OH MY GOSH I DISAPPEARED AND I AM SO SORRY! I HAVE EXCUSES I SWEAR! Ok to make it snappy because I'm sure all of you are interested in what this story is about... my life got real interesting real quick. After the douchebag who will not get a name pulled that stunt we will not discuss... I think I found the person I'm actually meant to be with. Surprise! The rebound guy is the one I ended up falling in love with. It's been 4 months of pure bliss now and we're looking to move in together this summer. I also landed a solid job working in a fitness center which is the inspiration for this short little story. With that said... let's carry forth.

Eric's POV

Pink hearts, paper mache cupids, the disgusting sweet aroma of roses and boxes of overpriced chocolate, couples coo-cooing in every little corner -yeah it was definitely Valentine's Day. Eric felt a little bile rise into his throat as he watched a couple embrace after a man gave the woman a dozen red roses in the parking outside of his townhouse. He quickly covered up the little gagging noise he was making with a cough when he realized he was making his feelings known a little too loudly. The man was still burning a hole into the back of Eric's head as he peeled the tires of his red Corvette out of his parking space and out onto the roadway.

Valentine's Day always put Eric in a pissy mood every year. It wasn't because he was the bitter single guy, necessarily. Granted, he was single, but he could get a piece of ass whenever he wanted. No... Valentine's Day was the day he realized you could never have faith and trust in a woman. Eric looked like a playboy and for most of his life acted like a playboy. But one woman had tamed him, Felicia. Felicia made the roaring lion purr like a little pussy. Their relationship was all merry sunshine, make you want to vomit, etc. etc. And then he popped the question. The Eric Northman, confirmed bachelor, was going to settle down with this woman and get married. He even agreed to get married on the most unholy of days, Valentine's Day. But what did that ungrateful bitch do after he shelled out thousands of dollars for their dream wedding?

She stood him up at the altar.

Then she didn't return his phone calls for months after what would have been their wedding day. Hell she probably never would have spoken to him again if it weren't for the fact that he ran into her at another wedding, her wedding, to another dude. He was work associates with the groom and considerate it a bit of a firm duty to show up at the wedding. Eric didn't have a clue this guy was fucking his fiance while he was still in a relationship with her. That was a hard pill for him to swallow and made Eric swear off women for a while. Now he pretty much kept to himself, worked hard to try to make partner in his law firm, and got into dog fostering to abate the little bit of loneliness he had developed. The dogs kept the bed warm enough that was for sure. And he knew the dogs weren't going to run off and jump on the next dick available, metaphorically speaking that is.

Eric was musing in white knuckle fury his entire drive to the gym. He had to work off some of this stress. He kept telling himself that after this part of February was over, the world would be a better place. That and he wouldn't try to scream down the throat of every Tom, Dick, and Harry who pissed him off. His anger, pessimism, and sarcasm were at an all time high right now and heaven forbid anybody got in his path. Eric pulled into a parking lot space like he owned the joint. Yes, he was one of those people that believed that just because he had a big car, it gave him the right to park like a douche. He was well aware of this fact, but frankly didn't care. Let people complain if he took up two spots, he didn't want to see the paint scratched on his baby. He grabbed his duffle bag of work out clothes from the back seat and headed inside the gym.

Sookie's POV

Love was most definitely in the air this Valetine's Day. For the first time in Sookie's 26 years she actually had a valentine! Granted she wasn't sure if he was a legitmate valetine or not but she was very excited. She had just started seeing Bill right after Christmas so the relationship was still brand new, but she knew it wasn't too new to get a little something for each other for Valentine's Day, the international holiday of love! And boy, was she chock full of love. Unfortunately she hadn't had much opportunity to share that love outside of her friends and family. Some people had on occasion called her crazy Sookie and she was not naïve as to why. Sookie had big Southern girl charm. She was polite as all get out to everyone she met, forever had a smile plastered on her face, she had manners for miles, and Southern charm and good looks to boot. Everyone thought she must be addled in the brain a little bit to be so sweet and so innocent. It was just how she was raised to be.

But Bill seemed to enjoy her bubbly nature. They randomly met by bumping into each other at a coffee shop. Ok, they literally bumped into each other at a coffee shop. Bill caused Sookie to accidentally spill her two shot tall caramel macchiato all over the floor. He offered sincere apologizes and a replacement, she was just glad it didn't get all over her new polka dot print silk dress. He kept insisting on at least paying for the cup that was all over the floor. Eventually they exchanged phone numbers. Bill started texting her shortly after meeting her, texts turned to phone calls, and phone calls eventually turned into dates. They didn't go out all too often, Bill was incredibly busy with work, and so was she. But what little time they were starting to spend with one another was fabulous in Sookie's mind. It was the start of what could be a good relationship. They were in the budding stages where they were just getting to know one another. Who knows what would come next?

She especially enjoyed working at the fitness center around the loving holiday. She was a receptionist at a very prestige health center and fitness club in Shreveport Louisiana. Her smile and charm was just the perfect ingredient for her job. It also didn't require a college education, which she had yet to get. Sookie was working on it though, with a combination of online classes and night classes. The fitness center was offering all sorts of deals and goodies to the cliental for Valentine's Day. They offered partner candlelight yoga sessions in one of the quieter studio rooms. They had great rates and deals for couples who were joining the club together, and then Sookie's favorite was the Sweating with your Sweetie promotion. If you came into the club with your significant other in the week preceding Valentine's Day then you both would get a rose and your names put in a drawing for a romantic dinner on Valentine's night at the cities' premiere steakhouse. She hoped Bill would come work out with her so they could throw their names in the hat for the drawing.

Sookie was lost in her own thoughts when her least favorite patron came in the fitness center. She wasn't judgemental and was usually all smiles for all the customers... but this guy just got under her skin for all sorts of reasons. For one, he just looked cocky, all the time, whether it be when someone was looking or not. It was a general constant and consistent look on his face. She wasn't sure what he did for a living but it definitely afforded him Gucci, Armani, and Prada suits, because he always paraded into the club wearing them before he changed into his workout clothes. He acted like the world owed him a favor just because he was handsome and powerful. Sookie could care less if he were dung on her shoe. He walked up to the counter and fished around for his swipe card, as was his custom every time he walked in. And every time he came in he could never find it.

"Don't worry Mr. Northman, you're good." Sookie would say, wanting him to just walk away as quickly as possible.

"You have no idea how good I am." Would always be his spine tingling response with a wink. And it was not the good kind of tingle. This was the when a stranger decides to stand to close to you when they talk to you and invade your personal space kind of tingle.

"Enjoy your work out." Sookie managed to choke out around the lunch that was threatening to exit her esophagus. She couldn't wait until he left the gym that day so she wouldn't have to look at his pompous ass anymore.

A/N: Well? I am not expecting this to be to terribly long of a story. And don't worry about my other projects I started. I have not abandoned them. As soon as I find the written copies of them I am going to have them all typed up and uploaded. Fanfiction, I am back!