A/N: Ok so who wants to slap Eric after the end of that last chapter? *raises hand*...poor Sook. Thank you so much if you're reading or reviewing,I read them all.

Let's see what Eric has been up to all these years...

Chapter 3: Of all the gun joints in all the towns in all the world,she walks into mine

It was long day at work,seeing clients,interviewing potential new clients.I own a Talent agency 'The Northman Talent Agency' I know not a creative name but it got to the point. I had offices in New york and L.A. but I stayed in Shreveport because it's close to home.

"What do you say we call it a day ;I'm sure we could go through more resumé's in the morning?" I said to my assistant.I usually stay later but today was just "one of those days" as they say and I am the boss.

"Yes I can come in early tomorrow if you want..." "No need Jessica come in at your usual time." I hired Jessica right out of business school,she was smart and hardworking and was the only girl who didn't throw herself at me which made me respect her. She had shoulder length red hair and blue eyes,most men flirted with her in the office but I knew she was engaged a man named Hoyt Fortenberry (late nights working, information comes out).

I walked toward the elevator passing the receptionist who's name I can never remember. I gave her my usual wink and smile and she smiled back but it did nothing for me girls like that were easy,no chase or challenge besides been there done that. I entered the elevator and started thinking about Sookie Stackhouse last time I saw Sookie was the weekend of her high school graduation she was 18 and I was 24. I was a different guy back then I was care free,my hair was longer and all I did was spend my father's money.I never got serious about girls nor did I think about it until I started noticing Sookie in a more romantic way. I missed her,she was the only person that saw through my bullshit, she always said there were two Eric's "the player" and the "the real me" and I hate to say the older I got the more 'the player' took over and I was all business all the time. I didn't have relationships I had conquests and I was getting tired of it. I thought about her all the time but lately it was constant. I wanted to call her brother Jason to inquire about her but I can't say that we really kept in touch after he started working at Brigant's law firm and sleeping with every girl who was willing,he just too busy. Not that I wasn't busy building up my own career and having the occasional fling. I'd drifted aswell and the only person I could call a good friend was my younger sister Pam who would call from where ever she was;pathetic I know and I never asked Pam about Sookie because after how I left things with her Pam said she'd rip my balls off if I hurt her,what are little sisters for?

As I drove I thought about that day.I went to my fathers house to tell him that I was going to work for him and I wanted to be with Sookie but when I got there that night he was drunk and unwilling to listen.

"Oh so you're with Sookie now?" I nodded.

"That is perfect son,ruin her life too. She doesn't have anything to fall back on when you break her." What the fuck was he talking about? I would never...

"I came here to tell you-" I started "What that you're running off together on my dime? That she's pregnant? Can't you see you're poison,you'll do nothing but bring her down and the Stackhouses don't have to resources to pick themselves up after something like that... believe me, I know." I was furious,to think that I was going to back down,to spend time with a man who saw me as inconvenient.

I stormed off wanting to talk to Sookie but everything my dad said was playing in my head. I WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR HER, I WAS GOING TO BREAK HER. I got on a flight to Sweden and decided I was going to come back when I wasn't so upset. I would talk to Sookie and explain that I needed to get my life together to be the man she deserves. By the end of the summer I was making strides with my business and I'd shut out the world,I hadn't talked to my sister,my best friend or my... Sookie. I went back home to Bon Temps to find out that Gran had passed. I called Pam and she told me half way through freshman year Sookie left school for California with her boyfriend Quinn. I was a wreck, first I wasn't there for her after Gran and she left with some other guy, I thought about going to California to 'win Sookie back' but Pam said that I had done enough damage, so I left it alone and wished her happiness. I payed my dad all the money I owed him and we never spoke.

I got to the parking lot and got to my car,my baby,my red corvette. The sun was still out but it was late in the afternoon. I drove out of Shreveport to Bon Temps;the little town where I grew up just to go to my favorite place Merlotte's, it was one of the only place to hang out in Bon Temps and after my parents moved to Europe, going to Merlotte's was the closest thing to going home. I drove into the parking lot and that's when I saw it, an old yellow nova, Sookie drove that car in high school but it couldn't have been the same one. I went inside the restaurant and the smell of burger's,buffalo wings and fries hit me I loved that smell,it reminded me of college. I started walking towards my usual table when I saw the cook Lafayette, he winked at me and I waved, Lafayette moved to Bon Temps three years back and in a small town he was hard to miss. I sat down looking through the menu, I already knew what I wanted of course but I liked to look busy when one of the waitresses came over. Dawn was the hottest of them and we had alittle fling last summer that I immediately regretted,what could I say the chick was crazy. Arlene was another waitress;she was a bottle redhead and she hit on me, batting her fake eyelashes and twirling her fake finger around her fake hair.

"Suga',whatcha thinkin' 'bout?" Lafayette said appearing from nowhere with a pair of his own fake lashes.

"I was wondering which psycho waitress was going to come over here,I have to put on my game face after all." I smiled at him and winked.

"I don't think you need to worry about that darlin',we got a new one she's cute and sweet so be nice or I'd have to hurt you,you hear?" 'Hmm,a new waitress,this could be fun.' I thought to myself,after the few days...ok weeks that I've been thinking of Sookie,I needed to get her of my head so maybe I could take the new waitress home and avoid Lafayette for a while.

"New waitress?Laf you know I come here to enjoy the scenery and to see you."

"Save it for someone who'll buy that line of bullshit and jus' remember watching the scenery and screwing it are two different things." He said nodding his head towards Dawn,who was smiling at me.I looked at him and nodded.

"I best be on my way,don' be a stranger hun. " I smiked and nodded as Lafayette sashayed off to the kitchen.I looked back at the menu waiting for this new waitress.

"Hi,I'm Sookie I'll be your waitress,are you ready to order?" she said and I dropped the menu. I saw the big smile on her face had disappeared and was replaced with a deep crimson blush that I remembered "Sookie?" "Eric?" we said at in unison.

She composed herself and said "Ready to order?" her eyes were the same beautiful shade of deep blue but they looked distant and I could tell when she was faking a smile but I wasn't going to call her on it being that this is the first time I'd saw her in years and this was her was the first day at her job. Wait why was this her job? The Sookie I knew was headed to a University,had a bright future a head of her,why is she working here? I wanted to ask her all these things but of course that would have to wait instead I smiled at her.

"I'll have a burger with everything on it and fries." She wrote that down and just as I was about to tell her how great it was to see her again she cut me off.

"...and to drink?" "Uh...sweet tea please." she nodded and walked away with her head down. She was clearly having a horrible reaction to seeing me,if only I could talk to her and explain after I came back for her and found out that she'd left I was miserable and I tried to forget but it didn't work,seeing her again made me realize the feelings were still very much there and I hoped she felt the same;I needed to find a way to talk to her,for now exchanging small glances was as good as it got. She stopped by my table with my drink and food.

"Hey do you think we could talk after you get off work?" She smiled at me and it was genuine which made me feel relief thinking she wasn't upset as I thought. "I'd love to but it's my first day and I'm working late,can you leave your number and I'll give you a call." "You promise to call,right?" I asked alittle too eagerly,I smiled at her and she blushed and it was beautiful.

"Of course I'll call." With that she walked away with her head held a little higher.I ate my food stealing looks at her and I caught a few guys staring at her ass and my inner viking was threatening to come out.'Come on man she's not even your girlfriend yet.' I thought. 'Wait did I say "yet" as in she will be? ...holy shit. I have to talk to her soon before I start up this entire relationship in my head,yes I want a relationship with her that much is clear but first we need to catch up and get to know each other again. I pulled money out of my wallet and left my card with my number on it. I walked back to the car smiling the whole time,I was right that was Sookie's car. It made me smile more that she still had it; when we were younger she'd sneak out for late night rides with me in the passenger seat we'd sit and talk. It was nice and uncomplicated,that was when I was being "real Eric" as she would say not that guy she didn't like,the one that was an arrogant jerk.I pulled into my driveway and went into my house and as soon as I hit the couch I heard my cell phone ring.

"Sookie?" I immediately answered.

"Eric Why on earth would you be answering the phone like that? no manners I swear."

"To what do I owe this honor little sister." I said sarcastically.

"Don't 'little sister' me,Felicia said you stood her up." Pam decided since she had nothing better to do she would start meddling in my private life. Pam's a model and she has excellent taste in women,the ones she dates anyway. She set me up with a supermodel that went by one name "Felicia" I googled her and she was beautiful but typical,very tall,very skinny,I guess I did what I always did;I was comparing the girl to Sookie,Felicia is too skinny,Sookie was curvy in all the right was places. Felicia was tall and Sookie was a modest 5'5" almost a foot shorter than me. Felicia had short chocolate brown hair and Sookie had long beautiful blond hair almost the same shade as mine. It went on like this until I decided I didn't even want to go on the date.

"Pamela it's wednesday and the date was last friday,if you really cared would you have waited almost a week to tell me off?" I questioned.

"Ugh you're right I don't really care but she's bugging me to call and I obliged,besides I've been helping her with her grief." I could hear the smile in her voice.

"What's wrong you have to go after my sloppy seconds,have you made your way through the entire modeling industry already I thought I told you to pace yourself?"

"Sorry but you have to go out with her for her to be sloppy seconds and believe me I am pacing myself." I cringed.

"Okay that's it enough with my little sisters sex life,it's gross...what are you really calling about?"

"Well by the way you answered the phone I'm guessing you already know."

"What about Sookie being back? Yeah I ran into her today after work and I was expecting her call."

"How is she? How did she look? God I haven't seen her in five years." After Pam got a modeling contract she left college and went traveling apparently her and Sookie didn't keep in touch either as much as they planned.

"She looked great,you know..the same,better actually."

"Where did you see her?" Great Pam's playing 20 questions and I'm trying to be as vague as possible,I want to figure out what's between Sookie and I before I start telling my sister everything.

"I saw her at Merlotte's we didn't chat,she was kind of busy..she said she'd call."

"Aww and poor baby is sitting by the phone waiting for her call?" Pam said as annoyingly as she could manage. "Maybe we could have drinks sometime,you,me,Jason and Sookie?" She asked.

"Yeah maybe,that would be fun to get together again." I was relieved that Pam wasn't upset at me for talking to Sookie.

"Ok well I'm off I got a big date tomorrow,I need my beauty rest Felicia wont know what hit her."

"I'm sure that's what all you victims...uh I mean dates say." I joked.

"Wow thanks jerk talk to you soon."

"Love you too,." She hung up on me and I went to go take a shower,all I could think about was Sookie,the way her blond ponytail swung side to side as she walked;her tight,white boat neck shirt that had 'Merlotte's' over the left breast;her short black pants and her long tan legs and the way her full hips swayed. Before I realized what I was doing I was almost finished,I was grunting and pretending it was her hand around me,soon enough I shouted out her name. If she was that good in my head I can't what the real thing would be like,actually I could.I put my forehead on the tile. I'm thinking about her and I don't even know if she wants me like I want her, maybe I missed my chance 7 years ago. I drifted off to sleep all I could see was her beautiful face.

"Will that be all,?" Jessica said waving her hand in my face."Yes Jessica,that will be all thank you." I said dismissively.I was still thinking of Sookie it had been two days since I gave her my number and no call.I thought about going to Merlotte's to see her it's a bar and grill after all and I could just say I there to eat which would be half-true.I didn't go into Merlotte's that often because as good as the food was it wasn't the best to keep up appearances.I found that people always had been affected by my looks.I was tall almost 6'5" and lean muscled;I have blue eyes that could intimidate and charm at the same time and short blond hair.I was the type to always get what I wanted,whether I worked for it or not but I ususally did work or it.

" Mr. Northman your 2:30 is here."

"Send him in Jessica." William Compton was one of my biggest clients,he was an actor on a civil war era show on cable and he was one of the only clients I saw personally besides my sister Pam whom I also represented.

"Bill good to see you." I lied.

"Likewise Northman lets get to buisness.I've been hearing good things about 'Fangtasia' I really think I'm perfect for the lead,what have you heard of it?" 'Fangtasia' was a vampire musical based on a stage play that everyone was convinced was going to be a big hit,personally the thought of an "operatic rock musical" about vampires was a horrible career move but Bill had his heart set on it and I do live to make his dreams come true so...

"Well Bill I hear they want Robert Pattinson for that-"

"What! Pattinson,he's already had his shot as a vampire and I'm actually southern like the character." Great now I had an angry actor on my hands but luckily for me I was already on my way to convincing the producers that Compton was the better choice but I liked seeing Bill squirm he was more arrogant than me if you could believe it.

"Well Bill,Pattinson has found a bit of a niche with this vamp stuff but the producer is a personal friend and I'm sure I could convince her you're worth taking a look at."

"I knew there was a reason I was still with you Northman I better get out of here I'm filming today and I'm late for makeup."

"Okay Bill always a pleasure." I called the producer again and plead my case "June hiring Bill would cost less because he'd never done a film and Pattinson playing a vampire again would confuse the tweens."

"I'm listening go on." That fact that she didn't hang up on me meant that I had her.

"Bill has the benefit of having a fanbase from the show but he's not been overexposed and I thought 'Fangtasia' was an edgy project?"

"It is Northman." "Well than Bill would be perfect,he's southern the accent would come easy to him and he looks like a man not a 17 yr. old,what's edgier than playing a soldier on a cable show?" As much as talking Bill up made me sick it's my job and I'm damn good at it.

"Okay Northman all I'm promising is an audition,nothing he's right,he'll be hired."

"Thanks June you're a doll."

"Northman thank you coming from you that means...well nothing." she laughed. I liked June she was all business,we said our goodbyes and I called Compton.

"William H. Compton here..." What a douchbag.

"Bill it's Eric,look I'll cut to the chase I know you're still on set I got you an audition for 'Fangtasia'."

"Wow Northman they've finally come to there sences,should we schedule a time for me to come in?"

"No need I'll call you with the rest of the info." The less I saw of Bill the better if he wasn't such a valueble client I would have passed him off to an executive but my need to do my job well overruled my distane.

"Alright Bill talk to you soon." "Sure,Northman." After tending to Bill I took more calls and then called it a day.I headed home and as I walked in my home it felt different,it was strange but I shrugged it off.I made my way upstairs loosening up my tie and unbuttoning my shirt when I saw Dawn standing there wearing nothing but a smile.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" She broke into my house?

"Oh come on baby,when you came in to Merlotte's wednesday I knew you wanted to see me,there's no way you would drive an hour out of the way for greasy food." The girl didn't know me obviously.I knew it was wrong to take advantage of Dawn but Sookie hadn't called and being with women was my version of comfort food and it made me feel like I still had game.

"Dawn I grew up in Bon Temps,I did go there for the greasy food but if you want to do this we will as long as you know that it's a one night thing;not like last summer." She smiled and nodded her head.I must be an idiot but I kissed her and started to take off my clothes when my phone rang. it was like a sign,I didn't recognize the number and I didn't want to answer the phone if it was Sookie not with Dawn there so I told Dawn to get out,she pouted and protested but eventually got dressed and left my house.

I listened the voice mail "Um hey Eric it's Sookie...see I told you I'd call." She said with a small laugh. "You're probably busy.I was wondering if you'd want to meet and talk at 'the Coffee Bean cafe' it's right outside of Bon Temps, tomorrow at 1,I hope to see you there." I smiled like a kid at chistmas,she wanted to talk and her voice was really high she did that thing with her voice when she got nervous and it was cute as hell.I couldn't wait to see her.

Next chapter we get Eric and Sookie together at the cafê, will she let him have it or understand?

Do you buy Eric's explanation, do we like this business Eric?

Could you tell that I know nothing about talent agencies? lol

Let me know what you think...