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The beach Eric takes me to is absolutely stunning, and not nearly as crowded as I would expect it to be. As soon as we get to the sand I take off my sandals and carry them along with me. The water’s a little chilly when it washes up over my feet, but just being here makes me smile. The Pacific stretches on forever and I have no idea how Eric doesn’t spend his days just staring in complete awe of the immensity of it. The waves are good and I see a few surfers paddling out further down the beach.

“Ever tried surfing?” I have to speak up over the roar of the waves coming in.

“Had to for that one movie,” he says. “Way back when I first started out here. Haven’t done it since then.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen that one.” I can’t remember seeing a movie with Eric as a surfer.

“Probably because my role was about three minutes worth of the movie,” he chuckles. “It was awful anyway.”

“What was it about?” I clear my hair away from my face, not that it matters since the wind puts it right back.

“I think it was a murder mystery thriller thing. I was just a surfer that one of the main characters needed to talk to as a witness. My whole thing was to be out in the water, paddle in, look sexy, which wasn’t hard, and say like three lines.”

“Sounds like it was challenge,” I smile up at him.

“Sookie, come on,” he grins. “Have you met me? I’m kind of awesome.”

“Well, you do look good wet,” I finally concede.

“I knew you thought so,” he says. “You couldn’t resist my charms after the pool either.”

“Hmmm… does that mean it’s the water I’m attracted to and not you?”

“Nope, we’re going with answer A: Eric is attractive.”

He can’t see it, but I’m rolling my eyes behind my sunglasses.

“Do you want to keep walking?” I ask him.

“We can do whatever you want to do,” he says. “This is your vacation.”

“Whatever I want, huh?”

“Absolutely anything.”

“Hmmm… things could get interesting.”

Not too interesting thanks to the bun in my oven, but still.

“Do you think I need to be worried about shopping with Pam tomorrow?” I ask as we walk along.

“Worried about what?”

“Well it’s Pam so it’s kind of a take my pick sort of thing,” I chuckle.

“You’re not wrong,” he laughs. “I don’t really think you need to be too worried. She might try to talk you into a hidden agenda or something, but you’re a smart girl.”

“Hidden agenda?”

“With Pam you never know. She might have a whole plan for us up her sleeve. Or maybe she’ll spend the whole thing trying to get into your pants.”

“After seeing Pam drive, send an email, yell at a client and point out the sights to me on the drive back from the airport, I’m pretty sure she’s multitasker,” I tell him. “So I’m sure if she’s trying to get in my pants she’ll be trying to talk me into some PR scheme at the same time. I can see it now… we break up because of a lesbian scandal where you caught me in bed with your publicist.”

“I really, really wouldn’t put it past her,” he says.

“After some of the crap she’s already pulled, I wouldn’t either.”

We walk for another ten minutes and then Eric spots photographers about a hundred yards away from us further up the beach.

“Pam said we need to be more affectionate,” he says.

“Is that so?” I remember then that I still haven’t taken off my ring. I keep forgetting to do it.

I stop walking and turn so I’m facing him so the photographers won’t see my hands, and with Eric watching, I take my ring off. I stare down at it for a moment before I slip it in my pocket. It’s weird not having it on, but surprisingly I don’t cry over it. That’ll come later when I put it away in the box it came in.

“Hey,” he says, and tilts my chin up. When I look up, he leans down and kisses me gently. “Thank you.”

I nod and then wrap my arms around his waist because I can’t think of anything else to do. I look out at the ocean and wonder if Jake’s watching all of this happening, and it gets me wondering what he would think of all this. I know I can’t live my life based on what a dead man would want, but that doesn’t stop me from being curious. I feel something tickle the back of my knee, but when I look down there’s nothing there. I wonder if that’s some sort of sign.

After another minute I look up at Eric and ask, “Should we keep walking?”

“Yeah,” he nods, and takes my hand this time.

I don’t know how far we walk but about a half hour later we reach a segment of beach with a jetty, and Eric releases my hand to go climb on the rocks. I hang back and watch, rather than risking a nasty slip and fall. Instead I sit in the sand and hug my knees to my chest. The sand is warm and the sun feels good on my skin. My hair is whipping around in the breeze and I watch Eric climb up on a bigger rock. He sits down and I think I see his lips moving.

After about five minutes I see his hands lift to scrub his face. Is he crying?

Jake, if you’re here, let Eric know it’s okay, I silently plead. It’s a testament to what a good friend Eric was to Jake that he’s battling so much with the way things are without Jake here anymore. I decide right then and there that I’m going to be a little nicer to Eric and give him a bigger benefit of the doubt. Not because Jake would want me to, but because he deserves it. He’s trying to be my friend and not treat me like I’m a cross to bear.

He’s grieving too. I forget that sometimes.

When Eric climbs down from the rocks he walks up to me and holds out a hand to help me up. Even with my dark sunglasses on I can tell he was crying. I take his hand and let him pull me up. Once I’m standing, I pull him into a hug. Whether or not he knows it, I’m sure he needs one. He doesn’t really hug me back, but that’s okay. He does stroke my hair some, and that’s good enough. After a minute, I lift my head and push up to kiss his chin. Eric sucks in a breath and looks like he might say something but I beat him to it.

“We should start back. Damian’s pressing on my bladder,” I say.

Eric nods and I turn to get my shoes. When I stand up again he reaches for my free hand, even though there aren’t any cameras watching us, and we walk back to his car hand in hand.

xXx

On the way back to his house we stop at Pink’s for hotdogs. The line isn’t too terrible, but Eric is approached by a few people for autographs and pictures. We’re both congratulated about the baby and I’m nice enough to take pictures for people that ask him for one. One person even asks for a picture of us together. I think it’s a little strange, but whatever.

By the time we get back to his house I’m in need of a nap, so I go up to my room to rest for a bit before Pam comes to get me. I end up dreaming that Eric and I go back to the beach after the baby is born, and for some reason I let him take the baby out onto the jetty with him. While I’m walking in the surf, I think I see a mermaid but then I hear Eric screaming. I turn to look and the baby is gone. Eric is yelling at some sea creature to give our baby back, and before I can get to him the thing I thought was a mermaid reaches up out of the water and pulls me under.

I kick and scream and try to fight my way to the surface, but it won’t let me go. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I’m drowning. Oh dear God, I’m going to die…

“Sookie!” Eric’s voice breaks through and my eyes finally pop open.

I’m gasping for air, sobbing and sweating buckets. Jesus that dream was fucked up.

“A sea creature stole our baby,” I tell him, knowing I sound insane. “And then another one came for me. You were left alone on the beach.”

My hands cover my face and I let myself cry for a minute. Whatever had been building up in me obviously needs a release. Damian likes fucking with my hormones as much as he does my stomach, apparently. This kid is going to be grounded until it’s at least thirty, at this rate.

“No one stole our baby,” he says, and pulls me up and into his arms. “I’m right here.”

“I know. It was just a dream. I was drowning when you woke me up,” I tell him.

Wow, is that appropriate.

“I’m glad I woke you up then,” he says, and his hand starts to rub my back.

“Yeah, so am I.” I take a few deep breaths and my heart slows down a little. “Thank you for waking me up. That was… ugh, that sucked.”

“The noises you were making…” he says. “It must have felt real.”

“It did. I read in one of my books that nightmares are common during pregnancy, but what a shitty introduction,” I say, and smooth my hair back. “Sorry if I scared you.”

“It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re alright.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I smile over at him.

“Sookie!” Pam calls from downstairs.

“Shit, will you stall her a minute? I need to run to the bathroom real quick.”

“Sure,” he says, and gets up. “Make sure you wear comfy shoes, you’ll be gone a while shopping with that one.”

“No problem. All I brought are comfy shoes.” I get up and grab a different dress from my closet since I figure my little cutoff shorts aren’t going to cut it, and then go across the hall to change.

xXx

An hour later Pam and I are walking into a little boutique in downtown Los Angeles. The second the salesgirl sees Pam she’s practically salivating all over her. I’m guessing Pam is a frequent flier here.

“Hello, Ms. Ravenscroft, so good to see you again. What can I do for you today?” the girl is bubbly and cute, and I would think she’d get on Pam’s nerves within thirty seconds.

I look at a scarf hanging nearby and purely out of curiosity I look at the price tag. It’s $379. Jesus.

“We need a dress for a premiere,” Pam tells her. “Nothing too formal, more casual pretty.”

“Absolutely,” she says. “Do you have a color or designer in mind? Who are we dressing?”

Am I invisible?

“We’re dressing Sookie here,” she says, and looks at me. “And we want something red. Eric Northman loves her in red. Designer doesn’t matter, as long as it’s red.”

“Excellent.” The salesgirl finally looks at me, albeit in a scrutinizing way, and extends her hand. “Hello, Sookie, nice to meet you. I’m Sandra. You’re a size six, right?”

“Yes,” I smile. “Nice to meet you, Sandra.”

“Come with me. I think I’ve got plenty of options for you to try.”

Sandra leads me through the boutique with Pam hovering nearby, probably nixing dresses from behind me just on sight. Eventually I end up in the dressing room with five dresses to try on. Pam insists that I come out after I put on each one, and with each one she seems to find a fault.

It doesn’t lay right.

It makes my hips look too big.

The color is wrong.

The material looks cheap.

It minimizes my greatest asset… my tits.

I roll my eyes each time since I think all of them look just fine, but whatever.

Sandra brings five more dresses and when I try on the seventh dress I fall in love with it. It’s a halter top dress with a low v-neckline and a band around my waist. The skirt falls just above my knee. The shade of red is perfect against my tan that has deepened some over the last few days. I step out of the dressing room and there is a flash of something in Pam’s eyes. I swear I even hear her purr a little.

“That’s the one,” she says. “We’ll take it.”

“Wonderful,” Sandra grins.

“No one cares what I think?” I look right at Pam.

Sandra looks tense and excuses herself to go find shoes to match my dress.

“Sookie, I saw the look on your face with every dress you’ve tried on. You love this one and merely tolerated the rest,” she says. “I don’t have to ask when I see that look in a woman’s eyes.”

“But you’ve been staring at my tits the whole time,” I snicker.

“About time you noticed,” she smirks. “Want me to help you out of that dress so I can see them better?”

“I think I can handle it, but I appreciate the offer.”

“Uh huh,” she says, and pulls out her phone while I go back into the dressing room.

I get changed and Sandra brings me four pairs of shoes. I end up picking a pair of black sandals with an ankle buckle and at least four inch heels. Eric will still tower over me, but at least we’ll be a little more evenly matched. My favorite part is the red poppy fixed on the strap going across the top of the shoe. They’re cute but not too fancy.

The dress has bust cups so I won’t need a bra. Good thing since the dress is mostly backless. Pam insists on helping me pick out underwear, even though I’m pretty sure I can handle it alone. That is until she reveals that Eric made a request before we left.

“Eric made a request about my underwear?” I ask incredulously.

“Something about lace since it’s easily torn,” she says.

My cheeks flush but that just seems to spur her on. I’ll kill him later for this.

“So it’s something you two like to do, huh?” she smirks.

“I don’t know what you mean.” For all I know she means we like killing kittens with grapefruit spoons.

“You two are totally fucking, aren’t you,” she says with an almost gleeful smile.

“I don’t think that’s any of your business, Pam.”

“Everything Eric does in my business.”

“I don’t think he sees it that way.”

“He’s always been hard headed about that.”

“Did it ever occur to you that he’s right?”

“No, because I am always right,” she says.

I roll my eyes and move over to the jewelry to see what might go with my outfit.

“You want jewelry too?” she asks. “We can go to a jewelry store for that. Tiffany’s is right around the corner.”

“I don’t think I’m a Tiffany’s girl,” I tell her, and pick up a pair of silver hoop earrings with what I’m sure are rhinestones on them. They make Pam’s eye twitch. “I like these.”

“Every girl is a Tiffany’s girl,” she says. “Those are tacky.”

“I’m buying them,” I shrug. I’ll play along with a lot of things, but I feel the need to stand my ground on this.

“Sookie, even your shoes are YSL, you can’t wear fake jewels.”

“Watch me.”

“You are the most stubborn little thing I’ve ever met. And that’s saying something given that I deal with Eric on a daily basis.”

“No, Pam,” I correct her. “Stubborn would have been telling you to fuck right off with the little scheme you cooked up and letting Eric’s career take a hit because it would be inconvenient for me to subject myself to this circus. I think I’ve played nice. So you can shut up about earrings.”

Annnnnnnd that was Damian talking.

One of her perfectly waxed eyebrows arches, and a sly grin forms on her face.

“I like you.”

Of course Pam would be turned on by someone calling her on her bullshit.

“Can we get out of here now please? The smell of leather is making me nauseous,” I tell her.

“You go on out, I’ll get these tacky things for you and be out in a minute.”

“Thank you,” I say, and then head for the door.

I don’t get too far before I realize there are more cameras up and down the block. I try to ignore them and pull out of my phone, thinking they probably aren’t too interested in me if I’m just talking on my phone. I don’t call anyone, but I make it look like I have. This whole fishbowl thing is so fucking weird. I just want to go home.

EPOV

While Sookie and Pam are gone, I use the time to get in a workout and shower. I hope Pam isn’t completely fucking with Sookie, but I know Sookie’s strong enough to throw Pam’s shit back in her face.

When we were at the beach earlier I had a talk with Jake. At least I hope he heard me. I definitely feel lighter than I did before. I’d still been carrying so much guilt over sleeping with Sookie the night of his funeral. It was such a dick move as a friend, and I’d even managed to knock her up. It just didn’t seem fair to me that I was getting his girl and the family he wanted, and he was dead. Jake never hurt anyone in his life, he didn’t deserve to go like that.

It surprised me when Sookie said she’d come to terms with the stuff with me and her. I hadn’t expected her to say that, mostly because I hadn’t come close. On top of that, I felt like I had the easy role in all of this. It wasn’t like I had to carry a baby for nine months. Then there was the fallout with Jake’s parents, which was entirely unfair. I still think that I’ll have words with Dell if I see her again.

By the time Sookie and Pam get back, I’ve already eaten dinner and am lounging on the couch watching cartoons.

“Hey,” I smile when they walk in. “Did you find a dress?”

“Yes, I did. Excuse me while I take this stuff upstairs,” she says, and starts up the stairs with a ridiculous number of bags.

“Is my credit card bleeding, Pam?”

“No, she wouldn’t let me take her to Tiffany’s,” Pam pouts.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” I say.

“She wouldn’t let me pick out her panties either.” Her pout deepens a little.

“That also doesn’t surprise me,” I smile. “Did she at least get lace?”

“Some of them,” she smirks. “Tacky earrings aside, she’s got good taste.”

“Glad to hear it,” I say. “So are you sticking around or will you be going now?”

“I’ll be going now,” she says, and hands over my credit card. On her way out she adds,“Oh, and if you want to get lucky I suggest a foot rub.”

“Noted,” I grin.

Sookie comes back a few minutes later and takes a seat on the couch next to me.

“Tired?” I ask.

“A little. I sort of went off on Pam,” she admits.

“About what?”

“It was a silly argument but she accused me of being stubborn, which I can be, but I think with everything that’s happened I’ve been pretty agreeable and she wanted to fight me on earrings, so I told her to shut up maybe implied she should fuck off.”

I smirk and say, “And by doing that, you made her like you, didn’t you?”

“I swear if I would have let her, she would have pounced on me right there in the middle of the boutique,” she says.

“That’s Pam,” I sigh. “Did you at least find a dress you like?”

“I love the dress I picked out,” Sookie grins. “And Pam says that the lace underwear will come in handy. I think that’s supposed to be a perk for you and not me,” she shoots me an accusatory look.

“What?” I say, trying not to smile.

“You told Pam to buy me lacy underwear,” she narrows her eyes.

“And?”

“And I don’t want Pam buying stuff like that for me. It’s creepy.”

“She was just going to pay,” I reason. “And I knew you wouldn’t have let her actually pick out your unmentionables.”

“She tried, is the point. She doesn’t need to be doing that for me, Eric. You may not have boundaries with Pam, but she doesn’t work for me.”

“Okay,” I say when I realize she’s actually a little peeved. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“Thank you,” she says.

I turn to face her on the couch, and grab her feet, which she has tucked under her.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to rub your feet,” I say, and pull them into my lap.

“Um, okay…”

“You look like you could use it, and I had to get a crash course in massage once for a role, so it’ll be good.”

“Okay,” she says again, and then makes herself comfortable.

“Tell me about your day,” I say as I start to work her feet with my thumbs.

“You already know my day. You were with me for most of it. The rest you’ll see in pictures online. I was spotted outside the boutique.”

“Did they talk to you?”

“No, I think Pam magically appearing at my side kept them away.” Sookie says, and then moans when I find the right spot.

I grin when she moans.

“That’s good. I don’t want you to have to deal with the ugly side of that shit.”

“Me either.”

I massage her foot for another couple minutes before switching to the other one.

“Are you excited about the premiere?”

“Yes and no. Yes, I’m a little excited to see how all of this stuff really goes and not just from the outside of the fishbowl,” she says, and then moans again. “I’m not so excited about the appointment Pam set for me with a waxer.”

“She what?” I ask.

“She’s sending a car for me in the morning to go to some spa/salon place. I’m getting massaged, manicured, a haircut and waxed,” Sookie cringes at that last bit.

“Jesus,” I mutter. “Just a bikini one, right?”

“Uh, I’m not letting anyone near that area unless they plan on making me very happy,” she says. “I can handle grooming myself there just fine on my own, thank you.”

“Good. I don’t like my pussy with nothing there.”

“I have zero interest in looking like a preschooler,” she says, and then moans loudly. “Okay, I may need to pack you in a bag and bring you home with me just so you can do this every night.”

“Oh yeah?” I smirk. “You know how you can get me back for this, right?”

“With a heartfelt thanks.”

“And maybe some sex.”

“I may have spent all my energy shopping.”

“I was told to give you a foot rub if I wanted to get lucky though.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah,” I say. “What are my chances?”

She snorts and says, “You know… I have to say they’re not very good right now.”

Then she pulls her feet out of my lap.

“Aww, come on!” I deflate a little.

“I’m going to bed. Goodnight.” Sookie gets up and leaves the room.

“Well fuck,” I mutter after she’s gone.

A few seconds later I hear the door slam upstairs.

Part of me wants to go up and apologize for whatever it was I did wrong, but the smarter part of me is telling me to leave her alone. For once, I listen to it.

I turn off the cartoons and go to the kitchen for some ice cream. I eat it leaning up against the counter and start to realize that I need to go do something soon. There’s a few guy friends I could invite over for cards or something. It feels like my life is just about Sookie right now, and that’s not me. I’ve been avoiding really hanging out with my friends besides a random lunch here and there since Jake died, and I need to get back to it. Like Sookie said, we need to move on.

Before going up to bed I shoot an email off to Rasul, Bobby, and Alcide. Rasul is an actor friend of mine, Bobby mostly produces, and Alcide is also an actor. We’ve all been close friends for about five years. I ask if they have time for a card game soon, and then go up to bed.

I pause outside Sookie’s bedroom door, and I almost go in to check on her, but change my mind. While I’d love to have sex with her before I go to sleep, I know that the chances are greater that she’s just going to yell at me. It’s best to just leave her be and see her after she gets back from her spa shit tomorrow.

 

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