Chapter 9: Wonderful Tonight

"We go to a party and everyone turns to see this beautiful lady who's walking around with me. And then she asks, 'Do you feel alright?' and I say, 'Yes, I feel wonderful tonight.'" –Eric Clapton

EPOV

She smelled like peaches, which was fitting considering the dress she was wearing. Sookie was easily the most beautiful woman in the room. I held her close to me, the warmth of her skin radiating through the thin material of her dress, as we swayed to the music that was playing. Her head rested lightly against my chest as we moved, and I tried not to think about how much longer we were going to be stuck at the college because all I wanted right about then was to get her home.

We had plans, after all. Our own little after party was scheduled to kick off the second we left the college and the longer I held her, the harder it was not to fake a stomachache as an excuse to leave early. Across the floor, my parents were dancing as well. It was easy to spot the comfort level between them. It was obvious they had danced many dances together and I found myself wondering if there was a chance that could be Sookie and me in thirty years.

Whoa. Thoughts of the future. There's something I didn't usually do. But it wasn't scary. Like every other wall of mine Sookie seemed to come busting through, I wasn't frightened by this invasion either. In fact, I liked the idea of her still being around in thirty years. My arm tightened around her waist like I was afraid she was going to float away if I wasn't careful. Her head lifted and she looked up at me.

"I'm glad you asked me to come with you tonight. Your parents are wonderful and it's easy to see why you are they way you are," Sookie stretched up and kissed me softly.

I had no words so I just kissed her back. Sometimes that was better than trying to find words anyway. A clearing throat and a tap on my shoulder broke up the kiss I was so thoroughly enjoying and when Sookie and I both turned to see my parents smiling back at us, she quickly looked away with a hint of blush creeping up her neck. Her modesty was adorable.

"Switch with me. Legs Mahoney over here is all feet tonight," Mom jerked her thumb at Dad and for the first time it hit me that Sookie had the same sass as my mother.

"Oh good! Maybe Martin can get some feeling back into my feet," Sookie grinned and kissed my cheek before ditching me for my father.

"She's a keeper, Eric. So help me God if you screw this up, I'll disown you," Mom threatened as we started dancing.

Sookie had definitely won Mom over. After all the presentations were finished, the two of them got into a discussion about feminism in Jane Austen novels. They both swooned over Mr. Darcy while Dad and I just exchanged shrugs and started talking about sports. The fact that Sookie could keep up with my mother was a huge deal, and it was what won her my mother's respect.

"Don't worry, Mom, I'm behaving myself." I promised her and I was.

"Good, because Sookie is a sweet girl and as much as I love you, my son, I'd kick your ass if you broke her heart because you were being thoughtless." Mom patted my shoulder.

The sound of Sookie's laugh drew my attention her way. I had no idea what had been said to make her laugh but the fact that Dad was laughing as well was a good sign. I couldn't take my eyes off of Sookie. Everything about her was so lit up. From the color of her dress, to the shimmer of her skin, the sparkle of the gold jewelry she was wearing and the twinkle in her eyes—all of it screamed of lightness. That was when it hit me; the thing I had been trying to figure out about her that I'd been so drawn to; it was her light.

"I think I'm in love with her, Mom," I confessed quietly, knowing my mother was the only person I could have said that to without feeling incredibly awkward about it.

"Well duh," Mom chortled and my head whipped around to face her. "I could have told you that. The second you looked at her picture on your phone, I knew you were gone. And after meeting her, I know you never had a chance."

I knew I liked her a lot and from the moment I'd set eyes on Sookie, I'd felt something different inside me than I had with any other girl in the past. But love? I had refused to believe it was possible to love someone before I even knew their name. Yet, with Sookie, that seemed entirely possible. You could have knocked me flat on my ass with a slight breeze when I put those pieces of the puzzle together.

"You don't think it's too fast?" I was staring at Sookie again, but talking to my mother.

"To paraphrase Jane Austen: intimacy isn't something that can be determined by time. For some it happens in days and for others it takes years. Whether it was overnight, or took all this time for you to feel it, you feel what you feel, and that's all that matters." Mom rubbed my shoulder. "Don't be afraid to tell her how you feel, sweetheart. It's always better to say what's in your heart than wait for a moment that may never come."

"How long were you and Dad together before he told you he loved you?" I asked her since I hadn't the slightest clue. I didn't usually ask too many questions about my parents' relationship.

"Four days," Mom said and I froze.

"Seriously?"

Mom laughed and nodded. "Eric, you know your father! He never does anything half way and we both know you get your obsessive-compulsive tendencies from him. I tend to think he was just infatuated but he swears up and down it was love. Who am I to argue?"

"Even for the Old Man that's fast." I snickered.

"He's impulsive and yet guarded where his heart is concerned; he always has been. You get that from him, too." Mom leaned in and kissed my cheek as the song ended. "Why don't you go get Sookie and spend the rest of the evening together?"

"No, Mom, we don't have to do that." I shook my head, but appreciated her offer.

"Nonsense! You came for dinner, brought Sookie with you and stayed for your father's speech. You did your duty. Now go do your girlfriend," Mom pushed me toward Sookie.

My mother was the queen of shock value sometimes and I swear she intentionally said things she knew I would find funny in a highly disturbing sort of way. All the same I could see she wouldn't be taking no for an answer, which told me where I'd gotten my determination from, and I headed over toward Dad and Sookie.

"Mom has told me in the politest of ways that it's time for Sookie and me to get out," I told Dad as I took Sookie's hand.

Both Sookie and Dad looked over at Mom who just shrugged like she had no idea what she was being gawked at for. Of course she would do that. I rolled my eyes and she winked at Dad. Dad chuckled, apparently in-tune enough with my mother to know exactly what she was saying. Then the horrible thought that maybe she wanted us to leave so she and Dad could go home crossed my mind. I did not need an image of my parents having sex floating around in my head. Not now, not ever.

The three of us headed for the table we'd been sitting at for dinner so Sookie could collect her bag and Mom met us there. After inviting Sookie over for brunch on Sunday, we all exchanged hugs and kisses goodbye.

"It was so wonderful to meet you, Sookie. Thank you for coming tonight," Mom said as she hugged Sookie.

"You're so welcome. Thank you for including me," Sookie answered as she squeezed my mother like they were old friends.

"Keep an eye on that one for me," Dad nodded in my direction as he kissed Sookie's cheek. "And if he gives you any trouble, you let me know."

"Yessir, I will," Sookie promised and waved to my parents as we turned to walk out.

"And to think, you were nervous," I teased as we left.

"I know, I know, but I really wanted them to like me," Sookie squeezed my hand.

"I would have to say that's a mission accomplished," I kissed the top of her head. I couldn't wait to get home.

o.O.o.O.o

The ride back to my house was filled with the slow twang of country music. Sookie was absently drawing little hearts on my hand as she stared out the window at the passing landscape. It was just shy of eleven by the time I pulled into the driveway. She waited patiently in the passenger's seat while I went around to open her door for her. We walked hand in hand to the front door and the second we were inside; she kicked off her shoes and sighed with relief.

"Feet hurt?" I smiled down at her while she pouted and nodded.

"Whoever invented high heels is pure evil," she braced herself against me while lifting a foot to rub it.

"Well then allow me," I scooped her up before she could argue with me.

"Eric!" She laughed and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I had fun tonight. Thank you for inviting me."

"Thank you for coming," I answered and then kissed her.

Since it was a night for revelations, the thought that I never wanted to kiss anyone but Sookie for the rest of my life crossed my mind. Shock of all shocks, I didn't try to kick it back out. In fact, the thought seemed to fit right in with my earlier revelations about the way I felt about her. I set her down because I had to. I didn't want to be looking at her at some awkward angle when I said what I needed to say.

I felt absolutely no reservations about telling her I loved her. It felt like the right thing to do and a part of me thought maybe that was what she had been waiting for. If it were anyone else, I would think it was manipulation but I didn't feel that way with Sookie. She was waiting for something better to come into her life, something that meant more to her. I hadn't known it when I met her, but I had been waiting for the same exact thing. I felt incredibly lucky to have found it.

Sookie whimpered when I set her down and the pout on her face was comical and adorable at the same time. "Stupid feet," she muttered.

I got lost looking at her and it wasn't until she turned to go upstairs that I remembered I had things I wanted to say. I caught her hand and she turned on the steps so we were eye to eye. That was much better than the way we'd been a few seconds before.

"Something wrong?" she asked with a nervous smile.

"No, no, nothing's wrong, but there's something I want to tell you," I laced my fingers with hers.

"Okay," she squeezed my hand.

"Since the minute I saw you, there was something about you that was pulling me toward you. I didn't know what it was and I've spent the last couple of weeks trying to figure it out. Then tonight, I saw you from across the room and you looked like sunshine." I told her and watched as her smile grew and her eyes filled with tears.

"Aww, Eric, that's sweet of you," her voice was soft and full of emotion.

"There's more," I stepped closer to the stairs. "Do you remember at the wedding when you caught me staring at your ass?" Sookie burst out laughing and nodded at the memory. "What you said to me after that completely caught me off guard and you've been surprising me with one thing or another ever since. At the risk of sounding completely cheesy, I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm glad I found you."

"Eric," her voice cracked when she said my name and a tear rolled down her cheek. "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"And I mean it, every word. There's something else you should know," I reached up to touch her cheek. I took a deep breath and blew it out. I'd never said what I was about to say to anyone else. This was a huge moment in my life and I was glad it was with Sookie. "While I was watching you tonight I realized a lot of things but the most important is that I love you."

Her mouth dropped open and for once, it seemed I'd managed to catch her as completely off guard as she normally was catching me. Her mouth closed and opened a few more times while she considered what she wanted to say. I wasn't expecting her to tell me she loved me back. I wouldn't argue with her if she did but I hadn't said it just to hear it back. Like anyone else, I wanted to hear it when it was true and not just to pacify me, or make me feel like I wasn't out there alone on that ledge.

"I don't know what to say," she finally admitted with that nervous laugh of hers. "I uh…I wasn't expecting you to say that. Any of it."

"Sookie, you don't have to say it back just because you feel like you should. I just wanted you to know how I feel." I wiped away a tear that was rolling down her cheek.

"No, I know you're not, and I would never say it just because that's the stock response when someone tells you they love you. I could say it right now but it wouldn't mean what it should and I want it to mean everything." Sookie put her hand on mine and moved it over so she could kiss my palm. "I really, really wish I could say it back right now but I'm just not there yet."

"It's okay," I smiled at her and just so she knew I was being straight with her, I leaned in and kissed her with everything I had and I knew she was doing the same.

Getting up the stairs without breaking the kiss was a challenge but we managed. The jacket of my suit was the first thing to go and it landed unceremoniously on the floor in a heap. It was tempting to just rip my shirt open instead of letting Sookie unbutton it one button at a time, but there was time for that later. For now, I'd let her have things her way.

I couldn't believe I'd told her I loved her without choking on the words. Then again I'd never even had the inclination to say it to anyone else; it just never crossed my mind. With Sookie, I couldn't wait to purge the words. I wasn't afraid of telling her how I felt. That, in and of itself, was a small miracle. And I was glad she trusted me enough to be honest with me instead of saying it back just because she could. I was glad she wanted the words to mean as much to her as they did to me.

"Wait," Sookie said suddenly as I was unzipping her dress. My hands dropped immediately and Sookie backed away from me just a step. "Give me a minute. I'll be right back."

Before I could say anything else, she was grabbing her bag and hauling ass toward the bathroom. The door slammed shut and I stood around my bedroom like a tool, unsure of what to do with myself. I had no idea what she was doing in the bathroom or how long she was going to be. Was I on temporary hold, or what?

Either way, the bed was about to be used so I went over to it and pulled the comforter back to the foot of the mattress. I kicked off my shoes and pulled off my socks. I sat on the edge of the bed in my dress pants and waited. If I had been thinking a little more clearly about the whole thing, I would have bought candles or something like that.

Then I remembered I had an emergency stash downstairs in case I lost power. They didn't smell like anything but that wasn't really important. I ran downstairs and grabbed them from their hiding place in the cabinet beside the fireplace. I grabbed the barbecue lighter as well and ran back upstairs. I set the little tea lights in various places around the room and lit them one by one until there was a flickering glow in the room. Not bad for a last minute effort, if I did say so myself.

I stretched out on the bed and closed my eyes while I waited for Sookie. I tried to imagine what she might be doing in there but none of the sounds I heard coming from the bathroom gave me a hint. I wasn't usually so impatient but after fifteen minutes went by, I was starting to think maybe she'd changed her mind about the whole thing and was planning her escape. Maybe I'd spoken too quickly about the whole love thing.

Just as I was convincing myself that I had completely fucked up, the bathroom door opened, as did my eyes. Sookie stood in the doorway dressed in a silky nightgown type thing that had black lace on it in all the right places. The nightgown was the same color as the dress she had been wearing. She'd taken all the pins out of her hair, leaving it hanging down her back in soft curls and she'd washed her makeup off. Funny, I hadn't even heard the water running.

"Wow." It was the most intelligent thing I could think of to say.

"I don't look ridiculous?" She asked nervously as she started walking toward the bed.

"Uh, no, definitely not ridiculous. Beautiful, mouth watering, sexy as hell…those would be the words I'd use." I said and noticed her hands were shaking just a little bit.

For the first time I considered the possibility she could be a virgin. She'd told me she rushed into relationships in the past but she'd never said if they were sexual relationships or not. Maybe she'd been the kind of girl who talked herself into thinking she was in love with the guy she was seeing. That would certainly explain why she was taking things slowly with me.

"I'm sorry, I'm just nervous. This is a big deal and it's been a while since I last…" she trailed off and chewed her lip instead.

I sat up and moved to the edge of the bed to pull her closer to me. She stood between my knees and with my hands on her hips; I realized it wasn't just her hands that were shaking. This wouldn't do. She needed to mellow out or this wasn't going to be any fun for either of us.

"Are you a virgin?" I asked her and she laughed, actually laughed.

"Uh, no, not for a long time now." She admitted but couldn't seem to look me in the eyes. "It's just been a while since the last time I had sex, and it's you and you love me and the last guy I slept with definitely didn't love me so I guess I'm just worried you're going to be disappointed, or something."

"Hey," I grabbed her a little tighter when she tried to pull away after she stopped her nervous rambling. "Sookie, look at me."

She fought it for a second but when I wouldn't let her go; she shifted her eyes to mine. "I'm sorry. I'm a mess right now."

I pulled her down so she was sitting on my knee. "If you aren't sure about this, we don't have to do it."

"No, I'm sure; I'm just nervous."

"Okay, so then one step at a time. And the first thing I think we need to do is work on those sore feet of yours," I said and scooped her up to lay her out on the bed. "Wait here," I said and then went to the bathroom to get lotion.

Yep, I'm totally cutting you off right there. Evil, I know. I can hear you all hissing at me. The good news is the next chapter is pretty much one big lemon. So you'll just have to wait until tomorrow for that tasty treat. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter even without the sexing. Reviews= love & a teaser that'll make your lips pucker!