Sookie's (21 years old) POV:

It was my 21st birthday today and after enjoying a birthday celebration at home with Gran, Jason, and a few of our friends, we were on our way to Monroe for more fun. Tara had planned a fun night out along with a couple of my work colleagues, Dawn and Arlene.

Even though both were loud broadcasters, I didn't mind them. Arlene was a single mom but she had since met someone new and was planning on getting hitched soon. Dawn was lively and lived a precarious life. Though I tried to be respectful of their privacy, it was hard to keep out of their heads. Dawn usually spent her free nights roaming the bars and clubs in Shreveport, but sometimes I would find gaps in her memory. It was most often during the Thursday nights she went to Shreveport. I never asked her where she went or what she did, it wasn't any of my business.

Tara had been taking night classes at the local community college. She was taking business courses and wanted to open her own clothing store. She was very close to getting the loans she needed to start her business. I was so proud of her. She had done it all on her own.

The girls started to sing along to the Carrie Underwood song that was playing on the radio as I stared out my window. The sun was beginning to set; the night would be here soon.

As I watched the sunset, I thought about that Halloween night two years ago when I met my mysterious man. I had replayed our encounter over and over in my head for months. For weeks, I waited by the phone waiting for him to call me, even though he didn't ask for my number. I just figured he might've asked my brother or Hoyt for it, but neither of them, nor Tara every mentioned a tall, gorgeous, blonde man asking about me. I had never told anybody about him, even Gran. The times that I went to Shreveport, I would try and spot him in the crowd at the places I went to. I had no idea where he worked or where he lived. I even tried to look for him on the internet but his name never appeared. It was like he didn't exist. I seriously thought about using a private detective, but when Andy told me how much they cost, I dropped that idea right away. I couldn't afford it even if I worked for a month straight with no breaks.

Months went on and I continued on with my life. I worked hard as a barmaid at Merlotte's. Sam taught me how to make drinks and after only a few shifts, I had gotten good at my job. Even though I couldn't really read Sam's mind, I knew he had a bit of a crush on me. One night he finally asked me out on a date. Though I wanted to say yes to him, I couldn't. I thought about my mysterious man, Eric. Sam just wasn't Eric. I had found myself comparing every guy I ran into, with Eric.

A year after no contact with Eric, I finally decided to give up the fantasy that he would walk into the bar or my house and sweep me off my feet. We would then ride off into the sunset together and live happily ever after. I was a bit depressed for a few months after that.

I tried to get back into the dating scene again, even though I barely had dated anyone previously anyway. I went on a couple dates with JB du Rone. He was very handsome but also dumb as a rock. We rarely talked about anything except fitness and modelling, stuff that I had no interest in. I didn't find anyone else that I was remotely interested in, so I stopped trying to date as well. I think I was still comparing other guys to Eric and no one was ever going to hold a candle to him.

We finally made it to the motel that we were going to stay in for the night. Tomorrow we would go home as Dawn and I had the night shift at Merlotte's.

We started getting ready for our night out. The girls were taking up all the space in the bathroom, so I got ready in the room. I finished applying my makeup and was now styling my hair.

"I can't wait for tonight!" squealed Arlene. "Thanks again Sookie for inviting me. I really needed this. My kids are driving me crazy! I'm glad my momma agreed to babysit for the night."

"No problem Arlene," I replied as I finished putting a cute white barrette in my hair.

I had decided to wear my new white, spaghetti strapped, bodice dress to where ever it was we were going tonight. It had little red splotches of flowers all over it. I had also bought some white pumps. It was good to have a job. I splurged on this dress and heels after a recent shopping trip to Shreveport.

"Lookin' good Stackhouse," I said to myself in the mirror.

We were all finally ready for my birthday celebration night out and waited for our cab.

"So where are we going, Tara?" Arlene asked.

"It's a surprise for Sookie," replied Tara. "Taking her somewhere to see something that she has never seen before!"

The girls all squealed and immediately I knew what she meant; male strippers.

The taxi picked us up and took us to a club called Hooligans.

"Apparently there is a drop-dead gorgeous stripper here. He's got huge muscles and long black hair," Tara explained to us as we got out and walked to the club.

There was already a long line of girls and a few guys waiting to get in, but Tara walked to the front and talked to the bouncer.

She said something to him and he opened his velvet rope for us. We all screamed in delight.

Tara led the way as we entered the bar. We all paid the cover charge at the front till. The club still had the house lights on and people were piling into the seats in front of the stage. Others were lining up to get drinks. Tara disappeared for a few minutes as the rest of us went to the bar to get drinks.

"Alright, so I managed to get us VIP seats near the front," Tara said as she came back. "It was sooo easy too. I just asked a lady near the front and she just gave us those seats right away. Oh my god, y'all should've seen her. She was sooo beautiful. She was tall and had long, dark, straight hair."

We all took our seats as the lights started to dim. The first part of the show consisted of all the male strippers dancing. As the last stripper came onto the stage, the deafening sounds of women screaming filled the club.

The man dancing was extremely good looking. Tara was right about that and he had large muscles all over his body. Women were reaching out to the stage for him. Even though he seemed very confident and charismatic, I sensed that he may not have had a charming personality to go with his looks. He seemed too cocky and over confident as he continued to gyrate all over the stage and getting close to the squealing women, but never close enough to let them touch him.

I started comparing him to Eric. Even though I didn't see his body (he was fully-dressed during our encounter), I began thinking that he had more muscles than this man. You need to stop torturing yourself, I told myself. I had to get it through my head that I will probably never see him again. I started feeling sad that maybe he had died in some horrific accident and that's why he never called me? Oh, that would be worse, but I guess I will never know. My best guess is that he went back to Sweden.

As the show continued, I found myself getting bored. The men were doing a terrific job at keeping the females entertained, but this was not my cup of tea. Tara and Dawn tried to buy me a lap dance, but I told them to get themselves dances as that would make me happier.

After the show ended, we all decided to head to another club called 'Exhilaration'. There was a long line to get in, but Tara managed to get us in through the VIP entrance. I didn't feel like drinking anymore. I had a gin and tonic at the strip club. I was starting to feel depressed about Eric. I wanted to crawl into bed and sleep and hopefully dream about him. He had been the star of my dreams many times during the past two years. Though I wasn't feeling up to it anymore, I still tried to pretend that I was having fun. I danced with the girls. I watched them take shots. Men kept approaching us in the bar offering to buy us drinks and wanting to dance with us. Eventually the girls found hook-ups, even Arlene. Her man was about her height and was wearing glasses. I probed his mind and saw that he was a junior accountant in the firm that had an office downtown. He was divorced and had three kids. Arlene was thinking that this man was a better catch than her current fiancé. I thought about the man she was supposed to be marrying soon, but her life and decisions weren't any of my business.

After getting tired of the unwanted attention by various guys who only wanted one thing from me, I decided to go back to the motel room.

"Tara, I'm heading back to the room," I yelled into my friend's ear.

"Are you sure Sookie?" Tara replied. "The party is just getting started. This guy I'm talking to knows about an after-party in some townhouse downtown."

"Nah," I told her. "I'm just gonna head to bed."

"Do you want one of us to go with you?" she asked.

I seen Arlene's eyes shoot up right away in annoyance. Dawn was busy making out with the guy she was with.

"No that's okay," I said. "I'm sure there are dozens of taxis waiting outside."

I left the loud club and walked out to the sidewalk. Sure enough there were taxis lined up. Just as I was about to jump into one, someone called out my name.

"Sookie," a familiar male voice called out.

I whipped my head around and gasped. Eric. I couldn't believe it was him. He looked the same as he did that night two years ago, just breathtakingly handsome. He was wearing a black leather jacket, black shirt and black jeans.

Different emotions swept through me, surprise, joy, confusion, sadness, and anger. Why was he here after two years without ever trying to contact me?

"Eric," I finally said. I walked away from the taxi and towards him. I kept him about five feet away from me. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here for you," he replied.

I paused for a moment to process, then finally I asked. "Why didn't you try to call me?"

He seemed to think for a moment. "Because it was not the right time for us."

This time I paused. What the hell does that mean? Did he have a wife? Was he involved in something? Why wasn't it the right time? I could feel my annoyance and anger building inside me.

"You could've said that to me that night. You could've told me that I wasn't your type or whatever, that I wasn't what you wanted. Instead of making me wait and worry about you after all these months," I huffed.

He walked up closer to me and was now about a foot from me. I could smell his cologne and boy, did he smell soo good. A huge part of me wanted to grab him and kiss him and never let him go, but the other small part of me was still cautious and angry. I didn't know anything about him. I mean he just showed up in the middle of the night at some random party and again he showed up in the middle of this night in front of some random club.

"I owe you an explanation," he responded calmly.

His blue eyes were practically glowing that I started to become mesmerized. The smoldering look he was giving me and his scent were quickly stripping the anger and apprehension I was feeling. Keep it together Stackhouse! I couldn't give into him easily this time.

"Yeah you do," I said with a much more softer tone. "But I'm not sure if I'm up for listening to it. It's been two years since that night. I'm not that same naïve girl."

Eric smiled at me. Oh my god, his smile was beyond gorgeous. I started wondering why he wasn't a model. Maybe he was and I just haven't seen any of his work yet.

"No, you aren't a naïve young girl," he said. "But nevertheless, please will you do me the honor and have dinner with me? I noticed an all-night café about three blocks away from here."

I stared at him with my mouth open before finally responding. "It's after midnight!"

"It appears so," he responded with a hint of arrogance. "Maybe a cup of coffee and desert then?"

I crossed my arms across my chest. The air was starting to feel chilly. I didn't wear a jacket or shawl with my dress.

Sensing this, Eric suavely took his leather jacket off and put it over my shoulders. It almost caught me off guard but I was thankful for his graciousness. His jacket smelled like his cologne, but what also surprised me was that his jacket was cold, there was no sign of body heat, it was like he hadn't been wearing it. I thought briefly about this but my attention went back to him.

"Okay, we can go have a cup of coffee," I replied.

Eric led me to his car which was parked across the street. It was a red corvette. I knew it wasn't safe to get into a vehicle with someone who was practically a stranger, but for some reason, I felt safe with him. I had felt safe with him the first time I met him.

He helped me get into his car and we drove the short drive down the street to the café. We found a corner booth inside. There were only a few patrons and I'm sure the place would fill up once the clubs began to close in a few hours.

I took off his leather jacket and placed it beside me. I asked the waitress for a coffee with cream and sugar. Eric asked for a coffee as well but just wanted it black.

"So…" I said as I clasped my hands over the table. He was sitting across from me.

He just continued to look at me, like he was studying me or something. I couldn't have been that interesting. I was just a regular barmaid from a small town in northern Louisiana.

"You are so beautiful," he said.

My face reddened. I wasn't used to being complimented in that way, especially from someone whose thoughts I couldn't hear.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"I suppose I should tell you why I did not try to connect with you," Eric replied.

I was at a loss for words now. "Ummmm, yeah?"

"I have lived a very private life for a long time. It was until recently that I decided to open myself up to the world, so to speak. I have spent most of my life living in various parts of Europe. I came to this New World seeking a more solitude life."

"Oh," I responded. I didn't know what he was going to say next. Perhaps he was going to tell me about his wife and kids or that he found God and was becoming a Jehovah's Witness, at this point I had no clue.

"I have always had entrepreneurial aspirations and so I chose to move to Shreveport and open a bar," he said.

I was kind of surprised again. "So you run a bar in Shreveport?"

"Yes."

"What's it called?" I asked. I never thought to look around the bars in Shreveport when I was trying to find him. I wouldn't have been able to get in anyway since I wasn't the legal age to enter bars until tonight.

"For now the bar is called 'The Vikings Hammer'", he responded with a smile.

"'The Vikings's Hammer'…. I like that," I smiled back.

I took a sip of my coffee and I noticed that he hadn't touched his yet.

"What were you doing at that party? I mean now that I can see you more clearly, you don't seem like the college fraternity boy type," I asked.

He smiled again. "I am glad that you are quizzical Sookie."

I nodded and waited for his answer.

"I was there because I noticed you from before," he answered.

That kind of put me on alert. Was he stalking me or something? Any normal person would flip out right away and call the cops, but for some reason, I wasn't alarmed or scared. What that wrong of me not to be scared?

"You followed me," I stated. I wasn't sure how to feel so far. "Why would you follow me? I mean, I'm a nobody."

"Because I think that you are interesting and I want to get to know you better. I do not think that you are a 'nobody'. " he replied.

I was starting to feel a little bit offset with his frankness. He was basically telling me that he had been stalking me and was now wanting to know me in person. There were still some gaps in his story, like why did it take him two years to make face to face contact with me?

As though he could hear my thoughts he continued on, "I had not planned on making myself known to you two years ago. But as I watched you that night, I found myself becoming more captivated with you. I needed to touch you and to make sure that you were real."

I didn't know how to respond, but I could feel myself softening up towards him. Maybe I should give him a chance?

"What did you have in mind?" I asked.

My hands were still on the table and he reached over and held my hands. I could feel the jolt of electricity between us right away. A part of me wanted to crawl over the table to him and say 'take me now, you big Viking!", but I stayed in my spot. I was no hussy.

"I wish to court you," he said as he looked into my eyes. "I want to take you out to dinner, on multiple dinner dates and other activities, and I want to get to know your family. I want to spend time with you, permitting our schedules obviously."

Again, I stared at him with my mouth wide open. "You want to date me?" I ask incredulously.

He smiled and nodded.

"Ummmm I, I, I, don't know what to say," I responded.

He continued to hold my hands, rubbing his large thumbs over mine.

I could feel my heart beating at a fast pace as my breath started to rise. "I think I would like that. Thank you for your offer, I accept."

I moved my hands away from his. I folded my arms against my chest. "But listen here, if you disappear on me again without telling me why, then we are through."

"Agreed," he said with his dazzling smile.

As I looked at Eric, I could almost see a glow around him. He was a lot paler than most men I had met in my life. Maybe it was because he was from Northern Europe?

It was getting late and I was starting to get tired. I told Eric that I wanted to head back to my motel room. When we were leaving, he dropped a huge tip on the table for the waitress near his untouched coffee.

As we drove back to the hotel, we kept giving each other side glances as though we both couldn't believe this was happening.

We reached the motel and he walked me to the door.

We stopped in front of the door and he reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a card.

"This is my number," he said as he handed it to me. "I'm usually not available during the day. I spend most of my nights awake due to running my bar, so I sleep in late."

I smiled as I took it and put it in my purse.

"Did you want my number or do you know that already?" I lightly laughed.

His eyes twinkled. "No, I do not have your telephone number, Sookie."

He handed me his cell phone. "Type it in for me."

My hands were shaking as I punched in my home phone number in his address book. I didn't own a cell phone, as I thought that I had no use for one. Since it seemed that I now had a boyfriend, maybe I should buy one soon.

"Goodnight Sookie," he said gently.

"Goodnight Eric," I whispered. I wasn't sure how we should say our goodbyes, maybe with a handshake? I sure would've liked a goodnight kiss from him.

A few seconds later his lips were on mine as he wrapped his arms around my waist. He was the most incredible kisser I had ever met, despite my limited experience. I don't think that I could ever kiss another man who kissed as well as Eric did, in my lifetime.

After our goodnight kiss, we said our last good byes and I closed the door to the room. I leaned against the door in the room trying to catch my breath. I still couldn't believe what had happened. I smiled and held my hands against my lips.

I had a feeling that my life was never going to be the same again.