Switched Ch 14: Happiness Equals Shopping

Charlaine Harris owns almost everything. I own the rest.

I am so sorry it took me two weeks to write this and get it posted! I was on the go every day I was in Chicago, and then it took me four days to get back to things once I got home. I hope you’re all still out there!

Duckbutt, your suggestions are still lovely and lingering…and kardamon, thank you for sharing another wonderful idea with me. Sookie’s shopping trip wouldn’t have been the same without it! SeriousCrush, thank you so much for editing, even with hands that are full and days that are fuller. You are so wonderful!

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Happiness Equals Shopping

Eric’s POV (in Sookie’s body)

I knew I shouldn’t be reading her diaries, but I couldn’t help myself. I kept coming back to the part where she wrote about keeping the bullet she sucked out of my shoulder. I put the diary down and walked towards a jewelry box I had noticed earlier. I opened the top drawer and riffled through her collection of cheap earrings and necklaces. The second drawer was filled with hair clips, but still no bullet. The bottom of the jewelry box had an odd assortment of heirloom brooches and rings. I discovered a small worn velvet pouch tucked in the back. I opened the drawstring and dumped the contents into her hand. A small bullet fell heavily against her skin, sending a shiver through me, as if her body had a memory it was trying to share with me.

My cell phone vibrated on the table next to her bed. It was Pam. I hoped that she was with Sookie, it had certainly been long enough for Pam to get to my house since the sun had been down for an hour.

“Pam.”

No answer. I could hear her laughing in the background.

“Pam? Pam!” I yelled.

Without any warning, my voice said, “It’s me.”

Should I tell her how I feel now that I knew she shared my feelings? I could feel her body filling with hope as I took a deep breath. I was going to do it. I was going to tell her.

“You have two seconds to explain yourself, mister!” she shouted.

“Explain myself? What are you talking about, Sookie?” I asked. Her heart started to pound loud enough that she could probably hear it through the phone.

“I found it Eric. Your little black box?” She sounded incredibly mad.

Oh shit. Sookie wasn’t supposed to find the box. By the sound of her voice, she had gotten the wrong idea about me.

I kept the shirt as a memento, and over the next few weeks, it became a staple for relieving myself after a long, unsatisfying night. Even with the traces of the acrid poison from the maenad, the smell of her blood was still enough to get me off every time. Before too much longer, the shirt wasn’t enough. I needed to see her. She had made it clear in Dallas that she didn’t want anything to do with me, or so I thought, so I remained hidden while I added to my collection.

I could hear the irritation in my voice. “Don’t pretend like you don’t know what I’m talking about! What the hell, Eric? You’ve been stalking me?!”

I never thought of it as stalking her. I was trying to satisfy a desire that wouldn’t go away no matter how many times I tried to forget by using someone else. Anger burned through me. It was just like her to judge me for something she was guilty of herself! “Oh, don’t pretend like you didn’t want me there. How am I going to tell Bill?” I said, quoting her diary.

Sookie was quiet for a few seconds and then my voice boomed through the phone. “You read my diary?!!! You have no right!”

I backpedaled and made up a lie about how I found it. Of course she knew I was lying, and she sounded angrier by the minute. This was not how it was supposed to go! Why was she being so stubborn?

“I’m sorry Sookie,” I said, and I meant it. “Why don’t you come over and I’ll make it up to you?” If I could talk to her in person I could explain myself.

“Stop it! Don’t try and tempt me after you just admitted to abusing my trust!”

“Tempt you?” I asked, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice. The phone filled with a muffled sound, which became louder. It was Pam laughing.

“Oh shut up Pam,” Sookie said in the background.

“Pam, you have to take care of her. Get her out of my house. Take her to Fangtasia, and give her something to do.”

Pam promised to help and hung up the phone.

I fell back onto Sookie’s bed and took a deep breath. It had been a really long day, and I was exhausted. Before too much longer, I was asleep.

After waking up the next morning, I changed quickly (and successfully), and ate. This time I decided to forego the chocolate in my coffee. I didn’t want to repeat the stomachache I experienced yesterday.

I showered and noticed something new when I was toweling her body off. I was horny. Now that was a feeling I was used to!

I sprawled out on her bed and tucked her hand between her legs. It was a marvelous feeling to learn exactly where and how to touch her to get the best response. I had a lot of experience with women, and a fair amount with men, but this was better than all of my experience combined. Learning first hand how to pleasure someone else’s body was amazing.

I writhed against her hand and gasped when I came. Relying solely on clitoral stimulation was a completely different sensation than anything I had experienced so far. It made her toes curl and it took a while for my breathing to even out. I didn’t know that it felt so different.

All of the joy was knocked out of me when I tried to button a pair of jeans and they didn’t fit.

I had worn them two days ago, and now, I was fighting to join the two sides. I read about this in Sookie’s book, how some women experience bloating during their period, which can lead to depression.

I knew how to solve this problem. I needed to go shopping. I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a camisole tank top and got in my car and drove to a shopping center in Shreveport that Pam had mentioned.

I drove with the windows down, and by the time I got to my destination, Sookie’s hair was wild and wavy.

The shopping center was compiled mostly of women’s boutique clothing stores. I was drawn to one of the shops that had a display of clothing made from vintage fabrics.

“Hi! Please let me know if you need something!” the woman sitting behind the register said as I walked in.

“Actually, I was hoping you might be able to help me find something that fits me. I’m not sure what size I am. Especially right now…apparently I’m a little bloated.”

The woman gave me a sympathetic look. “Aren’t we all at times…?” She smiled and touched Sookie’s elbow, leading me to a display of beautiful silk skirts. “These are made from vintage saris, and are completely adjustable. They come in three lengths. This one would look lovely on you, and it matches your top!” She held up a creamy blue silk skirt.

Were women always this nice to each other? I was surprised since the humans I watched at Fangtasia were competitive and vicious…especially the women.

“Where can I try it on?” I usually tried on clothing at a tailor, or had my day man buy things and bring them to me so I could try them on at home.

“Right this way.” She led me to a narrow wooden door hanging a foot off the floor.

“I am in desperate need of a new wardrobe, so if you have any other suggestions…”

She smiled widely. “I’ll be back.”

I slipped inside the room and tugged the sweats off. My wallet fell heavily onto the floor. Maybe I should buy a new purse too. “How do I tie this?” I spoke loud enough that she would be able to hear me through the door.

“I can show you, if you like.” Her feet approached the dressing room, stopping far enough away that I could open the door.

I opened the door, clutching the material against Sookie’s body, knowing that Sookie wouldn’t appreciate me flashing a stranger. The saleswoman already had her arm loaded with clothing.

She smiled when she saw me looking at them. “I wasn’t sure what you would like, so I got you a variety!” She hung the clothes on the back of the door and reached inside the dressing room. “This belt slides inside this hole and then you wrap it around your waist and tie it. I think it looks beautiful. What do you think?”

I turned and faced the mirror and smiled. It did look beautiful. I turned in front of the mirror and sighed when the soft silk brushed against her knees. “I need more of these.”

She laughed and gave me a nod. I closed the door and proceeded to try on one thing after another, most of them looked amazing and felt glorious against her skin. Why didn’t Sookie own more dresses and skirts? The saleswoman came back with six more skirts, all in various colors and lengths, all just as beautiful as the first one.

I ended up taking all of the skirts, two dresses, four blouses and a purse to the register. I noticed a display stand on the counter next to the register covered with jewelry.

“They’re made locally by a very talented woman. She polishes and cuts her own stones, and mounts them in fourteen karat gold. Would you like to try them on?”

I nodded and waited for her to pull an earring and necklace set out of the case. I held the earrings in her hands and was pleased by the craftsmanship. “I’ll take that set too, and that pair of earrings.” I pointed to a pair of plain hoops. I opened my wallet and pulled out my credit card.

She glanced down at the card and smiled. “Thank you, Mrs. Northman.”

I smiled back at her, glad that she hadn’t asked for identification. “Do you mind if I change into the blue skirt?”

“Please, feel free. If you could just sign this.” She slid the credit card receipt across the counter.

I signed my name, which came naturally, even using Sookie’s delicate hands. Luckily, my signature was obscured enough that the saleswoman didn’t notice my first name.

“I’ll wrap these while you change.”

When I came back out, I handed her the sweatpants. “Thank you!”

“No, thank you! Any time you want to shop, I’ll be here.” She tucked the sweatpants inside the bag and handed it to me.

As I walked down the sidewalk of the shopping center, past a stoplight, a man in a rusted truck leaned towards the open passenger window and shouted, “Nice tits!”

I turned and looked at him in disbelief.

“Wanna show me whatcha got on under that skirt?” he jeered, licking his lips.

I felt dirty and angry all at once. Before I even had the chance to defend myself, the light changed and he honked and whooped as he drove away. What right did he have to talk to me that way? I could feel Sookie’s face sour. It reminded me of dealing with the drunk assholes at Merlotte’s. It seems as though men were dicks everywhere.

I turned my attention back to the stores in front of me and smiled when I noticed I was looking at a shoe store. Sookie definitely needed shoes.

The salesman was just as pleasant as the woman I had just bought clothes from, which helped restore my faith in men. He brought me a dozen pairs of shoes, and after trying them all on and getting his feedback, I ended up buying six of them. They even matched some of the outfits I had just bought.

“Can I help you carry them to your car?” the salesman offered.

“Yes. Thank you.” I smiled at him and led the way.

I unlocked the trunk, and while he was loading Sookie’s new shoes, I asked, “Are you this nice to everyone?” I had always assumed that people were nice to me because they were afraid of me, but he definitely didn’t have anything to be afraid of when I was in this body.

He laughed. “Not everyone drops two grand on a single shopping trip in my store, so no…”

I nodded. It wasn’t the first time someone had liked me for my money.

“And…you are an absolute knockout.” He blushed. “I get off in a half-hour for my lunch break, if you’re interested…”

His compliment did wonders to improve my mood.

“I’m flattered, but I’m with someone.”

“Of course you are,” He said softly and then cleared his throat. “Thank you for your patronage!” He turned and left, walking briskly back to his store.

I was hungry again and decided to eat at the café I had passed moments before. I sat outside, where I could lean back in my chair and soak in the bright afternoon sun. As I sat at the table by myself, I longed for company…Sookie’s company. Was I really ‘with’ her? How was I going to make things right between us?

Why did I even care?

Was it love, or was it some form of lust that tricked me?

I couldn’t think straight, so I stopped thinking. I just relaxed and enjoyed the day, wishing that I could see Sookie tonight.

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I promise you won’t have to wait so long for the next chapter…review please (I’m still trying to beat my record of reviews on FF).

On to Switched Ch 15: I Am NOT Being High-Handed