A/N
An update from me already? Let`s just say that all the reviews were a heavy motivation for me to write, write, write – thank you so much for each and every one of them! *kiss*
I just hope fanfic is working now because yesterday no one got the alerts and earlier this week stories went missing.
And thank you so much to Rascalthemutant at the Alexander Skarsgård Library Forum for making sure this story is readable.
A light whisper woke me up and I heard Eric scolding Pam for coming into my room. At least that`s what I assumed he was hissing to her about. Then they discussed something about `politi` that I knew was `police` because I had seen it on the police uniforms at the airport. They also talked about an `uncle` and I just had to ask.
“You have an uncle who is a police officer?” I said, turning my head in their direction.
Both Pam and Eric stared at me, not understanding what I meant. Then it dawned on Eric and he smiled.
“No, `uncle` or `onkel` as it`s called in Norwegian, is the local slang for police. But right now I definitely wish I had a family member in the police force. Whenever I call the police for something, it has a nasty habit of turning up in the gossip magazines.” He frowned.
“So don`t call them.” I said matter-of-factly.
Both Eric and Pam protested. Apparently they had faith in both the police force, apart from them selling any Eric-related story to the tabloids, and the judicial system and wanted my attacker locked away. As much as I agreed with them on removing the mad woman from the streets of Oslo, I did not want the police involved.
“Eric, as your PR-person I cannot have you call the police. I do not want to see you smeared out on all the front pages as someone girls seemingly catfight over.”
Pam nodded, but Eric still said no.
“I`m used to being in the tabloids with all kinds of stories and I don’t think people will give a shit about this one.”
Pam made a noise with her nose, making it clear that she disagreed.
“Why are you in the tabloids in the first place?” I wanted to know. But Pam answered instead of Eric.
“My fine young brother here has been voted sexiest man in Norway five times in a row.” Eric rolled his eyes at Pam. “And he has dated every female celebrity in this country. He is also charming, smart and rich. Why wouldn`t he be in the tabloids?”
Eric looked as if he couldn`t decide whether to be proud or embarrassed. The look on his face started a wave of giggles in my chest and even if it hurt like someone was standing with a salt shaker over my back, I couldn`t help laughing. Pam laughed too.
“I`m so glad that you can find amusement in my pitiful life.” Eric rolled his eyes.
“Yes, I can imagine how dating one sexy woman after the other is the seventh plague,” I teased Eric.
I wanted to get up because it`s rather awkward to be lying on your stomach when you make fun of people. But I was naked from my waist up and even if I could guess who had undressed me, I had no desire to have him seeing me topless while I was awake.
Pam luckily understood my predicament and came to my rescue when she handed me my bathrobe. Eric looked displeased.
“You really should let your wounds have air.” He said while I put on the bathrobe.
“And you should press charges. I couldn`t care less if I have yet another front page. I`m thick skinned.”
“I`m not, Eric. I dislike the front page I made already. I have my pride and if I am going to be taken seriously in my job, I can`t have too many headlines like this. So the answer is no.”
Eric frowned.
“This is your choice, Sookie, and I can`t say that I like it.” Then he smiled. “But it does give me an excuse to be your body-guard wherever you go. Next time you go dancing, it`ll be with me. ”
I groaned. Perfect. Now I would have a 6-foot-4 blonde following me around, telling me to yield at any given moment.
“That doesn`t give you any reason to be in my room, though. Scoot! I need to put on some clothes.”
And with that Pam and Eric reluctantly walked out. Pam was already out of my room when Eric turned around and looked at me.
“You know, Sookie, it isn`t the women in my life, but the life in my women that counts. And there hasn`t been much life up until a week ago.” Then he was out the door.
Eric quoted Mae West? What was it with this man and great exits?
Xxxx
After I was dressed, I found Eric and Pam in the living room, playing cards of all things. They were hitting the table with their hands and shouting something I couldn`t make out. They were so into the game they didn`t notice me coming in.
I saw a pot of tea on the table and went to get a mug in the kitchen. When I came back and sat down on the couch, the card game was apparently over. There was no doubt about who had won because Pam was doing some kind of victory dance and Eric was pouting. His pout changed into a smile when he saw me.
“Now that we are three we can`t play this silly game anymore, Pam. Let`s put away the cards and play something else entirely. You like to play games, right Sookie?” He waggled his eyebrows and his question was so loaded with double meaning that I just rolled my eyes at him.
Eric jumped up and went to a cabinet and opened the door. Eric was apparently a happy gamer because he had stacks of board games. Most of them were totally unknown to me, but on top of all the games, I spotted something I recognized.
“How about a game of yahtzee?” I asked. Pam roared out in laughter and Eric was back to his pouting.
“Eric sucks at yahtzee, Sookie.”
“How can anyone suck at yahtzee? Isn`t it just a game based on luck?” I asked.
“Well Eric doesn`t have any luck at all in games. Which is strange because those who are out of luck in games usually have luck in love. At least that`s a Norwegian superstition. And Eric definitely has no luck in love either.” She looked at me and I almost knew what she was going to say so I braced myself with a stiff smile. “Up until now, that is.” She winked at me.
There was an awkward silence before Eric pulled out a game from the cabinet.
“If I`m out of luck in games and love, I at least have some intelligence.” He stared down Pam, who started to giggle teasingly. “So I suggest we play a game where the smartest person wins.”
The game in his hands was Cluedo.
“This is unfortunately in Norwegian, but most of the cards are pictures and only the names are translated.” Eric took the board game to the coffee table, opened it and before he had pulled out all the parts I went looking for `Miss Scarlet`.
“Ah, you like `Frøken Rose`,” Eric commented.
“Is `Frøken` `Miss` in Norwegian?” I asked. I was getting curious about the Norwegian language and I had to learn it sooner or later. Might as well start with the characters in Cluedo, right?
“Yes, and `Fru` is `Mrs`. In the English version they mainly have color-names, but here they are named after flowers. `Frøken Rose` is `Miss Rose` as you might have guessed. I myself prefer to be `Pastor Bregne` or `Reverend Fern` as he would be in English. Pam is usually `Fru Blåklokke`- `Mrs Bluebell`.”
Eric continued to translate the rest of the names and also taught me the Norwegian names of the rooms and the murder weapons. I figured I would do pretty well in any Norwegian conversation about murders by candle sticks (lysestake) in billiard rooms (biljardrom), but apart from that I would be lost. I made a mental note to check out classes in Norwegian as soon as possible. If I were to live and work in this country, even for a limited amount of time, I should learn the language.
I was not going to let Eric beat me in this game, but I soon found out that he wasn`t a push-over like my brother Jason. I could always fool Jason by pretending to ask for something I had myself, but Eric just smirked when I tried. So I decided to try and break his concentration by starting conversation.
“So why are the tabloids after you, Eric?” I asked him. He looked at me and I smiled inside when I saw that his chain of game-plans was broken. After a moment he answered me.
“We are only 4 million people in this country. They have to write about someone.” He said and stared at his game-cards again.
“Do they write about you too, Pam?” I turned to her. She smiled.
“Only when I`m with big bro` here.” She pinched Eric`s hip. “This is why I refuse to go out with him.”
Eric looked up.
“Pam, you are perfectly safe when I wear my glasses and pull my hair from my face. No one ever recognizes me in disguise.”
“I don`t understand why they write about Eric and not you,” I asked.
“Sookie, I may be promiscuous, but I am far from Eric`s level.” Eric received yet another pinch and looked less than happy. Pam was about to elaborate on the subject when Eric stood up so fast that Frøken Rose jumped from the Conservatory to the Hall.
“Pam, would you please shut up. I cannot imagine that Sookie wants to hear about girls I may or may not have dated. You know as well as I that half the girls I have been engaged to, according to Se&Hør, are girls I may have given a friendly hug at the most. And so what if I have had a few lovers? It`s not as if I`m married or anything.”
“Come on, Eric. Who peed on your porridge?”
I sat very quietly and observed. Sibling fights are not something you want to interfere in. Plus, this was actually quite entertaining. Unfortunately the show was soon over.
Pam decided to go to her room. I stood up to do the same, but Eric stopped me.
“Let`s finish the game, Sookie,” he asked.
“Uhm, I don`t think we can play it without Pam.”
“Then just sit here and I`ll tell you more about the woman who attacked you and why you should be careful around her.”
This was how I got to know about Maryann, the spoiled daughter of a shipping-tycoon, who apparently couldn`t take no for an answer. Eric had been under the impression that her daddy had her well tucked away in Greece, but she was obviously back in Oslo.
“This means that I have to look after you at all times, here in Oslo, but also in Copenhagen at the Games Convention.”
“Aren`t you afraid I`ll get an Eric-overdose?”
“No, I`m hoping that the more you see me, the more I`ll grow on you.” Eric leaned close as if he was planning on growing on me that minute.
“Like a fungus?”
He laughed, but his eyes were fixed on me in a way that meant business.
Then my stomach decided to growl and the moment passed.
“You must be starving, elsker. Let me fix us something.”
Before I knew it I was at the dinner table with filled crêpes in front of me. Ironically they were stuffed with mushrooms.
We had fun over dinner. No one could deny Eric`s charm, but all the girls in Se&Hør were rumbling around at the back of my head. Bill was somewhere in my brain too. So when Eric tried to kiss me and asked me you yield to him yet again, I just smiled and said good night.
I must admit that I went to sleep with a smile on my lips. Going with Eric to Copenhagen would be more complicated than I preferred, but deep down I still welcomed the company. And so what if I did? One can enjoy a good laugh and some heavy flirtation without necessarily sleeping with the guy, right?
A/N:
*chants* Eric is going to Copenhagen, Eric is going to Copenhagen.
I hope you liked this chapter!
God helg (= Have a nice weekend)!
PS: According to Wikipedia the game is called Cluedo, but it might also be known under the name Clue.