AN: Better late than never, right? And technically, it is still Thursday! Thanks to everyone who continues to read the Surfer's journey. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Thanks to Laura BF for the banner she made for CSTW, which I will eventually get around to posting. And thanks to pfloogs72 for being my clutch/beta!

~Chapter 14: Soul Arch ~

"There you are," Eric's familiar voice calls from behind me. I turn around and smile when I see him leaning against the jamb of the oversized doorway in front of the valet. I've just ushered Portia into her town car, the last duty of the conference ending as soon as the black car cleared the long drive leading away from the property.

"Hey Eric," I say, closing the distance between us. I start to blush under his assessing gaze; something I haven't yet mastered not doing around him.

"I'm assuming that was the Wicked Witch of the West in that last town car?"

I laugh and nod. "She's off to see some other wizard." I stop in front of him, leaving a respectable distance between us and look down at my watch. "My flying monkey duties are officially over as of five minutes ago."

"Glad to hear it," he says, pushing off the door and taking a step towards me. The respectable distance I'd left is completely demolished. He reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "You look tired."

"Gee, thanks," I say with a smirk. "You sure know how to flatter a girl."

"Friends are meant to be honest, not flattering," he says, his hand dropping down to my shoulder. "Unless, of course, you've decided that we can stop with the friend pretense."

I look up, expecting to see mirth in his eyes and am jolted when I see nothing but sincerity. I open my mouth to respond, and then close it again when I can't figure out what I want to say. It seems silly to hold onto this two-month thing - I don't think anyone would fault me for cutting it short by three days – but I'm not ready to make that leap in my current frame of mind.

"Come on," he says, tucking my hand in the crook of his arm.

"I've got to go finish up some paperwork," I start when he pulls me along behind him through the lobby. "I told Claudine I would help close out the accounts tonight."

Eric shakes his head. "It can wait until tomorrow."

"I'm not working tomorrow," I point out. As soon as Amelia had seen John Quinn, she had insisted that I take the day after the conference off to recuperate.

"I know," he replies, with a smile.

I stop in my tracks, forcing him to stop and turn to face me.

"I've got to work, Eric," I reply. "You're my boss. You should care that I do a good job."

"And I do," he replies, taking my hand in his. "But right now I need you to come with me."

"I can't."

"You can," he replies with a nod, and squeezes my hand in his. "Amelia and Claudine told me to come and get you."

"Amelia and Claudine?" I ask uncertainly.

"Yes, Amelia and Claudine. As much as I'd like to whisk you away, I'm only following orders."

I reluctantly give into his gentle tugs and begin to follow him wherever he is leading me.

"I see how it is," he laughs. "Willing to neglect your duties when Amelia wants you to, but not when I do?"

"It's different," I say.

"How is it different?" he replies.

"Amelia and Claudine wouldn't ask me to do something I'm not supposed to. You on the other hand? You'd lead a saint astray given the opportunity." When he doesn't respond, I turn to look at him with a laugh. "Oh, don't pretend I'm not right."

"I'm not," he says, looking down at me with a smirk.

"Then why are you looking at me like that?"

"I was just imagining what you'd look like in one of those little saint outfits," he replies with an exaggerated leer.

"What in the heck is a saint outfit?" I ask with a laugh. "Long robes and sandals?"

"God no," he replies with disgust. "One of those short little white ones with the wings. Like those girls in the lingerie catalogue wear?" He closes his eyes and his smile widens.

"An angel costume?"

"Yeah," he says with a nod. "An angel costume. I think I can arrange one of those if you'd like."

I shake my head and swat his arm. "You are incorrigible Eric Northman."

"I never said I wasn't."

…

Eric leads me down the winding staircase in the lobby and through the large glass doors that open out to the beach. The sun is setting on the horizon, casting shadows along the tiki-lit path. Eric refuses to tell me where he'd leading me, or what we're going to be doing, which only heightens my sense of anticipation. I'm not a big fan of mysteries in general, though I don't think Amelia, Claudine AND Eric would lead me astray.

"Amelia and Claudine are down here?" I ask.

Eric looks down at me and shrugs his shoulders.

"Eric," I practically growl with frustration. "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see," he responds, tugging on my hand. The breeze carries the sound of laughter and music across the wide expanse of the beach. I don't remember seeing any events on the schedule this morning, but I'm sure I could have overlooked them in my haste to finish Portia's last request.

"Is there an event on the lawn tonight?" I ask.

Eric says nothing, but continues to guide me down the path. We round the corner of the utility building and I stop in my tracks. The large lawn has been transformed since I was out here less than two hours ago. The sweeping expanse of grass that has seen more weddings than any other part of the property is hung with strands of twinkle lights, and filled with tables of delicacies from Lafayette's kitchen.

There are no more than twenty-five or thirty people on the lawn, but the layout of the tables and bar make it look fuller. Chow is standing in his usual position behind the bar. I see Pam and Amelia across the distance at a table with Alcide, and spot Claudine standing with Lafayette near the gazebo.

"What is this?" I ask, turning my attention back to Eric from the scene in front of me.

"Tradition," he replies with a smile. When I say nothing, he continues. "Every time a big conference wraps up, we try to have something for the staff that works it. It's something Mom and Dad started at the Santa Barbara property, and Pam and I think it's a good idea to continue it. A kind of reward for everyone's efforts."

"What about the other guests?" I ask, looking back at the hotel. While it was a relatively quiet night, there was still a need for a full staff to take care of them.

"They're taken care of," he says, and places his hand on the small of my back to propel me forward. "This isn't about worrying about the other guests," he continues. "It's about celebrating a successful event and letting go of some steam. You need to relax, Sookie."

I look over his shoulder at the hotel uncertainly. If Amelia and Claudine are down here, that means Arlene must be at the front desk with the new girl. The thought of poor, timid Maria Cooper with Arlene is nearly enough to make me bolt, but I can't deny that the scene in front of me isn't appealing.

"Don't worry," Eric says, "we have Arlene under control. She won't scare off Maria in one night."

"How did you…?" I start.

"I can read you like a book, Sookie Stackhouse," he replies with a smug smile. "Plus," he continues, leaning down to whisper in my ear, "we all think Arlene's a bitch."

I throw my head back with laughter and feel his hand clench the back of my dress in response. It is something a lover might do, and the feeling jolts me back into the moment. The heat of his fingers burns through the thin cotton of my dress; I can almost feel the ridges on his hands as if they are against my skin directly.

"Eric…" I gasp, my head reeling with the sensation flooding my body. "I…"

"There you are!" Amelia calls out, standing up from her seated position and nearly tripping over her feet in her hasty advance. I can smell the alcohol on her breath when she stops in front of us. "I was wondering when you'd get her down here," she says to Eric.

"What can I say?" he asks, his voice husky. I wonder if he felt the same jolt a moment ago. "She won't do anything I tell her."

"That's part of her charm," Amelia says with a nod, pulling me away from Eric. "Come on, I've got a drink waiting for you." I look over my shoulder as she pulls me away, and shrug in Eric's direction. He knows that there is no stopping Amelia when she's on a mission. In a way, I'm thankful for the interruption. I don't know what would have happened if we were left together.

"I was about to come and get you myself," she says, weaving through the tables towards the one she had vacated. "But Pam said that Eric would get you sorted out. I do so hope he gets you sorted out," she adds, with an exaggerated waggle of her eyebrows.

I don't have a chance to respond before she stops short at the table and plops down into the empty chair. "Look who finally made it," she says to Alcide and Pam.

"Hey Sookie," Alcide says, standing up and pulling a chair out for me. Amelia passes an icy mai tai in my direction, and I reach out and take a sip.

"Hey Alcide," I reply, taking the seat he's holding. I smile over my shoulder. "Thank you."

"I've got that," Eric's deep voice says from behind me, and I turn around in the other direction to see Eric standing behind me. His hands grip the back of my chair and help push the chair into the table.

"You're so bossy," Amelia says from across the table.

"And possessive," Pam adds with a laugh. "It's just pushing her chair in."

Eric silences her with a look and takes the empty seat next to me. Even in the warm night air, I feel a shiver as I watch him reach out and take the mai tai from my hand, taking a sip from the glass where my lips had just been.

"Were you surprised?" Amelia asks. I open my mouth to reply, but she continues. "Pam didn't think we'd be able to keep this a secret from you, but I knew we could."

"I didn't say we couldn't," Pam interjects. "I just didn't understand why you thought we should."

"Everyone loves surprises," Amelia says with authority. "Right, Sookie?"

"Erm…not particularly." Though this surprise is much better than the last surprise I'd faced - and I don't have to tell someone that no, I don't want to marry him - so things are better already."Though this is quite lovely," I add hastily, sweeping my arm in a wide arc.

Eric takes my drink again and finishes it in one gulp. "I'll go get us another," he says, pushing out of his chair. I force myself to look away as he leaves the table; it would be no good to have Amelia and Pam see me watching him. I look over to see them deep in conversation and sit back in my chair.

"I see you looking Sookie," Lafayette says not a minute later, falling into Eric's vacated seat. "Don't you go pretending you ain't interested in that piece."

I shake my head and turn to greet Lafayette. "Hey Laf."

"Don't you 'hey' me, Miss Thing," he responds, leaning towards me and scrutinizing my face. "I thought we was friends."

"We are friends," I say, furrowing my brow. "Or…at least I thought we were."

"That's what I thought," he says with a nod. "But then you gos and sleeps with that fine ass surfer and you don't tell me?"

I feel the blood rush to my face and quickly look around to see if anyone heard him. Thankfully Pam and Amelia aren't paying us any attention, and Alcide is otherwise occupied with a rather surprising woman sitting in his lap.

I look back at Lafayette and mouth, "Alcide and Claudine?"

"Oh no. You ain't getting off that easy. No changing the subject."

I lean forward and say in a voice barely above a whisper, "I'm not sleeping with Eric."

He looks at me doubtfully and shakes his head. "You don't have to lie. It's just us girls. I won't tell anyone."

"You? You're the biggest gossip around. But, I'm not sleeping with Eric," I repeat, my voice slightly louder. "Honest."

He sits back in his chair and gives me the once over. "Hmmm, I suppose you don't look like a woman who's been freshly fucked."

"Lafayette!"

"Don't play coy with me," he says with a shrug. The only question is, why the hell not?"

"Why the hell not, what?" Eric asks, interrupting our conversation. I am sure I am the brightest shade of red imaginable. I wonder how much he overheard. From the look on his face, I think I'm in the clear. If he had heard too much, he would look far more interested than he does.

Unfortunately, I'm not lucky and Lafayette does not leave well enough alone.

"I was asking her why she hasn't done slept with you already," Lafayette says matter-of-factly.

Eric's grin deepens, a glint of mischief in his eye. "Did she answer you?" he asks Lafayette, though doesn't look away from me.

"No."

"Shame," Eric replies. "I was hoping you'd let me in on the secret."

"Eric!" I say, my voice sounding positively squeaky.

"Yes, Sookie?" he asks, setting a full mai tai on the table. I reach out and pour the liquid down my throat. Maybe it wasn't Quinn that was turning me into an alcoholic; Eric seems to do a pretty good job himself.

"You've gone and flustered her," Lafayette says, looking between the two of us with a grin.

"She's charming when she's flustered," Eric responds. "I rather like the shade of red she turns when she's like this."

"Mmmm," Lafayette murmurs. "If you say so." He pushes back off the chair and stands between Eric and me. "I think I'd better leave you two love birds alone."

I take another drink, wondering how quickly I can get another. If this is how tonight is going to go, I don't think there is enough rum in the world to keep me sane.

"Slow down there, killer," Eric says and places his hand on my wrist, pulling the drink away from my lips. "There's plenty more where that came from."

"Yeah, I… okay," I reply. I set the drink down on the table and watch him sit down out of the corner of my eye.

"I know everyone is talking, but don't let the gossip get to you," he says, as if it is that easy. "Tonight is about having fun and relaxing."

"Right," I say resolutely with a nod. I know that people are going to talk regardless of my actions; I shouldn't care. I still need to work on that. "You're right."

"I never thought I'd hear you say that," he says with a smirk.

"Oh hush," I reply, smacking playfully at his arm. He reaches out and captures my hand in his, lowering it onto my lap but not letting go. The clasp is hidden by the voluminous white tablecloth, and for once I don't want to pull away. I feel oddly comforted by his touch.

As embarrassing as it has been to have everyone speculate about my sex life, imaginary though it may be at this point, I can't imagine what Eric must've gone through over the years. While his reputation may have been somewhat earned, I've learned over the past few weeks that he hardly lives up to the gossip. He is not a womanizer; he's just a man that appreciates women, and a man who women appreciate right back. But I've come to realize that most of the stories that built his reputation aren't true.

I look over at Alcide and Claudine before looking back at Eric. "Those two?" I ask, with an inclination of my head.

Eric nods. "Love is in the air apparently."

"I guess so," I say, looking down to avoid his gaze. "Maybe more like lust though."

He chuckles and tightens his grip on my hand. "That is probably a more accurate assessment in that case."

Claudine pulls her lips away from Alcide's and turns her head towards us with a smile. "Hello Sookie," she says with a grin that is worthy of the Cheshire cat.

She unwraps her arm from around Alcide's neck and stands up, walking towards me and reaching out to take my hand. I quickly pull my hand out of Eric's before she can see it, and follow her lead when she helps me stand up.

"I'm going to steal your lady away for a bit," she says to Eric, then unceremoniously pulls me away from the table.

"You and Alcide?" I ask when we come to a stop in front of the bar.

She shrugs. "Why not?"

"What about Debbie?" I ask. Alcide's ex had a nasty habit of popping up in the unlikeliest situations. I know that Claudine can hold her own against most everyone, and probably even crazy Debbie herself, but it's not a snake pit I was willing to walk into.

"He's over her," she replies. When I raise my eyebrow skeptically, she continues. "Really. She showed up at his house the other night in a rage when she heard about us. She was drunk and… well… she struck him. He kicked her out, told her he never wanted to see her again."

"Debbie Pelt knew about you two before I did?" I ask. I suddenly understand Lafayette's offense, though it was justified in this case since they were actually sleeping together. "When did this happen?"

"The night you had the run in with Quinn," she says. "I didn't want to say anything, because you had enough on your plate. And I didn't want you to judge me, since I tried to set him up with you. I just figured now that you and Eric…"

"I'm not judging," I reply. In fact, Debbie aside, it's not a bad pairing. I hadn't thought about it, which is a bit surprising, but they really are perfect for each other. Alcide is a nice guy, even if he wasn't the right guy for me. I have no idea how serious they are; knowing Claudine it's probably not very serious. They may be just what the other needs.

"It was nice before," she says with a shrug. She turns and orders two drinks from Chow and turns back to me. "It didn't work out then because… well, it just didn't. But we were good together. He's a right animal in the sack and –"

"Enough!" I say, putting my hand out. "I don't want to hear about your sex life."

"You're such a prude," she says with a chuckle, then reaches out to hand one of the shots that Chow had poured to me.

"I'm not a prude," I say. "Most people just don't talk about their sex lives."

"Whatever," she says with a shrug. "This isn't the dark ages. Women are allowed to enjoy sex you know."

"What's this?" I ask, lifting up the shot glass and avoiding the direction the conversation is headed.

"It's an orgasm. I figured you could use one," she replies with a wink, then raises her glass in a toast. I feel my skin start to burn again, and decide that whatever is in this shot can't be worse than having to talk about its name. I toss back the creamy shot, its sweetness sending a warm sensation through my body.

"That's really good," I say, licking a stray drop of moisture off my bottom lip.

"The real ones are even better," she says, then turns to Chow and orders two more.

The two shots turn into two more, and before I know it, the anxiety that had been residing in the pit of my stomach since Claudine's morning inquisition into the status of my sex life nearly completely dissipates. The atmosphere of the party changes as Lafayette takes over the DJ station. The quiet lilt of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's ukulele is replaced by the thump of bass.

Pam and Amelia are the first two out on the dance floor, giving a scandalous and rather detailed peek into behavior better left behind closed doors. They are quickly joined by the other well-lubricated employees at the party, all of whom appear to have left their inhibitions on the other side of the archway.

The early nineties rap continues, and Claudine tosses back one last shot before making her way over to the table Alcide and Eric are still sitting at. With a bawdy wink over her shoulder at me, she throws her leg over Alcide's lap and starts to give him a lap dance that is much better suited to a private venue.

I turn around before it transforms from an R rated dance to NC-17 and drink my companion shot to the one Claudine had taken without me. I see Eric out of the corner of my eye and look over to see him leaning against the bar, looking at me with an amused grin on his face.

"Having a good time?"

I nod, and set the shot glass down in front me. "This helps," I say with a shrug.

He picks it up and sniffs the contents of the glass, flashing me a wicked smile as he sets it down. "What was that?"

I start to blush again, and curse myself for being so easily embarrassed. If I was Claudine, I could say the word without blushing. But me? I can't even think it without turning beat red.

Screw that. Who cares if I am blushing? I have enough liquid courage in me to name the drink.

Sort of.

"An orgasm," I say so quietly that I can barely hear myself.

"What's that?" he asks, leaning towards me until his face is inches from mine. "I couldn't hear you."

I close my eyes and repeat myself. "An orgasm."

When he is quiet, I open my eyes again to see him staring at me with a sparkle in his eyes. "And you were in need of one of those?" he asks with a smirk.

"Erm, five," I say, averting my eyes from his. My courage isn't nearly where I would like it to be.

"What?"

"I had five," I say.

"Five orgasms?" he asks, with a low whistle. "I'm surprised you're still standing." When I say nothing, he continues, "five shots for a girl your size on top of two mai tais seems like a lot." That's not what he meant initially, and we both know it. But far be it from me to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"I guess I needed it after this week."

He nods and takes a sip out of the long-neck bottle of beer in his hand. He turns and leans his elbows against the bar behind him, taking in the dancers who are even more out of control than they were before.

"Do you dance?" he asks, not looking at me.

"Erm. Not really." It isn't that I don't like to dance; in fact, I am a fairly good dancer. It is more that, even five shots and two drinks into the night, I know better than to dance at a work function like this. I've heard too many horror stories of the drunken idiot to actually be one.

"Me neither," he replies. "I'm more of a show my moves off the dance floor kind of guy."

I look over at him to see him watching me, and immediately lower my lashes. There is something about the intonation of his voice that flusters me; something about the glint in his eye that makes me feel antsy.

"Do you want to take a walk on the beach?" he asks, pushing away from the bar. "The water is calm tonight, and you can usually see some dolphins just beyond the reef."

I nod and stand up from the barstool, surprised at how woozy I feel. Eric reaches out and clasps my elbow with his strong hand. "Are you okay?" he asks.

"Yeah," I say, straightening out the wrinkles in my skirt. "Just need to regain my balance I guess."

He leads me away from the noise of the crowd with a firm hand on the small of my back, moving at a pace that is slow enough that I don't stumble with a little bit of effort. Those last shots might not have been the best idea for walking, but they've left a warmth in my stomach that I haven't felt in ages. Or, at least, I think it's the shots that have left me that way. I don't want to think about the other possibility.

"I love this beach," I say when we reach the end of the path. I bend down and unhook the ankle straps of my shoes, eager to feel the sand beneath my toes. This past week had seriously cut into my beach time, and I let out a sigh of satisfaction when the sand sifts over my toes.

I turn around to see Eric watching me, his head quirked to the side.

"What?" I ask, feeling suddenly self-conscious.

"Nothing," he says with a shake of his head, and kicks off his flip flops to join me on the beach. We walk slowly through the deep sand, stopping when we reach the edge of the water. I look out at the expanse of the ocean in front of me and smile.

"You look beautiful in the moonlight," he says quietly. "You look happy," he continues.

"I am," I reply, reaching out to take his hand in mine though refusing to look at him. I don't want to think about what that means right now; all I know is that I want to touch him. "I'm happier than I think I ever have been," I say.

"Wow," I continue after a moment of silence. "I guess that doesn't say a lot about me, does it?"

I turn my head and meet his eyes. They are practically glowing in the moonlight, and I feel their heat bore through me, yet he remains silent. I feel a nervous tick run through my body and start to babble before I can stop myself.

"I mean. I'm twenty-seven years old. It seems ridiculous that I've never been as happy as I am right now. My life is in turmoil, I don't know where I'm going to be in two weeks, much less two months and –"

I am silenced by his lips against my own. Before I can even think, he pulls me towards him, one hand splayed across my lower back and the other entwined in my hair, angling my head towards his. It is not a gentle kiss. It is one that encompasses the weeks of pent up sexual tension, and it is more than I ever thought a kiss could be.

I hear myself groan as I sink against him. My hands are desperate to be everywhere at once, but they are trapped between our bodies, pressed against the chest I had been trying not to think about for weeks.

"Sookie," he murmurs against my mouth as he nibbles on the corner of my mouth. I let out a sigh and open to his questing lips. A shiver runs across my back as his tongue meets mine, and he pulls me even closer than I was before.

I do not know how long we remain locked together. It seems to be both an eternity and a mere moment. Eventually he breaks away from the kiss and rests his forehead against my own.

"Wow," I say, biting my lower lip. It is swollen in a manner that only happens after being kissed. It feels delicious and scandalous.

"Go out with me tomorrow," he says, his voice more forceful than usual.

"What?" I ask in a daze. I can barely remember my name, much less process what he means.

"I can't wait three more days. Not after that. Not after this," he says and leans down to capture my lips again. When I am breathless, he pulls away again. "Say you'll go on a real date with me. Say yes," he commands.

I look up at him, his face cast in the shadows of the night and nod. "Yes," I say. "Yes."