Sookie had walked back to her house in a daze. Bill was gone. And while she had been distraught on his lawn for hours, now that she was done crying she felt like she was free. She felt like he'd made his decision and finally admitted it wasn't about her. So she could be there with him, comfort him, and allow him the opportunity for peace that she really hoped he'd get. She would miss him, but she was sure he was where he wanted to be. And the comfort she got from that brought her peace as well.
By the time Eric arrived, an hour later, she was doing fairly well. Which was clearly not what Eric was expecting when he arrived on her porch. She was curled up on a bench on the porch, gazing off into the distance of the forest that led to Bill's house, smiling contentedly into her cup of spiked hot chocolate. Eric hesitated a few paces away. "Sookie?"
"I'm okay, Eric. I'm not gonna bawl all over your shirt, if that's what you're thinkin'."
"Mostly I was concerned with how you are doing. But you say you are okay, is this true?"
"It is. I realized this morning that Bill's choice really wasn't about me, and Bill confirmed it. Honestly, it was memories of Godric that made me see it," she winced at her casual mention of Eric's maker's death, "Sorry, I didn't mean to…"
"Go on," he said, simply.
"He was tired. He was ready to go. He'd seen too much, done too much for a soul like his. And he never stopped grieving for his human family. He wasn't suited to this life, not like you are. He couldn't let go of his past. He couldn't accept the constant change and thrive the way you and Pam do. Once I realized that, I met him halfway. I didn't kill him, but I stayed with him when he met the sun."
Eric sat down next to her and took her hand. "You are a good woman, Sookie Stackhouse."
She snorted, "I don't know about that. I still let him do it. Part of me thinks I should have fought harder."
"It is not what he would have wanted. As it was not what Godric wanted from me. In the end, you gave both of them exactly what they needed." He let go of her hand and put his arm around her shoulders and they sat in silence for a long time.
Finally, Sookie remembered his letter. "You wanted to discuss something?"
"Yes. As I said, Pamela and I will be leaving the country for the time being. I wanted to present to you an opportunity. I know you have unlimited options for what you can do now, but I thought I would offer a couple of suggestions. We would like to hire you to oversee the re-haul of Fangtasia. You have the knowledge necessary to restore it and get it functioning again. You would have a vast crew of talent available to you and endless resources. But it is our hope that you would do this while we are away, so we can open when we return."
"What about Ginger? Wouldn't she be the best person, since she's been with y'all so long?"
"We feel Ginger has earned an extended, paid vacation."
"And when you say vacation…?"
"I actually mean vacation. We'll call her back in when we re-open."
"Well, that's nice of y'all," she said, because she couldn't think of anything else to say about Ginger's role in their bar.
"Will you do it?" Eric asked, ignoring her superfluous commentary.
She thought for a moment, but realized she could really use a challenge that didn't involve saving lives, finding missing people, or grieving. "Yeah, I think I'd like that. You said a couple of suggestions, though?"
"I think you have a mind for business. So I wanted to suggest going to business school. If this is something that interests you," he advised, without pause.
"What makes you say that?" she asked, perplexedly.
"I see the way you manage everything in your life. Your dealings with the various supernatural communities. You are quite adept at negotiating and peace-keeping in tense situations. It also might help you learn how to use your gift better. Learn what to do with the information presented to you."
Sookie was touched that he'd noticed this about her. Most people considered her dealings with supernatural beings a fault in her character, not a strength. Then she frowned, understanding the undertones of his last point. "Does this mean y'all want me to work for you with my telepathy?"
"Potentially, if you are willing. But more than that, if it goes well I would like to make you an associate partner, since you seem to detest the idea of not earning the money you receive. Also there are things you do not know about the politics of vampires but suffice it to say it is in shambles at the moment since the Authority was destroyed and nearly all the vampires on the planet with it. There will come a time when the attention on myself and Pamela will potentially necessitate the use of your services, as we have no intention of getting back into the politics of our own kind. But first I'd like to know if it is something you would be willing to do."
"I'll think about it. I really will. But about your bar, Eric I really don't know the first thing about how Fangtasia operates or what I'd need to do. I worked for Sam for years, and sometimes I'd fill in for him for a few days but I never ran it on my own."
"Sookie, I trust you. You know what a bar needs to function. You saw the state it was in when you visited the other day. You have good sense. You will figure it out. And I will be available for phone calls should you have any concerns. Frequent phone calls. So expect a company phone to be delivered in the morning. Now, are you agreeable to this? Because I would rather not have to waste time hiring someone else."
"Sure, but Eric, can I just ask? Why keep Fangtasia if y'all are starting a huge corporation. What's the point?"
Eric was silent for a minute, measuring his response. "There is a long and depressing, oppressive history behind Fangtasia and the business Pamela and I owned before it. Decades of tedious monotony. Then one night, a girl in a white dress walked in and changed everything. Call it nostalgia. But I've grown attached to my piece of Louisiana. And if I'm going to bring a spotlight upon myself, I'd rather bring it to a state that needs it. Our corporate headquarters will eventually reside in Shreveport. As I hope you will as well."
Sookie had nothing to say to that, and Eric seemed to sense it. "I must go now, but if you would consent to coming to Fangtasia tomorrow night we can do a walk-through and go over what I am looking for."
"Okay, I'll be there," she agreed.
"Thank you, Sookie," he replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead before getting up and walking down onto her lawn. "I will have paperwork delivered with your phone going over the terms of your contract regarding Fangtasia. Please review it before you meet us there at sundown."
And with that, he shot up into the night sky
Not for the first time, Sookie wondered if she'd bitten off more than she could chew.