Fifty Shades of Klaus : Chapter 7

One Monday morning while I was working my shift at the supermarket, I saw Matt come in with Cami beside him. I glare. Yeah, sure, rub it on my face! I sighed, Cami is an awesome girl but I'm just too pissed with Matt to even care about her awesomeness. He couldn't just treat me like the way he did and expect me to forgive him without an apology.

I walked to him, head held high with all intentions of embarrassing him in front of his maiden. There was a certain hint of pride in my eyes as I walked but it eventually vanished the moment I saw Cami wrap her arms around Matt's arm. They're together. My shoulders dropped.

They must've really liked each other to have sped into the relationship like that. Not everything is about you, Caroline. I sigh, recalling Matt’s words to me. Rolling my eyes, I walk up to the two of them, “Cami,” I looked at the pretty blonde, “Matt,” acknowledging the blond boy.

“Caroline,” both of them said back, giggling at the fact that they said it concurrently. They look good together. I really shouldn’t be interfering with their happiness just because I didn’t have it.

I smile at them, “Matt, I just came to tell you that I got this internship with the firm that I’ve been dying to get into. So, I was hoping that you could let me go off and resign with my week’s pay, will that be alright? I hope it wouldn't be much trouble.”

He nods, “That'll be fine. Can you drop by on Wednesday? Or should I send them to your house?”

“I'll come over. I'll be gone by the end of my day shift.” Pausing, “I need to start interviewing the Mikaelson’s for my article. Will that be okay?”

“Oh yeah! That's great, Caroline. I'm happy for you,” his eyes looked back to mine with hesitation. “I'll see you around then,” finishing it with a smile.

Nodding, I gave them both a smile and started walking away. I lied about the interview thing. Truth is, Marcel asked for me. He wanted to discuss some ground rules with me and tip me for the upcoming interview. Klaus hasn't called, but I was hoping that he would anytime soon now.

The rest of my shift slipped by my consciousness in a beat. It was really hard to think about stocking groceries when you are just itching to hear from the King of the City. When will he call? I can't hide the excitement!

I clocked out for the last time, grinning as I did. Turning to leave, I bumped into Jeremy. His pupils were dilated, his lips were pale and his hair was disheveled. I rolled my eyes, the typical look of Vicki's victims.

Brushing away from him, I breathed in the city air. The afternoon heat enveloping me. Honestly, the city isn't really so bad. It has great music and great culture, but it just really couldn't be compared to Rome. I make my way to the Q & S Journ building.

“Hi, I'm here for Marcel Gerard.” I muttered. “I’m the new intern.”

The receptionist's eyes lit up and her face managed giving me a smile. She walked me to the same office where I had my interview. The black skinned man I was meeting sat silently on his seat. He didn't stand or speak when I entered, but I saw his eyes gaze at me.

Taking my seat, I opened my mouth to speak, but he talked before I even managed to utter a word. “Good afternoon, Caroline. Lunch?” he asked. Lunch?! I shook my head. He fakes a smile and continues talking, “Okay then, the interview. Any news?”

I nod, smiling, “Yes. I have managed to ask for an interview with Klaus. He hasn't called me back, but I'm hoping to hear from him anytime soon. Tomorrow, maybe?”

He nods, “That's good. So I am assuming that you would submit well?” Ironically, I'm not sure. I really don't know how much I could submit. What if he asks for something I couldn't do? I don't have any experience. I might not be able to meet up to his expectations. “Hopefully,” I mutter.

The meet didn't take too long. He gave me a company contract to sign; it was a very long contract, and it talked too much about benefits that it had me doubting. Would they really submit with their part of the bargain? I mean, one thing I learned about having the sheriff as my mom is that nothing is always as it seems.

Sometimes, when you've got something all figured out, that's when it's going to shock you and surprise you with either something good, or something really really bad. I signed, hoping that it wasn't a scam. I looked up to his grinning face, “Okay, let's talk about salary!”

My phone rings. After the meet with Marcel, I thought about going for a drink at the bar where Cami works, Rousseau’s, but after recalling all the drinking mishaps from the last time, I just didn't have the guts to have alcohol in me anytime soon.

“Hello?” I answer.

A female voice emerged, “Caroline Forbes.”

I cough, “Yes, speaking. Who is this?”

“Katherine,” I could imagine a grin on her face as she says that, “I am calling on the behalf of Klaus. He wants you to know that he could do the interview on Wednesday. He’s checking if you’re free.”

Laughing, “Yeah, Wednesday sounds great.” I chuckle, “I didn’t take you as a secretary, Katherine.”

A hear the smirk in her voice; “You’d be surprised of what more I could do, Caroline.” She pauses, “So, Wednesday is okay? Klaus wants the interview to be around 9 a.m. in the morning. Let me remind you that he does not tolerate those who disappoint him. So, good luck.”

Good luck? What was that supposed to mean? “Thanks. Can I get an address? Just so that I know what to tell the cab driver.” I hear an amused laugh from the other end, “What’s so funny?”

She mutters through the phone, “He will be fixing you a ride with him. He comes back from an out of town trip on early Wednesday morning.”

I gape. My heart beat faster. He’s picking me up? “He doesn’t need to do that.” A part of me really wishes that his intentions could mean something more. I mean, we did have several ‘moments’ from the past few days, but I really shouldn’t expect that of him. He is a charmer, that’s what he does. He manipulates people with his power and charms. I sigh.

“He knows that, but he wants to. Let the man do his wooing. Good bye!” the line ended.

Curiosity troubled my mind for the rest of the day. A week and a half in the city and too much has already happened. I almost got raped for Christ’s sake! Then Matt and I had that fight, then Tyler had to be unreasonable, and then Bonnie, who I haven’t heard from since that night at the bar, is still with Kol and hasn’t come home. And lastly, who could forget about this mumbo jumbo with the King?

At the end of the day, I am all alone. No Matt. No Tyler. No Bonnie. And no family. Klaus’ isn’t mine so I can’t say that I no longer have him. I really do need a drink! I stopped by the nearest liquor store.

Picking out one of their finest beer, I dropped it on the counter. The boy behind it has tousled brown hair and saggy eyes; it was Jeremy. “Jer? You work here too?”

“Vicki owns the store. I’m just helping her out,” he explains, not meeting my eyes as he did.

Rolling my eyes, I pop the bottle open as I paid. I took a sip of it straight from the bottle, as I walked out the store. It tasted real smooth and nice. Waiting as the cars pass before walking across the street, I hear my name called out. My head turned to the direction of the noise.

A familiar British man comes walking to my direction. He spoke with his adorable accent and charming dimpled smile, “What had you coming to this side of the city?”

I smack my lips, “I work here,” pointing to the Q & S Journ building. “I thought you would be away for an out of town trip, or did Katherine lie to me?” wiggling my eyebrows at him.

He chuckles, “Shall we walk?” offering me a hand. I grin and sigh, taking his hand. Who would have guessed that a man who could afford buying a million fancy cars would be asking me for a walk? He took the bottle from me and drank a little from it, still holding my hand on his other hand. “I love this part of the city, but you really shouldn’t be wandering off alone.”

I chuckle, “I’m fine.” Taking my beer back, “I’m just really stressed right now with Tyler and Bonnie and my new boss. It’s frustrating! I didn’t expect things to be going like this two months ago. I had a plan. Get a part time job with Matt, go to classes when there are, go to parties, drink lots and lots of beer, and hope for an internship with the most amazing journalism firm ever. It’s all messed up right now!”

“Messed up? You have more than you had hoped for.” He swung our arms between us as we walked, “You got the internship and you have consumed more alcohol than you had originally planned.” We both smile at the memory of the night at the bar. It was strange how the memory always gets relished and how every time it does, I smile like an idiot. Klaus Mikaelson, what are you doing to me? “You have it all, Caroline.” He stops walking, faces me and takes my other hand in between his. He whispers, “And if you ever wish to fulfill your other dream of travelling the world, I want to be the one to show you the beauty of it.”

My eyes looks adoringly into his. My heart beats faster as he tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. Slowly, his lips edges to mine, inching closer and closer. The intensity building stronger and stronger, driving me wild inside. I wanted to pull away to maintain modesty, but I want this to happen. It’s so fast, but it was what I secretly wanted. His lips presses lightly onto mine.

His hand travels to the back of my neck, pressing my lips harder onto his. I pulled away, catching for a breath and hoping to regain control of my own actions, but his lips capture mine once more, locking them to his. That was when I finally regained awareness of my actions. I push him away, throwing my hands in between us, “You can’t do that.”

I hinted bewilderment in his eyes, but he managed to keep composure. “Caroline,” he trailed off.

“Everyone just needs to stop kissing me,” I stuttered, walking away.

Oh my God. Tyler is going to freak if he finds out about this. Yes, he has been unreasonable with me, but he’s still my friend. I care about what he thinks of me, and with what happened now, the only word in my mind is, slut. I shake my head, “Caroline.” I hear him call.

“Go away!” I shout back. What am I doing with my life? I just met the guy. We literally just met, yet I already feel this attraction for him. It’s the charisma. He’s probably like this with all the other girls in town. I groan in my mind, I’d probably have to sanitize my mouth! I continue to hear footsteps behind me, and then suddenly, he was right in front of me. “How did you —?” I managed  to spit, taking a step back.

He smiles, “I ran for track as a child.” Rolling my eyes, I walk pass him. It didn’t take him long to follow beside me. “Stop following me!” I say.

He laughs, “I’m not. This is the way to the manor, Caroline. Your house is to the other side.”

My face scrunched up at the realization of my own stupidity. I quickly turn, striding to the other side. What would Bonnie and Tyler think of me when they find about this? I groan loudly, realizing that they weren’t the most important people that I should be thinking of right now. Stefan. I sigh. What would Stefan think of me? “Caroline,” I hear him call again.

I stop on my tracks, shouting at him with pure exasperation in my tone, “What?”

He stops walking as well and sighs. Disappointment crosses his face. His hands picked out a set of keys from his pocket. Taking my right hand, he puts the keys between them and curls my fingers under them. He releases my hand.

My eyes looked down at the keys, “What is this?”

“Take my car. Go home. It’s yours.”

I scoffed in disbelief, “It’s yours! I’m not taking it!” I say, handing them back, but he took several steps away from me and threw his hands up in the air. I sigh, “Klaus, the car isn’t mine. I’m not driving it anywhere, okay? Take the keys back.” I handed it to him.

Still not taking it, he shakes his head from left to right, “Please, take it. I have a dozen more of that in the manor and I insist you accept that. It’s not safe, Caroline. Please, drive it home.” I roll my eyes at him.

“I told you before; you don’t connect with people by buying them off.” I threw the keys to the ground, “I’m not a whore and you can’t get me with your expensive gifts, so stop trying! I know you’re so used to girls clambering at your feet, but don’t ever connect me with them. I am not like the girls that you are so used to dating. Wooing would be a better word for it, because we’ve never actually dated! So, just leave me alone!”

A sigh slips out of his lips, “Give me a chance. I will prove it to you.”

“Prove to me what? You know, that day at the manor, I thought we were finally connecting. I thought that I was finally seeing something pure in you. The way you talked about your siblings,” I pause, “I saw various pain, and joy. Something real. But then, you come here, kiss me and try to buy me with a car! I don’t think you have anything left to prove.”

He composes himself and picks up the keys from the ground. He mutters, “Can I at least offer you a ride home? It’s really not safe.”

I look around our surroundings and I see these gangs of men everywhere. This really is a bad side of the city. I give him a nod and follow him as he walks to his car. Both of us were silent the whole ride back to my house. There really wasn’t much to talk about. The kiss was amazing and the anger just came out of my surprise with the kiss, but the car thing was just too much. When I actually thought that he was feeling something real, he makes it certain that I am mistaken.

There is something real in him. I know that, but even if there was, it wasn’t anything compared to everything that is wrong about him. A part of me wishes that I could be foolish little Caroline again. She would be begging for this attention from him, but I’m not her anymore. I’m more mature, and I know the difference of this Klaus and the Klaus I talked to days ago. And as much as I want the Klaus from days ago, I know deep inside that he and he are both the same man. Therefore, at the end of the day, I can’t have either of them.

The car slowed to a stop. I scrambled out of the car, but not before hearing him say, “I’ll pick you up at 8 in the morning for the interview on Wednesday. Good night, Caroline.”

I look down the beer in my hands and finishes its contents in one swing.

---

“Finally!” I shout, “Where have you been this whole time?” Slamming the door behind me, “Bonnie Bennett, I swear to God if one day you turn out to be pregnant with one of Kol’s babies, I am not willing to be a godmother, okay?”

She chuckles, eating another mouthful of whatever she was having for dinner. I stepped closer to the dining room to check if she cooked or ordered take out. Home-cooked lasagna. My stomach started growling. I put down the beer bottle on the table and grabbed myself a plate. Sitting down opposite Bonnie, I started eating.

Surprised by the exquisiteness of the meal, I had to ask, “Did you make this? It’s delicious!”

Bonnie gave me an apologetic smile, “Actually, Kol made dinner. He’s a great cook, don’t you think?”

I made a gagging face. I guess the culinary skills is in the blood. I put down the fork and stared. Does Bonnie even plan to enlighten me with the tale of her missing days? I kept my gaze at her, hoping that she realizes that I am eager for information.

“Caroline, I know you’re staring at me.” She says, even with her head down, eating another mouthful from her plate. Her head shot up, “My missing days are none of your business.” I made a face, “But as I know you, I also know that you are not giving up until I tell you something about what happened.”

I sighed, “Because I’m worried,” and paused, “And also curious. So tell me,” I grin.

She grins back. Oh my God. She’s blooming. Her hair is tied up and her face is just… glowing. She’s not wearing makeup. That I am sure of! But her face is so prospered. “He is the most amazing man I have ever dated. That night at the bar, he called me twice but I just hung up on him. I was just so surprised when he came to find me. He was with Klaus, but Klaus took you home, leaving us together by ourselves.

“He apologized and told me that he would make up for it. I didn’t immediately fall for his charms, but I was so drunk that I don’t exactly remember what made me willing to go to his home. I did ask him when I was sober a day after, but he doesn’t remember either. We were both drunk. Anyway, we didn’t have sex that night, but we drunk cuddled and I remember it feeling nice.” She smiles at the memory.

“He really is something and I don’t regret anything that I did with him for the past few days. He took me for a trip at his family home and he introduced me to his siblings. It was all so fast, but I had been wanting to be with him for so long now, and I couldn’t just miss that chance.”

My eyebrows furrow at her last statement, “What do you mean when you said that you had been wanting to be with him for so long? Didn’t you just meet him at the ball?”

She shook her head. “No. We met once before at a small store at the quarter. Hasn’t Klaus told you?” I shake my head. “What have you been doing for the past few days? Haven’t you been with him?”

I nod, “Not really. I was with him that night at the bar and by morning the day after, but I haven’t been with him exactly.” I pause, “I bumped into him tonight too, but it didn’t go too well.” I frown at the memory, “So, you met Klaus and Kol at the same time? That day at the store? What happened?”

“It was two weeks before you moved in. Kol rescued me from Klaus. I couldn’t tell you too much because it’s Klaus’ secret. I’m sorry, but I think he would tell you anyway. Have you asked him?” I shrug. “Weird. Based from Kol’s stories, Klaus seemed to be really into you. What went wrong?”

I roll my eyes, “Did you forget the fact that you warned me to stay away from him?”

She chuckled, “We both know that an advice like that wasn’t going to stop you from going for a guy you really like!” I laugh with her. “What went wrong, Caroline?”

I sighed, “Me. I pushed him away. He is really sweet, but he also loves to flirt with girls. You know, just like Kol! I don’t like to be constantly at the edge of my seat, guarding him from every other girl. Besides, I’m pretty sure that after he gets a taste of me, he’s just going to leave. It’s what his kind does. I’m surprised Kol didn’t do that to you.”

Bonnie gasps, my words obviously offending her. Her shoulders slumped down, realizing that I was right. She gave me a smile, “You’re wrong. Klaus isn’t a flirt. It’s just Kol. Klaus hasn’t exactly been interested in any girl for a whole century now!” Again with the centuries exaggeration? What is it with centuries that people prefer to use that rather than years? “Caroline, you are the first girl he has shown an interest to for a very long time.”

I scoff, “Oh come on! You don’t honestly believe one of Kol’s lies, do you? I’m pretty sure that Klaus has dated other girls before!”

She nodded, “Dated, yes. Had sex with, yes. But shown an interest for, no. Caroline, I am your best friend, and I am telling you this. Klaus likes you.”