Rescue Me ch 8 : Underneath it All

Sookie's outfit for the date is at this link. http:/ img839.imageshack.us/img839/939/sbeachoutfit.jpg
Huggles to my betas Rcherry1977 and EricDreamer for all their help. Any remaining mistakes are all mine.

Songs to listen to this chapter:
Little Red Corvette by Prince
Underneath it all by No Doubt

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Charlaine Harris. I do not own these characters I just like to take them out on dates.

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Chapter Eight:
Sookie awoke from her rest a few hours later. She sat up in the bed, smiled, and stretched. She had dreamed of Eric again and was accepting that this was to be a nightly thing. She rose from the bed and walked to the bathroom and started the shower. Stripping from her clothes she stepped under the warm shower stream. She scrubbed, and shaved every inch of her body before she stepped out. She wrapped her body in a towel and started drying her hair with a blow dryer. When she was done she walked into the closet and tried to find something to wear. She pulled out her aqua and pale yellow paisley summer dress with a deep v in the front and spaghetti straps. She held it up in front of her in the mirror and smiled. It would be casual enough but still sexy. On her feet she would wear her pale yellow Salvatore Ferragamo kitten heel sandals.

Eric's day had crawled by as he anticipated taking Sookie out. Tray had ran into The Clubhouse like his feet were on fire and he laughed as he thought of what Tray had gotten into last night. He left work later and rushed to make his way home. He still had a few things to do before he picked her up so he stepped on the gas. He smiled and hoped that Sookie would enjoy their outing. As he pulled into his driveway he noticed that Pam's car was missing. He figured that she had probably given Hadley a ride back to the hotel. He was happy about that because he wouldn't have to hear her tease him. He unlocked the door and made his way to his room so he could shower and change. After a shower and shave, he got dressed quickly. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a few things he would need for their date. On his way out he grabbed two blankets from the linen closet. He had to stop at the deli to pick up some snacks then he would be on his way to pick up Sookie. He threw everything in the trunk then jumped in.

Sookie left the room after making sure everything was perfect one last time. She walked into the sitting room and began to pace the room as she waited for Eric. Amelia had came into her room as she was getting ready to wish her luck and let her know she was heading out to the beach to wait for Tray to get off. She didn't know when Hadley would return but she had other things to worry about at the moment. She was a bundle of nerves and was wringing her hands as she waited for Eric. She heard a knock at the door and her heart jumped into her throat. As she made her way to the door she had to wipe her palms on her dress. She reached for the door and opened it with a smile on her face.

"Well hello there beautiful." Pam leered at Sookie.

Hadley laughed and hit Pam on her shoulder. "Pam be nice."

"What did I say? I was simply stating that she looked beautiful." Pam smirked at Hadley.

Hadley rolled her eyes and said. "Thanks for opening the door. I don't know where I put my key card."

"That's fine I was just heading out so your lucky you caught me." Sookie said as she looked down.
Pam and Hadley walked in and went to have a seat at the sofa.

"Who you waiting on looking like that?" Pam arched a brow at her and licked her lips taking in Sookie's attire.

Sookie swallowed at Pam's predatory look and said: "Um well after Eric took care of me last night I figured I would give him another chance."

"Oh really?" Pam smiled widely at this news.

"Yes really." Sookie glared at Pam as she snapped back.

Hadley decided to step in before they started in on each other. "So how are you feeling Sookie?"

Sookie looked away from Pam and responded shyly: "Much better after some rest. I can't believe I passed out last night."

"I know what you mean. I didn't see you drink much more than usual and I don't think the drinks were that strong. What was up with you seeing Professor Creepy?" Hadley asked concerned.

"I don't know Had. I can't remember a lot but I think I did see him there last night. It's so weird because why would he be down here?" Sookie furrowed her brows still trying to remember the night before.

Pam sat back and took in everything the two were saying. She didn't see Sookie drink that much either but she didn't know what her drinking limit was. It still concerned her that they had to drag her unconscious out of the club. They had to deal with belligerent ladies all the time but never one that was passed out. At that moment there was a knock on the door and she grinned as she thought of the fun she was about to have.
Sookie rose from the sofa and walked to the door. As she opened it her breathe was taken away. Eric was standing there in black low hung jeans and a aqua almost see through fitted tee. You could just make out every muscle on his toned chest and washboard abs. She had to close her mouth before she drooled all over herself.

Eric knocked on the door and waited for it to open. He had stopped by a florist and picked up some more flowers for Sookie. When the door opened the air left his lungs and he was grinned so big he knew he must look ridiculous. He handed the flowers to Sookie and waited to be invited in.

"You look beautiful Sookie." Eric continued to grin like a fool as he looked her up and down.

"Thanks and thank you for the flowers. You know your not the first one to tell me that today." Sookie smiled shyly.

Eric's eyebrows furrowed as he heard what she said. "Oh? So you have another admirer, Sookie?"

"Yes, would you like to meet my admirer Eric?" Sookie grinned and tried to stop her giggle from escaping.

Eric arched a brow at her: "Indeed."

Sookie moved slightly out of the way and said: "Come on in and I'll introduce you."

Eric was confused until he looked past Sookie and saw his cousin sitting on the sofa with a shit eating grin on her face. He looked down, shook his head and chuckled lightly.

"Why Eric did you honestly think you would slip out with Sookie and not hear about it from me?" Pam grinned at him.

"Of course not my dear cousin. I knew you would pop up at some point to make my day so much better." Eric returned full of sarcasm.

Sookie and Hadley sat back and listened to the cousins conversation snickering. Eric looked at Sookie and pleaded for her to help him. That only made Sookie snicker more and shake her head. There was no way she was getting in the way of Pam.

"So what's this I hear that your taking Sookie out? Are you planning on defiling her?" Pam grinned wickedly at her.

"Pamela behave. I have every intention of being the gentleman that I am." Eric smirked and winked at Sookie.

"Pft that's to be seen. I don't believe I've ever met this 'gentleman' you speak of." Pam rolled her eyes at him.

Eric chuckled and replied: "Well you'll be seeing him often as I spend more time with Sookie."

Pam chuckled at him and said: "So tell me cousin, were you attacked by a vampire last night?"

Sookie flushed pink and lowered her head to look at her sandals. Eric knowing what Pam was talking about glared at Pam and promised he would get her back for that remark.

"Well as much as I enjoy this conversation I think we'll be on our way." Eric helped Sookie escape more of Pam's ridicule.

"Hadley can you please put these flowers in some water for me?" Sookie lifted her eyes to Hadley and handed her the flowers.

Hadley smiled and replied: "Sure Sookie. Enjoy your time with Eric and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That's not much Hadley." Sookie laughed and turned to Eric. "Shall we?"

"We shall. Have a nice evening ladies." Eric said to Hadley and Pam.

Pam laughed and said:"Oh we will."

Sookie grabbed her purse where she had placed her cell. She also had some cash, lipgloss, a hair tie, and her hotel key card. They exited the room and walked to the elevator. Eric had his hand on Sookie's lower back as they entered.

Sookie turned to Eric and asked:"So are you going to tell me where we're going?"

"Patience Sookie. You'll find out soon." Eric chuckled.

Sookie crossed her arms over her chest and huffed playfully. Eric enjoyed their playful banter and chuckled lightly. They walked to his car where he again opened the door and helped her into the seat. Sookie tried to be as ladylike as possible as she lowered herself into the seat. Eric walked around the back of the car and got into the driver's seat. He started the car and headed down the road. He turned on the radio and Sookie laughed as Little red corvette started playing. Eric looked over and returned the laugh. Sookie turned to look out the window and enjoy the scenery. She had never been to South Padre before so she had no idea where he was taking her. She felt the car stop after awhile and looked at where they were. There wasn't anyone around and it looked secluded so she was a bit worried about that. She looked over to Eric and he smiled then opened his door to step out.

Sookie calmed a bit but was thinking what did she really know about Eric? He seemed like a nice guy but for all she knew he could kill her and leave her out here for someone to discover. She felt the trunk being opened and Eric removing something from it. She bit her lip trying to think happy thoughts. When he was suddenly at her side of the car and opened the door abruptly, it made her jump.

Eric chuckled and said: "Relax I'm not going to hurt you."

"That's what they all say right before they kidnap or harm you." Sookie grumbled.

Eric threw his head back and laughed deeply. He held up his hand to reveal what he had removed from the trunk. It was a picnic basket and some blankets. Sookie let out a sigh and lifted her hand for him to help her out.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm so jumpy. It's just that I barely know you and you wouldn't tell me where we were going." Sookie explained with her head bent down.

Eric softly said as he lifted her head up to look at him: "Don't worry about it Sookie. I'm not a bad guy and I'm not going to do anything to hurt you. Trust me."

"I'll try my best to trust me as long as you show me your worth my trust." Sookie smiled up at him.

Eric grabbed her hand and steadied her as she lifted from the low car seat. Sookie was trying her best to keep from flashing him.

"Thank you. Now if you'll just follow me, we'll get this started. This is kind of a hidden spot I found one day and I like to come here and just unwind. You'll be the first person I've had here." Eric looped Sookie's arm through his and lead her away from the car.

Sookie could only see the sand dunes by there was a small path that lead between larger dunes. They headed in that direction and walked a bit. The sand was slipping into Sookie's sandals so she stopped to remove them and continue walking barefoot. The sand was soft and felt great between her toes. When the dunes stopped she saw there was a small cove in front of them. It was secluded and the waves were gently lapping up on the sand.

Eric looked down to see how she was reacting to his hidden spot. He loved to come here when life has pushed him too far. It calmed and rejuvenated him sitting out here and watching the waves. They walked close to the surf but far enough back that the waves didn't touch them. Eric stopped and dropped Sookie's arm so he could set down one of the blankets and the basket.

Sookie smiled as she felt the breeze sweep her hair around her head. This place was great and she could see why Eric liked it here. She looked down and saw that the blanket was all set. She lowered herself to sit and tried to keep her dress from flying up in the breeze.

"So was it your plan to get me all alone out here and romance me?" Sookie arched a brow at him.

"I was hoping on it." Eric smirked as he opened the basket and remove a bottle of wine. "I apologize for the cups but it's safer than using wine glasses. Plus there's no glass allowed on beaches."

He opened the wine and poured it into a plastic cup. He handed it to Sookie then poured one for himself.
Sookie smiled and accepted the cup. "This is fine. So what did you bring us to eat?"

Eric pulled out some plastic containers and set them on the blanket. "I've got us some grilled chicken Cesar salads, and some mixed fruit and cheeses. I wasn't sure what you'd like so I thought this would be a safe bet."

"Thanks I love grilled chicken Cesar." Sookie beamed and accepted one of the containers.

Eric sighed in relief and lifted his wine cup. "A toast? To getting to know each other."

"And new beginnings." Sookie smiled and touched her cup to his then took a sip.

Eric nodded in agreement and brought his cup to his mouth to take took a sip.

"So why don't you tell me a little about yourself Sookie. Where your from, about your family, and such?" Eric asked as he removed the lid of his salad and handed some plastic wear to Sookie.

"Well I'm originally from Bon Temps, Louisiana. I lived there with my Gran and brother after the death of my parents at the age of seven. They were swept off a bridge during a flash flood." Sookie looked down as she dug into her salad to take a bite.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Eric said solemnly.

"It's fine. It was a long time ago and I've moved on from it. I now live in Austin and go to the University of Texas. I wasn't going to go but my gran talked some sense into me. She said life is living with no regrets and if I didn't do something with my life I'd always look back and wonder what if. She was right of course and always knew what to say to get me to do something." Sookie laughed softly remembering her Gran.

"She sounds like a wonderful woman." Eric said between bites.

"Oh she was. She raised my brother and I on her own with no complaints. My grandfather was long gone and my aunt Linda, Hadley's mother, had passed from breast cancer. Hadley was old enough to support herself but Gran still helped her the best she could. Anyways I used my inheritance from my parent's death to pay for my tuition to UT. I also worked to pay the bills and helped my Gran by sending her money. Well that was until she passed a few years ago." Sookie said sadly.

Eric reached up and rubbed her shoulder showing her he understood and was supporting her. Sookie shook the head to clear the sadness from it.

"I'm sorry I keep making this so depressing. My older brother Jason still lives in Bon Temps. He works for the city and is a notorious lady's man. I'm not sure if he'll ever settle down. Hadley's been with me from day one. She'd always wanted to leave the small town and live in a big city. I met Amelia freshman year and the three of us have been inseparable since." Sookie finished.

Eric smiled at her and took a sip of his wine.

"So what about you?" Sookie asked with an nod.

Eric chuckled and said: "Well I'm originally from Sweden. My family moved to the states when I was ten years old. My father and mother decided to move to California so father could expand his night club franchise. Mother got into the whole modeling thing and started me in some small print jobs. It took off from there and soon I was doing all kinds of commercials and later I was doing runway shows. I've traveled all over the world for jobs. Mother and father moved here about ten years ago. Father wanted to open his latest club and mother wanted to live a more quiet life. Mother was sick for several years but hid it from father. She didn't find out till it was too late that she had stomach cancer. She passed within six months of finding out. My father called me when she was on her deathbed. I tried to make it back in time to see her but I was too late." Eric looked out to the sea as he finished his story.

Sookie took Eric's hand into hers and stroked the top of it with her other hand. Eric turned slowly and smile slightly at her gesture.

"Father asked me to stay and help with the club and I've been here ever since. He wants me to take over for him but I like being a lifeguard too much. He can't understand why I want to help save lives. I guess I do it as somewhat of a tribute to my mother. I couldn't be there for her when she needed me so I try to be there for someone else that needs me to save their life." Eric said while staring at Sookie.

He reached up to wipe a few tears that had slipped from Sookie's eyes.

Eric smiled at her and said softly: "Please don't cry Sookie. She's in a better place now and no longer in pain. I tell myself that everyday and it helps me."

"I know but it's still sad that you didn't get to say goodbye. I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to my gran. She passed at home alone. She was due at her Descendants of the Glorious Dead meeting and when she didn't show one of her friend's Mrs. Fortenberry stopped by to check on her. She found her laying on the kitchen floor. She had a heart attack and was long gone before she had found her. I always thought that maybe if I was there then I could have saved her." Sookie said as she looked down and let more tears fall down her cheeks.

"There was nothing you could have done Sookie. If it was her time then it was her time." Eric said as he moved the food away and pulled Sookie closer to hold her.

Sookie sniffled and snuggled into Eric's side. He was right and she had to get over her gran's death. There was nothing to gain from holding onto that pain.

She nodded and said as she looked up to him: "Thank you, Eric."

Eric cupped her cheeks and wiped more of her silent tears from her face with his thumbs. He threw his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side. They sat there looking out at the ocean and watched the sun start to set. Sookie felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest and shoulders. If she had to guess this place had some type of healing powers. Either that or letting it all out to Eric was helping her to move on. She sighed and nuzzled in more into Eric. She felt Eric tighten his hold on her and smiled.

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