree and beautiful.

Sookie walked towards me, holding the hand of a lovely older woman who must have been her grandmother. Looking at the two of them together, I could easily see where Sookie got her smile and beautiful eyes from. I waved to them, and they headed towards me, while the hostess went to check on our table.

"Hello Sookie," I said, giving her a smile. "And Mrs. Stackhouse, a pleasure to meet you."

I extended my hand to her, and she grasped it firmly in her own warm hand. "Please, my friends call me Adele, and I do hope you will be my friend, Mr. Northman," she said with a wink. I couldn't help but break out into a smile for her as well.

"Well then, Adele, if we are going to be friends then I must insist you call me Eric." I decided it wouldn't hurt to turn on the old Eric Northman charm.

"Eric it is, young man!" Adele exclaimed before giving me a swat on my backside. I looked at her with wide eyes, wondering just who the heck this sweet old biddy was; I simply got a big grin in return, like nothing happened. I looked at Sookie who was a red as a tomato and mouthing "sorry" to me behind Adele's back. I shook my head like it was no big thing, and I had old ladies slapping my ass all the time. Thankfully the hostess returned just at that moment and led us to the table. Just to be on the safe side, I made sure to walk behind Adele and her wandering hand.

When we got to the table I deftly pulled out Adele's chair first, and helped her get settled, before doing the same for Sookie. After I had settled into my seat, I handed both Adele and Sookie the flowers Pam had given me.

"Two flowers for two beautiful ladies," I said with a wink. Sookie looked up at me with a look of pure happiness, and I am sure I was radiating the same. Crazy grandma could slap my ass as much as she wanted to if it meant spending some quality time with her gorgeous granddaughter.

It was silent for a moment while we all perused the menus in front of us. I was trying to decide between the steak sandwich and the Asian style chicken salad when Adele's voice broke through the silence.

"So, Eric, what is the story with your hair? Are you a hippie or one of them metrosexuals?"

I looked over at Sookie and she buried her beautiful, reddening face in her hands. I thought I heard her groan. I chuckled to myself as I watched Adele lean towards Sookie as she not so quietly whispered, "Sookie, it's okay. Metrosexual is not an offensive term. I heard it on Oprah."

If it's possible, Sookie buried her face further into her hands, clearly embarrassed by her grandmother. I actually found Adele quite refreshing and unique, exactly like her granddaughter. After the ass slap and the metrosexual comment, I was completely at ease with Adele, and consequently, Sookie.

I was about to go back to looking at the menu when I saw that Adele was looking at me expectantly. She actually wanted me to answer the question!

"Well, Adele, while I'm sure that longer hair is all the rage with the stylistas these days, I choose to keep my locks long as a nod to my heritage."

"And that would be?" She asked, not one to let anything slip by her. Sookie looked at me with interest as well, so I continued talking.

"My family hails from Scandinavia, specifically Sweden, and my mother always used to joke that I had a little bit of Viking in me." A smile passed over my face as I thought about my mother. "You could say that the long hair is in honor of both my Viking soul and my mother, who passed away some years back."

Sookie looked at me with a smile in her eyes. It took a lot of effort not to lean over and capture her lips in mine. I held off, for the time being. I felt a warm hand stroke my own and looked down to see that Adele had grasped my hand, her eyes wet with unshed tears.

"A mama's boy. Usually I don't go for that pansy crap, but in this case I'd say it serves you well, Eric."

"Why thank you, Adele. I truly appreciate it." While this wasn't a winning endorsement, I'd say that I just scored some points in Adele Stackhouse's book.

Our waitress came by then and took our orders. I ended up going with the steak sandwich and tuffled pomme frites, and it was a spectacular choice. It hit the spot and was quite tasty. It didn't hurt that every so often Sookie would sneak a fry off of my plate. The fact that she felt that comfortable pleased me, but I wasn't going to let the action go unnoticed.

"Can I offer you a fry, Sookie?" I teased. She looked up at me, a hint of guilt spreading on her face. It lasted only a second before she shoved the fry in mouth, chewing it thoughtfully.

"Nah, I'm good," she said with a wink. The fact that she could hold her own when I teased her actually made me a bit hard. This was neither the time nor the place, so I did my best to concentrate on my food, and not my desire to grab Sookie's hand and pull her into the coat closet for a little afternoon delight. We had yet to do more than kiss, but if the connection I felt during our kiss was any indication, I knew that anything more would be incredible.

While we were eating our waitress came around to check in on us and asked if we needed anything. Adele piped up with a request that was met with some chagrin from Sookie.

"May I take a look at the wine menu, dear?" The waitress scurried away and quickly came back with the wine list for Adele.

"Gran, don't you think it's a touch early for a drink?" Sookie asked, with a touch of concern in her voice.

"My dear Sookie, don't you remember what I told you the other day? About Jesus and liquor? You didn't seem so opposed to drinking then. Now hush your mouth and let me enjoy a glass of wine."

I barely stifled back a grin as I took in this exchange. I had no idea what alcohol and Jesus had to do with each other, and I wasn't sure I wanted to know. I did, however, want to know more about Sookie and Gran's little drinkfest.

I cocked my eyebrow in Sookie's direction and asked, "Did you and Adele have a little party and not invite me?" I knew that brazenly flirting with her in front of her grandmother was risky, but I felt that I would only win points in Adele's book. Judging by the blush that crept into Sookie's cheeks, she wasn't averse to a little flirting either.

"I, um, well…" Sookied stumbled over her words, unable to really form a complete sentence. I smirked, relishing the fact that I could do this to her.

Not one to skip a beat, Adele whipped back a slick reply, "Eric, had I known how charming you were, you would have certainly been at the top of our guest list. However, Sookie seemed intent on keeping you all to herself."

Sookie's blush just increased and I hoped Adele's words held a kernel of truth in them. I flashed Sookie a look that hopefully conveyed what I was feeling and she smiled at me in a reassuring manner. While lunch with Sookie and Adele was lovely, I was certainly looking forward to a solo date with Sookie, hopefully soon.

After polishing off her glass of wine, Adele grew a bit chattier. I learned more about how she had helped raised Sookie once her parents had passed away, and I quickly understood how they had come to be so close. The conversation flowed smoothly and as lunch drew to a close, I felt I had passed Adele's inspection with flying colors. Or so I thought.

"So, Eric," Adele said, pointing her fork in my direction. "What exactly are your intentions concerning my granddaughter?"

My intentions, Mrs. Stackhouse? To be frank, I intend to lick her and bite her and rub myself all over your granddaughter.

"My intentions?" I feigned ignorance, but Adele was smarter than that.

"Yes, Eric. Your intentions. Sookie is special to me and I want to ensure that your intentions are noble."

Sookie blushed eight different shades of red, all of which looked beautiful against her skin. I couldn't wait until I was able to cause her skin to flush from something other than embarrassment.

"Gran…."she groaned.

"Hush, Sookie. I just want to ensure that Eric here is on the up and up. He's a smooth talker and a sharp looking man, Sookie. Those are the ones you need to look out for!"

Sookie rolled her eyes, but I took this opportunity to ease Adele's mind and relay a message of my own to Sookie.

"Adele, I understand your concerns and find it endearing. Rest assured that I do not have any tawdry intentions when it comes to Sookie. I genuinely enjoy her company and hope to spend more time with her in the near future. Her radiance, beauty and vigor for life are all infectious. I feel just a bit more alive since having met her." I stared directly at Sookie when I said the last few things. I hoped she understood just how drawn to her I was. She was not some passing fancy or shiny, new toy I would soon be bored with.

"See what I mean about those smooth talkers, Sookie?" Adele said with a sigh as she winked at me. Then her tone grew more serious as she took my hand and looked me straight in the eyes.

"Eric, I have full faith that you will be good to Sookie, and I'm entrusting you with that faith. Don't let me down."

I nodded solemnly, hoping that Adele believed me. She squeezed my hand a smidge harder than an old lady like her should be able to do and said, "Good, because otherwise I would have to break out a can of whoop ass. I'm not sure where one would find such a can, but I hear they are quite unpleasant and I would make sure to find one."

I couldn't keep it in any longer and let out a laugh, and was quickly joined by Sookie and then Adele. We were still laughing when the waitress came with our bill. I grabbed it before either of the ladies could even attempt to do so.

"Please ladies, allow me to treat you. Your company and conversation made the meal more than worth it."

I saw Sookie give me a huge smile and Adele nodded in agreement.

"Thank you very much Eric. I will have to make it up to you with a home cooked meal one of these days. You'll see where Sookie truly gets her cooking skills from."

"That would be delightful, Adele," I said as I stood up and went over to pull her chair out. I then walked over to pull Sookie's chair out and my hand grazed her shoulder. The spark that shot through me from touching her bare skin was almost too much to bear, and I could feel Sookie shiver beneath my hand. There was no doubt about it, I needed to get some alone time with Sookie, and fast.

"Thank you Eric," Sookie barely managed to whisper. Clearly I had some effect on her as well.

"Yoo hoo, you too lovebirds," Adele chuckled, getting my attention. Lovebirds? I mean, I liked Sookie and her body was calling out to mine, but love? This was one area where Adele was off the mark. I let it slide though and turned to see what she wanted.

"I just spotted Mrs. Fortenberry, a good friend of mine. Would you two mind excusing me for a minute before we head out?"

"Not at all, Adele. Go say hello to your friend, Sookie and I will meet you outside." I was thrilled that I would now have a few minutes alone with Sookie.

"Aren't you a dear, Eric. See you in a bit." And with that Adele took off, waving her hand excitedly and calling out, "Yoo hoo!!!" quite loudly.

I threaded my hand through Sookie's and smiled when she tightened her grip. "Thank you," she said, leaning her head against me.

The warmth of her body felt wonderful and at this close proximity I could smell her own unique scent. I inhaled deeply before asking, "for what?"

She continued to lean into me as we walked outside. "For everything. For lunch, for being so cool with Gran, for being such a gentleman." We found our way to a bench and sat down, our hands never parting.

"For sharing your fries," she added with a smile.

I turned to look at her, and thought of a hundred things I could have said in that moment. Instead, I decided to leave the words unspoken and bent down, light grazing my lips against her own. She tasted salty and sweet a perfect combination of Sookie and whatever she had eaten. I rested my forehead against hers and licked my lips, reveling in the taste.

"You're welcome."

Her hand reached up and she traced my lips with her fingers, her eyes focused entirely on my face. "Will I see you again this week?" she asked.

"Do you want to see me again this week?" I asked, slightly teasing, slightly unsure.

She answered by reclaiming my lips with her own, before nibbling on my bottom lip, mumbling into my mouth.

"Yes".

"Then you'll see me again this week."

Sookie looked up at me with a smile on her face before it suddenly disappeared.

"What's the matter?"

"I'm such an idiot. I completely forgot that Sam gave me Friday off. I went into the restaurant Monday, to help out with some paperwork, and filled in for a shift yesterday, and I'm working again the next few nights, since he was in a jam. So, I won't see you when you come into Merlotte's on Friday."

The fact that she looked forward to our shared Friday nights just as much as me made me smile.

"Sookie," I said, lifting her head up with a finger, "I don't have to go to Merlotte's on Friday. To be honest, you were the main reason I kept returning. Well, you and the fantastic steak." I grinned at her, hoping I hadn't gone overboard with my compliment.

Her face lit up as a look of excitement passed over it.

"Then, if you happen to be free Friday night, I would love to take you out, Eric."

Did she just ask me out on a date? I think she did!

"That would be excellent Sookie. What did you have in mind?"

Her grin grew even bigger. "It's a surprise. I still have to meet with Lafayette in the late afternoon for my cooking lesson, but I'm free after that. Would you like to meet at Merlotte's, and we can head off from there? You won't need your car."

I was intrigued and already wishing it was Friday.

"That sounds wonderful, I can't wait."

"Great. I'll have my people call your people and we can finalize the details," she said, a smirk playing on her lips. Sookie was actually teasing me.

I leaned in, stealing one more kiss before Adele returned, but wasn't quite fast enough, as I heard the "yoo hoo!" coming from around the corner.

"There you two are! Let's save it for the bedroom please, there are children around!" Adele chided, shaking her head. She sighed happily though, as I walked both of them to the parking lot.

I helped Adele into Sookie's car before walking around to the driver's side. I brushed a piece of Sookie's hair out of her face, and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek, not wanting to chance another scolding from Adele.

"I'll see you on Friday."

"See you then," she said before sliding into her car. I watched as they drove off, the grin that had settled on my face not budging an inch. I must have still had the goofy look in place when I returned to the office.

"So, I take it lunch went well?" Pam asked as soon as I walked in the door?

"Exceedingly well, Pam. Thank you for asking." I headed back to catch up on work and caught Pam's quiet reply.

"Glad to see that stick finally vacated your ass."

A/N: But what a sweet, sweet ass it is...