Hey guys, sorry for the wait on this one! I had a serious case of writers block that just make me want to chuck it all in! But, fear not! I more than made up for it when the mood struck again! So here we are, and for a few reviewers that need Sookie to 'get some' … well :D Enjoy. X
SPOV:
Sunday had been an all around relaxing day compared to the havoc that was the Saturday, so the lazy day was more than welcome. Eric had hightailed it out of the house to go and mind his bar around eight the previous night. The remains of our breakdowns were still hanging in the air. While he and I did make some progress on just what the other was thinking, we soon fell back into the silence we'd come to know over the previous month.
I was chatty. In fact, I could and would chat to just about anyone, but with Eric there was always blockage in the way. Sure we talked, but not about the important things. I still knew very little about his personal life, other than he had a thing for easy women, strawberry ice-cream and he liked running. Mostly, he was still a mystery to me.
Jessica and I decided a day by the pool was just what we needed, and it seemed Eric agreed. "Did she sleep okay for you last night?" Eric was stretched out on the recliner beside the pool as Jessica - complete with water wings and SPF 9000- splashed around in the pool.
"She did, shockingly. Although we did crawl around on the floor for like an hour before bed, so I guess that's the key- make her super tired and she'll just knock herself out." I couldn't see his eyes behind his shades, but his smile was obvious.
"That's good. I'm glad she didn't fuss for you."
"Me too." I sighed in relief. Nights with Jessica were hit or miss.
I'd brought my I pod and dock out on to the deck, much to Jessica's excitement. Of course Eric rolled his eyes and sighed at my choice of music but he'd just have to suck it up since it kept madam happy and clapping in her little floating ring. She clapped, bounced and made various attempts at words. Her latest favourite wasn't 'min' any more but 'fah'.
"Eric we have to be more careful what we say in front of Jessica."
"Why?"
"I think she's trying to say a curse word!" I was mortified at the idea of her first word being a rude one.
"What?"
"She's saying 'fah' I think she's saying … well, f.u.c.k." I spelled out instead of saying it- again.
Eric just laughed a big, hearty laugh.
"It's not FUNNY! Eric, if her first word is … that, what's the social worker going to think?"
"We'll introduce her to Pam and she'll understand."
"No, we just, we have to watch our language."
"Yes of course." he scoffed.
I just rolled my eyes at him. He'd be sorry if she was running around in a few months saying only swear words!
Jessica was definitely a water baby. She loved being in the pool and it was much to her chagrin when I had to take her out. She started to wail.
"But it's time for food. You like food too, Jessica."
She had her chicken strips, corn and tots all spread across her high chair tray, all down her front, up her nose and in her hair. And I was the one feeding her! How in the hell?
"Seriously, feeding this kid is like an art form when she's done!" I said as Eric made his way inside. His tan was coming along nicely, not that I was looking or anything.
"Yeah the other day we attempted yogurt, and Jesus, it was everywhere! And she only ate like four spoonfuls! I don't get it either."
My cell rang. It was Tara freaking out that Sophie-Ann was deciding she wanted to change the menu. Of course, the customers, the staff and the cooks were freaking because everyone was well used to their regular meals.
"Tara, what can we do? As she's so fond of reminding us, she's the boss, not us. We're merely her servants." I chuckled. Still, she begged me to reason with Sophie in the hopes of not confusing the already confused, and very new might I add, wait staff. New because she insisted on firing all the old staff for next to no reason. As much as I tried to reason with her, I got nowhere. My frustrations with her were growing by the day, as was the loss in our patrons.
"The boss being a nightmare?" Eric asked, sipping his water as he leaned his very topless self against the sink. I wasn't at all distracted by how low slung his basketball shorts were, not at all.
"Yes, she's basically undoing all my hard work for the last few years. I honestly don't know what her issue is, but she has one, and with me. Even though she pretends she doesn't. Her father flat out told me in front of her a year or more ago he'd rather the restaurant and bar be in my hands and if ever I wanted to buy Sophie's share, he'd be more than willing to sell it to me."
"Wow."
"Yeah, I mean it's always been something I wanted to do, you know? Own my own business, run it all the way I wanted." Why was I telling him this, seriously?
"And why haven't you?"
Ah, therein lies the rub. Why hadn't I? I had some savings. Gran had left me a little nest egg. I had her house as collateral… Why hadn't I stepped up and tried?
Fear of failure was an awful thing.
"I have my reasons but mostly, right now, it would be too hectic what with Jessica and everything." I avoided. He probably knew I was bullshitting him, but I just wasn't up for discussing my fears.
He seemed to accept that and we moved on. I told him I was cooking Sam dinner, to which he of course rolled his eyes, telling me that it was a second date- technically a first date- and Sam should be the one doing the work, not the girl.
I ignored him.
"I like to cook."
"Yeah, and you're very good at it. I'm just saying, second date and you're cooking at your house no less? That's sends a guy a message."
"And what kind of message would that be?"
"Sex."
"Excuse me?"
"SEX." He said loud and obnoxious, even though he was standing on the other side of the kitchen island. "It's when two people who like each other get naked and make noises." He grinned.
"Asshole."
"Thank you."
"I'm serious. It's just dinner. It's … it doesn't mean anything! And it certainly doesn't mean that!"
"Sex?" He tried to look innocent.
"Stop saying that, or it'll be her first word."
"It might be 'asshole' the amount of times I get called it. She's going to think it's my name."
"Oh, isn't it?" I sassed.
By the time eight thirty arrived I had successfully showered, dressed and done my hair. The roast chicken dinner I'd been cooking was well on it's way to being complete. Jessica was fed, washed and in her pyjamas, playing happily on living room floor when Eric came down the stairs. He'd disappeared for nearly an hour. What he was doing, I had no idea, but when he came down he was in a freshly pressed white shirt and black dress pants. His stubble was gone and if I was honest, he smelled damn good.
"You look nice." he offered. "No sex dress then?" Winking at me on his way to the kitchen, I picked Jessica up and followed him.
"There will be no sex. It's only our second date and It's not like I'm … you."
"Oh, ha." he deadpanned.
"Please, like you aren't going out to just bang this Ginger girl and come home."
"Excuse me, but I have a date planned."
"Oh, really? Doing what?"
"Things that are none of your business. Do you see me asking what you and Doc Brown have planned? Nope."
"That's because you hate him."
"I didn't say I hated him."
"Right. No, you didn't but everything in your being tells me you do every time I mention, talk to, or see him. Forgive the assumption." I checked on my chicken. It was browning nicely.
"So I don't like him, so what?"
"No what, I just… well will I get to meet Ginger?"
Did I really want to meet her though?
"Why?"
"I don't know Eric, maybe because we've been living here for over a month now and really I know very little about you."
He scoffed, "You know plenty about me!"
"Oh yeah? Okay so I know how you like your eggs. You like to run to chill might have an addiction to ice-cream, and you think I don't know about all the sugar you keep giving Jessica. But what do I know about you?"
"Well, like what?"
"Like, where did you grow up? Do you have any brothers or sisters? Where are your parents? What do they think of you taking on Jessica? You know, normal things!"
"But those are stupid, boring, unimportant things."
"Well, maybe they're important to me."
"Why?"
"I don't know, maybe you come from a long line of serial killers or sell babies on the black market, or chain blonde women up in your basement for fun. I don't know why Eric."
"I never took you as someone into bondage Sookie."
That was it. I threw the nearest thing I could at him, which just happened to be Jessica's empty sippy cup.
"Not funny!"
Of course he caught it with a smirk. "Sure it is. I mean, I hear it's painful at first …"
"Eric."
"Sookie, I'd love to stay and chat but I have a date…" he motioned to walk out the kitchen door but turned and came back, kissing Jessica quickly on the head. "Be good for Aunt Sookie, because her chicken is burning." He said to the baby.
"My chicken is - SHI- SUGAR, MY CHICKEN!"
He smiled and was on his merry way. I, on the other hand, had a baby and a smoking chicken to worry about.
EPOV:
I'd met Ginger at my bar, the usual place we'd meet before we'd do nothing more than hook up for a few hours before… well, before things got awkward. She yelled at me and usually left in a huff, and yet, she still agreed to see me again.
We had a drink and made some ridiculous chit chat. Pam came and went with more than a sarcastic glint in her eyes. I ignored her the best I could.
"So Eric, no one has seen you around lately."
"No one?"
"Well, me." she smiled "Where've you been?"
"I told you I've had things to take care of."
"Such as?"
"A one year old little girl." I just came out with it, a bit like with Tiffany. I didn't see the point in lying.
Her eyes bulged. "You have A KID?"
"I do now, yeah." I sipped my beer.
"Who's the mother?"
"Hadley Hale. She's dead."
Her eyes bulged again.
"Her father was Alcide. He was my best friend. He's dead too."
Saying it out loud caused something in my chest to ache.
"Jesus, Eric… Are you doing it alone? Do you need help?"
Tell me she didn't just bat her lashes at me?
"Her cousin, Hadley's I mean, she's… we're doing it. Raising her I mean. Legally and stuff she's ours now."
"Oh." her smile faltered slightly.
"Yeah."
"So that's why you moved? That's why you have haven't called?"
"Yeah, that's why."
"And the girl?"
"Sookie Stackhouse, she's the manager over at The Crown. You know it?"
"Yeah, that place is amazing. The staff are just so nice!"
I nodded. That would be Sookie's influence. She'd hate for anyone to be impolite to a guest, no matter who they were.
"So you and she are just livin' together and raisin' this baby? Gawd Eric, that's so weird. I, for one, never saw you as a daddy."
I took another sip, a larger one. "That makes two of us."
"I'm glad you called though. I thought for sure that night that you kicked me out, that was it."
It should have been, and the fact that she came back after I'd kicked her out- like the asshole I was spoke volumes of her self-worth. I was using her. I had been using her, and it dawned on me I felt like shit for the first time for doing it.
I blamed it on living with Sookie. Too much damn womanly advice on a daily basis. I was acting and feeling like a total pussy! I'd been celibate and sleep deprived for well over a month. Now there was a hot, easy woman tracing her fingers up my thigh and I…wasn't interested.
Somewhere along the lines, someone had lopped off my balls- I was sure of it.
Ginger, while her accent was thick and her voice high, was a beautiful woman. But beautiful in that it took bleach, pounds of makeup and heels to make her so. Nothing about her was natural, and I'd seen it all so I knew. Not her hair colour or length, not her nails, her tan, her teeth, or her breasts. It was all fake. She had a natural warmth though, one that men like me took advantage of.
Did I mention I felt like shit?
She had a few more drinks and I got us dinner from the kitchen. All in all, it was a couple of hours listening to her problems. I did try my best to be attentive, but there was just something that made me zone out.
"I'd love to meet her." She said suddenly.
"Who?"
"The baby…?"
"Jessica." I offered.
"Yeah, Jessica."
"You know, it's late she's probably already in bed."
"In bed. Isn't that where we should be by now?" she winked.
Usually, she'd have been dead right. Right now? I wasn't so sure.
She took my hand and led me to my car. I guess we were going to my place.
SPOV:
I smoothed down the front of my blouse. It was white and crisp and I hoped it stayed that way. I'd changed after I put Jessica to bed. Somehow she still had something sticky on her hand no matter how much I'd wiped at it and of course, it landed with a splat on my boob. Not a good look.
I smiled. "Sam you look lovely. Come in."
"Hi, likewise, but that's always the case with you Sookie."
I blushed. As silly as it was, compliments still made me shy. "Trust me if you'd seen me as I was attempting to bathe Jessica, it would be a whole other story. I was soaked." Good one Sookie. Talk about how wet you were within five minutes of the guy arriving. "Uh, I mean… it… come in, don't mind me." I attempted to conceal my blush.
"So." he looked around as we made our way into the kitchen, "Eric not here then?"
"No he's on a date."
"Oh."
"Why, hoping to see him?" I teased.
"Yeah, you know, I haven't reached my quota on insults or rudeness today. I'd like to get it up there."
"I understand. It's a numbers thing." I smirked. It was common knowledge, at this point, that Eric just wasn't going to warm to Sam, and I had no idea why. He and I managed to have a wonderful dinner. He was funny and insightful, and all-around sweet guy.
"Sookie, that was amazing. You should be a chef." he said leaning back and patting his belly.
"Oh I don't know, it was a little seared."
"Eh, I like it well done."
"It wasn't too dry?"
"Not at all! Thoroughly enjoyed it."
"Good, well why don't you go take a seat in the den? I'll be through with dessert."
Ice cream and apple pie. Was it wrong that dessert was my favourite part of a meal?
I found him on one of the couches flipping through my iPod, but he turned down the volume when I came in and sat next to him.
"So we've talked all about me all evening, Sookie. What should we talk about now?" he smiled.
"I ask a lot of questions don't I?"
"It's nice though. Most girls are just all 'me, me, me.' You're not like them- in more ways than one." he tucked the stray piece of hair behind my ear.
"I've been thinking about something." he whispered, even though we were alone.
I think I knew what he was thinking.
"What's that?"
"What it would be like to kiss you."
I fought the blush I felt creeping in my cheeks. Instead of turning away I turned to face him and we kissed. He was sweet, slow and gentle, everything that a first kiss should be. But there was something missing. That spark that I so longed for again wasn't there. Try as I might, I couldn't ignite it. It was still good though. It felt good. It felt nice to be desired and wanted again. He was a wonderful guy and I was attracted to him. He was hot and making out with him on the couch was extremely good. But I was … well… distracted.
I had Jessica's monitor to my left. The iPod was on so that was distracting me. His scruff was kind of annoying me where that sort of thing used to turn me on. All in all, I wasn't there with him and he knew it.
"Something wrong?" he asked from above me, mid-make out.
"No, no of course not. I'm just listening for the baby. Habit." I smiled.
"She's fine. She's sound asleep." he kissed my neck again and it lulled me into a sense of comfort so I tried to forget about everything and just enjoy myself. I was just getting into it, and letting Sam have a little under the shirt action, when I heard a car pull into the driveway to the back of the house.
Shit.
Please don't let his date be with him, please don't let his date be with him.
Hypocritical of me? Totally, but I just wasn't sure I could take an evening of over-hearing Eric's loud sexing. Or what I assumed would be loud sexing. I'd wager he'd put on a show if he knew it would annoy me, which I'd told him it wouldn't, but it's not like I could actually say "Hey I can date, but you can't because it might upset me, kay?"
No somehow I don't think he'd go for that.
I pushed Sam away gently, "I don't want him walking in on us."
"Doesn't he know not to?"
"It's Eric." I said, and hoped he'd know Eric didn't like to play by other people's rules.
"I guess we should go say hello?"
"Why?"
"I don't know, wouldn't it be rude?"
"If he's getting laid, I don't think he'd want us butting our noses in."
"Still, it's only polite." I got up and fixed my blouse and hair in attempt to maybe look like I didn't just spend the last half hour making out with my date with some serious heavy petting.
Of course, the second Eric saw me he smirked. He knew exactly what we'd been up to.
"Sookie, how'd Jess do?"
Seriously he was asking about the baby without even introducing me to his date? The date being a leggy, skinny, bleach blonde woman with a questionable fake tan. I put on my best customer service smile and greeted her warmly.
EPOV:
Pulling up the driveway, all lights were out in the living room so I assumed they were in the den- just as she said. Sure I could have pulled up and gone through the front, but where would the fun be in that. Of course, I didn't expect her to jump him on their second date, but Sam was a guy and when there's a woman that hot- cooking for you no less- you'll want to jump her. It was just common knowledge. That, and Sam looked like a horny little fucker. So when I saw her walking out of the den to say hi, her lipstick smeared all over her face and her blouse buttoned wrong, it was a little surprising that she'd gone along with Sam and his smarmy, wanting ways.
Yeah I hated him, so sue me.
"Eric have you forgotten your manners? Hi, I'm Sookie. You must be Ginger!" She said excitedly. What she was so excited about I had no idea.
"Oh, right, sure. Ginger, this is Sookie. Sookie, Ginger." I waved my hand between the two.
"Hi, it's just so nice to meet you, Sookie." Ginger's accent was thicker than Sookie's, and it drawled a lot more on most words too. "I've heard so much about you tonight. I feel like I know you already."
Yeah, she was lying. I mentioned her name and that we were rising Jess together, and that she worked at The Crown.
"Oh, well, isn't that sweet? I'm sure Eric would have told me more about you, but you know how he is."
Ginger nodded as Sookie's voice was still doing that weird high-pitched thing. It definitely didn't sound normal. In fact, it sounded false as hell. Ginger launched into her life story as Sookie poured us a drink. She laughed and smiled and nodded along. Still, there was something off. She was never this pleasant. Even for Sookie this was over kill.
"So, uh, I take it the date with Doctor Love didn't go well?" I asked Sookie but before she could answer, Squints came out of the den and into the kitchen.
"Actually the date's been going great. Thanks for the concern, Eric." Sam smiled at me with that self-serving, smug look that basically said 'fuck you I'm still here.' Asshole.
"Oh, well isn't this … nice."
"Would you and Ginger care to join us for a drink? We were just relaxing after dinner. Of course if you'd rather not, I don't want to keep you from… well from whatever else it is you'd rather be doing." She blushed, clearly thinking Ginger and I would be up to something else if left alone.
"Uh, no, actually."
"Oh, come on, Eric, it's not often I get to meet any of your friends and Sookie seems so sweet. One drink?"
I had both women looking at me expectantly. "Fine, whatever. Ginger, why don't you go on in with Sam? Sookie and I will get the drinks, right Sookie?"
I was hoping she sensed my tone.
"Sure." She nodded to Sam and he and Ginger started to chit chat on their way into the other room.
"What the hell?"
"What?" she tried to look innocent. "I asked if you minded. You said you didn't!"
"I … don't I just…"
"Just what?"
"This isn't weird for you? It's weird for me!"
"Why? It's a drink, not a bomb!"
"I know that. It's just Ginger and I, well, we don't talk much… or at all."
"Eric, that's silly. Of course you talk."
"Nope. It's pretty much flirting, drinks, sex, and leaving."
"That's disgusting. How could you be so … so…"
"Sookie, she's not my girlfriend and she's not going to be. So this is just unnecessary awkward for no reason!"
"For you." she pointed out, handing me a fruity looking drink in a weird glass.
"What?"
"Well, it's awkward, for you."
"Yes! Of course awkward for me." I whispered, "Now can you make something up so I can like, show her the house and leave."
"No."
"What? Why?"
"Because I think it's nice that we both have company over and it's nice to be nice Eric. You're good at it when you really try. So how about you go in there and you make nice with the girl you're fucking, and I go continue to have a nice evening with my date?"
I glared at her. It was all I could do since I couldn't yell, or they'd hear me.
"Bottoms up." she smiled, handing me a beer and shimmying her way into the other room. Oh payback's a bitch Sookie.
When we walked into the den, it was all very romantic and instantly made me feel like I was interrupting. The lights where set low. There was music coming from somewhere. There was wine, and of course, Sam.
That killed the mood.
Of course, he was being just his 'charming' self with Ginger, asking all about her. Sookie, of course, nodded along and smiled. I honestly felt like I was in the twilight zone. Having this 'date' with Ginger was a horrible idea, and one that I regretted. You see, Ginger had expectations of me, or us. She wanted a 'relationship' and most of the women that I …and I use the term loosely here, but that I dated- they knew me. They knew a relationship wasn't in the cards.
Ginger? Well, she just didn't take the hint. My own stupidity of wanting to one up Sookie led to both of them getting along and talking about how hot summers were in Louisiana, and how difficult it was being blonde in the heat and sun. I mean honestly, what the hell?
"So Eric, how did you and Ginger meet?" Sam asked. I fought the glare I wanted to shoot him. Sookie was sitting next to him ever so closely, too closely if you ask me, while Ginger sat on my left on the other couch.
"Uh, well, we met at a party around Christmastime, I think."
Ginger nodded. "It was Pam's Christmas party. Her parties are legendary for being a hoot, and they really are. Eric and I ran into each other… and well." She smiled. Sam nodded and Sookie took a rather large sip of her wine.
I didn't tell them she was the 'entertainment' for the evening's festivities. "And we just went from there." I added in. They didn't need to know we hooked up twenty minutes later.
"I see." Sookie said. "And Ginger, what do you do?"
"I'm a dancer."
"Oh, ballet?" Sam asked.
"Uh, no. Exotic."
Sookie spat out her wine. I cringed. I'd forgotten to mention that little detail.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. It went down the wrong way." She coughed to cover it up. "That's … nice, Ginger."
"Ginger what's your last name?" Sam asked.
"Rodgers."
I saw Sookie bite her cheek to stop from laughing. Just as Sookie was no doubly about to make another awkward attempt at conversation, the baby monitor came to life with a shrill. Both she and I jumped.
"I'll get her!" We said in unison.
"No, really Eric, let me." She eyed me.
"No, it's fine; you sit."
"Nope, it's my night." She took off like a shot with the monitor in hand. I'd almost got my ass on the seat when Sam asked Ginger how she enjoyed her job.
"I'll be right back. I'm just going to see if Sookie needs any help with … the … yeah." I nodded, hightailing it out of the den.
I found Sookie cuddling a crying Jessica, who looked startled.
"She was looking around like she didn't know where she was. I think she might have had a nightmare."
"Do babies have nightmares?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess they probably do? Shh, baby, it's okay."
The second Jessica saw me she hushed up, blinking away her tears and looking back at Sookie.
"Yeah, see, Eric's here too. You're okay baby, it's all okay." Sookie gave Jessica her bottle, which she took more than willingly. Her little eyes darting from Sookie to me. Of course the second Sookie put her back in her crib she started to wail again.
"Come on, Jessica, Sookie and I are trying to have an awkward night with our … friends."
"It is awkward." she nodded "I had no idea Ginger was a stripper, Eric!" she smiled. "Classy."
"Hey, the world needs strippers." Granted I hadn't really thought that sentence through.
"Sure, of course we do. And one day when Jessica comes home and says "Hey guys, I've decided, I don't want to go to college, I want to take my clothes off for a living. That's okay right?" and I'm sure you'll be fine and tell her just that. The world needs more strippers."
"Fine, you have a point."
"I know I do." She looked smug.
"I think Ginger and I need to leave." I took Jessica from her crib and attempted to calm her down.
"Why?"
"Hello, did you not witness the awkward? Asking her out again was a bad idea." I conceded.
"Because?"
"I don't know." I lied. "It was just a bad idea. She has expectations that I have no intention of stepping up to. I need to tell her that."
Sookie just nodded in agreement, though I noticed she didn't look at me.
"Well, yes you do. I mean, it's not fair to her if you're just going to lead her on in the hopes of having something that she wants, only to drop her like a sack of potatoes."
"I know."
"Good. I mean if it's fun it's fun, but as long as she knows that's all it is, and that girl… she had the look of a lot more than screwing around in her eyes."
"Oh god, really?"
"Really."
I cringed, walking and hushing the baby as best as I could.
"What about you and Doctor L-"
"Sam. His name is Sam and I know you know that, so please?"
I rolled my eyes.
"Fine, SAM."
"Thank you. And yeah, we're fine. It was a nice dinner, some good conversation, he's lovely." She smiled bashfully, tucking stray hair behind her ear.
Nice, fine, lovely. How exciting, I thought, but I did my best to keep it under wraps.
"Hey, Jess, miss me?"
"Eric, don't. She'll get all riled up!"
"Sookie, look at her; she's wide awake."
She was all bright-eyed and curious.
"What are we going to do?"
"I say we just … bring her with us. I mean, she is a huge part of our lives now, right? If they can't deal with that… then…"
She nodded.
"You're right. Of course, you're right."
So we did. We brought the baby to our respective dates. Sam, of course, she knew and wasn't at all fussed about but she knew Ginger was a stranger, and because of that, she dug her little hands into the neck of my shirt, holding on for dear life as if we were about to give her away.
"Oh, hi, Jessica." Ginger baby voiced. Jess just furrowed her little barely there brows. Needless to say, I was thinking the same thing. What the hell? Right? "Oh, she is just too precious! Hi baby girl, hiiiii." Ginger sounded out again, while Sookie took Sam into the kitchen to make her a fresh bottle of warm milk. "Oh, Eric she's too cute. Are you sure she isn't yours? With those blue eyes and that hair I'd almost have to think twice."
"She's not. She takes after Sookie's side of the family, the blond and the blue eyes."
She nodded. "Sookie seems nice- very sweet. Bangin' too." She also added, while I didn't answer one way or the other.
"So are you two…?"
"What?"
"Doin' it?"
I rolled my eyes, seriously why did everyone think that?
"No!"
"Can I hold her?"
"Sookie?"
"No, the baby. I love babies."
Of course she did, of course.
A stripper with a heart of gold. It was like a Julia Roberts flick- or was that a hooker?
I handed Jessica to her reluctantly just in time for Sookie and Sam to walk back into the room. Jessica didn't like Ginger one bit, as evidence by her big pouting lip,followed by the whack. The whack was the sound of her little hand slapping Ginger across the face. I wanted to laugh so badly, but I figured if I did I was screwed.
"Jessica!" Sookie scolded. "Oh, goodness, Ginger, I'm so sorry! She's usually not so …"
"Violent." I offered.
"No, it's fine. I'm just a stranger to her it's understandable."
What wasn't, however, was the scream Jess gave, looking at both Sookie and I with a "What did I ever do to you" look on her little face. Thankfully Sookie stepped in.
"Sam and I will go put her down. It was nice to meet you, Ginger."
"Likewise, Sookie, hope to see you again soon."
"Uh, yeah." Sookie looked at me on the way out, a 'good luck' vibe in her eyes. Yeah, Ginger and her hopes needed to be nipped in the bud. I couldn't keep leading her into a false sense of what she was going to get from me.
"Ginger ,I think maybe I should take you home."
"Why? We haven't even had sex yet."
I ran my hand through my hair. I wasn't really used to dumping a girl...before sex.
"I know, and I think maybe we shouldn't do that again."
She looked like I had two heads. "Are you dying?"
"No! Look, I just… you and I, honestly, you know I'm not the one for you Ginger. I know you're not the one for me. We're fooling around and it always ends with you upset."
"I thought maybe you'd changed your mind, at least a little. I like you Eric. I think that much is obvious."
"And I like you too, but you know that this was never… and now I have Jessica to think about, and believe, me as much as I'd love to just say screw it, and have all that bendy stripper sex with you.\," I smiled and she laughed, thankfully she knew I was kidding. "I can't. I don't know why, but… I can't. I need something more."
"Threesome? We could ask Sookie-"
"As awesome as that sounds…" I took a moment to enjoy that visual for all it was worth. "Ginger…"
"I won't say I'm not disappointed. I mean, you're a good guy. You can be a cold bastard when it suits you, but hey, let's face it, we were sex. And that sex was exceptional." She quirked a brow at me. "But yeah, right now, maybe you do need more, or less."
"Less?"
"Seems to me that you have one woman in your life that is going to be demanding all of your attention from now on, and she comes with a momma. That's going to be a hard pill for some girls to take. Especially one that looks like Sookie."
I didn't say anything.
"Oh, come on, Eric, the girl is hot. Are her breasts real?"
"Ginger, really?"
"Sorry, right. Well, what do you want? I've been dumped by you twice now, only this time you're being an actual human being about it Northman. Same song, different verse. But you're right, our duet is over." She smiled at me sweetly. "I text my friend Mindy when you and Sookie went to check on the baby. I figured one way or another we weren't going to be together tonight. She'll be here in twenty."
"I would have driven you home. I'm not a total asshole." I argued.
"You're not an asshole at all; that's your problem. It's why when you act like one it just doesn't suit you."
I said my goodbye's to Ginger and saw her off. I was willing to try this single thing for real. I mean I had a kid, a house and a … co-parent that I may or may not have some kind of feelings to deal with. I think that was more than enough. It didn't seem to be more than enough for Sookie, however, when I walked up the stairs to see if she had any issues with the baby.
Apparently she didn't, and she had little or no issue with Sam either, or so the noises coming from her room told me. I ignored the jealous pang that ran through me. At this point, I had no right to be jealous of him, or how ever many positions he was in with her right then. She wasn't mine. I had no claim to her, and I kept telling myself I didn't want claim on her. I didn't want her to be mine. Except I kept hearing everyone 's voice on how it was inevitable. Did I want her because I'd always wanted her? Or did I want her because it was convenient, expected, easily accessible? I turned on my iPod and did my best to drown out both the thoughts that were plaguing my mind, and the possibility of any and all sounds coming from across the hall.
I'd deal with it all later. Much later.
Mucho thankies to Makesmyheadspin for beta'ing this baby for you all, she's just awesome sauce! Reviews are love *nudge nudge* Hope you enjoyed it guys! :D