Authors Note: Thank you so much for all the response to chapter two. Thanks again to my beta: FreeMoment for beta'ing another chapter of ETE!
P.S - Thanks so much to those of you for pointing the weird code thing out to me, I took the chapter down to fix the issue. I honestly have no idea how this happened. It's not showing up as coded in this edit writing box, so I'm hoping for the best. Hope you all have a fab week and see you Friday :)
Sigh... I never thought I would be one of those girls who missed a guy, but as soon as Eric left in the early hours of this morning, a few before dawn, I missed him. It felt like half of me was gone. The whole evening from the moment we met was strange, but nice. I'd never experienced anything like what we shared in Merlotte's parking lot, of all places.
It's also nice knowing that I am not the only one who is different in this world. It is going to be so difficult later when Eric comes in to Merlotte's. We discussed last night that it would be best if we act like I didn't know him. We didn't go all the way last night and have sex but there was most certainly some heavy kissing, naked bodies and touching in places I'd never been touched before. He brought my body to life and had me feeling things I had never dreamed in my wildest of dreams. I'd never even feel it, only read about it in my books. Due to my disability, it is hard to date, or even touch other people some days.
You see, I'm not your average twenty-four-year-old southern girl from Louisiana. I'm a telepathic waitress who lives in a tiny town called Bon Temps. There isn't much here so when my boss, Sam Merlotte, moved into town about five or so years ago and built Merlotte's Bar and Grill, it not only brought the town together, but became the hub of this community.
He also provided some of us jobs, and this is the first job I've been able to keep and I try very hard to stay outta my boss's head. I don't think I've slipped up once around him. Plus, I don't wanna know what another man thinks, as men are pretty much one in the same, ya know what I mean? My brother, who gave me a lift to work today, is the worst of the worst when it comes to that way of thinking. He's a loud broadcaster too, which doesn't help.
I glance outside and notice the sun's setting within the sky. I'd been at work since five o'clock and it's now around eight o'clock. It's summer time, so the sun's out longer. That means Eric won't wake until much later during the summer months. I have about four hours left of work. I finish at twelve-thirty or one o'clock, depending on how busy and messy the bar's been and how much cleaning we all do. I'm usually the last one out as I didn't have a boyfriend before and I don't have kids to get home to.
Boyfriend seemed the wrong word to describe Eric. He's not a boy, and he's not a lad, he's all man. My man. He called me his, so I guess we are something. So if he can call me his, I'll call him my man. I don't even have a mobile phone. Something that surprised Eric and he told me, much to my protest, that he'd be bringing me a brand new one so we can communicate when he can't come and in general.
My protesting was useless but he wasn't having it. Said something about safety and needing to have something he can be close to me with and apparently a phone will help with the distance. I told him I wouldn't know how to use it, and he said he'd show me how to. He'd set it up and put his number in for me. So I wouldn't have to worry too much. I would have to hide it from Gran and Jason, though. Judging by Eric's flashy car, I'm pretty sure the mobile would be one of the fancier sort.
I am and am not looking forward to it. I also don't want to become obsessed with it. Maybe I can hide it during the day and only take it out at night. But then where would I have a chance to use the thing with there being loads of people constantly around me? I'd have to start taking extra breaks due to my disability. Sam always said if things get too much... and sometimes, I do push myself a little bit.
Another hour passed and I felt anticipation and desire running through me. I also felt a little anger too, which was weird because I did NOT feel angry. I was bored, more than anything. It's been rather quiet tonight. It's mid-week and it's usually the quietest on a Wednesday.
Tonight there was me, Laffayette, Tara, and Dawn on shift. Sam was in his office. I don't know how Sam knew Eric or how Eric knew Sam... Maybe I don't even want to know, but I needed a break to sort myself out for ten minutes. Jason wasn't in the bar tonight, neither was Dawn so I didn't have that to worry about. I walked over to the bar and asked Tara for a gin and tonic. There were maybe ten people on tonight and Sam allows us to have one drink towards the end of our shift if we want one.
"T, I'm gonna take twenty," I told her.
"Y'all all right, Sook? You look like you've been away with the fairies all night," she told me.
"My mini broke down last night," I told her, which was true. Her eyes widened. Jason had pulled her back home on the back of his truck. She now sat outside the farmhouse.
"Oh, shit... Daisy was gettin' old though," she said.
"She had a good few years left on her yet. I haven't seen Jason yet to question him about her." Tara rolled her eyes. I just turned and went out front to the side of the bar and leaned against the side wall. What the fuck was going on with me?
"Lover." I jumped outta my skin when I looked up and saw Eric towering over me. I placed my wine glass down and leapt up into his arms and kissed the shit out of him. I hadn't realised how much I had missed him until this moment. He reacted instantly and wrapped his arms around me, kissing me back. Thankfully, it was dark and there aren't any windows this side of the barn.
"If only I had this kind of greeting when I rose for the night," he said when I unfortunately needed to breathe, his forehead leaning against mine. Everything felt fine again, with him here.
"Did you feel angry by any chance tonight?" I asked him. I knew it wasn't the response he was probably thinking he was going to get. Instead he looked rather surprised, and I felt that too.
"You felt that?" He didn't deny it, and then I felt royally confused.
"Can you feel what I'm feeling?" I asked.
"Reluctance..." he said, frowning.
"Shit. What's the time?" I asked him. He removed one arm from around me and allowed me to find my footing as he pulled his phone from the back pocket of his dark jeans.
"Nine-eighteen. Why? Is the shifter here?" he asked me.
"Fudge. I've finished my break already," I told him.
"Then we will have to do as we planned this morning." He kissed me this time, after we had both reluctantly let go of each other, and I kissed him good-bye before I went to go inside, hoping I didn't look or act any different, making sure my uniform was in place.
As I reached the bar, handing Tara my glass, she looked over my shoulder when the doors opened and I knew it was my man. Tara's eyes widened. Eric came up to stand next to me, leaning against the bar.
"Is Sam Merlotte in?" Tara's eyes narrowed.
"Who's asking?" she said.
"I can go get him if you like?" I said, looking at Eric.
"No need, girls." Sam's voice interrupted us.
"Sir, follow me to my office." Eric leaned back up and I felt him again as he felt annoyance. I also found myself feeling surprised at how Sam had acknowledged Eric. Why am I suddenly feeling Eric's feelings? We would have to talk more about that later, when he sneaks in through my bedroom window.
"What the fuck was up with that?" Tara asked, as we watched them head for Sam's office.
"I don't know, T. I've never heard Sam speak like that before either," I told her.
"I know, right? I've never seen that dude before or else I would have remembered his is sexy ass and blue eyes," she said. Little did she know, I've had my hands on that naked ass. Eric's emotions went from annoyed to pure anger. Shock/surprise ran through me. He must have felt it because he suddenly felt surprised too.
"I'm surprised Sam didn't offer him drinks or anything like that. Usually when others come in on rare occasions to do the health and safety shit he has us bring drinks and food in," Tara said.
"That's what I was thinking. He didn't even say this guy's first or last name. What's up with that?" I asked her, suddenly realising that I didn't know my man's last name.
"Why don't you phone Sam and ask him if he asked you to bring drinks or not, because y'all can't remember?" I suggested. Tara nodded, and I went to clear my section while it was quiet.
"SOOKIE!" Tara yelled over. I looked over.
"They've asked if you can bring them red wine, a beer, ice and a towel," Tara said and had already placed it all on a tray. I nodded and left to head for Sam's office, double checking my section.
I felt Eric's anger rise again, and I quickened my pace. I still didn't understand why was feeling him; I felt very confused. I stopped at the door and knocked, nothing. So I pushed the door open to find Sam clutching his nose, leaning against his desk. My eyebrows rose, and I spared a glance at Eric, who looked bored and was leaning against the window wall.
"All righty." I placed the tray down, ignoring them both, and walked back to the door frame.
"Sookie, wait," Sam said. I glanced at Eric, who was watching me. I turned around to face Sam where I stood in the doorway.
"I'll be leaving early tonight and may need a couple days off. I'll be back for Saturday night's rush." Well shit, that surprised me, as I wasn't expecting that.
"Oh, okay. So we shutting the bar up?" I asked, hoping for a couple of days off. He glanced at Eric through narrowed eyes.
"No. I want you to open up and run things whilst I'm away." I looked at him in shock.
"Sam, I'm a waitress I don't know how to run a bar," I told him. Sam had taken the towel and ice and now had it over his nose.
"You're the only one I'd fully trust to keep this place running! I will leave you a list of things you need to look out for and what you need to do." I didn't think I had a choice and felt rather annoyed.
"And what about my current job? Y'all know Arlene isn't gonna like it if she has to do more than she needs to and I really can't be bothered to deal with that headache on top of everything else I deal with," I told him. I felt Eric's annoyance at this. I glanced at him and noticed he'd been watching me the whole time. I would have to ask him what was going on. Sam didn't notice because he was now writing things down, but Eric shook his head slightly and I suddenly felt calm. I narrowed my eyes at Eric.
"Perhaps I can be of assistance, Merlotte? You know I've run many bars in my time," Eric said, speaking up for the first time and moving forwards into the room. Sam looked up at that and anger clearly showed in his eyes and voice.
"I don't think so," Sam said.
"Any help will be better than no help," I told him, feeling hopeful. He looked from me to Eric and. back again. "As much as I appreciate your trust in me, Sam, I don't feel one hundred percent comfortable running Merlotte's for a couple of days by myself." I decided to be honest.
"I'll let you leave early and still pay you and you can have the whole week off from Monday. If you'll just do this once, please." I narrowed my eyes at him.
"What shit are you involved in, Sam?" I felt Eric's amusement and spared him a glance, wondering what was so bloody funny.
"Nothing you need to worry about," Sam said.
"Give me the spare keys," was all I said, reluctantly deciding to play with fire. "Who is your friend?" I asked Sam as he handed me the spare keys he'd gotten out of one of his desk drawers. Sam's whole attitude changed in a second. He tensed, looking reluctant and angry.
"No one you need to worry about. It's best you forget you ever saw him. Now I suggest you come in around ten-thirty am to go over the notes I leave you. I will have Tara cover the rest of your section and I will see you Saturday night." I felt like I was being dismissed.
"I haven't actually agreed to help you, Sam Merlotte. I don't appreciate you dumping me in the deep end," I told him, snatching the keys from his hands and walking out. I'd just shut the door when I heard Eric say to Sam: "Who's the pretty blonde?" I felt amused, considering nothing had happened. That seemed to rile Sam up and I knew I was being rude by listening in, but I was curious.
"Stay the fuck away from her, Northman. She's nothing to do with this or you." I swear Sam growled. But at least I now knew my man's last name. I quickly hurried to the locker room and grabbed my bag. I suddenly remembered I didn't have a ride.
"Damn it!" I said, annoyed that my car was broken. I had forgotten to quiz Jason earlier to see if he was the culprit behind Daisy's engine dying earlier or if she'd genuinely ended of old age. After grabbing my bag from my locker and placing the keys reluctantly in my bag, I made my way into the bar area and over to Tara.
"Hey T, can you phone Jason up? I've been asked to leave early. I'll let Samuel tell you why." I decided to use his whole first name, to show her how unimpressed I really was.
"Sure thing, sis," Tara said, curiously. She was thinking: who the fuck pissed in Sook's G and T?
Now I'm not a big drinker, but I felt like I deserved another gin and tonic, so whilst Tara was on her mobile trying to get hold of Jason, I went around the bar and poured myself another one in a larger glass. Tara's eyes widened when she looked up to see who was beside her.
"The fuck happened back there, chick? This ain't like you."
"That isn't my place to say," I said as I downed my drink and then made my way to the end of the bar just as Eric came through the entrance hallway. Eric sneakily took hold of my hand, and that simple touch seemed to calm me. Tara, or anybody else, could not see. When he let go, as our bodies came into view, I felt the loss and Eric glanced at me. I felt him feeling the same as I did. We also both felt very confused. Again... why can we suddenly feel each other? Was it something to do with what happened yesterday?
Eric left without saying a word but I knew I'd see him later tonight, so I felt a little better with that knowledge. It's kind of nice having something that nobody knows about, and this is a big thing when you live in a tiny town. Thankfully, the bar was very quiet tonight; Wednesday's usually are.
"Sorry, Sook, I can't seem to get hold of him," she said. I sighed! Looked like I was walking. It wasn't too far away, maybe a half hour walk, rather than a ten/fifteen minute drive.
"I'll just walk, it won't take me that long," I told Tara.
"If I wasn't still working, then I'd give you a ride." I nodded, smiling knowing she would have and waved as I left. I wonder how they'll all react when Sam fills them in. As I stepped out into the parking lot, night had really fallen in all its sparkly night sky glory.
I noticed Eric leaning against his car, and I found myself drawn to him and walked over. There was nobody in the parking lot so we were safe from the town folk gossip.
He immediately wrapped his arms around me and kissed me.
"What are you doing to me?" he asked.
"Ditto," I whispered against his lips.