The Couch
Vol.2
EPOV
Good God. She wore the white shorts this morning. It was perhaps the dozenth time she had snuck outside in her old college volleyball shorts, thinking perhaps that her baggy LSU sweatshirt made up for the miles of long tan legs in the modesty department. If anything, the dark oversized cotton made the stark white spandex clinging to her ass even more obvious. Her hood was up, as if in her rush she hadn't had time to brush the tangled blonde curls that escaped around her small chin and the edges of her big, trendy sunglasses. She probably didn't have makeup on either. She looked so young compared to me. So fresh and vibrant.
I took my time wheeling the trash can to the curb and was extra slow picking up the newspaper from the driveway. I was rewarded as she leaned over the seat of the tall truck to put her bag and coffee cup in the center console before swinging a shapely leg into the cab. Safely inside, she brushed off the hood and shook out her hair. The engine rumbled to life. She took a moment to warm her fingers by the steering column before taking a sip from her travel mug. That sip was my cue. Some days I would stay to wave, and others I hustled back into the garage before she drove my way. She was always groggy in the mornings, so I knew she only barely noticed my existence either way.
Decision time. It would be a busy day, and I selfishly decided that waving would be the best choice. I lingered as if picking up a few leaves that had blown into the driveway. I had worn a shirt that was a tad too tight and the fabric was snug against my bicepts. The rumbling engine finally drew closer, and I let my eyes look up just a moment late, as if the sound had just reached my ears. I raised my hand in greeting and was met with the most blinding, beautiful smile. Sookie's sleepy smile was like a beam of joy that zoomed right through my heart. It was the kind of smile that crinkled her eyes and stretched her pink lips. A real smile, full of kindness and light. A smile that was so rare to see in life. Her hand waved as she drove past, and that small interaction recharged my soul.
My pajama pants felt a bit tighter and my heart was full. She was leaving today on a family trip out east, and my route would take me west. I wished that we were familiar enough to text or even call when apart, but we were simply neighbors.
Pamela was emerging from the shower as I strode into the kitchen. I counted her footfalls overhead, waiting to see how many it took before my good mood evaporated. Surprisingly, I still felt a glimmer of joy in my heart when she came down the stairs. Sookie's light had been extra bright today.
"Did you make the eggs? Goddamn it Eric, you know I have a big meeting." Pam seethed even as I handed her a steaming cup of coffee in her favorite Pepto Bismol-pink mug. Her blouse matched the mug perfectly and the coincidence was grossly appropriate. Pam tossed her hair long blonde hair like a temperamental mare and sipped without a word of gratitude. I had nothing to say. Nothing would help the fact that I hadn't met her expectations.
"Fuck it", she grumbled, "I'll get a bagel at the office. But you know I need protein in the morning." I stayed silent.
"Whatever", she huffed. "Kayleigh has volleyball at 1 and Kevin has basketball at 3:30." I gritted my teeth.
"I'm flying today, Pam. I told you. I'll be away until Tuesday." Fury ignited in her eyes. I decided to not give a shit.
"But the kids-?", she fumed.
I cut her off. "The kids know that Ginger is watching them for the next five days. Why don't you remember?"
"I'm busy!" Pam screamed. The coffee cup slammed against the countertop and a splash came out from the open top. "I can't remember every goddamn thing! And look at this mess!"
I had enough. "Ginger will be here in an hour to take care of things. I'm out." I walked right past the mess she undoubtedly expected me to clean up and went up the staircase. By the time the top of my uniform was buttoned, the house was quiet. Pamela had left for work. Amidst the relief, I briefly considered the abuse her underlings would endure today before the happy hops of small feet echoed down the hallway. I slung my dark blue tie around my neck before darting out to meet them.
I caught Kevin right as he was passing the door and slung the boy over my shoulder. The eight-year-old giggled in surprise. His little sister was not far behind and attacked my knees as if battling a giant monster that had abducted her dear older brother. I tickled them both into submission until we were all heaped on the floor in rumpled uniforms.
"Uncle Eric!" Kayleigh cried. "Momma says we shouldna have winkles!"
I tickled her extra.
Kevin squirmed away and mimed shooting an arrow at my heart. I grabbed my chest theatrically.
"We beat the monster Kay!" I pretended to lay dead on the carpet. The monster came back to life long enough to grab their ankles.
"The monster won't die unless you give him a kiss." The kids gave me quick pecks on the cheek as though scared that their uncle would grow fangs. I nipped at them and the brother and sister ran away down the staircase, holding hands.
I sat up and smiled. That was two things that made brightened the morning.
Ginger was bustling about in the kitchen and three steaming plates of food waited for us. I wondered sometimes why Pam didn't have Ginger come an hour earlier so that I didn't have to make her breakfast, but perhaps it was punishment. Or control. Whatever it was, it was bullshit. The thought soured the food, and I choked down a plate of perfectly prepared eggs and said goodbye to my niece and nephew.
It was an hour drive to the airport, enough time to get my head on straight. It wouldn't do to fly a commercial plane full of people distracted. I am an expert at compartmentalizing, and I shoved Pam and her nastiness aside in a snap. It more difficult to push this morning's smile - and the white shorts - into a tidy box. No matter how hard I tried, that lid wouldn't close.
"You look distracted today, Eric." Amelia noticed the second my polished shoe entered the concourse. Meels was a sweet soccer mom with short brown hair. Sharp and competent, she was also my copilot. She held out my usual order from Coffee Bean with a guarded smile on her face.
"Defcon 5 this morning?"
I was reminded to tie up my hair when it shook around my face. "More like 4. But I'm used to that." She pulled a hair tie from her suit pocket and tapped my shoulder. I turned automatically, slouching low, so she could wrap my hair into a tidy bun.
"Thanks, Meels."
Amelia tilted her head as if to get a better look at my face as we wheeled our bags toward the gate. "Shut up, dummy. You know I only do it so your jacket doesn't ride up and all the hotties in the terminal don't stare at your abs." I shrugged.
"So if it isn't sister dearest, it must be – "
"Shut it, seriously." My tone brokered no room for questions. She laughed.
"Must have been a White-Shorts day." I ignored her, but I could feel the heat in my face.
Our first two flights of the morning went perfectly. We returned to the hub and waited in the lounge for the next flight to Seattle. It would be the longest of the day and be the waypoint for the next few days of flights on the west coast. My dinner salad was just arriving as my cell phone beeped. Simultaneously, a voice echoed overhead through the terminal.
"Captain Northman please come to gate 33." Amelia hopped up, grabbing my elbow. I waved my watch over the QR code on the table to pay for the meals we would never eat. We rolled our bags to gate 33.
The pretty young gate attendant was alternating between wringing her hands and typing furiously. She almost flinched when we rolled up to the podium. It was an unusual reaction. Not to toot my own horn, but when most people saw a 6'4" broad-shouldered man wearing a pilot's uniform they had all sorts or reactions, but never fear. The girl at the podium was quaking.
"Hey, it's ok", Amelia said before I had the chance. "Whatever it is, it isn't you fault." The gate attendant composed herself.
"I'm sorry, but the rest of your flights were double booked. Louisiana to Seattle, Seattle to San Diego, and San Diego to Puerto Vallarta are to be flown by Captains Compton and Bellflower."
My calm, deep voice was meant to reassure. "No problem. Thank you for letting us know." The girl finally looked at my face and she flushed. That was a more natural reaction, I thought. I tipped my cap to her and ushered Amelia away from the gate. Amelia held it in until we rounded the corner before she burst into laughter.
"What?" I asked, perplexed. I held the handle of her suitcase so it wouldn't topple.
"OH geez Eric! You have no idea, do you? Your head is so far up in the clouds."
"Clouds?"
"Perky white spandex clouds…"
I grimaced. I had told the prim lesbian soccer mom about my neighborhood crush over several rounds of Bloody Marys in Sacramento months ago, and there was no taking it back. The non-stop torture had proved that I should keep my mouth shut from now on. I helped Amelia back to her feet and out to her car and made sure she was on her way before finding my own vehicle.
"Fuck it all!" It was after eleven when I finally retuned home. Pam sent a barrage of angry texts hours ago saying that she was taking the kids to the beach house for the weekend. I hadn't replied. Unfortunately, she had engaged the security system. That wouldn't have been a problem if I hadn't left the key fob on my second set of keys… which was on my dresser. The lights were off at all the neighbor's houses. I chanced a glace up the street, and Sookie's were on.
"What?" My voice was a whisper in the dark street. Perhaps she had her lights on a timer, but I took a chance. In uniform and rolling my carry on along the asphalt, I knocked on her door.
I stood there and waited long enough to rethink my life choices. All of the moments in time that had led up to this embarrassing series of seconds, standing on an unsuspecting woman's doorstep far too late at night. I swore and turned back toward the street, rolling suitcase in tow. The door opened.
"Eric!" Sookie bubbled. Her smile was just as bright and lovely as ever. Perhaps more-so, if the wine glass in her hand was any indication. "My, don't you look dashing."
The confusion must have shown on my face. Dashing? She sobered a bit. "Sorry, I'm watching Harry Potter. You know the part when Ron is wearing his dress robes…" She trailed off.
"I thought you were going out of town." I clearly remembered touching her hand for a bit too long. Asking things that were too personal to be neighborly. She had blushed gorgeously and her lashes fluttered. It was one of my favorite memories.
Her smiled dimmed just a bit. "Oh you know, things change. I'll be home for the weekend after all." Her smile twisted a bit. "Alc went, though."
I soured as well at the mention of Alcide. The hulking, handsome man that Sookie lived with was an ever-present barrier in my fantasies. But he wasn't here, and I put him in a box and closed the lid. I said the words that would change everything.
"Sookie, I came in early from a trip and Pam isn't home. I can't get in the house. Would you mind if I stayed here?"
"Of course not! Gracious, where are my manners? Please make yourself at home." Sookie stood aside and waved me inside.
Like a true Southern hostess, she ushered me toward the guest room and produced fresh towels. A luggage rack was open and ready for my suitcase. I thanked her profusely. I was looking forward to a shower and, with luck, a beer. Sookie's light rap on the door came as I was unbuttoning my white uniform shirt. She opened the door a crack and held out an ice-cold beer.
How did she know? I opened the door a bit wider to accept the drink, and Sookie's eyes widened at the sight of my half bare chest.
"Thank you", I said. The water from the shower echoed through the room as it heated up. She shut her eyes tight and turned away.
"You're welcome", she squeaked. She disappeared down the dark hallway and I closed the door.
The miles of air travel came off with the hot water, and I found my second wind. I pulled on a pair of gray sweatpants and ruffled my hair with the towel. The warm terry cloth smelled like her.
I wanted to rejoin Sookie in the living room as quickly as possible, but I was underdressed. I didn't often pack leisure shirts because I never slept wearing one. I was lucky to find an undershirt in the bottom of my carry on and whipped it over my damp head.
It was after midnight, so I was surprised to find Sookie awake and laughing at the television. She spotted me.
"Eric! Come watch, it's hilarious!" She pulled me down beside her and we watched the comedy special. We paused every now and then to visit the bathroom or grab more drinks. Sookie was cold so she spread a soft afghan over her legs and invited me to share. I scooted closer. We laughed more, and it was easier to put my arm across the back of the couch rather than have her fall against my pointy elbow every time she giggled. Her face fell against my chest instead.
She paused the video. "Hold up! I have the best wine to pair with this evening. One sec." Sookie bustled off to the kitchen and returned with bottle of red and two glasses. She moved my beer aside to make room to pour. Her hand was shaky, and the wine splattered across the table, the carpet, and her shirt. That wispy white bit of cotton that he had been trying to ignore this entire night was dripping with red wine.
"Shit, I'm sorry", I breathed as she fluffed her shirt. I hadn't touched her, but apologized just the same.
Sookie was still fluffing her shirt, and my eyes were glued to the lacy bra beneath. "It was good wine", she lamented. "I wish you could have tried it." Her eyes fixed on mine. "Do you want to try it?"
Oh God yes I did! Like a vision from my wildest dreams, Sookie held her shirt open. The drops of red wine were snaking over her smooth skin, and the biggest reservoir pooled between her breasts, at the center of her bra. I looked at her face, wanting to make certain that this was okay. Her eyes glittered. Gently, I pushed her gently back against the cushion and let my tongue dart into the space between her breasts to taste the wine. It was very good.
A low moan rumbled at the base of my throat.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
SPOV
It wasn't like I was waiting for him. No, that would be silly. It wasn't like I had his schedule in my mind, or that I wondered every hour or so how he was doing. That would be extra silly.
No, I was simply a conscientious friend who cared about those around me. I certainly didn't daydream about his face… Eric.
"Damn it."
"What Sook?" Alcide poked his face around the corner with a toothbrush hanging out of his wolfish mouth.
"Nothing", I called back. I busied myself with the dishes and tried not to stare out the front window. I set a soapy mug on the dish rack, then pulled it back to rinse. I really needed to get my head on straight. Alcide emerged from the bathroom fresh and clean, ready for work. Normally the sight of his damp shaggy hair made me smile, but today the stretch of my lips felt forced.
He grabbed a mug of steaming coffee from the counter and a foil-wrapped bacon egg and cheese bagel. "Thanks Sook. These are my favorite."
"I know." My answering smile was more natural. Everything about Alcide set me at ease, from his charming boyish demeanor to his easy good looks. It was difficult to dislike someone so pretty. Not that anyone could dislike Alcide. He was a popular figure in the community as the owner of the parish's premiere contract company. Not a soul had a bad word to say about him, and invitations to all sort of get together came with flattering regularity.
What the people of Bon Temps didn't know was that Alcide and I weren't an item. We put on a good show in public, but we lived like roommates. It had been a bit of a shock when Alcide had approached me with the arrangement.
"Sookie, we're friends right?"
"Of course."
"Could you help me with something?"
I thought I knew where this was going. "I'm not going to kill Debbie for you if that's what you're asking." I had been kidding, but Alcide's face flushed red.
"No, no! I wouldn't ask anything like that! I… oh hell."
I sighed. "You might as well spit it out."
He took a deep breath into his wide chest and spit out the words in a rush. "Can I live with you?"
I was a bit shocked. My eyebrows danced all over the place. "Why?"
He seemed relieved that I hadn't immediately said no. "Well, you see, Debbie won't let me go. I've tried everything, and I finally lied and told her that I have a girlfriend."
My heart sunk. "Me?" He nodded.
"Fuck, Alc! That crazy bitch already hates me!"
He threw up his hands. "I know! I'm sorry! But now I'm in it and I need your help. Please." He brought out the big guns. His eyes were wide and vulnerable, sweet and emploring, set it a uniquely handsome face. Like a big ol' puppy that had been put out in the rain. I cracked.
"Oh all right. But if that crazy bitch comes after us I'm hiding behind your big dumb ass!"
Alcide kissed me on the temple. "Thanks, Sook." He smacked my butt. I swatted him away.
"Don't be an asshole", I gasped with faux indignation.