This is a bit of a long one, I got a bit swept up in the events…

Hope you like it J

Set back about 20 feet from the main road, and almost completely surrounded by trees, there stood a large white house. At the front door stood a very smartly dressed elderly man.

'Eric, I would have picked you up if you'd called' said the old man, greeting Eric in the doorway.

'you must be Sookie, I'm so sorry about the apartment, my sister has come to visit and I was sure Eric could make some alternative arrangements.'

'that's fine, its nice to meet you' I replied, this was starting to sound even more like Eric had practised convincing me to stay with him.

'this is Mr Cataliades, the landlord. He's a good friend' Eric explained as we walked into the house and up to the first grand door on the right side of the entrance hall.

Eric opened the door and carried the luggage inside. I followed, soon pausing to stare around the room. It was large and brightly lit and beautiful. A huge corner sofa sat on one side of the room, bookshelves against the walls, a kitchen separated from the main room by only a counter. Two doors led off the left wall.

'this one is you room' Eric said, moving to the left door and opening it. 'and I'm right next door' he finished opening his door and putting his cases just inside.

'lovely place' I managed to say.

I wandered to my room, still spotting paintings or little sculptures. When I finally moved my eyes into the bedroom I was again amazed at the room. A large bed faced an open window, with what I thought might be more of door. On the opposite wall was a door into a bathroom

I put my bag down by the bed and moved to the window. The scenery was lovely, even though the garden was maybe only 10 feet wide, it managed to look like it went on and on. The breeze coming in through the window was warm, and slightly scented. Something gorgeous was flowering nearby.

After I'd freshened up a little and changed my clothes I went back into the main apartment. Eric was stood in the kitchen and I could instantly smell coffee. I walked up to the counter and sat down, watching Eric work.

'how do you take you coffee?' Eric asked, turning and showing off a very fetching apron.

'um' I giggled 'milk and one sugar please' I tried and failed to contain myself. The frilly apron was too much.

'something amusing you?' Eric asked, waggling a spoon at me.

'me? Oh, just life in general, always happy.' I replied, with a big cheesy grin.

He passed me a large cup of hot coffee and after pouring his own, joined me at the counter.

'we have tomorrow free to relax, unless you have something you want to do, I have a few suggestions.' Eric stated, sounding quite excited.

'I could do with a trip to buy toiletries, but other than that, I'd be grateful for your inspiration' I told him

'how tired are you today?' he asked,

'that depends, what time is it?' I replied.

'its about half past 8, how tired are you now?' he asked, curious.

'oh, that's not bad, I'm about normal for half past 8, why what's your plan?'

'well, some of my friends are having a BBQ, I thought you might like to go relax.' he explained, 'they live down by the beach, and its so peaceful in that area.'

'yeah sure, sounds like fun.'

We finished our coffee and I went to get changed into more appropriate clothing, a flouncy summer dress with flip-flops. I looked at my handbag and wondered if there was any point? I didn't have keys or cash or anything. I felt a little bare without it, so I put some mints in it and took it anyway.

Eric was waiting for me, lounged on the sofa. I took another brief moment to admire the view. I shifted my eyes when I saw him begin to move.

'you ready to go?' he asked as he stood.

'yep, do I need anything? Like ID?' I asked suddenly remembering the age laws. I look a bit younger than my age, young enough for people to want to check.

'it's a private party, plus I can always get you a drink' he smirked as we left the apartment.

Outside the front of the house Eric strode up to a big comfy looking car. He opened a door and then laughed as I walked around to the other side, only to realise this was an American car and everything was on the other side. I mumbled something about revolutionaries as I walked back around the car and climbed in.

I felt like a small child sat in the passenger seat of the car, but I was also getting excited about being the mystery woman, at least for a little while.

'you'll get on with my friends, you seem to have similar ideas about life' Eric said after we'd been driving for a little while.

'you've already figured out my philosophy?' I asked

'yeah, you're a bit of a hippy, but not too much, you're a bit punk, and a little something else' he stated, like it was written on my passport.

'oh, I guess. Not far of at all' I replied, a little blankly.

'so what did I miss?' he asked

'not entirely sure myself, I'll let you know' I told him, and went back to staring out of the window.

He must be guessing, or playing to the mystery of a new acquaintance. He couldn't possibly know there as something different, I was very adept at hiding it. At least I had answered honestly, I didn't know what it was either.

After leaving the city, we drove along the coast for a little while. Soon we pulled up to a nice house right next to the beach, the party was already in full swing.

Eric parked the car to one side and we walked to the front door. I was nervous about meeting his friends and he must have sensed it because before knocking on the door, he placed his arm around my shoulders and gave me a little squeeze.

The door was opened by Pam, which was quite a shock. She didn't seem surprised to see me though.

We mingled with the crowd for a while, Eric seemed to be showing me off, and only partly as a new co-worker.

Pam rescued me from talking to some business people, and took me out onto the back porch. The beach was only 30 feet from the porch and the sea which as apparently at high tide, about 50 feet further.

'we're so glad you decided to join us for a while' Pam said, looking out across the pacific. 'who knows, we may yet convince you to stay.'

'oh, that would be quite a big decision. Also it would depend on whether I was as good as you think I am' I replied, very surprised.

'I'm sure you'll be wonderful' she said, 'Eric certainly seems to think so.'

'oh, you think?' I asked innocently.

'oh Sookie, you think he's always like this?' she asked, amused.

'he just seems friendly to me, that's quite normal' I told her.

'your just the sweetest, most innocent…. But nevermind that. I must return to the boring talk of business, please enjoy the party and I'll see you Monday.' she chuckled, then turned and walked back into the house.

I stood for a moment and tried to clear my head. This is not what I expected, maybe hoped for, but I never thought someone like Eric could be interested in me. I placed my glass o the edge of the porch and walked down to the beach. Carrying my flip-flops in my hand I walked towards the ocean, the sound was so peaceful. I stopped before I reached the water and inhaled the clean air, this was such a beautiful place and I had such good fortune to be here. I wasn't going to get carried away, or be talked into liking someone. I had to clear away all suggestions and work on the facts, after all, I am a scientist.

The facts, however, didn't help.

As I stood there, listening to the waves lapping near my feet and the distant sound of the party, I became aware someone was behind me. Before I could open my eyes, a hand came to rest on my shoulder and a warm voice broke the relative quiet.

'you enjoying the peace?' Eric asked.

'yeah, just amazed I'm looking at such an expanse of ocean. I've seen it on a map, but its mind-bending how much ocean there is out there.'

Eric didn't reply, so I turned to see what reaction I'd got. He was just stood smiling.

'you seem like a very contented person, every time I look at you your smiling' I told him.

'I smile when there's something to be happy about.'

I wasn't going to ask about that, I felt I would be pushing my luck.

'you want to head back to the apartment? Or would you like to stay a little longer?' he asked

'I think I'm ready to face my jetlag' I told him, 'apartment please'

We walked back through the house saying goodbyes, and to the car. I settled into the passenger seat and opened the window a little, so I could watch the ocean until the last minute.

At some point on the journey I fell asleep, I woke a little and found myself being carried by Eric. He placed me gently on the bed, covered me with a sheet and kissed my forehead before closing the door as he left. I was so comfy I didn't even wriggle out of my dress, I just fell fast asleep.

I awoke suddenly to the sensation of being shaken, my first thought being 'that bloody earthquake waited until I got here'. I sat bolt upright and opened my eyes ready to assess my escape route, but came face to face with Eric.

'sorry I startled you' he said, backing up 'only its lunch time and I thought you may want to be woken.'

'oh no, its ok.' I said, flattening my crazy bed hair 'I'm just not used to being woken by something not electronic.'

'you take your time, we can have lunch when your ready' he said as he left, quietly closing the door.

I staggered to the bathroom and peeled off my dress, climbed into the shower and melted into the warm spray. After savouring the water for a few moments, I rushed through the washing of everything. I sprayed a little perfume and popped on a different coloured dress and went into the apartment trying to look like I hadn't rushed.

Eric was sat on the sofa reading a book, I had another moment to admire his form as I approached.

'you need any help preparing lunch?' I asked, 'I'm quite useful in the kitchen'

'what? A scientist that can cook? I didn't know they existed' he joked, turning to face me.

'sure, its just a different type of science, with many variables.'

'ok, you can give me a hand, lets see what we have' he said, moving over to the kitchen.

We pottered around the kitchen, peeling and chopping. Suddenly Eric turned to me, spark of inspiration in his eyes.

'we should go up to this little spot I know, I'll grab the BBQ, I'll go great together' he turned and strode across the room before I had chance to react.

When he came back he placed a picnic basket on the counter and smiled.

'I'll load the car if you could pack the food?' he said, watching my reaction. 'there's some meat in the fridge,'

'yeah, this sounds fun, I'll be right out' I said on auto-pilot.

I gathered everything together as Eric disappeared out of the door again, making sure the meat was kept utterly separate from the rest. As I walked from the apartment I saw Eric filling the boot of his car with deckchairs and a small BBQ.

I climbed in the passenger seat and buckled up, holding the basket on my lap.

Eric soon joined me, filled with the excitement of a child, we set off.

This turned into a trip along the coast in the other direction, soon we were high above the sea driving along a cliff top. Eric pulled over and got out of the car, I followed. He pointed down a small path across the road, which led up a hill.

'this place is amazing' I said, turning back to him. He had a very pleased-with-himself look.

'the hill flattens at the top, and the view is perfect, we can relax in the sun and you can adjust to the time zone' he stated. Yes, he was very please with his efforts.

'awesome, so what time is it now?' I asked, hoping to adjust like he had said.

'its almost half past one, the perfect time for a picnic' he said, moving to open the boot of the car and remove the contents.

'here, hand me a deckchair. Your hands are full anyway' I told him before he injured himself, I aren't bad at nursing, but not the general direction of my hopes.

We made our way up the hill and set up our chairs. It was gorgeous up here, the scenery only rivalled by the company. As we sat there, not yet ready to fire the BBQ up and picking at carrot sticks, we seemed contented with each others company without needing to talk. Then again, I couldn't manage to think of anything worthy of breaking the silence, or anything that wouldn't make me look like a geek.

'oh, I almost forgot, I'll be right back' Eric said suddenly, after what felt like hours.

He dashed off down the hill, still looking elegant. I sat there and watched him a moment, soaking up the heat, watching him walk and open the car seemed to take ages and my eyelids began to feel heavy.

Didn't realise I had been asleep until I heard voices that weren't Eric. I opened my eyes and sat up straighter in my chair.

'hey sleepyhead, how you feeling? Eric asked quietly,

'oh, I shouldn't have done that, what time is it?' I asked, slightly confused.

'its only 3pm, you weren't asleep long' he replied, and handed me a beer. 'these guys live nearby, and we aren't far from the lab, figured you could get to know them a bit tonight, save you some time tomorrow.'

'that's really clever, I can see why Pam regards you so highly' I said, then wishing I hadn't.

'really? What was she telling you?' he asked, 'I guess I do keep the office running well'

'yes, definatly, that was it, very impressed' I managed to throw a sentence together, apparently convincingly too.

'Bill's over there, and some of his team, and Sam's here with a few people from his team.' we walked over to where the strangers were congregated. Bill nodded at me, Sam came over more enthused.

'hey Sookie, how you liking the heat so far?' Sam asked,

'its very hot, but I'm sure I'll be fine, excited to start at the lab tomorrow' I replied, hoping not to sound like a creep.

'oh good, everyone's dying to meet you, they sounded thrilled when I rang them Friday' he said,

We stood and talked for a while, then everyone seemed to gather a deckchair and we all sat around the beer boxes and BBQ. Eric started up the BBQ so I chatted to everyone, finding out where they worked and what tests they did. I admitted after a short while how much of a geek I was, they seemed relieved that I was normal but eccentric. I figure being British, that was inevitable.

When they were talking amongst themselves I walked over to see how Eric was doing.

'you need any help?' I asked

'nah, I'm good, its 5pm by the way' he smiled down at me.

'thanks, this really was the greatest idea, I was a bit nervous about tomorrow, but now I know they're all ok it'll be a lot easier' I told him, putting my hand on his arm. Hmm nice muscles.

As the evening wore on we all settled down and began talking about funny stories and gross things from the labs we'd worked in.

'one of the team leaders I worked with fainted when he cut his thumb in the lab' Judith said, she was a nice girl who worked in Bill's team and made fawn eyes at him all night, without being noticed.

'haa ha ha, one of my chemistry teachers tasted a chemical I made one, its smelt of pineapples but from his reaction it didn't taste as good' I offered,

'we did a experiment at university and the test tube disintegrated in my hand, that freaked me out' said Sam, utterly loving the staff interaction. He had told me earlier that he thought we should do this sort of thing more, good for team moral.

'when I was studying, my classmate's experiment blew up, and took out half of the lab, we were all showered in glass dust.' Bill said, a bit coldly. But it still engrossed Judith

'that must have been scary' she said to him,

'yes, thankfully I was on my way out of the room, and the only other person nearby was the lab tech in the next room' he continued, 'but it made a hell of a mess.'

'this almost makes me wish I worked in a lab, all I have to offer is that I managed to staple my thumb when I refilled the photocopier' Eric said, a bit forlorn.

'That's weak, haven't you ever had wheelie chair races or put decaff in the coffee machine? I asked him

'never really thought about any of that' he said, 'guess you'll have to teach my department too' he smiled and looked at Bill.

'hey I told you, Pam allowed me to use her skills first, stop trying to steal her' Bill said, quite offended.

'chill out man, I'm sure eveything will work out perfectly, she might even replace that pain in all our asses' Sam said, starting to sound a little drunk.

I looked to Eric for some kind of explanation, he was busy holding in a laugh.

'Sookie, I believe Sam is refering to the deputy manager, her name is Joy. She couldn't make it this evening' Bill explained.

'yeah, Joy' Sam said, and made some pffft noise, 'the most joyless woman on the planet, which is why she isn't here. Probably busy with ruining someone else's day' he continued.

The talking continued for a while longer, until the sun had set and people were starting to look a little bleary.

'its 9pm' Eric almost whispered, putting his head close to mine. I turned to smile at him and found our faces very close.

'thanks' I whispered back.

'I'm gonna head off' Sam said standing and walking in the opposite direction to the cars, 'see y'all in the morning'.

'is he gonna be ok?' I asked, slightly concerned.

'yeah, he lives in the houses just through those trees.' Eric replied.

Within about 10 minutes most of the visitors had left, Bill was helping Judith to his car, she was sloshed or possibly faking it to get Bill alone. Good luck to her.

I gathered up the bits of rubbish and bottle while Eric carried the deckchairs to the car. He cooled the BBQ and bagged in to go away too, then we headed home. Home, my second night and I was already so comfortable. Would I stay? Could I?

When we arrived back at the apartment Eric opened the car door for me.

'shall I put the kettle on' I said, weary but not ready for bed.

'yes, you go do that, I'll be there in a moment' he said patting my shoulder.

I dragged myself inside and shuffled to the kitchen, this was definitely auto-pilot, I filled the kettle and boiled it. I made two cups of tea and went to go sit on the sofa. When Eric came in, I was almost fast asleep again.

'tea made already?' he asked sitting down,

'yep, well practised, milk one sugar? I countered,

'yeah, how did you know?' he said, reaching for the cup

'I have no idea.' I told him. I did have an idea, it just wasn't logical.

We sat there on the sofa next to each other drinking our tea and chatting about the people I had met earlier. When we had both finished our tea, Eric took the cups to the kitchen. I thought about moving briefly, and decided it was too much effort. Eric came back and sat a tiny bit closer than before. I could feel his head moving towards me before I saw it. I was trying to ignore him, reading a book he'd shown me.

'its half past ten' he whispered, his breath tickling my neck.

'crap, I should go to bed' I said moving to get up, 'I hope you don't think I sleep this much normally' I said as I moved around his legs.

'its fine, you've travelled a long way and done a lot this weekend.' he said, remaining on the sofa.

'great, I'll see you in the morning, what time do you set off?' I was moving past the kitchen now.

'I usually set off round half past seven, if that's ok' he replied.

'perfect, see you then, night' and I disappeared inside my room.

I sat on my bed for a moment, every cell of my body wanted to go and kiss that man, he was considerate and kind. I hoped with every fibre of my being that he was trying to win me over and that he liked me. Pam seemed to think so, but what was going on with his reaction to her name. very odd.

As I thought things over I got ready for bed, nearly sitting on the laptop I'd left out to remind me to email Julie.

'dammit' I thought to myself, I meant to ask Eric if he had the internet.

I walked to my door, ignoring my pyjama wearing state, and looked around the living area for him, nothing.

I took a step forward and looked into his bedroom through the wide open door.

'oh shit, I'm so sorry' I gasped, and ran into my room. Eric had been stood in front of his bed, naked, one foot in his pyjama bottoms.