Sookie's POV:
"This is your first time playing?" Freyda asks me as we get ready in the women's locker room at the Bel Air Country Club. We were playing a round of golf as part of our charade. So far, we'd gone on public coffee dates, beach dates, as well as posing for more pap pictures outside of restaurants. The more time we spent in the public eye, the more I was becoming a nervous wreck. I hated being photographed by random strangers with my pictures being plastered all over the media. I was hoping that interest in us would wane, but according to Pamela Ravenscroft, Eric's manager, interest in us was increasing rapidly on social media. Everyone was curious about us and wanted to see more.
"Yes, I've never played golf before," I reply to Freyda as I put on my polo shirt. I was already wearing khaki shorts as well as some golf shoes that Alcide's manager had given me. He had said that a sports company had given me a pair for free.
"I was a champion in my upper year at school," Freyda says as she adjusts her skirt. She was wearing a white pleated skirt with built-in shorts underneath, as well as a white tank top that showed part of her toned stomach. She looked like she was dressed for a game of tennis, not golf. "Golf is popular in Norway."
Of course, she was great at golf too. She couldn't even be more perfect.
"Oh, that's good," I answer. I wasn't sure what she was expecting me to say, but it seemed like she was always trying to compete with me. Whether it be work, family, education, clothes, hobbies, there was always an underlying insinuation to her inquiries when she asked me things about myself.
Things between us were cordial, but Freyda seemed to always be over friendly with me, especially when we were in the presence of the men. But as soon as they were gone, she would tone it down, like as though she was just putting on a show for them as well as with the press. Maybe she was, deep down I guess that's what I was still hoping that her and Eric's arrangement was, just business and not anything more. But it was no secret that she was attracted to Eric. The more I saw them together, the more their attachment, seemed to be growing.
"You look cute Sookie," Freyda says as we leave the locker room.
I give her a half-smile as we make our way to the outdoor patio area.
"Hey beautiful," Alcide greets me as he kisses my cheek and puts his arm around me.
"You look very handsome," I reply back as I take in the scent of his aftershave. He really did look handsome, as always. I still couldn't believe how lucky I was to be with him and to be marrying him in a few months. Though I hated the spotlight, it was something that I knew I had to get used to, if I wanted to be with Alcide. He was so gorgeous but also so kind and humble. He was wearing a white polo shirt and gray trousers.
"Hi Sookie," Eric says to me. I hitch my breath as he dazzles me with his smile. Despite the pain he had caused me in the past, it was still hard to find him irresistible. He was wearing a baseball cap, along with a gray-striped shirt and navy chinos.
I smile, say hi and wave back.
"Eric, you look quite dapper," Freyda says as she glues herself to his side. She begins brushing some non-existent lint from his chest and arm which causes me to roll my eyes a little.
"So, how are you all doing this afternoon?" Pam says as she walks up to us. We all murmur in response.
"Okay, so we have two pros who will assist you out on the course. You will be split up into pairs. Let's make a wager, shall we? How about the losing pair offer to buy dinner tonight? Or something else?" Pam asks with a hint of excitement in her tone.
"Oooooo, that sounds exciting," Freyda says with her eyes twinkling as she gropes Eric's arm even more.
"And furthermore, one team will be Alcide and Freyda. The other team will be Eric and Sookie," Pam says quickly.
Freyda's smile quickly drops from her face, while Alcide looks on with a grimaced look on his.
"What?" Freyda screeches rather loudly.
"I wanted to golf with Sookie, since this is her first time," Alcide adds with furrowed eyebrows.
"I discussed this with your publicist, Alcide, and we both think that this would be better. It would show the media that Eric and Sookie are only just friends and that you have absolutely no problem with Sookie spending time with Eric," Pam says to Alcide.
Alcide whips out his phone from his pocket and looks through his messages quickly.
"Okay, as long as no one else has a problem with it," Alcide says unhappily after putting his phone back.
I shrug my shoulders and rub Alcide's arm. This was going to be an interesting day.
"Great! Alcide and Freyda, you will be the first to tee up," Pam says as she walks away.
Alcide gives me a quick kiss goodbye. I watch as Freyda looks towards Eric. She puckers up her lips, expecting a kiss, but he kisses her cheek instead. I couldn't help but smirk a little at the obvious disappointment on her face.
"I'll see you soon," Alcide adds as he squeezes my hand a little.
"Yeah, I hope you have fun," I add, trying to sound optimistic.
Fifteen minutes later, Eric and I were out on the golf course, getting ready to tee up.
"You have some experience, Mr. Northman?" our golf pro asks him.
Eric nods and the instructor begins to show me how to hit the ball.
Though I was listening to the instructor attentively, I couldn't help but feel Eric's eyes on me. It was like I was very aware of his presence at the moment and I was feeling a mixture of a warm familiarity, along with nervousness. Though Eric and I hadn't been romantically involved in years, it still felt like we could easily pick up right where we left off. Of course, that was not possible, with me begin engaged now, to his best friend.
I swing my club and hit the ball. I watch as it goes flying.
"That was a good swing Miss Stackhouse, a very good swing," the instructor says.
"Thanks," I say with a big smile on my face.
"Good job Sookie," Eric adds.
I look and smile back at him.
"So, if there is anything more you would like to know, then I will be on my way," the pro says.
"Oh, you're not accompanying us for the rest of the game?" I blurt out.
"Uhh no, most new players prefer to venture out on their own," he says with a little shade of redness in his cheeks. I thought that was odd.
"Okay sir, thank you for helping us," Eric says as he shakes his hand. I shake his hand as well and he begins walking back to the country club.
I laugh nervously as Eric and I stare at each other.
"I'll put your bag in the golf cart," Eric says as he picks up my bag. "Did you want to drive?"
I shake my head no and jump into the passenger seat. I begin looking around the grass for my ball. Eric finds his first. He jumps out of the cart and takes a swing at it. I finally spot mine several yards ahead. I choose another club and take a swing. I watch as my ball lands near the flag.
"Wow Sookie, you are a natural at this," Eric says.
I let out my breath. "Thanks. It does feel natural, hitting these balls in the right direction."
We ride on silently.
"You're hitting for birdie," Eric says to me as I hold my breath, preparing to shoot my golf ball into the hole.
I tap the ball gently and watch it roll into the hole.
"Yes!" I say loudly as I pump my fist.
"Great shot!" Eric says as he high-fives me.
"Let's go to the next one," he says.
We play a few more holes on the course quietly. On the fifth, we both end up in the sand.
"I think I need a water break," I say to Eric as I wipe my brow. It was definitely humid out here. I was used to this kind of weather, but today seemed extra hot.
I sit back in the cart as Eric takes the seat beside me. He reaches into the back and pulls out a couple bottles of ice-cold water from the pack.
"Thanks," I say as I take a swig.
"It's pretty hot out, I heard on the radio that there might be a storm later," Eric says.
"I think I might've seen that on the news too," I add, trying to make small-talk to try and ease the awkward tension that continued to brew between us.
We drink our waters silently for a few more minutes.
"How is your Gran?" Eric asks apprehensively.
"She is good. My brother Jason has been helping her with some chores while I've been away. She seems to be enjoying it, spending time with her friends and more time with Jason," I say.
"That's great…" Eric says uneasily. "Listen Sookie, I've wanted to explain myself….to explain what happened that time so long ago…."
"Eric, there's nothing to explain," I say as I play with my engagement ring. "I mean, at the time I was completely devastated, but things worked out for the better. We both headed into different directions and it seems to have worked out for the both of us."
"Yeah we did," he says as he leans back and runs his hand through his blonde hair. "But there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about the mistakes I made."
I turn my head away and gaze out towards some trees.
"I am truly sorry for what I did. I wasn't in the right headspace at the time. But I'm trying to better myself. I don't want to be that asshole anymore," he says.
"Eric," I say as I look back at him. "I forgive you."
"I was hurt for a long time, but eventually I learned that I would never heal unless I forgave you," I say sincerely. I put my hand on his wrist. Immediately, that familiar spark hits me like a ton of bricks and I pull my hand away. I knew he felt the same thing as his eyes widen in shock.
"Can we be friends?" he asks me. "I meant it when I say I want to become a better man. Alcide means a lot to me and I think that would make him happy."
"I think so too," I say. "Sure, let's be friends."
Suddenly, it feels a lot less strained between us. We start talking and joking more as we continue to play. I tell him a little bit more about what I've been doing these past few years, while he listens attentively.
Forty-five minutes later, we were on the 15th hole, when our golf cart conks out. Eric tries for several minutes to get it started up again.
"I think the battery is dead," Eric says as he tries the ignition again.
"No worries, we can just walk to the next hole and maybe someone will send out help if you text the club or Pam," I reply.
"I didn't bring my phone," he replies as he pats his front pockets.
"Oh," I answer back. I didn't bring mine either. I look up to the sky and see a storm approaching.
"Looks like we're in for a storm, but I don't think it will be here for awhile. I think we can finish this course," I tell Eric. He looks up towards the storm and nods.
Eric offers to carry my bag, but I refuse his kind gesture. Just as we begin teeing up, a gust of wind suddenly hits us. I look up into the sky to see the dark clouds heading our way quickly. I see a bolt of lightening then hear the sound of loud thunder.
Suddenly, the sky darkens even more and large white drops begin to fall from the sky.
"It's hail!" I say as I begin to look around frantically. Eric does the same thing.
We don't spot any other people near us, but I see a pavilion near some trees.
"Over there!" I yell out as I point towards the pavilion.
We start running as fast as we could. The hail rocks seem to get bigger and more torrential. We continue running and even though I was running as fast as I could, I couldn't keep up with Eric. The large hail rocks were hitting me on the head so progressively that it causes me to fall down.
"Ahhh!" I yell as I fall to the ground, hurting my knee. I put my arm over my face to try and ease the pain as the hail continues hurtling down.
A few seconds later, I feel a pair of arms around me, lifting me up. It was Eric. He begins jogging toward the pavilion with me in his arms. I continue to shield my face from the hail and end up burying myself against Eric's chest.
"We're almost there," he whispers to me.
We finally reach the shelter. There were several benches and tables. Eric puts me down on one of the benches and sits beside me.
"Are you alright?" he asks in a worrisome tone. He runs his large palms over my head and arms.
"I'm okay," I say as I look down at my knee. "It's just a scrape and maybe a bruise."
"This is crazy weather," Eric says as he looks around. "I didn't expect it to hit us so quickly."
"Me neither," I respond.
I look around too, then at him. His blonde hair was wet. His shirts and pants were soaked and were currently clinging to his skin. His striped shirt was practically now see-through. I look down to see his erect nipples visibly showing through his shirt. I begin breathing more deeply as his familiar scent engulfs me. I shudder, close my eyes, and swallow a large gulp.
You should not be thinking those kind of thoughts Sookie! What was wrong with me?
"It should be over soon," I whisper with my eyes still closed. I fold my arms over my chest, shivering.
Eric puts his hands on my elbows while my eyes were still closed.
"Sookie," he says in a hushed tone. I could feel his warm breath against my cheek. I knew he was very close to me. My breathing picks up even more. I was still shivering. I wasn't sure it was because of the hail storm or due to how close Eric currently was.
I open my eyes slowly and meet his gaze. He had moved away from me a tiny bit, but he was still in close proximity, with his hands on my arms. His warm blue eyes were emulating a soft tenderness and affection that I had not seen from him in years. It made me remember why I had fallen so deeply in love with him.
Though it felt like the moment lasted for an eternity, we were quickly brought back to earth a few short seconds later by the sound of an oncoming vehicle. I break away from our gaze to see a white SUV heading our way.
I immediately rise from the bench and take a few short steps away from Eric, while watching the vehicle getting closer and closer.
"Sookie!" Alcide yells from the window of the passenger side. As soon as it stops, he dashes out and is instantly in front of me. He wraps me up in his warm arms and kisses my wet hair. "Are you alright?! Freyda and I finished the game forty-five minutes ago. We were wondering where you were. I tried messaging and calling you on your phone."
"I left my phone in my locker. Our golf cart died," I answer as I vaguely point in the direction behind me.
"You're hurt!" he says as he looks down at my knee.
"I fell down when we were running to get away from the hail storm," I say to him. "Don't worry, it's nothing."
Alcide looks at Eric, then back at me again. I wasn't sure of how to describe the look on his face, but he didn't seem to be pleased.
We make our way back to the club in silence, with me and Alcide in the back and Eric in the front. I pull a strand of wet hair behind my ear and gaze out the window, watching the rain pour down.
Eric's POV:
"Oh Eric, I am so glad you are alright, I was so worried about you when the storm got worse!" Freyda says to me while clutching my arm. I was half-listening to her, but the other half of me was looking in Sookie's direction, who was in deep conversation with Alcide across the room. We had gotten changed and were in the main area of the country club.
"Eric! Thank god your face wasn't damaged by those hail rocks. They looked pretty scary watching from the window," Pam says, as she approaches us. She looked clean and crisp in her pink Chanel suit. "Did you know that hail storm caused a lot of damage in in this area? And it only lasted a few minutes, imagine that! Luckily, my Mercedes was parked underground."
"Yeah, the golf cart wouldn't start," I mumble.
"Hmmmmm…. I could have a word with the management staff, but I'm sure it was just a mechanical issue or something," Pam comments calmly. That was strange, when things with her clients weren't going as planned, Pam's usual reaction was to get angry first, then fix the issues soon after. "So, other than this catastrophic storm, how was the game?"
I manage to give a few quick responses, before the conversation is taken over by Freyda, who goes into thorough detail about her golf swing and how well she played.
I nod my head as she continues to talk about herself. I liked her from the beginning, but the more time I spent with her, the more I was seeing how self-absorbed she was. The majority of our conversations were about her or her family. She had been trying to become more physically intimate with me for the past week. In the past, I would've had no hesitations to sleep with her, but I was trying to become a new man. I didn't want to be that type of guy anymore.
I look over at Sookie as she and Alcide begin walking towards the exit.
She looks over her shoulder briefly, towards my direction, as Alcide opens the door for her.
"So, Eric, are we heading to your place?" Freyda asks me. "We can stay in and watch a movie, maybe go for a soak in your hot tub?"
I meet her gaze. She was looking at me with hope in her eyes. I wanted to be truthful with her and tell her that there wasn't a chance for us. I open my mouth to tell her, but Pam pipes in.
"Sorry Freyda, but Eric has some business meetings in Montecito. We are leaving shortly," Pam says.
Freyda's face is that of disappointment but she brushes it aside. "Maybe I can join and keep you company?"
"It's a one-night trip, he will be back tomorrow," Pam says.
Freyda gives Pam a brief irritated look. She comes up close to me and wraps her arms around my neck, leaning right against me. "That's too bad. I'm going to miss you, but it's only one night. Promise you will call me?"
"Yeah sure will," I reply as I pat her on the sides.
She leans up expecting a kiss, so I lean down to meet her lips. I had only intended to give her a quick peck, but she pulls me in to deepen the kiss.
"Have a good trip," she says lustily after our kiss.
'Thanks," I tell her.
"How's it going?" Pam asks on our way to the airport for the short flight to Montecito.
"How's what going?" I reply as I lean back on the headrest in Pam's car.
"You know, with Freyda…. and Sookie," she responds.
I look at her with a raised eyebrow. "What are you getting at?"
"C'mon Eric, I've known you for ages. I've seen you date hundreds of women and seen you with some of your one-night stands," Pam says. "When you're around her, you're different, in a good way. It's like she calms you."
I remain silent for a few minutes. "I take it you are not referring to Freyda."
I stare at her as she rolls her eyes.
"You were right about Sookie, she's not like the rest of them," Pam comments as she continues to drive.
I think back to the past and to the reasons why I didn't continue my relationship with her. I had tried to validate hundreds of excuses in my head as to why I couldn't be with Sookie all these years. I did everything that I possibly could do to forget her.
But I couldn't. The more I dwelled on it, the more I began to realize that everything I had done so far in my life was complete bullshit. The fame, the money, the recognition for my work, none of that mattered. She was the only one that mattered. The only time when I was truly happy was with Sookie.
"What am I going to do about you Eric?" Pam asks. "You're in love with a woman you can't have."
I open my mouth to tell her that wasn't true, but I remain silent.
"I do love her," I say solemnly and quietly.
I breathe out loud as a tear escapes my eye. It was the first time that I had finally admitted it to myself. I was in love with Sookie.
"You're fucked Eric," Pam says grimly. "I mean we're fucked."
After a long day of press interviews and schmoozing with film executives, I settle down in my hotel room to watch an old black and white Western.
The next morning, I board the plane to head back to L.A. I lean back in my seat and close my eyes. I was tired. Tired from the endless promotion of the film, the non-stop award campaigning that I was committed to. It was starting to dawn on me that I didn't really care. I didn't care if I won or lost. It didn't make me happy a few weeks ago after I had won the first major statue of the season.
Maybe I was hitting a wall. After all, I had worked my ass off in this film in order to show the world that I was a great actor.
I sigh out loud. Maybe I was heading towards depression or something. I needed time to decompress so I whip out my phone and dial Pam who answers after two rings.
"I need to get out of the city," I say quickly.
"Hold on, what happened?" she asks.
"Nothing….. it's just that I'm tired and I think I need a little bit of R and R," I answer.
"Eric, we are in the middle of a long, and might I remind you, a very expensive award season campaign," Pam retorts. "There is a lot of people riding on this campaign for which you are the face of. You cant just disappear and take a break! Besides you're going on that yacht trip in a few weeks with Freyda, Alcide, and Sookie."
Speaking of Freyda, I continued to ignore her text messages and calls.
"I hardly would call that a break Pam," I lament. "Look, just give me a few days. In two days, I will be refreshed and ready to head to New York for the next part of the press tour."
I'm met with a long silence.
"Very well, Eric. You can get a few days, but only two days! Then I want to see you in New York smiling and laughing at every corny joke during the morning show and late night talk show interviews!"
I breathe a sigh of relief. "Thanks Pam, I owe you one."
"There's no need," Pam comments. "Where are you off to?"
"Home," I answer as I hang up the phone. Pam sends me the travel arrangements as I get off the plane in L.A. and wait to board the next that would take me to Shreveport.
As I wait in the lounge, I put on my sunglasses, ear pods, and close my eyes.
A few minutes later, someone taps me on the shoulder. I open my eyes and immediately take off my glasses and remove the ear pods.
"Sookie," I stammer. I give her a genuine smile. Immediately, a wave of calm and happiness washes over me as she smiles down on me.
"Hi Eric, I'm sorry for disturbing you. I just wasn't sure if it was really you," she stammers, her face becoming flushed.
"No, that's okay Sookie. You didn't disturb me. I was just resting before the next flight," I answer. "Are you going somewhere?"
"Uhh as a matter of fact, I am. I'm going home, to Bon Temps. Alcide left this morning for London. He's got work stuff to do. You know, like interviews and magazine shoots. I was going to go with him, but I wanted to go home for a while. This has been the longest time that I've been away, especially from Gran," she says as she tucks a strand of her beautiful blonde hair behind her ear and clutches her hand bag.
"Wow, I'm doing the same. Heading home to Shreveport," I respond. "Pam chartered a plane for me."
Sookie laughs nervously. "Flying first class, I see. I'm on a commercial flight to New Orleans, then after that Shreveport. I mean, Alcide offered to charter a plane for me too, but I said no. It would be a waste of money and resources to fly little ole' me home."
"Somehow, I don't believe that," I chuckle as I stand up. "Hey, how about flying with me? It's just me in the plane and like you said, don't want to be wasting resources. And besides, we're heading in the same direction."
"Uhhh, thanks for the offer Eric, but I already paid for my flight," Sookie responds.
"Come on, I'm sure the airline would give you a travel voucher for cancelling," I say as I try to convince her.
"Ahhh," she smiles nervously as she looks down at her ticket. "Okay, I will go with you."
"Come on, I will help you get a refund," I tell her.
It wasn't too difficult to get a travel voucher for Sookie. All I had to do was take a picture with the employees and sign a few autographs.
"All this campaigning is pretty ruthless. I can't believe what some of the actresses have been doing in order to get nominated," Sookie says as we enjoy our refreshments on the plane.
"Yeah, it's pretty cutthroat," I say as I scratch the back of my head. "Pam's given me a lot of suggestions to entice voters. But I've pretty much shot down at least ninety-nine percent of her ideas."
Sookie laughs. "I'm glad you aren't like them. And I'm glad Alcide isn't either. He's been pretty mellow."
"Yeah, he's always been a good guy with a good head on his shoulders," I respond.
"What are you doing tonight?" she asks me.
"You know, I hadn't thought about it. I was going to stay at my dad's house, but I don't think that would be a good idea. He'd probably call the paps to get noticed. I've rented an Air Bnb. I'll probably just relax and order something from one of the restaurants."
"Really?" she asks thoughtfully. "Listen, I feel like I need to repay for this, for taking me home. How about you come over to my place and have dinner with me and Gran?"
"Oh, you don't owe me a thing Sookie. I wouldn't want to impose on your first night home with your Gran," I say sheepishly.
"Eric, you would not be imposing. And besides, Gran still loves you. You know she's watched all your movies?" Sookie says. "She would love to see you again."
"Are you certain?" I ask. I would have expected that her Gran would've hated my guts for the way I treated her granddaughter.
"Yes, she loves you. I mean she tried to dislike you after you had left, but she couldn't," Sookie chuckles.
I flash her a smile. "Alright, I'll come over tonight."
Later that night, I pull into Sookie's driveway in my red Corvette. I look around as I walk up to the entrance and knock on the door.
A few moments later, Sookie opens the door.
"Hey Eric," she says with a bright smile on her face. "I'm glad you could be here."
After exchanging pleasantries with her and her grandmother, I sit down to eat a fresh home-cooked meal. I take a mouthful of the chicken ala king and savor every flavor or the creamy sauce.
"MMMMmmm," I say as I enjoy the taste with my eyes closed.
"Have some of Gran's cornbread too Eric, it probably the best in the county," Sookie says as she hands me the dish.
I make more satisfactory moans as I enjoy the dishes that Sookie and her grandmother prepared. After I finish the last morsel on my plate, I rub my belly in satisfaction.
"You're not done yet Eric," Sookie says as she brings the dessert to the table, a pecan pie.
"This has probably been the best meal I've had in a long time," I tell them.
"I am glad you enjoyed it Eric, you need to eat more. You do have a lot of large muscles, but you could also use a little bit meat on those bones of yours," Sookie's grandmother, Adele, says.
"Gran!" Sookie says in astonishment.
"No, your Gran is right," I say. "I definitely need to eat a lot more. Sometimes, I am too busy with work and all, that I forget to eat."
"Gran?! Sookie?!" someone hollers from the foyer.
"Gran, I hope you saved me a plate, cause I'm starvin'!" Jason Stackhouse says loudly as he walks into the dining room.
"Oh," he says as he stops dead in his tracks. His eyes widen at the sight of me.
"Oh, hey Jason, you remember Eric?" Sookie says, as she dusts some crumbs on the table using a napkin.
"Yeah, I know who he is, but what is he doing here?" he says with a hint of anger in his voice.
"Jason Stackhouse! Mind your manners," Adele admonishes. "Eric is our guest."
"That's alright Adele," I say as I put my napkin down on the table and turn to stand in front of him. "It's good to see you again."
I hold out my hand to shake his. He looks at me, then at Sookie, then at Adele, before shaking my hand. "How's it going?"
We sit back down at the table. It isn't long before Jason drops his defensive shields and is at ease with me. He tells me about what he has been doing at work and asks me questions about my work and some of the female co-stars from my films.
"So, she's single? Do you think you can hook me up with her?" Jason asks as he takes a bite into his pie.
Sookie and I laugh lightly.
"Well it's getting late, and I have to be up at 5am in the morning for work," Jason says as he rises from the table.
He gives Sookie and Adele hugs. They go to start cleaning up the table.
"Hey, mind if I talk to you outside?" Jason asks me.
I nod and follow him.
"You seem like a really cool fella. I respected you when you dated my sister all those years ago. You treated her right up until you left her high and dry. Man, she was real broken hearted when you left and never came back," Jason says earnestly.
"Jason, I am so sorry about that. I've apologized to your grandmother. I have apologized over and over to Sookie. I know that I can never make it up to her," I say gloomily as I put my hands in the back pockets of my jeans. "There's not a day that goes by that I don't regret my actions."
"I accept that," Jason says. "But if you ever hurt my sister again, you will have to answer to me."
I nod in agreement.
"I like you," he says with a smile. "I like you more than I like Alcide."
I chuckle and turn my head.
"Nah, really I do," Jason says. "He's got my gran and everyone else wrapped around his finger, but there's something off with that guy. I can't put my finger on it. It's like he knows what to say and do to get people to like him, to put on a good show, but that's not really who he is."
"Alcide is a good guy. He's perhaps the best choice for your sister. He's been my best friend since I was a kid," I respond.
His eyes widen in astonishment. "Wow, that's something I didn't know. But anyways, I trust my gut. And it's never steered me in the wrong direction."
We say our goodbyes and I walk back into the house to find Sookie and Adele cleaning the kitchen.
Sookie walks up to me. "Hey, is everything alright? I hope Jason wasn't giving you a hard time."
"No, he was fine. We just talked a little. I'll help you with the kitchen. It's the least I can do to repay your hospitality," I say.
We send Adele to the living room to watch TV, as we begin washing the dishes. They didn't have a dishwasher so Sookie washes, while I dry. I ask her repeatedly on where the pots, pans, plates and cutlery go in the cupboards.
"Are you sure you don't want any of the leftovers?" Sookie asks as she puts the food in the refrigerator.
"No, but thank you for offering," I tell her as I put away the tea towel after drying off the last of the spoons.
"Sookie, I'm going to bed," Adele says as she appears in the kitchen.
"Okay Gran," Sookie says as she walks over to her and gives her a hug. "Goodnight Gran, I love you."
"I love you too my darling," she reciprocates.
"Goodnight Eric, I hope to see more of you here," Adele says as she embraces me as well.
"I hope so too. Good night Adele and thank you again for dinner. It was delicious," I say to her.
"Well, this was a great night," Sookie says as she puts her white cardigan on over her dress. She was wearing a red gingham dress with thin straps, that came up her knees. Her long wavy hair was in a high ponytail and she only wore lip gloss and no other makeup. Not that she didn't need it. Sookie always looked gorgeous with or without it. "I'm glad you came over for dinner."
"Me too," I say to her. I was standing so close to her, that I could smell the scent of her shampoo.
She looks into my eyes, then down to her sandals. "It's getting late, so I should probably head to bed. I told Sam that I would check in with him tomorrow morning. I haven't been to work in over a month."
"Oh, I didn't know that you would still be working," I say.
"Yeah, I know Alcide would prefer that I didn't work, but I like it. I need to work. I don't like anyone else payin' my way for things. Besides, me and Gran would never accept any handouts from anyone. We've always managed just fine," she says defiantly.
"I'm sure that you can Sookie," I reply. "But I think it's okay to get help from time to time from family. And Alcide is going to be a member of your family soon. I know he would help you and your Gran in any way that he can."
Sookie chews on her bottom lip. "I reckon you're right. But I guess we will cross that bridge when we get there."
She walks me to the door. "Goodnight Eric."
"Goodnight Sookie," I say to her back.
I lean to give her a hug and she responds. I pat her back a couple times quickly before moving away. We both laugh nervously.
"What are you doing tomorrow night?" Sookie asks.
"I don't know? Probably not much," I answer. "Why? What did you have in mind?"
"Oh ummm, well you see, I was gonna meet up with Janice to catch up on stuff. I'm sure she wouldn't mind catching up with you too. She always talks about you in a good way," Sookie says.
"Uhh….," I wasn't sure what to answer.
"You don't have to say yes," Sookie says quickly.
"No, it's just that I haven't seen her or their parents in a long time. I don't feel like it would be a good thing to drop in on them out of the blue after what happened between Alcide and I," I explain.
"Oh, yeah I didn't think about that," she says. "Well if you change your mind, we will be at the coffee shop on second street in Shreveport around 9."
We say goodnight again before I drive off in my car.
This is not a good idea Northman, I say to myself as I look at Sookie's house in my rearview mirror. I knew that I putting myself in an awkward position the more time I spent with her. The feelings that I had for her were getting stronger every day. I wasn't sure if I would be able to hide it from the world.