The other end started to ring. He answered, “Caroline.”
I lay down on my bed, slipping my shoes off of my feet, “Look, I'm super sorry for missing out on your visit, but you should've told me you were coming in the first place! So, I don't a hundred percent blame myself.”
I heard him chuckle, “Don't be like this with me, Caroline. I have my exams coming up. What's wrong?”
Smiling, “What? I can't call up my best friend because I'm bored and have nothing to do in life?”
He laughed, “We both know you always have something to do in your life. Besides, you're not the type to call for no reason. You have Bonnie there for your boy troubles. Meaning that when you call me, it’s either urgent or very significant.”
Oh, Stefan. I miss having him around. Well technically, we've never really been used to each other's presence. He's only been to Mystic Falls once or twice, but we've kept in touch and he understands me, and me, him.
There was a time when we almost kissed but we swore never to talk of it ever again. We were both drunk and horny, but our lips never came to touch. It was a good thing for me to have pulled away. He's nothing more to me than a best friend and I know that the feeling is mutual. A kiss would have totally ruined the friendship, and it was a good kind of friendship. There was no point of destroying something so nice.
“I went to apply for Q & S Journ. The interview went odd, but great. He offered me the job, but I had to write an article about this family in the city, which involves this guy.”
He cuts me off, “Less than a week in the city and you already have a guy to mess around with? Only you, Caroline. Only you.” He mocks.
I slap my head, “It's not like that,” I laugh, “He's supposed to be some kind of king of the city, as Bonnie so strongly put it.” I paused, stop holding back Caroline. Just say it. “I'm somewhat drawn to his undeniable charms, but Bonnie warned me that he's dangerous. And this huge part of me really wants the job, Stefan, but is it worth risking my safety?”
“It's just an interview. Do the interview and leave. It's as easy as that.”
I sighed, “I wish it were. I told you, he’s got the charms,” I can almost imagine Stefan rolling his eyes at me. “His tendency to charm women with his words and actions is impeccably instantaneous. But I know it's just a game for him.”
Klaus is not a prince charming coming to life. I should know better than to fall for his flirty tricks, but why can't I seem to control myself around him? “Look, you've been babbling about this job to me since your sophomore year. It's your dream to learn and work for them. So do it. Screw the king of the city. Go for what you want.”
Nodding, I smiled. He always knew what to say. “Thanks. That really helps. Wait,” I paused, “If you have upcoming exams, then why did you bother coming here just to see how I was settling in?”
He laughed, “Don't worry about it, Care. I've got it in the bag,” then the line ended.
Today was a special day for the city. I think it was the monthly town meeting or something like that. Locals and tourists were encourage to raise their complaints and opinions about the problems with the city. Who else better to lead the meeting than the Mikaelsons themselves?
I was standing at the edge of the bench near the town office. It was crowded with locals and paparazzi. Knowing that it was the worst time of day to ask for an interview with the royals, I brought Bonnie with me. I was really hoping she could cozy up Kol for an interview, but she told me that I was talking trash.
“Kol and I aren't official. Teenage flirting, that's it!” she said.
I rolled my eyes, tipping my toes to find a Mikaelson in the vicinity. I haven't really done my research about them, but today, I was only going to ask Klaus if I could make an appointment with them. Regret washed over me as I realized that it would be hard to find a Mikaelson since I only knew two of them.
A round of cheers came to grab my attention. My eyes followed the noise. Coming out of a stretched limousine was the announcer from the ball with a pretty blonde by her side. She gave the paparazzi a smile before spinning to enter the office. The limousine drove away. I slumped in disappointment, jumping down from the bench.
“Neither of them came. Let's just go home,” I declared.
Both of us started walking away from the place of the meeting when I hear another flow of cheers and flickers from the crowd. My heart started beating faster.
Driving into the threshold was a white sedan. The door opened, revealing the neat looking passengers. The first to climb out had tousled brown hair and wrinkled eyes. His bone structure was edgy and stiff, but it didn't resemble a certain British king.
The next to come out was a woman. She had auburn hair that waved to shoulder's length. She looked older, probably around her 40's. Her expression was so formal and full of etiquette. She enveloped her arms around the arms of the first man and left to enter the office.
Third to come out was a familiar brown eyed bachelor. Kol looked the least formal from the five that has arrived. He was wearing a loose white shirt and a bad boy jacket to match. He came out smirking, giving the paparazzi a charming wave. His eyes met mine and he smirked. His head bobbed to Bonnie's direction, giving her a grin and a wink. He spun and went after his family.
I stilled, realizing that Kol has closed the car door after parting from the vehicle. Klaus isn't with them. Disappointment rushed over me. What was I thinking coming here hoping to find Klaus? I couldn't help but feel incredibly betrayed, even if I didn't have the right.
Turning my back to the office, I started walking away, not caring to see if Bonnie was even following me. Why did I even come here? Was it really for the interview or did I secretly just want to see him?
“Caroline!” a voice echoed through my ears.
My heart skipped a beat. That voice. That sexy and alluring British accent. I know that voice. My breathing began to climb. He's here. I spun around; my ears did not betray me. He was standing at the driver's side of the sedan, holding the door open. He had an eye-catching grin plastered on his face. I grinned back.
Jogging to my side, he snarled, “To what do I owe this unexpected surprise?” giving me his signature smirk.
Oh Klaus, stop trying hard to be charming! You already are without that arrogant smirk on your face. I rolled my eyes at him playfully, “Can we talk?” Did I just ask that? Of course he's going to say no. He's going to choose attending that stupid town meeting over me, obviously. “That totally came out wrong. I mean,” I paused, thinking of the right words to say, “I thought about your offer to me the other night and I’m here to accept it. Maybe later?” finishing it with a lovely smile.
He beamed, “How about this instant?”
I looked around at the paparazzi’s, who were flickering their cameras at us. Oh my. I got totally sidetracked with Mr. Perfect that I forgot about the crowd and my best friend! I turned to Bonnie, giving her an apologetic smile. She smiled one back to me and back away from us. She tried to make it look convincing, but I wasn’t stupid. She didn’t like me hanging around with Klaus, but as I explained to her earlier, it’s for work.
Spinning around to face him again, “The town meeting,” I whispered pointing to the town office. He chuckled his sexy, British laugh and grabbed my hand. He pulled me towards the white sedan, opening the seat up front beside the driver’s. This definitely reminded me of that moment with Matt, but I’m so relieved that history didn’t need to repeat itself. He wants me on the front seat! I climbed in.
He walked over to the driver’s side with an erotic smirk on his face. He was enjoying the attention the media was giving him. I don’t get it. Who could appreciate that kind of intrusion? Well, that thought is really ironic since I want to become a journalist. However, journalism is a profession to me. We don’t intrude people’s lives like they do. We report. We inform. It’s different from the other media personnel who treat these stories like a jackpot in the lottery.
Being unaware of my surroundings, I didn’t notice Klaus climb in. I didn’t even notice us driving away. My head looked up to watch him. He was still smiling as he drove, but he didn’t move to face me. His eyes were focused mainly on the road, but I doubt that our minds were in the same planet. I shifted into a more comfortable position on my chair.
“I apologize. The car is a little rusty, and the chairs are not at its best condition. This was Rebekah’s old car.” Rebekah? Must be the pretty blonde. “I could’ve driven my sports car if I knew you were to join me,” he muttered.
I shot him a look, “Are you crazy? It’s nice. I’m just nervous around you.” Oops. Did I just slip and say that? At the corner of my eye, I see a smile crawl up his face. I blushed. I decided not to take it back. If we were going to spend time with each other, I’ve got to learn to be honest but not desperate.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked.
He exhaled, “To my home.” I gave him a skeptical look. He explained, “The mansion is my family’s home, but I have one built for my own. Rarely have I stayed with my brothers and sister.”
“Why?”
His eyes tear away from the road to the flooring of the car. My heart stopped. Eyes on the road, my heart wanted to scream, but his eyes looked so wounded that no sound came out. It only took him a minute to fix himself up, “It’s a long story.”
I crossed my arms like a little child, “You can’t tell me?”
Shaking his head, “I’d rather not. I like you around, Caroline. If I tell you, I know you’d run for the hills. So for now,” he sighed, “I’ll keep it a secret.”
For now? What did it mean? Is he suggesting that we were going to be friends? I like that idea. Well, actually, I like the idea of us, period. I examined his face. The smile on his face touched his eyes, but I couldn’t be too sure. He seems to have these mood swings that I personally think is prearranged. He tends to hide his emotions. “One day then?” I asked.
He sighs in regret and gives me a nod. “I would rather you not find out, but it’s difficult. I want you to know about me and not scare you away. If you haven’t noticed,” he paused to give me a playful smirk, “I can’t seem to keep away from you.”
“And why is that?” I asked, giving him an equally playful smirk.
He shrugged his shoulders, moving his gaze back to the road. “I can’t seem to ponder that either. One thing’s for sure,” pausing, “I’ll be very saddened if you turn your back on me, Caroline.”
The sound of my beating heart reverberated through my ears. Is this for real? I watched the trees by the road as the car zoom passed them. Klaus kept his silence, and I think for all the right reasons. He must be evaluating our exchanges just as I am. If I turn my back on him? I wasn’t his. We aren’t friends. We barely know each other! Although I would like that status to change, I’m not quite ready for this kind of intensity in a relationship.
He pulled over the car in front of an incredibly massive lawn. He climbed out of the car from his side, as I only began to unbuckle my protective belt. He held open the door for me as I got out, catching me by the wrist when I lost balance. Our eyes met, the intensity building as they did. He pulled me up into a standing position without breaking eye contact. He’s so — striking. His dazzling eyes made me want to cover myself up, almost as if I was naked.
“My Lord,” I hear a female voice from behind. Klaus threw his car keys to her, without breaking the strong connection. I swallowed.
A smile crept to his face. “Katerina,” he called, finally taking his eyes off of me. “Fetch me my favorite liquor from the stash in the storage room after you have finished. Elijah will back early prior to my absence at the meeting. You may leave with him after.”
“Right away, my lord,” she said. I managed to tear my gaze from Klaus’ face in time just to see Katerina drive the sedan away. She’s the girl from the ball that accompanied the announcer at the centuries-old waltz.
“Servant?” I questioned. He led the way into the entrance of the massive manor, holding the door for me as I entered. He gestured to the couch for me to sit. I obeyed.
He shook his head, “Sister-in-law.”
I scowl at him, “You treat your sister-in-law like a servant? That’s so incongruous! Seriously, Klaus? In what planet did you hover from? Nobody, and I mean, no human being does that to their family!” He shot me a frisky look, laughing. “What’s so funny?”
His laugh turned into a deep, manly chuckle. “I find the way you defend Katerina amusing, Caroline. I’m fairly certain your view of the situation would alter as you hear my side of the story.” I challenged him with the rise of an eyebrow. He smiled, “Yes, she is my brother’s maiden. Elijah is very protective of her and I keep that in mind at all times. However, Katerina is very difficult to have around. She was taking care of housekeeping for my home when they fell madly in love.
“I have very strict rules with my brothers and sister. Fraternizing with them being the most serious offense of all. She violated my contract; therefore, she must suffer the consequences. Easy as that,” he stated.
I squint my eyes at him, “Why do you punish her? She’s family now.”
“Because —” he tried to explain, but was interjected by a female voice.
“Because he believes that he’s the alpha male and that anybody who dares to interfere with his requests would have to face the wrath of the demon inside!” I turned to the direction where the sound came from. Katerina started walking towards us with a bottle of red wine in her hands, “Really, Klaus? You’re still not over me marrying Elijah?” She gave me a look, “Mind you little miss Barbie, Klaus is not to be meddled with. You should keep that in mind.”
She took a seat beside me, pouring herself a glass of wine before offering me one. Klaus glared at her actions with a frown on his face. Obviously, he didn’t like to be interceded. She poured another glass for him, pushing it to his direction. “Come on, Klaus. Stop being immature. We both know what the truth is.” She gave him a wicked smirk as Klaus took the glass, reciprocating the smirk. “My name is Katerina Petrova. You can call me Katherine,” she said, raising an eyebrow at me.
“I’m Caroline,” I muttered.
She got up, “Well, I’ll leave you two alone for now. I’ll be lounging at the massage room if you need anything, my lord.” Then she left.
Strange family. I’ve honestly never seen a more dubious interaction between two in-laws. Is it normal for their family to act like this with each other? I sigh, looking at Klaus who was enjoying his drink. He appears to be thinking about something, but he didn’t speak. So far, no danger yet, but truth be told, I’m a little scared. Even Katherine said that he was not to be meddled with, and they’re supposed to be family!
I coughed. It immediately caught his attention, “Look, I know this sounds out of the blue, but why did you bring me here? What do you have to show me?”
He frown. I wasn’t sure if my eyes were mistaken, but I swear that it was a frown. Why is he upset? I didn’t say anything. He stood up, moving his hand as a gesture for me to follow him. I followed him from behind, sipping into my wine glass. It was good, really good. It tasted sweet and intoxicating. I could almost imagine his kisses to be just as strong.
Kisses? No. Why are you thinking about kisses from him? He’s never going to kiss you, and you are not going to let him. This is for work, Caroline. Stop slipping out of character. You’re a journalist. Be professional. But this wasn’t work. Not yet. I haven’t even brought up the interview one time! This is a romantic/friendly get together. A date.
No! Not a date. A get together. Yes, a get together of two people, who are not friends and who barely know each other. So, more or less, a date. I groaned in my mind. This is a date. My heartbeat accelerated. Lost in my thoughts, I was unable to perceive Klaus’ lack of movement and I bumped into his back. Shit! I thought, spilling my wine onto the back of his shirt.
“Oh my God! I am so sorry.” I pleaded, enunciating each syllable very carefully. Lacking of logical ways to help, I just backed up to the wall behind me. I could almost imagine what he’s going to do to me. Punish me? Tie me up and ask me to do unimaginable stunts? Oh my.
I watched him from behind. He didn’t turn around. His hands moved to the hem of his shirt, he tore it off of him. I stopped breathing. Is he seriously stripping in front of me? That body. No. I shook my head, looking up. Happy thoughts, Caroline. Happy thoughts. Please. Please tell me I’m not turned on by this! He tore me from my thoughts.
“No worries, love. Just a stain. Katerina can work on that far along.” I didn’t lower my head to look at him. “Caroline?”
I let out a heavy breath, finally meeting his gaze. He was straight up naked from the waist up. I bit my lip. The way he presents himself even when he doesn’t have a shirt on is a little too sexy for my comfort. Who knew he had a body to kill for? “Is this it?” I asked, turning my gaze away from his body and onto the walls of the room.
There were canvases of paintings all around. They were picturesque. My gaze turning from one to another. I recognized this one particular painting on the far corner of the wall. Slowly, I approached it, “Is this?” I paused, admiring each detail of the canvas. “Jas de Bouffan,” I whispered. Klaus walked to my side, putting on a white shirt in the process.
I didn’t even notice him snatch one from wherever, but apparently he has one lying around. Perhaps all the ladies he brought here has made the same accident. “Paul Cezanne, 1876. It is one of the most precious of all my collection. I’m glad you noticed it.”
I grinned at him, “How can I not? It’s breathtaking.” Inhaling, I took a step closer, admiring it even more in detail. “He’s one of my favorite artists. Although, he is clearly underrated.” My eyes explored more of the paintings enveloping me. Some of the paintings were also of Jas de Bouffan, but I have never seen them before. Must be of another artist. “And these?” I asked, pointing to the unknown paintings.
He looked down, as if embarrassed, “By another underrated artist.”
Swallowing, I walked towards the said paintings. “It’s very unlikely. The way the brushstrokes seem to be. There’s something enlightening, but for some unapparent reason, there’s also a dash of something dejecting about it.” I looked at his face. He smiled. “You made these,” I concluded, gesturing the graphical paintings.
He gave me a nod, “I never truly assessed my paintings in a manner that you just did.” Closing the proximity between us, “I always thought of it as art, beauty. However, I failed to realize how much my emotions have shaped the outcome of my works.”
I inhaled, “It’s lonely.” Emotions are not easy to procure. It’s impossible that he intended to feel sad, only to make it clear in his works. “What were you upset about?” I asked.
He gulped, “Caroline.” Inching his face closer to mine, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
I pursed my lips, “Why not?” His lips pressed into a hard line. It didn’t seem to be out of anger, but rather out of confliction. As if he was disputed with what he should do and what he wanted to do. “Klaus, I don't know why you are being so hesitant, but I need you to tell me something!”
He pulled away from me. Striding away to the opposite direction of where we came from. I sighed. Did he just abandon me? Shaking my head, I walked opposite where he did, back into the living room
I wasn’t entirely certain what his abandonment meant. We weren’t friends and we didn’t understand each other. He leaves me in a room full of paintings, what do I do? I don’t know! It would be stupid of me to wait. Leaving the manor, I spotted a familiar looking limousine coming towards the lawn. I halted.
A dashing young man climbed out. It was the dapper announcer guy from the Mikaelson’s Ball. Elijah, is it? He gave me a peculiar look, “Are you with Klaus?” I nodded. “What are you doing here?”
“He showed me his works and left. I don’t know where he went, but he’s still probably around the manor. Katherine is there waiting for you inside.” I tried to give him a smile.
He returned the gesture, “Have my driver take you home. This part of town is very precarious. I wouldn’t want to answer to Klaus if something bad happens to you.”
Giving him a nod, I walked towards the limo. It was empty except for the driver. Elijah came to my side and opened the door for me, “Thank you.” I said, before leaving him by himself on the lawn. I muttered my address to the driver, and soon, Elijah’s figure began to disappear into the distance.
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