Chapter 5

Our First Time

Graduation Night 2004 …

Tonight's the night

After graduation, Gran and Gran'pa took all of us out to dinner. They treated us to a meal at The Diner. It sounds plain but it's not. It's anything but. There are chandeliers and lace and silk table cloths. There are silver candlesticks and dinnerware on every table. There are wine lists and extravagant meal and dessert choices. It's quite beautiful and expensive. I think it's too expensive. It's a lot more than my grandparents could afford. We told them that we didn't need the hoopla. We would've been happy with a cookout and some very loud music but they wouldn't hear of it. They said that we deserved it. They said that they are proud of us for all of the hard work that we'd done.

"What's the point in having a savings account and you don't use the money in it?" Gran'pa stated. "Let's enjoy this as a family. This is going to be our last family meal for quite some time." He looked at me, Eric and Pam with sadness in his eyes. "I can't believe that all of you are adults now and are going off to college." He shook his head as he said, "I'm so very proud of each and every one of you. I love ya'll." He then cleared his throat before he could cry.

Eric and Pam were all smiles. They love being a part of our family probably because they've never really had the kind of closeness that they get at our home. Regardless of what happens; graduation, college graduation, or marriage, that will never change. They'll always have a home with us and they will forever be a part of our family.

Once the waiter had taken our orders, Gran looked right at me and she didn't try to hide the fact that she wasn't pleased with my graduation speech. She gave me 'the look'. I've seen that look many times before but it was never directed at me. It was always Jason who was on the receiving end. I don't like getting that look from my grandma.

Just as Jason knew many times before, I now knew that I was in for it when Gran said, "Well, Miss. Sookie Stackhouse. What were you thinking when you talked to your classmates and teachers like that? I can't believe you carried on in such a way. You're a Stackhouse. You don't act like that. What were you thinking?"

I looked at Jason and was about to say that he has always acted like that. I wanted to say that Jason is always speaking his mind to others and it's always okay but I don't ever get to. I wanted to tell her that it is not fair. I wanted to ask why I've always had to be the good girl. I have the right to get mad and fed up. Today was my day. It was my day to let them know that I was fed up and I was going to finally stand up for myself.

But before I could protest, she lifted her hand in the stop motion and said, "Jason doesn't count. He's always been a little raucous and a lot more hardheaded but you, Sookie? I never expected you to act in such a way. You're not like Jason. You're level headed and well behaved. You have always been a very polite, young lady. That's how I raised you. That's how I raised the both of you but you're turned out right. What came over you tonight?"

"Gran," Jason started to protest what Gran had said about him. He didn't even bother to finish because we all looked at him as if to say, don't even try it. He sulked and said, "I know."

Amelia kissed him and said, "Well, you've gotten a lot better, Jason. That's all that matters."

He smiled and said, "Aw shoot, Amelia. Thanks, sweetie."

Eric placed his arm over my shoulder as I steadied myself to reply to Gran's question. His touch always makes me feel better. "I don't know," I started. "I guess after I looked out at 'em and thought about how they've treated me, I decided to take the chance to say what I wanted to say. They loathed me and they didn't mind letting me know it either. Not one teacher in that school ever stood up for me or made the other kids leave me alone. Not even the principal, Gran. She didn't even try to make things better for me. And to make matters worse, I've never figured out what I'd done to make them hate me so. If not for Eric and Pam, I don't know where I'd be. I didn't mean to disgrace you and gran'pa. I apologize for that but I stand by what I said. I won't feel bad for doing what I had to do. I meant every word I said to them."

Gran'pa looked proud but said nothing. He nodded slightly as he raised his glass to me.

"I'm glad ya told 'em, Sook," Jason said. "You should have told 'em all a long time ago. I'm proud of you. They deserved it … all of 'em. I thought it was funny." He leaned across the table and said, "You shoulda seen Arlene's face when you gave her the stink eye. Her face was as red as her hair."

Pam and Amelia agreed. "They were nasty to her, Gran," Pam said. "You just don't know how they treated her. She went through it with those jerks and she kept her head up even when she wanted to cry. She needed to have her say in order to move on. I'm proud of you, Sookie." Looking at me, she said, "You should've kicked their asses. I would've helped you. Each one of those bastards is in desperate need a good ass kicking if you ask me."

"Pamela Ravenscroft!" Gran exclaimed as she pointed at her. "Watch your mouth, little girl. Don't make me get to ya."

"Sorry, Gran," Pam said. She winked at me and mouthed, "No, I'm not."

"Thank you," I mouthed back.

Eric kissed my cheek and told me, "I'm proud of you too. And Jason's right; you should've told them all long ago. All during high school, you treated them all with kindness and got less in return. You didn't deserve to be treated in that way. You have a good heart and you've always been kind to everyone. You did a great thing. You spoke for everyone in that school tonight … everyone's that's ever been bullied. You gave them all a voice."

I looked at him and smiled as I scooted closer to him.

Gran'pa said, "At first, I was a little upset but then after you went on, I understood why you did what you did. I ain't mad at you. I'm a little surprised because I didn't expect it but I ain't mad. If anything, I'm proud of ya. I wanted to stand up and clap but Adele gave me the stink eye. And just as always, your old Gran won out. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack keepin' all that bottled up in me." He started to laugh. "The look on Jane's face was priceless. I tell you what … I wished I had my camera with me. I would have sent that picture to the papers."

Even I had to laugh when I pictured her face.

To my amazement, Gran joined in on the laughter. "Well, to tell the truth, I've never really cared for her. Her mama was a handful too, drunks; the whole lot of 'em." Gran's laughter led the way to more conversation about tonight's high points in my graduation speech.

As they laughed and talked, Eric placed his hand innocently on the top of my thigh; or so I believed. I took it as a sweet gesture. I looked up at him and smiled and continued to talk with the others.

Before I knew it, his hand began to move slowly underneath the hem of my dress. My eyes enlarged from surprise. Before anyone noticed the look on my face, I started telling them about Tara Thornton taking over aunt's clothing store. And I began telling them about the store in a very loud voice. "It's going to be a great success for her."

Fortunately, Gran had already heard the news and took over the conversation. As Eric's had slid further up my thigh, I could feel my temperature rising as I felt the heat of his hand as it began to move underneath my dress. I swallowed deeply as my breathing caught in my throat. My heart was beating faster and faster. I turned to look at him.

He wasn't looking at me. He kept talking to Jason as if he wasn't touching me. He looked as if I wasn't slowly opening my legs for him. He was as cool as he usually is. We have gone as far as third base but he's never done anything like this; especially with other people around. He inched his hand further up my thigh. I jumped a little when his finger touched the lace of my panties. I could feel myself beginning to squirm as his pinky barely touched the front of my panties.

"Oh," I called out.

When I accidentally cried out, Pam looked down and saw that Eric's hand was nowhere in sight. She gave Amelia the look and the two traitors cackled like hens.

That's when Gran looked at me. She noticed the reddened look on my face. "Are you okay, Sookie?"

I nodded but before I could answer her, she was still thinking that something was wrong with me. "You look sick. Your cheeks are all red. Child, what's wrong with you? Why are you so flushed? Are you coming down with a fever?" She stood and leaned across the table and placed the back of her hand on my forehead. "You're not warm," she said.

I shook my head and held my breath; hoping that she hadn't seen where Eric's hand was. "I'm fine, Gran. It's just warm in here." I started fanning my face with my hand.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked as she returned to her seat.

Eric's hand miraculously appeared from underneath the table just as the waiter was placing our meals before us. He placed the back of his hand to my forehead. He had a fake look of concern on his face as he said, "You do look flushed. Do you need to get some fresh air? We can step outside if you need to."

"I'm fine," I said. I couldn't stop blushing and with him acting as if he didn't know what was going on only made matters worse. "It's just a little warm. That's all." I shifted in my seat, straightened my dress and crossed my legs. "Everything sure looks good," I said a little too loudly. Everyone looked at me as if I had suddenly gone stupid.

Pam and Amelia looked at each other; still laughing. They looked from Eric to me and then back at each other. They giggled like idiots. Pam winked at Amelia before she decided to say anything. From the way that she was looking, I knew that I wouldn't like what she was about to say.

"So you lovebirds, what are you guys doing tonight after dinner?" she asked.

I looked down at the table and blushed. Eric took my hand and said, "We're going to go out, ride around a little bit." He then shrugged his shoulders. "We're going to spend a little time together. We'll be leaving for college before you know it." He looked at me and brushed his finger across my cheek.

Pam smiled and said, "Sookie and I won't be going to my house until later. We can go to Bill's graduation party. If you're not doing anything, Amelia, you and Jason should come with us. Everyone is supposed to be there. From what I've been told, his dad went all out for him."

"We'd love to," Amelia said excitedly. "Can we, Jason?"

"Sure," he said. "If you want to go, we'll go."

"Cool," Pam said. "You two will ride with me. I'll bring you back to pick up your truck."

"Cool," Jason said.

Pam then looked at me. There was undeniably nothing good going on in those eyes. I hate it when she looks like that. I never know what she's going to do or say. "Sookie, I know that Bill would love nothing more than to see you. He has the major hots for you. He has since the fifth grade. I know that everyone else is going to love seeing you there since you've told them all that they'd never amount to anything."

Frowning at her, I said, "I didn't mean it that way and you know it."

"Doesn't really matter, does it? They all hate you even more than they did before tonight," she said.

"Pam," Gran warned her. "Behave yourself."

"You got it, Granny," she said. She then looked at Jason and Amelia and said, "After dinner, we'll go to Bill's for the party. What do you say, Eric? You game?" She lifted her glass to her lips and smirked at me.

I have never hated one person as much as I hate her right now. Pam knew that Eric and I had plans. We are going to do 'it'. I'd told her that 'tonight is the night' months ago. She told me that we should've made love prom night. That was too typical for us. I wanted our night to not be on the same night as everyone else's. I wanted our night to be extraordinary. She knew that and she comes up with this … going to Bill's graduation party? I'm going to murder her as soon as I tell her off but I just knew that Eric would. He's my Viking warrior. Or so I believed.

Eric answered her with a resounding yes. "We'd love to. Bill needs to see that Sookie is my girl and that she'll always be my girl." He placed his hand to his heart and winked at me.

Any other time the gesture would have been sweet but it wasn't tonight. I looked at him with wide eyes and an even wider mouth.

"Close your mouth, dear," Gran said. "You're catching flies."

I did as she told me to and continued to stare at my soon to be ex-boyfriend. Eric knew that I didn't want to go to Bill's party. I wanted to spend my time with him and I wanted to know what surprise he had for me on our special night. He'd been talking about this surprise for the past two months and this is what he does?

In precisely three months, we would not be together because we are going to different colleges. We were going to be in different time zones. I didn't want to spend any of my time with Bill Compton and a group of kids that have never cared for me. I wanted to spend all of my time with him, Eric Northman … my boyfriend … my future lover. Why was he doing this? I looked evilly at him but said nothing. The rest of my dinner was eaten in silence.

When dinner had been eaten and all conversation has been exhausted, Gran and Gran'pa called it a night. "Sookie, don't be out late," Gran said. "You be home at a decent hour."

What! There was no way that I could go home tonight. It just wasn't possible.

Eric looked at me just as I looked at him. This was not supposed to happen. "But Gran, you told me that I could stay out as late as I wanted. I'm not coming home, remember? I have my overnight bag in Pam's (Eric's) car and everything. I'm spending the weekend with her (Eric). You know that we were going to Alexandria. You said that it was okay." I pouted and stomped at Gran's sudden revelation. "This is so not fair. We can't break our plans now."

Gran put her hands on her hips and I knew that my fate was sealed. "Don't you take that tone with me, Missy," she said. "You'd better thank your lucky stars that I didn't make you go straight home after graduation; behaving the way that you did, embarrassing your family in such a way. With the stunt that you pulled, you'd better be glad that I …"

Wait.

What?

She was just laughing about it with us and now she's changing her mind.

Shoot.

I knew why she'd suddenly changed her mind. She knows what Eric and I are planning on doing. I was about to beg and plead with her to let me go but I didn't have to. My hero came to my rescue.

"Quiet down, Adele," Gran'pa said. He came over and kissed my forehead. "Pay your old gran no mind. You go and have fun; be safe. We trust ya."

"Thanks, Papa," I said as I threw my arms around his neck.

When I released him, Gran'pa looked at me and nodded his approval.

To Eric he said, "Take care of my baby girl now. I know where you live and I have a shot gun. Several as a matter of fact. One of them used to belong to my daddy. Yep," he clarified. "I have lots of guns. And lots of shells. And lots of land to hide the body. You get what I'm telling ya, son?"

"I get you and I promise that I will keep her safe. That has always been my plan," Eric said as he laughed at gran'pa's statements.

To Pam, Gran'pa said, "Girlie, please stay out of trouble. Kevin Harlan is all out of favors."

Pam said, "You know me."

Gran'pa nodded at Pam and said, "I do." He looked down at the ground and shook his head. "That's why I said it." He shook Eric's hand and kissed Pam. He hugged and kissed me. "You kids had better be safe, a'ight?"

"We will." I kissed his wrinkled and familiar cheek as I told him that I love him.

I then stood in front of Gran with my arms open and waited. She looked concerned but she said nothing. That's how I knew that she knew. She also knows how much I love Eric and he will be my only one … my only lover.

"Okay?" I asked in a hushed tone.

"Okay," she said. "Now get over here, girl, and hug my neck."

I did just that.

"You behave now." She hugged me tighter than she ever has.

"Let's go, Adele." Gran'pa took Gran's hand and began pulling her to the truck. She fussed as he pulled at her. When he'd deposited her in the passenger's seat and closed the door, he looked at us and saluted. When he opened the driver's side door to get in, Gran was fussing at him. Gran'pa was nodding to whatever she was saying as he was pulling away from the restaurant.

"So," Pam said. "Are we going or are we going to watch Gran and Gran'pa drive away? I'm ready to party and get a little tipsy."

Jason and Amelia rode with Pam in her Range Rover; pink. That was her graduation and 'forgive us' gift from her parents for not coming to her graduation. That was part of being the child of the rich and powerful. Her parents were big time in England. She's never told any of us what it is that they do. Eric knows but he's never told either. She's only ever told me that her dad is a big deal there. Daddy Ravenscroft is a big deal everywhere according to what we've heard through the grapevine.

Anyway, she lives here with her aunt and uncle. They were at her graduation. They wouldn't have missed it for the world. They never had children of their own and to have had the chance to raise Pam was their greatest gift. They treat her as if she is theirs. They take care of her and give her anything that she wants but my home has always been her second home. In our home, she gets the extra love and attention that she so greatly needs. She's got a family with us. Sadly, she's not the only one that's lacking when it comes to family.

Eric's dad didn't come to graduation either. He gave Eric a red Porsche as his graduation gift but he didn't drive it. He wouldn't drive it. He said that he didn't want it. His father is a business man; a very successful and ruthless business man. He is as cruel as can be when someone messes with his businesses but not his family. I guess some people get it backwards.

As Eric always says, "You don't fuck with my dad's businesses. He'll bury you." I feel sorry for him when he says that. It hurts me that he knows that the business comes before he does. It always has. He lost his mom late last year. He was the apple of her eye. When she died, things in his life changed. He no longer lived in a caring and loving home. He's always said that he lives in a house with his dad.

"I miss her," he's said to me. "I've always wondered why."

I've asked him several times what that means but he's never really answered my question with words. I usually just get shrugs and head shakes. Once I'd even gotten a never mind.

Anyway, as we left the parking lot, Eric and I pulled out behind Pam and her crew. We followed them to Bill's in silence. Eric looked straight ahead but he had a smug look on his face. I was still mad at him for forcing me go to Bill's party. He looked at me from the corner of his eye and smirked. "You're mad at me."

I reached down and turned the radio up full blast.

He laughed that sexy laugh that has always made me melt inside.

I rolled my eyes at the passenger side window and said, "I hate you, Eric Northman."

"I know, lover," he said as he turned down the radio.

I reached over and took his hand into mine.

After a few more minutes of riding, Pam blew her horn at us before she took the turn to go to Bill's house. Eric flashed his lights at her as we kept straight. The self-satisfied look on his face was even more prominent. And he had every reason to feel smug. He'd tricked me.

I undid my seat belt and whipped around quickly in my seat and wrapped my arms around his neck. "I love you so much, baby." I kissed his face over and over again.

He smiled as he let me pepper his face with kisses. "I know, lover."

Grudgingly, I returned to my seat and waited. Eric and I had planned this trip months ago. After we'd gotten the tattoos, we almost gave in and did it but we held off. Tonight it was going to be worth the wait. I squealed as I thought of what was waiting for us.

Touching each other.

Getting to know each other's body.

I couldn't wait.

He laughed at my anticipation. Anxiousness was killing me. It felt like days before we finally made it to our destination. Just before we reached it, Eric pulled over on side of the road. He reached into the dash and pulled out a pink blindfold. He'd already told me what was going to happen. When he had my eyes covered, he drove on.

When the car finally stopped, I was told not to move. "And I promise you, Sookie, if you peek, we will go to Bill's party. And we will stay there way past midnight. Do you hear me?"

By the sound of his voice, I knew that he meant it. I rapidly nodded my head as I clasped my hands together in my lap. I didn't want to go to Bill's party so I sat there like a good girlfriend should. I listened as he got our bags out of the trunk and left me sitting here all alone … for what felt like a very long time. I didn't mind it, though. It was going to happen. It was actually going to happen. This was the night that we've been waiting to have.

After what felt like a lifetime, Eric took my hand and helped me from the car. He lifted me into his arms and began carrying me to the next step in our relationship. And it felt as if he'd carried me for a very long time.

When he put me down, I held my breath as I heard the sound of the click of the key card and the turning of the knob. I inhaled again as I heard him push the door open. He again, lifted me into his arms and carried me into the room. When we'd finally reached our destination and put me down again, he leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Are you ready, lover?"

"Yes," I whispered as I clapped my hands together.

When he removed the blindfold, I gasped. I'd never seen a more elegant suite in my life.

The room was beige and baby blue. The bed was the size of two king size beds. It was the biggest bed I've ever seen and it was covered with overfilled pillows. Sheer canopies hung delicately from each bedpost. The bed sat in the middle of the floor and was surrounded by beautiful plants. There was also a huge fireplace in the room with a fur rug spread out in front of it. A bottle of champagne and two glasses were placed by the fur rug. There were rose petals on the bed and the floor. A negligee that I'd never seen or worn was lain out on the bed waiting for me. The shadows of the flickering candles danced on the walls. This room looked like the inside of the most expensive bed and breakfast I'd ever visited. Well, it was the only one that I'd been in but it's still grand. It was beyond grand. It was grandtabulous.

"Has Pam been here? Did she get everything set up?" I asked.

"No but she did help me to pick out the negligee," he replied. "When I told you that I had to go home before we went out to dinner with your grandparents, I came by here to get everything ready. Come on," he said. "There's more."

In the room behind us, I could hear music. Without waiting for Eric, I ran off to the next room and there was another beautiful site; the living room.

It was also adorned with a fireplace and there was a couch as long as the wall. It was upholstered in cream brocade fabric and soft to the touch. A crystal chandelier hung over the glass cocktail table. A huge picture window gave us a view of the rose garden. There was a lighted pond in the center of the garden that made the view even more beautiful. When I looked behind me, Eric was smiling.

"You did all of this for us?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Is there more?" I asked him.

He then pointed in the direction of the other room. "Go on," he said.

I gasped in surprised. The bathroom was the size of my bedroom! The bathtub was in the floor. Yes; IN the floor! There were candles surrounding it. There was another bucket with champagne chilling in it right along with two champagne glasses. He must have planned on getting me drunk tonight but I didn't mind. I was willing to drink both bottles of champagne and I would've let him do anything that he'd wanted to me. This was the most amazing thing I've ever seen before in my life.

Eric took my hand and said, "Follow me."

"Anywhere," I whispered.

He smiled at me as I happily took his hand. He led me through another set of French doors off of the living room and to a private pool. It was surrounded by beautiful plants and outdoor candles. It was more than obvious to me that the love of my life had put a lot of thought into this and I appreciated it.

"God, I love you," I said. "How long will we be staying?" I asked as I looked up at him.

"The entire weekend is ours," he said. He stood behind me and wrapped his arms around me. "Tonight our lives will change forever."

I couldn't wait.

I wanted to post this chapter as a bonus for the amount of reviews, alerts and favorites that I've received. This is my way of saying thank you.